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Photo of Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi)

Photo: CC BY 2.0 — Brian Gratwicke, Wikimedia Commons

Saltwater

Yellowtail

Seriola lalandi

A hard-fighting migratory species that shows up in warm-water years, often working bait balls on the surface.

Size

No CA min · avg 10–25 lb

Season

Summer–Fall (warm-water years)

Difficulty

Habitat

Open water near kelp paddies, offshore banks, and bait schools — typically a boat-based target off San Pedro / Long Beach.

Best lures & bait

Yo-yo iron jig (chrome/blue or scrambled-egg pattern)
Surface popper or stickbait
Live mackerel or sardine on light fluorocarbon

How to catch them

Fast vertical "yo-yo" jigging: drop to depth, crank rapidly back to the surface
Cast poppers directly into visible surface-feeding fish
Troll live bait slowly around kelp paddies and floating structure

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