Ensenada kicks out bottom fishing limits plus yellowtail

Mexico Fishing News, February 6, 2006

ENSENADA FISHING REPORTS

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ENSENADA, MEXICO:Boats fishing out of Ensenada last week ran into wintry sea conditions on some days but still scored bottom fish limits at the Banda Bank plus a steady pick on yellowtail into the mid-20 pound class for pangas at the tip of Punta Banda.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Judy Ostberg of the boat Melody at Maria Coral reported on a run to the Banda Bank on Saturday, in cold, windy conditions for limits of red rockcod and salmon grouper, plus 2 lingcod. "With 20 ounces of weight to stay down, you couldn't feel the bite, only the added weight on the pole," Ostberg said. "We had fish enchiladas in salsa verde and headed in at 11:30 a.m. Better a day at the Banda than at the docks."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Ivan Villarino of Vonny's Fleet reported mostly cloudy Ensenada fishing weather on Sunday, with areas of fog, in the low-60s, 3 to 4-foot ocean swells, and water temperatures at a cool 58 degrees. Pangas fishing at the tip of Punta Banda scored early in the week on daily limits or near-limits of bottom fish plus some yellowtail each day. On Sunday, Ricardo Arias and his group fished on the Vonny I with Capt. Beto Zamora, and Mike O'Hara and Jorge Taylor went out on the Vonny III with Capt. Hector Zamora. Both pangas scored good counts of lingcod, cinnamon rockfish, and yellowtail to 26 pounds. Brian and Joan Foley from Campo La Joya fished Monday on the Vonny I with Capt. Beto for limits of bottom fish, lingcod, sugar bass, and lots of assorted bottom fish, but no yellowtail. On Tuesday, Daniel Hong and friends from Orange fished on the Vonny I with Capt. Beto.

"They caught plenty of lingcod and rock cods," Villarino said. "On the way back, the eagle eyes of Beto saw some fins in the water and he aimed his faithful aluminum jig. Presto! One nice yellowtail, then another. Altogether, they got four Ensenada yellowtail to 34 pounds."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Steve Ross of the boat Bad Dog at Marina Coral reported on a Saturday run to Ensenada's Banda Bank, fishing 370 feet deep with up to 5 pounds of weight in deep blue 67-degree water, 3 to 5-foot seas, and winds to 15 knots, for bottom fish limits, red rockcod to 4.5 pounds and a 4-pound salmon grouper while using Berkley Gulp baits.

"Bad Dog departed Marina Coral at 5:30 a.m. and headed for the Banda Bank in light fog," Ross Said. "I baited my ganion exclusively with the new Berkley Gulps in glow white. Marinero Jando opted for red. Limits of red vermilions were captured. Seas and strong winds hampered operations making weights up to 3 to 5 pounds necessary to reach the bottom. The Banda Bank was swarmed in acres of blue mackerel, and porpoise were plentiful for a Sea World quality show. When a fresh squid strip was added to a hooked Gulp, those hooks were the only ones that returned with no caught fish. In the fishing area of Ensenada where live bait is not always available Berkley Gulps are vital. Jando, who fishes rockcod commercially during the week, reported 100-kilo catches using the red Gulps. Travelers to Mexico should fill their tackle boxes with the various types and colors of Gulps that Berkley manufacturers."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: At midweek, Sammy Susarrey of Lily Fleet reported on two runs south of Ensenada by the charter boat Amigo, fishing in 59.8-degree water at San Jose reef for very good results on red rockcod, lingcod, and calico bass. "This place where we are fishing is 120 to 180 feet deep," Susarrey said. "There is a lot of kelp in the area. It has been foggy and chilly, but the water is clean. We also saw a lot of activity of birds and bait fish. It's looking good."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Earlier, Sergio Susarrey of Sergio's Ensenada Sportfishing Center reported on 8 anglers fishing at Todos Santos Island early in the week aboard the party boat Clipper II, for a catch of: 32 lingcod, 54 rockcod, 18 red rockcod, 15 whitefish, and 12 sheephead.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Bob Lewis of San Jose del Cabo spent a few days in San Diego and he and his group from North County Salt Water Anglers fished the previous Sunday in Ensenada on the party boat Quest out of Sergio's Sportfishing Center. "It was a nice day on the water and we brought some fish home," Lewis said. "There was a group of boats that had some yellowtail. We stopped and threw some iron and then continued out to a spot outside the bay. We ended the day with a fair mix of whitefish, assorted rockfish and at least 1 lingcod."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Memo Gomez of El Dorado Sportfishing said at the end of week, "We haven't had any fishing trips out of Ensenada this week, but a lot of surfing trips and some whale watching."

