SANTA MONICA—On September 8, news of warmer waters off the coast of Santa Monica began circulating after local fishermen and anglers started reeling in fish that normally occupy the waters off the coast of Mexico. Marine heat waves brought larger fish such as, bass, perch, mackerel, halibut… The fish normally caught further south have swam closer in closer to the shore, giving some bragging rights to some of the locals.
Water temperatures at the Santa Monica Pier were reportedly between 74 and 75 degrees, well above the normal range this time of year.
ABC first reported the fish tale of a local Sea Captain, Tony Villanueva. He caught “The biggest yellowtail I’ve ever seen up here.” In their article, ABC credited the warm temperatures to Hurricane Marie.
According to Sunrise Surf Academy, “During an El Niño event, the tropical Pacific Ocean experiences a large pool of warm water that shifts and expands. According to atmospheric scientists at UCLA, coastal currents carry this warmth up along the Pacific coastline, heating subsurface and surface waters off Southern California. Normally, coastal winds drive an ‘upwelling’ process that pulls cold, nutrient-rich water up to the surface. El Niño disrupts this mechanism, leaving the water significantly warmer than the typical seasonal average (such as reaching 75°F off the Santa Monica Pier instead of the mid-60s).”
On September 7, the following fish tale was posted on the Pier and Surfing Fishing Message Board.
“Hi guys, haven’t been posting for a while, figure I dig up the account and post something worthwhile, that something is Yellowtail!!! They are showing up at Oceanside pier, along with too many Bonito, this year fishing is crazy I tell ya. People getting stringer full of Bonito and I got a small Yellowtail on Sabiki rig. I saw them last week and a fishing friend of mine lost one of his Sabiki also. They are chasing bait and are mixed in with the Bonito school.” And the local fisherman closed with some words of encouragement. “Get out there!”
YouTube says a sabiki, is a multi-hook fishing rig used to catch small baitfish like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. This fisherman was using his rig, to catch much bigger fish.
The following information is for surfers. It came directly from the Santa Monica Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report on September 8th.
Best quality surf: Wednesday September 9, 2:00 a.m. PST
Most Powerful Swell: Thursday September 10, 2:00 p.m. PST with estimated swells of 2.5 ft.
The Largest open ocean swell that’s not directed at the beach is expected on Friday, September 11, at 8:00 a.m. PST.
