Does anyone know why yellowtail hang in lajolla
 

Opposed to the abundance of bait what makes lj a batter habitat for yellows than any of the other beaches

You answered your own question

they come for the bait but they stay for the batter

:luxhello: :cheers1:

Bait at LJ

Batter in the kitchen😎

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv60YjWT/5-AD33...-A3559-BC4.jpg

Definitely the availability of bait, but I'd also say the nearshore canyon and unique bathymetry, abundance of kelp and warmer average water temps make it a great feeding location along their migration route. Think of it like the best fast food restaurant on a long stretch of highway.

The Sushi

The underwater topography is hard to ignore.

https://pv-lab.org/wp-content/upload.../01/persp5.jpg

That downhill current - upwelling of the cold nutrient-rich water from the deep. Rock formations scatter along the shore creating an ideal environment for the kelp beds to thrive. Plenty of food and shelter for the bait and other small fish.
Pelagics joining the party. :yt:
:cheers1:

They don’t they like to gamble on the ponies at the Del Mar racetrack and unfortunately La Jolla is in the way

Cause they heard that there's a bunch or Kayak Fishermen out at La Jolla and they thought,
"Hey why not just go there and mess around and frustrate them" :D
:kayak-surfer: :yt: :cheers1:

The truest statement, if ever there was one... lmao

For their close-ups of course!

Habitat plays a huge factor, deep water close to shore, good kelp structure, lots of stuff to eat, etc. But, it's also that La Jolla is where everyone fishes. LJ is convenient, has a good launch and has great fishing close to shore.
The fish are always moving up and down the coast, but they encounter the most fishermen in LJ.

In case you want more info:
Thesis on yellowtail in the Southern California Bight

Southern California Yellowtail Tagging Program, unfortunately no longer running.

Good article and I agree with your viewpoint i.e. more anglers at LJ means more interaction between yt and anglers. there are yt boated by party boaters from SD up to marina del ray on a regular basis. YT just tends to be the most well known kayak spot likely due to access.

bait, upwelling, water temp, current, structure. Its a combination of all of that stuff. There are other locations with much better YT fishing, but not easily accessible to kayaks. And i'm not saying that LJ is easy at all. Plenty of us have flipped our rigs and lost gear there.