In other mainland Mexico and Baja fishing action this week:

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Pete Hillis of Pedro's Pangas had 10 boats fishing out of San Quintin during the week for some limits on bottom fish. One boat that ran south to Socorro for white seabass had 1 hookup, but no croakers landed by midmorning Sunday. San Quintin weather was overcast in the low-60s during the mornings and in the low-70s during the afternoons. "From San Diego, we had Ed Keefer, Rob Timar, Tom Smith, and Jaime Mendoza fishing off the Rommy with Captain Hector," Hillis said. "They brought in limits on Saturday. We also had plenty of calicos and sandies landed. We hope for a good white seabass next weekend."

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly said the San Carlos entrada produced a few yellowtail. Some fair corvina and grouper action was also found by returning Magdalena Bay whale watchers under the bridge just before town. "Most visitors are looking for a personal experience with the visiting whales," Graham said. "Up at Lopez Mateos it is pretty much the same story, with more whale watching than fishing." Some visitors were also exploring Magdalena Island and having all-you-can-eat lobster lunches at the fish camps. Magdalena Bay weather was clear in the low-70s, with water temperatures at 68 to 73 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Mike Connolly of Cabo San Lucas and his boat Falcon reported good results for boats fishing in good looking water in the low-70s at the Golden Gate Bank early in the week, but much slower fishing from Friday onwards, with many boats returning to the San Cristobal rocks for red snapper, and even that slowing down over the weekend.

"The Golden Gate bank was the prime spot for striped marlin early in the week for Cabo sportfishing boats," Connolly said. "There was tons of bait and frigate birds and lots of nice scores. Ni Modo, with Jobe Garcia, was releasing an average of 5 fish a day. Many Cabo San Lucas fishing boats had multiple fish days. The top score for the week was 13 marlin released by Trauma on Wednesday, with Luis Abaroa. But even Trauma struck out on Friday when marlin and bait went missing. It was tough fishing pretty much everywhere for everything by week's end.

"The red-hot pargo bite at the San Cristobal rocks produced all week, with good numbers of good fish taken by backing into the rocks and waves, an adventure right there, and tossing mackerel into the white water where it was soon consumed by a pargo, choice number one, or sierra. It seemed like everyone was doing well until Friday when the fishing pressure of 35 rotating Cabo San Lucas boats took its toll. It became a very tough bite Friday at midday with all the regular boats and pangas fishing there and the boats returning from a bad day at the Gate piling in to attempt to make something of their day on the way home. It was quite a rodeo. There are no answers at this time for where or what to fish for but that is sure to change as the Cabo fleet scatters to look for new areas. It seldom takes long."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tommy Garcia of Cabo Magic reported on 104 boats, with a catch including released fish of: 22 striped marlin, 41 dorado, 3 wahoo, 2 jack crevalle, 1 mako shark, very high counts of pargo and sierra, and 12 boats skunked. "There were also more pargo and sierra caught this period than could be accurately tallied," Garcia said. We estimate close to 300 red snapper and at least that many sierra were boated successfully. Incredible!"

