Yellow tail?
 

Is there anywhere to catch yellow tail out of oceanside? Is there a place to launch or do I just need to paddle out of the harbor, fly line some bait and hope for the best?

oh there's a chance, and some have taken and received it. your better off targeting halibut and incidentally hooking one. head down to carlsbad kelp or up to San O and learn the areas and how yellows behave. they are there.

Oside doesn't hold yt all year like lj or other places but they
Do come thru. I used to fish there and caught yt infrequently
Keep your eye on counts and local talk. Try buc pipe, artificial
Reefs, outside golf ball and LCAC hanger. Oside area doesn't
Have a great deal of structure near the harbor so look around and be ready for
Some longerpaddles. Mike

I've caught yellows out of oceanside but always off kelp paddies usually a mile or two out in August or September. They are not homeguards like La Jolla fish but pelagic fish that spend most of their time offshore working floating kelp and current breaks, and only come inshore when the water is warm and the conditions are right.

I always launch my skiff out of Oceanside when I want to fish the 209 or 181. We fish those areas by looking for paddies and drifting bait on them. O'side is the only place I launch where it's worth hitting the paddies close to shore. I've caught yellows off paddies there within a hundred yards of the breakwall.

Thanks for the info guys, I really want to hook into a yellow tail bad! This is my second season paddling and I haven't been outside the harbor. I just need someone to show me the ropes.