GOOD GROUPER FISHING OFF THE BAJA
PACIFIC COAST AT "ROCA DE LA LINEA"

Dec. 12-15, 2005, Juanchys Aguilar, La Bocana, Baja California Sur fishing, Mexico:

I skippered the aluminum boat U-Jhon of Robert Smith out of La Bocana, with Nick Borgwat and Chuck Byard of Redding, California, and we caught 14 grouper of 25 to 30 pounds, and one grouper of 80 pounds. We also lost 20 or more fish. It is a challenge to fish for grouper in an area of 28 to 35 foot depth. It is really too shallow, and you have to use 90 percent of the drag of your reel, and even like this the fish take a lot of line, and they go into caves and shred your line. They are too big for such shallow water. Some we have fought like this at times have weighed 120 to 130 pounds. If you fish with steel leader, they won't take it.

We have been fishing in an area we call "Roca de la Linea," 5.6 miles south of La Bocana and 1.9 miles north of Roca Ballena. We fished with line of 60 to 80 pounds test, 7/0 hooks, Penn 9/0 reel, 28 to 35 feet deep, with 80 percent visibility, winds 11 to 12 knots from the northwest, very cloudy skies, with a water temperature of 77 degrees.

We also fished inside Laguna la Bocana, for a lot of action on small and medium fish, but a lot of fun for halibut, croaker, grouper, and many cabrilla, all released. In this area, we fish with line of 10 to 15 pounds in 10 feet of depth.

Campo Rene is also a recreational area, very beautiful and tranquil, natural and very clean, and well serviced by a bar, restaurant with good food, and cabañas for sleeping at a cost of $10, shaded barbecue area, bathrooms, and hot water, and bird watching. This lagoon, Estero de Coyote, also has small and medium fish, launch area, and access to the open sea. It is located 16 miles before you arrive at La Bocana, and 6 miles before Punta Abreojos, on the same road.