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 36 combined outings by Gaviota Fleet, the Fish Cabo, and Fish Cabo I, with a catch including released fish of: 22 striped marlin, 8 dorado, 43 sierra, and 13 red snapper. "The ever-changing current at Cabo San Lucas continues to make sudden changes with the fishing, but at least this week the bite remained constant at the Golden Gate Bank for those that were willing to put in their time on the drift with live bait...Live bait is mandatory," Edwards said. Cabo San Lucas weather was mostly sunny and clear in the low-80s, with water temperatures cool at 68 to 69 degrees on the Pacific side.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Fleet reported mixed striped marlin fishing action at the Golden Gate Bank on the Pacific side, with some boats coming back into the San Cristobal area to fish for red snapper. The Ni Modo had a good combo trip for angler Hap Burnett of Lake Havasu, Ariz., releasing 6 striped marlin and catching 10 red snapper. "But...the striped marlin bite was up and down with live bait working best," Ehrenberg said. "After marlin, red snapper were the most abundant game fish caught in Cabo San Lucas...The captains enjoyed this as well as the anglers as they know the season on this fish is short. Boats caught anywhere from 2 to 10 fish, with nearly all taking live bait in the San Cristobal area." Overall, 55 percent of Pisces charters caught striped marlin, 51 percent caught red snapper, and 90 percent all species combined, but including only 2 dorado and 1 yellowfin tuna caught all week. Most boats fished the Golden Gate Bank, San Cristobal, and the lighthouse, in water temperatures averaging 69 to 70 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 11 outings by the charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 3 Humboldt squid of 30 pounds, 3 striped marlin, 3 dorado, and 16 red snapper to 25 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Benjamin Ortega of Solmar Fleet reported a week's catch including released fish of: 21 striped marlin, 18 dorado, 16 sierra, 9 snapper, and 7 jack crevalle. Solmar's top boat for the week was the Solmar IV with Capt. Mario Arballo.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS), MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 54 combined La Playita sportfishing fleet pangas at San Jose del Cabo, with a catch including unusual island jacks and palometa amarilla of: 90 pargo or huachinango; 78 yellowtail snapper; 16 dogtooth snapper; 15 amberjack; 4 yellowtail; 190 sierra; 28 cabrilla; 36 golden jacks or palometa amarilla; 14 island jacks, locally called pompano; 22 croaker; 8 porgy; and 65 bonito. San Jose del Cabo weather was in the mid-70s, with water temperatures cooler than normal at 65 to 69 degrees. "For the San Jose del Cabo panga fleets launching off La Playita beach, the most common catches were for various pargo species bonito, sierra, pompano and other assorted jacks," Brictson said. "Offshore action was not productive. Fleets fished in all directions...Perhaps the best action of the week was found in the area of Costa Azul near Palmilla...A variety of inshore species that are not all that common locally...were striking on bait and various lures. The largest fish landed were golden jacks or palometa amarilla weighing up to 20 pounds...Most of the fish landed inshore were in the 3 to 10-pound class."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS), MEXICO: Species fishing specialist John Snow of San Jose de Cabo reported on 3 surf fishing outings and 4 panga sessions with Capt. Pata on the La Playita panga Salome, with the water temperature at about 70 degrees and generally slow fishing for 19 fish species caught, none of them new.

"Panga fishing...was generally very slow with the exception that 2 of the 24 hours were quite brisk on Mexican Bonito," Snow said. "Live bait was not available with the exception of the pelagic red tuna crabs. The catch of targeted game species was limited to red snapper...There were virtually no gringos fishing out of La Playita, presumably due to the lack of targeted game species...Whales have arrived. On Jan. 31, 2006...only three pangas launched...The ocean was alive with an abundance of dolphin, manta rays, sea lions, one acre schools of skipjacks, and omnipresent whales."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS), MEXICO: Bob Lewis of San Jose del Cabo said, "We are in full winter mode here around San Jose. I took my 13-foot aluminum boat out Wednesday and caught 2 small sierra along with 4 bolito. Many of the pangueros from La Playita have taken their boats to La Ribera...due to a strong bite happening there. San Jose del Cabo weather has cool and windy nights and mornings, warming to the high 70s during midday."

