A Month in Baja

[Fishmstr]

Seasons Greetings from Baja. All is good down here.  Thought I would send a fish report of the fishing so far. Something to keep you going during the rainy season.
Rachael and I packed up the house and headed South on Nov.14th. Spent a week at my dad's house putting our stuff in storage and getting everything ready for Baja. Headed South on the 21st and crossed the border into Mexico on the 22nd.
Our first stop was Bahia de Los Angeles (Bay of LA). We stayed at Daggett's Camp for a week and had great weather with only 2 days of El Norte (The North Wind). The first day out we were trolling rapalas along the South shoreline just seeing what was around. Not 5 minutes into trolling my rods starts singing. I look back to see a leaping fish...what the heck is that??? Tuna don't jump, neither to yellowtail...too big for a ladyfish.....A dorado!!! The water was 69 degrees and they should have been long gone. Battled the nice 10 pound bull to the boat after about 6 leaps and 3 or 4 good runs. Gaffed it and had awesome mahi mahi the next few meals!
The yellowtail fishing was wide open on 5-10 pounders. We discovered them the second day while heading to a deep spot to wind iron with the rest of the pangas. I was heading out I discovered some fish crashing the surface...I stopped the boat, cast out a jig and wham, a nice 8 pound yellowtail. Spent the rest of the day catching them however we chose. Trolling fish-traps or rapalas was automatic, but my favorite method was to cast out the fishtraps, let them sink for 5-10 seconds and then begin to slowly wind them in. They would slam them, and with a light action bass rod they were a tough battle. Thanks MarkMC for our fishtrap conversion and all the helpful hints (and lures). They are my new favorite lure. For the next 5 days we would head out and fish the yellowtail in the morning, then head off to a nice beach for a picnic breakfast, and then maybe go snorkeling or fish a little more. About every other day we would keep a fish to eat, otherwise it was catch a release. They made great fish tacos and ceviche. Hoping to find some bigger fish, we decided to head South to San Lucas Cove. It was packed so we decided to head out to Punta Chivato, when we spotted Dos Amigos RV park...we circled around and went in.   There was no one there (two other campers) and there were huge palapas with running water and cement floor. It also had very nice hot showers and flush toilets for $6/night.  very nice.   It is right at the mouth of San Lucas cove.  There were mud flats in front of camp to bird watch.  We stayed there 5 days and there was hardly any wind.  We fished the N end of Isla San mMarcos 4 days.  it was a bait show only, so how every many baits we had, that is how many fish we had on.   we hooked up 4 and only landed 1...rachael landed it and it was a nice 30 pounder!  They were all big fish and mostly right on the bottom. They would hit your makerel and head for the rocks. You either busted them off in the rocks or cranked down on them and they busted your line. Tough fish!
Pa was coming the next day, so we packed up camp and headed out to Punta Chivato.  The ocean was still glassy, which made 8 straight days....too long.  Got to punta chivato around noon and all the palapas were gone...plus there was sand dunes all along the area that you used to drive on.   The hurricane really hit it hard.  My pa and bro showed up a few hours later and promptly got the motorhome stuck in the sand.  dropped the pressure down to 30 pounds and got it out and to the camping spot.
Got ready to go fishing the next morning at 530, but the wind started howling and it blew it out.  It laid down the next morning and we made it out around 9.  We were just going to fish the reefs, when we spotted some birds working off in the distance..headed over and it was dolphins.   started heading back to the reef when we saw some fish breaking or was is dolphins again..no it was fish, big fish!!!  Pulled up and made a long cast to a boil...took a few cranks and fish on.  I handed the rod to my pa and he battled it all the way to the boat...gaffed a nice 35 pound yellowtail.   Mike got one more, his first casting into a boil.  His was slightly bigger.  Awesome first day for the newcomers. Nothing like chasing yellowtail on the surface.
Got up early the next morning to see if the fish were still rising...they weren´t but we caught some bait and decided to head out to the deep spot.  Caught 2 10 pound grouper and 1 20 pound yt on the first 4 drops, and then we were out of bait.   Fortunately, we met this guy, Charlie (a vinter from Silverton) who was out fishing.  We called him in on the bite and said bring bait if you got it.  He got a lot of bait, but didn´t have a tank, so I offered to put them in mine.  Over the next 2 hours we caught 6 more yellowtail from about 20 to 35 pounds, including 1 double by mike and I.   It was awesome, my best day of yellowtail fishing.  
