It is hard to live and fish in the bay area and not get excited this time of the year.
As the air and water temperatures cool in October, the fishing just gets better. There are cobia, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, bonita, blackfin tuna, grouper and snapper offshore. The larger kings are in deeper water, 100-foot plus. They are mostly being taken while flat-lining a live Spanish sardine or blue runner while bottom fishing. We normally try to keep two flat-line baits out while anchored for grouper; one on a balloon way back and one free-lined about 20 feet from the stern.
School-size kings are being caught in 20 to 60 feet over wrecks, artificial reefs and patches of hard bottom. They are not choosy, taking a trolled spoon as readily as a large live threadfin.
Cobia are near shore ledges and breaks, as well as around the buoys in the ships channel. Keep a rod ready to pitch a live sardine as they can show up anywhere, any time.
The grouper population is moving closer to the beach. They were caught last week in 32 to 100 feet. They have eaten live bait and dead. The preferred bait seems to be a dead sardine tipped with squid.