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Leeper, staying at Martin Verdugo's Beach Resort, said at the end of the week, "East Cape winds are starting to moderate, but there is not enough fishing going on to report. There are still tuna and dorado in the area but it is hard to gauge success."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: John Ireland of Rancho Leonero reported East Cape weather in the mid-80s, with water temperatures steady in the mid-60s and north winds about half the week. There were few boats fishing but on calm days the catch included small dorado, skipjack tuna, and good counts of sierra and snapper species inshore. "We had lots of action but no real size," Ireland said. "The dorado were in a strong bite on the fishable days, with fish to 5 to 15 pounds taking hoochies and bait north off the Punta Pescadero buoys...White skipjack, or skipjack tuna, were on the high spot off La Ribera...There were lots of sierra just off most area beaches." For the previous week, Rancho Leonero reported rough seas and north wind most days and only 5 boat departures.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Russell Fritz of La Ribera reported on a good, between-the-winds East Cape outing for his panga Soplado, fishing with Kim McChristian and her daughter Haley from Granbury, Texas for 10 nice red snappers and a heavy break off at a spot a few miles offshore, and then a nice yellowfin tuna that hit a trolled Rapala in 71-degree water. "It's still the windy season at East Cape," Fritz said, "with a few days this week calm enough to fish. Yesterday was very fishable until late afternoon...We tried close to shore for sierra early in the morning but couldn't find them...The water had turned very green overnight...We went offshore several miles to the snapper hole...Something big took our only live mackerel but...it got away...The wind picked up some so we headed back inside and found the sierra tearing it up near shore. Haley connected on the Rapala again and boated a beautiful sierra to cap off the day."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported lots of wind on East Cape beaches and fishing tough for scattered sierra and a few small ladyfish. "The north winds strutted their stuff this week," Graham said. "With most East Cape hotels hosting only a few guests, the pools have been more popular than the whitecapped Sea of Cortez. Our guide Lance Peterson fished the beach and said, 'My bare feet were so cold they hurt! I finally did catch one sierra...There are some mullet milling about...I saw some ladyfish feeding on them just as it was getting dark...but they were so keyed in on the little stuff they wouldn't bite. The ladyfish..are about 12 inches or so." East Cape weather was windy in the mid-70s, with water temperatures at 62 to 70 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Torrance Eddy of Buena Vista said on Sunday, "No fishing today. Tomorrow, I take my own boat out. Night bottom fishing for snappers remains very poor. I don't see how my commercial panguero friends can make any money, what with the price of gas, etc. I'm sick of eating chicken so I'm going out tomorrow for triggers, porgys, and amberjack. I draw the line at toros, or jack crevalle, even though they are really fun to catch...On Friday I was on the beach helping my friend Elias Aguilar do some repair work on his panga. There was lot of wind with whitecaps but I was still able to spot a big boil 400 meters away. Elias said they were dorado. Rumor has it there are a few around."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Earlier, Eddie Dalmau of Van Wormer Resorts reported on hotel boats from Hotels Palmas de Cortez, Playa del Sol, and Punta Colorada, with catches of dorado, yellowfin tuna, and sierra leading the counts. "Despite January being our traditionally slowest month of the year, fishing has been very consistent on the East Cape," Dalmau said. "The resorts are always very quiet in January...The few folks who have been going fishing in the past couple of weeks have enjoyed good catches of dorado, yellowfin tuna, and sierra mackerel, with a few striped marlin thrown in for good measure...Dorado are averaging 15 to 25 pounds and are taking trolled lures primarily...Inshore, sierra mackerel are numerous and aggressive. One charter caught 15 fish from 6 to 12 pounds in one morning of fishing near Punta Colorada."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Mark Rayor of the Vista Sea Sport Dive service at Buena Vista said over the weekend, "East Cape has excellent conditions for scuba but there are no divers in town to take advantage of it. I'm looking out from the dive shop this morning and I can see mantas jumping in clear blue water."