Got up early the next morning and headed out, but it was choppy and we couldn´t fish...the wind blew for the next 2.5 days.  It laid down sunday evening and we went out again.  Heading out we see birds working just a few hundreds yars off the first point (.5 miles from camp).   There were bonito, skipjack, and small yellowtail everywhere chasing bait.  WE caught a few, but mostly chased birds and fish around.  Fun to chase and cast after them, but they were so fast it was tough to stay on them.  Headed out to punta chivato, trolling along the way.   MIke hooks up and about 20 mins later lands a nice 30 yt.  we see more birds working and head out...my dad hooks something as he is undoing a back lash.  He struggles to get the fish up to the boat...it gets close and then....flies away!!!   It is a huge manta ray!  I pull on it for another 10 minutes, get it close to the boat, we spot it again, but then it takes off.  I was hoping to get the lure out of it, but realized there was no way.  It was huge, probably 5 to 6 feet across and weighing way over a hundred pounds.   I clamped the drag down and broke it off.  WE trolled in towards home with the last light and had one more double of 5 pound yellowtail.  Great evening session.  
It glassed off that night, but around 6 am the next morning it started howling.  At noon we decided to get out of there for it was a super el norte and the sand was blasting.  Pa and Mike headed north and rachael and I headed south.  
We headed down to Loreto to pick up a buddy from Alaska. The wind was still cranking, and was supposed to for the next 4 days, so we headed to the Pacific. Drove over to San Juanico (Scorpian Bay). It is a big surfing spot, but also has a protected beach that we were able to launch the boat off of. The first day we headed out exploring. Caught way too many barred sand bass. Stopped on some marks and caught a few nice barracuda (got sawed off by some others). Got slimy enough after a few and moved on. A panga came over to check out our boat (30 miles on a dirt road, they don't see many gringo fisherman). he really liked the bait tank. I asked him what kind of fish were around. He said "Atun." Really, how far. "dos or tres kilometers." Wow, I say, and my buddy matt asks what. "I think there may be yellowfin tuna around here!!!" We begin trolling and I catch a small dorado. too small to keep, but matt has never seen one before and they are very pretty. Start trolling again and hook up another fish, but it gets off near the boat, it looked like a yellowfin, but I wasn't sure. We then proceeded to catch about 5 or 6 5-10 pound skipjack. They really pull, and my friend matt had never caught a tuna before. They were fun, but not good eating and I've caught lots on the Cortez. I thought the pangaeros must have meant skipjack and not yellowfin.
The next day we troll for several hours without even a strike. No temp breaks, no birds, no marks, no nottin'! About 3 hours into the fishing we spot some dolphins off in the distance. I head that way to check them out. Sometimes they'll ride your bow wave or provide some sort of entertainment. Just as we got into them all 3 rods go off...shoot, I've never had a dolphin hit a lure. But then I realize that they weren't dolphin, but some kind of big fish. We battle two fish and leave the other hanging. My fish comes after after a 10 minute battle, but matt is still fighting his, he should, it is on the bass rod. I begin fighting the other fish when matt finally gets color. I look down and see yellow....its a yellowfin tuna! He fights the fish another 10 minutes and I finally gaff a nice 15-20 pound yellowfin. I finally reel in the other fish and it is a 10 pound skipjack. pretty cool, I've often read about tuna under dolphins, but had never caught any that way. Lots of fun. We looked for the dolphins again, but about a half hour had passed and they were long gone.
Packed up camp the next day and headed for the Cortez. Matt only had a few days left and was achin' to check it out. So we went to Playa Ligui, about 20 miles South of Loreto. We caught a only a few schoolie yellowtail the next couple of days, but matt did catch his first. We dropped Matt off at the airport a week after his arrival and we headed home for the holidays. can't believe we were down there for a month. It only seemed like a few weeks.
We will be heading back down in the spring, with our eyes set on Los Frailes and some big game fishing.
I'll keep you posted.
lat,
steve

