Another Wahoo Near San Diego – Strong Sign of El Niño 2026
Exciting news from the San Diego local fleet today. Another solid wahoo came over the rail on the full-day boat San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing in Mission Bay. The San Diego is a classic full-day vessel that leaves in the morning and returns that evening, covering the productive grounds within easy range of San Diego.
This makes at least three confirmed wahoo taken within roughly 60 miles of San Diego in recent days. That’s noteworthy. While there still haven’t been confirmed reports of wahoo landed in U.S. waters yet, that is only a matter of time if conditions continue.
Private boaters working around Catalina Island have been reporting a telltale sign for weeks: trolled jigs and leaders being cleanly snipped off as if cut with scissors. That is classic wahoo behavior. Their razor-sharp teeth and aggressive strikes will cut through monofilament and even lighter leaders in an instant. When multiple private boats start losing gear that way in the same area, experienced anglers know what is swimming underneath.
I’m not claiming we have a major, consistent wahoo bite on our hands yet. One or two fish does not make a fishery. But these recent catches and the cut-off gear reports are clear indicators of how strong the 2026 El Niño pattern is already becoming. Warm water is pushing north earlier and stronger than many expected, bringing tropical species closer to Southern California.
A Quick Look Back at Previous Warm-Water Years
We’ve seen this movie before. During the strong 2014–2015 warm-water event (a combination of El Niño conditions and the famous “Blob”), wahoo made legitimate appearances in Southern California waters for the first time with solid documentation. The first confirmed California wahoo was weighed at the Balboa Angling Club in Newport Beach in late August 2014 — a 50-pound fish caught about 20 miles offshore near the 267 spot. More followed that fall and especially in 2015, with party boats and private vessels landing fish from the Coronado Islands and San Diego banks north to Dana Point, Newport, and even reports further up the coast. One memorable day the Legend out of Point Loma put 29 wahoo on the deck. Hundreds were recorded overall by the sportfleet that year.
There were unconfirmed rumors during the 1997–98 El Niño as well, but 2014–15 was the first time Southern California anglers got consistent photographic and dockside proof that wahoo could reach our waters when the ocean stayed warm enough. Those fish were typically 40–60 pounds, with some much larger specimens mixed in. The same conditions also brought solid numbers of dorado, yellowfin, and even occasional marlin closer to home.
El Niño years have historically produced some of the most memorable mixed-bag fishing Southern California has ever seen. The current setup looks like it could deliver more of the same if the warm water holds and strengthens into the fall.
The three anglers in the photo are all smiles for good reason. A fish like this is a special moment on any local boat, and it adds to the growing list of tropical visitors showing up earlier than usual in 2026.
We’ll keep tracking the reports closely. If you’re heading out on the San Diego or any other local boat, stay ready for the unexpected. Check http://friedmanadventures.com for the latest Captain’s audios, landing and boat counts, bait availability, Friedman Adventures AI updates, kids corner, and lots more. The website is the best place to stay dialed in as these warm-water patterns continue to develop.
Stay tuned — this El Niño is just getting started.
Tight lines,
Phil Friedman
Friedman Adventures