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International said La Paz weather had chilly morning air temperatures in the 50s last week and most fishing was close to shore for snapper species, some sierra, and a few yellowtail starting to show up. "The La Paz sportfishing area was cold this week," Roldan said. "Everyone was wearing jackets and long pants, but it normally warmed up by noon. Most of the fishing around La Paz was inshore with some nice yellow snapper and pargo lisa or mullet snapper...in the usual rocky areas. On the drop-offs, sierra were still there. One of the commercial guys had a wahoo on for a bit, and a few small yellowtail have started to show as well."

LORETO FISHING REPORTS

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LORETO, MEXICO: Patty Zapata of the Hotel Oasis in Loreto reported good results for Craig Newland and his wife who fished 6 miles north of Isla Coronado on Friday with Capt. Martin Davis for a catch of two yellowtail at a reported 20 and 31 pounds, plus some whitefish, cabrilla, and rockfish. Zapata said, "They went fishing north of Coronado Island guided by Captain Davis, a 'very skilled guide' as they said, and they had a lot of fun...and warm sun and calm water."

LORETO, MEXICO: At Villas de Loreto, Wendy Wilchynski said there were still very few anglers at the hotel but one boat did get out for cabrilla, yellowtail, and one shark. "We have only one fishing group here and they have their own boat," Wilchynski said. "The Matejovsky group from Bonner's Ferry, Idaho has been having a great time...When they are lucky with the fishing everyone gets a great plate of fresh fish for dinner!"

MULEGE FISHING REPORTS

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MULEGE, MEXICO: Rick Barber of Mulege reported highly variable fishing results last week with everything from "full ice chests" to nothing but "melted ice" on some days. "What a wild, wild week in Mulege!" Barber said. "We hit both extremes." Some Mulege anglers had good action, including Dustin Brown, Chris Johnson, and Gary George, who boated a 41-pound yellowtaill and leopard grouper of 10, 14, and 18 pounds at Isla San Marcos. Gary Bendix and Jim Shinen released a grouper of over 100 pounds at Isla Santa Inez. Barber also had a personal "trip from hell" as he fished south of Mulege and ended up with torn cartilage in his ribs and one barracuda for the morning.

"Eight other boats fishing from San Marcos to where I was also failed to boat any fish," Barber said. "Tomorrow is another day...It seems that you couldn't fail to nail fish early this week. On Wednesday, Gary and Jim went out again when Jim nailed a huge grouper. He fought the behemoth for over 45 minutes before bringing it to the boat. They lifted it long enough to get a weight and then spent a very long time reviving the fish and releasing it. It weighed over 100 pounds and that was with some of the fish still in the water!

"Friday turned out to be another banner day for our Mulege fishermen. Marty Robison cleaned up on both yellowtail and 'cabrilla' as did many of the other Mulege boaters who went out on what proved to be another beautiful day in paradise.

"On Thursday. I got up about 6 a.m. I was going to go just south of The Mine and 'El Nido.' These rocks and caves hold many large grouper.

"I had already put the rods and equipment in the truck the previous night so the walk around was brief, until I came upon the flat tire on the boat trailer. Bummer! Okay, I'm only about 30 minutes late. I jump in the truck and haul donkey to my father-in-law's house. Since I was late, he'd already left, so I headed for the ramp to put my boat Barquito in the water.

"Upon arrival at the ramp, the butt of the first rod I put into the boat hit my coffee cup and overturned it all over one of the seats and the bottom of the boat. For a 2-plus cup-a-morning coffee drinker, this was a first class catastrophe.