[Riverliver]

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

I lived in Guadalajara as a kid. Man I miss Mexico

Thank you for your story!

Tight lines and full sails

[WP]

I wanna GO!!!! I can't think of a better way to live :smile:
Dave

[Onokai]

Great story. What size boat ( how heavy)and outboard did you take south???? Mark

ONOKAI

[fishwhenican]

Brings back a few memories. Our time there was much shorter, and we didn't go as many places as you have, but we had a blast. Fishing the 110 spot on the north end of Isla San Marcos last June. 110-135' of water, live bait and 2-10 yellowtail per day, biggest was 30, most were 20lbs. We stayed at Comachos beach camp at the north end of San Lucas Cove.

Whaler Man: we took a 20' Koffler aluminuim with a 115hp Merc. Only had to push it to deeper water twice, but we had minus tides then. Also had to wait till high tide to reload on trailer.

[Darth Wader]

Thanks for the report!

I've been fishing Los Frailes area the last few years...wonderful variety of fish.

[Fishmstr]

I have a 15'6" Gregor (MX 570) with a 30 Honda. I would not want a bigger boat for beach launching in Baja, for I feel that this boat is hard enough to launch and load. My brother turned the spare tire into a third wheel for launching across beaches. It works very well. There are many spots, however, that have ramps or beaches that you can launch at.

So tell me about Los Frailes! I've heard a little about it, but have never been.

thanks,
steve

[Fishmstr]

How heavy?
The gregor weighs about 350, the Honda = 160, plus gas, battery, anchors, and tackle...I'd guess the whole thing weighs @ 600 -650 pounds. I used to have a 14 Klamath with stern wheels that I could man-handle anywhere, but it was just too small of a boat for what I like to do (and I usually fish 3).

[Marty]

Fishmaster........I got back from Baja Dec. 15 or so and the Frailes area was wide open and should get even better. The wahoo fishing in the La Playita area (we fished an area half-way between San Jose Del Cabo and Frailes) was as good as I have seen it in a long time. Lots of dorado and at least two 40 to 60 lb. wahoo per trip. The yellowfin were thick on the Pacific side, but the water was too warm on the cortez side for them to school up, although after I left, the water has cooled down to perfect temps for tuna and fishing has gotten a lot better. Frailes should be producing just about everything right now, from striped marlin, wahoo, tuna and dorado. They don't have many yellowtail in that area, but some big amberjacks, toros, pargo and true snappers on the bottom high spots. Fish em with bait or jig the heavy metal. If you have a bait tank, get a load of live sardines and you will be in the money. Wish I could go back for a month or so, but will have to live it thru your messages. Once bit by the baja fish bug........its hard to hang around in the rain when you know you can head south to Mexican paradise.

Keep up the story's,

Marty

PS I have some GPS numbers for some good high spots in the Frailes area if you are interested. Also I can give you the number of the American in La Playita that will give you an HONEST fish report of the area.

[Fishmstr]

Marty,

Hey, thanks for the report. Wish I had tried to make it down there down. I'll have to wait a few more months. We hope to be down there by March.
I would love to get some numbers from you and any contacts you have in the area. Do you fish the high spots for wahoo and tuna? Or just for reef-type fish? What were the water temps when you were there? Is there a particular lure you would not leave home without?
Thanks for your help. Hope you can make another trip down soon. Keep me posted if you can.
best fishes,
steve

[Mark Mc]

Hi Steve! Are you back in town here? Weather is a bit different than what you left down south, eh? Gimme a buzz sometime...... Mark

[Fishmstr]

Mark: I am all moved out of Corvallis. Moved all our stuff into storage (my pa's house in SLO). We are taking a brief break from traveling, but leave again Jan. 24 for Australia. Going to be there for a month. Then back to Baja after that. No clue on a job yet, but I am hoping something comes up. I've been talking to friends, the weather is crazy this winter...bummed I am not there!!! Hope you are staying warm.

Marty: My email address is Fishmstr00@aol.com (that is fishmstrzerozero). If you could send any info there, that would be great. How is April there? We may take our time getting down if the fishing is better later in the Spring. Thanks for your help. I hope you get down again this winter.
thanks,
steve

[Marty]

Steve........I will send you some info via your e-mail after I dig it out. Also, I have a good fishing buddy that will be in that area April and May. Way better time to be down there as everyday it just gets better. Maybe you guys could buddy up and or something. I hope to join them the first week of June at Bay of L.A. for a shot at the yellowtail before work and the local albie runs swallow all my time.
I will send some info to you in the next couple of days to your email.

Marty

[Marty]

Steve.........are you going to be around for awhile or at least be available if I put some info together for you?? Is there an e-mail address that I can send it to?? March is a tougher time down there, as it is the transition month between the winter and fall fishing. Most of the marlin have moved south, the tuna fishing can be quite good if they are not concentrated (super seiner will scoop them all up). Most of the fishing is on the reefs like the Loreto area. Best thing to do is get some gps numbers where the commercial fishermen are anchored and then go back in the afternoon or next morning.

I may go down for a week or so the end of Feb., so I could give you an update.

Marty