"I promptly tripped over the tongue of the trailer. I hadn't broken anything but I had a very sore knee and had apparently ripped some cartilage between some ribs.

"I headed for Punta Concepcion and suddenly missed my bright red and white Playmate cooler containing my lunch and beverage of choice. Expletives deleted, I returned to port, and highballed it for home where my cooler was waiting for me on the kitchen sink.

"Setting new speed records, I returned to the boat and headed out for my fishing grounds. I caught one barracuda during about four hours of hard trolling in some of our prime waters."

Earlier, Roger Pramhus of Bahia de Coyote south of Mulege reported on a run from the Serenidad ramp, fishing in slow conditions at the Isla San Marcos bajos and along the shore of the island on his panga Pompano for a catch of 4 pinto bass or spotted cabrilla, 3 leopard grouper, and 1 jack crevalle.

"When we arrived at the spot, there are already about a dozen pangas and assorted fishing boats from San Lucas Cove drifting with their bait," Pramhus said. "We put down 3 baits...and we settled back to await the strikes of the big yellowtail...The action was slow and boring...We moved towards the east shore of San Marcos and started trolling Mirrolures in 30 to 50 feet...Right away we get a hard strike!...The fish, maybe a grouper or large yellowtail, cuts us off on the rocky bottom...We catch a couple of nice eating size cabrilla, about 5 to 6 pounds each, then a small toro which we keep for the cat.

"At the Santa Inez Islands off Punta Chivato, I filleted 4 pintos, 3 cabrilla, 1 toro, and a finger while my partner rinses and bags...We headed home to Mulege where we found the lowest tide I have ever seen in the estuary...We had to slide our boat over the top of the mud with our trailer winch and a long rope slowly, bit by bit, onto our trailer...2 hours from the time we first entered the river...Yesterday, Two Dogs, my fishing partner, went out and caught a 41-pound yellowtail and a 23-pound cabrilla while trolling a Mirrolure off Santa Inez. I was home doing chores, a mistake I will never make again."

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Jim Anderson of San Lucas Cove south of Santa Rosalia reported mild spring-like weather, flat water conditions, and water temperatures of 59 to 61 degrees, as some anglers including Arnie Fry and Robert Faaborg of Romona scored on yellowtail to 32 pounds at the Isla San Marcos bajos.

"There is a new batch of fish on the reef north of the island that is a little smaller in size than the big fish that have been there most of the winter," Anderson said, "but they are still a little slow to chew on live bait since there is still a great abundance of small squid in the water...These fish are growing like crazy. If they keep feeding the way they are now, we could see some 40-pound fish by late this season or early next season. They really look like little footballs.

"It feels like spring at Santa Rosalia as the wind has slowed down to milder levels and the water has been very smooth lately. Ed Hogan and I even made our way from San Lucas Cove to fish at Isla Tortuga, which requires smoother water. It was a nice boat ride, but no fish.

"Bait has been good some days and slow on others in the Santa Rosalia fishing area, but it is still a major relief to catch bait at 40 feet or less and not need to pull it up from 300 feet deep.

"Arnie Fry and Robert Faaborg from Romona, California came down with their boat and got a late start their first morning in getting to the bait grounds. But since the day was a little rough, Ken Reeder from Montana decided not to cross the strait out to San Marcos Island so he gave his bait to Arnie and Robert.

"We decided it was too rough for us to have an enjoyable day, so we as well as most of the other San Lucas Cove fishing boats returned to the cove.

"Well, Arnie and Robert did not have the other boats to show them where the fish were but were following my general directions and watching the birds. They managed to put three nice yellowtail, one at 32 pounds, in the boat.

"I feel compelled to make a quick note of the problem we encounter with limits. I realize that there is not a game warden at every dock and some people get really lax with following limits. I think that we really need to take a good look at ourselves as sportsmen and realize that the responsibility to not to over harvest this resource rests entirely within our own realm of self control. Just because there are no game wardens to enforce the limits, we have to take responsibility for ourselves. It seems to me that we are always ready to blame the declining fishery on gill netting or trawlers, but there is also an effect that comes from those who choose to totally disregard the limits and regulations. I for one would like to think that my son or grandson could have a chance to catch some of these magnificent fish and if I can let a few go for seed then maybe, just maybe, they have a chance to catch one too."

BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES (L.A. BAY) FISHING REPORTS

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BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES, MEXICO: J. L. Terry of Caleta San Francisquito relayed a report from the bay late in the week: "A friend caught 2, 40-pound yellowtail north of the resort off Punta Ballena. They were on the surface with birds working. The next day was windy."

BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES, MEXICO: Gary Whelan of Portland, Ore. reported details of his recent trip to fish at Bahia de los Angeles. "L.A. Bay weather was clear and sunny but windy and fairly cold, especially at night," Whelan said. "Yellowtail were present but the only predictable success was at Los Machos on the big island and the 7-mile reef north and east of Isla Smith. We also explored the cliff paintings off the road to San Borja and found them fascinating."

SAN FELIPE FISHING REPORTS

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SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: John Tillander of Punta Bufeo south of San Felipe reported on an 8-day trip to the area for good action on goldeneye or goldspotted bass, spotted bay bass, barracuda, pompano, triggerfish, grouper, scorpionfish, and one octopus while fishing in water temperatures averaging 65 degrees from a 14-foot boat in good conditions around Gonzaga Bay and outwards to Isla San Luis.

"Of the 8 days we were down there the wind blew on 2 days," Tillander said. "On the other 6 days the pond was flat and we could and did take our 14 footer anywhere we wanted to go...The fishing around Papa Fernandez was great. There were a few schools of bait fish but nothing chasing them except the birds...The goldeneye and grouper were caught in 70 feet of water on the sea mount north of Isla San Luis. The rest were caught trolling and casting spoons along the wall between Punta Bufeo and Gonzaga Bay. There were reports of yellowtail around the north side of Isla San Luis and we trolled Krocodiles there with no luck."

SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: San Felipe panga mothership angler Kil Song of New Jersey said he is charter master of another 6-day trip aboard the Erik in June 2006. Song was recently named moderator of a Jigging and Popping forum on the East Coast fishing website www.noreast.com. "I am going to concentrate on jigging and popping not only on the East Coast, but also all around the world including Mexico," Song said. "I hope many fishermen who fish in Mexico can contribute their ideas and information on jigging and popping in Mexico."

SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Catalina Meders of the Title Company Bookstore overlooking San Felipe Bay said the weather was warming into the 80s and the town was celebrating its 81st birthday over the weekend with a ceremony and marathon race. South of town at Laguna Percebu, the raft of Poppa Neutrino, or David Pearlman, was scheduled for launch on Feb. 15, 2005.

"Excitement builds down in Percebu as the Poppa Neutrino raft nears completion," Meders said. "The projected launch date is Feb. 15. Although nothing is carved in stone. A friend of David's from Holland is coming in today to help, and report, on the whole thing...San Felipe is partly cloudy and hazy this morning. The humidity seems fairly high, about 46 percent and the thermometer on the balcony says 80 degrees. It's 10:30 a.m., so it's going to be a hot one. San Felipe weather has heated up significantly in the last week and it's really been nice and comfortable.

"Today is the celebration for San Felipe's 81st birthday. The streets are closed off and there is to be a ceremony at the Marine Memorial Park. Also there is a marathon race taking place but I haven't been able to locate anyone who knows exactly what it entails. However, what looked to be about 50 to 70 very enthusiastic young people took off running about a half hour ago so we'll see how long it takes them to get back. There are many booths going up along the San Felipe Malecon and Mexican pop music playing through several large loudspeakers so the mood is decidedly festive. Until next week, vaya con Dios from the bookstore by the bay."

SAN CARLOS (SONORA) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Bill Molden of San Carlos, Sonora reported generally slow yellowtail action in the area, with water temperatures in the low-60s and fairly flat sea conditions last week, as some boats reported about 2 to 3 fish per day. "This week of fishing at San Carlos has not boded well for the catching side of this sport," Molden said. "The yellowtail bite has been off. A few yellowtail have been caught out at San Pedro Nolasco Island but the vast majority of any luck at all has been out in front at San Antonio Point. At the island you can expect on a good day 20 to 25 sportfishers and 10 to 15 pangas to be fishing. The tin boat fleet has diminished here significantly in the last 10 years to only 5 or 6 boats on a flat day. Reports of 2 to 3-fish mornings have been reported but nothing to shout about...Let's put our hands together and hope that the catching picks up. At this rate it can only get better."

SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Earlier, Craig Collins of Rio Rico, Ariz. had a skunked day in rough and cold conditions at San Antonio Point for his boat No Sniveling. "No Sniveling was on the water last Saturday afternoon, but we were skunked at San Antonio Point in 57-degree water, 4 to 5-foot swells, with 20 to 25 m.p.h. winds," Collins said. "There was a lot of chatter from San Carlos fishing boats that left early in calm conditions and went to Isla San Pedro. Some had good luck with 2 or more yellowtail but others got nothing but a long wet boat ride home."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported very rough conditions and scattered fishing early in the week, but fishing settling down later, as a total of 55 offshore boats out of Mazatlan's Marina el Cid had a catch including released fish of: 3 mako shark, 34 yellowfin tuna, and 20 striped marlin. Inshore boats caught 31 baqueta to 50 pounds, 21 red snapper, 20 seabass, and miscellaneous mixed species. Mazatlan weather was settling in the low-80s, with water temperatures at 67 degrees inshore and 71 degrees in the best offshore fishing area about 24 to 29 miles southwest of Marina el Cid. "Very windy and rough conditions prevailed at Mazatlan for the first 3 days of this report and almost nothing was caught," Edwards said. "But as the week progressed, fishing rebounded sharply. Inshore fishing at Mazatlan had very little action early in the period but also returned to normal good fishing later. Rigged trolling baits were again the best bait."

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: At Marina el Cid, Yomahira Aguirre said, "Our fishing this week was not very good. The first days were really bad. Mazatlan had bad fishing weather those days, with wind and rough waves, but finally, the following days got better."

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Earlier, Bill Heimpel of Star Fleet at Mazatlan reported good action for striped marlin to 190 pounds during the last two weeks, plus some yellowfin tuna of 15 to 25 pounds, with Mazatlan weather cool but sunny, winds at 5 to 12 knots, and water temperatures averaging 72 degrees.

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Danny Osuna of Marla's Sportfishing said Ken Palmer and Gary Groves fished off Puerto Vallarta on the charter boat Marla III with Capt. Scott Osuna at the Marietas Islands and landed a nice amberjack on a rainbow runner bait. Puerto Vallarta seas were flat at 75 to 76 degrees. "This amberjack took a live bait blue rainbow runner slow trolled around the island," Osuna said. "Bottom fishing is really good. Scott and Alonso Osuna have been catching a lot of pompanos, groupers, and snappers while fishing with Diamond Jigs."

Ensenada, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 1

ENSENADA YELLOWTAIL KID--Jorge Taylor, and Doug and Mike O'Hara from Rancho La Bufadora, fished at the tip of Ensenada's Punta Banda on the Vonny's Fleet panga Vonny III last week and they had a good catch of bottom fish plus two yellowtail. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

Ensenada, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 2

ALUMINUM JIG FORKIES--Daniel Hong and his friends caught bottom fish and surface yellowtail last week while fishing on Vonny's Fleet's Ensenada panga Vonny I with Capt. Beto Zamora. On the way in, Beto's "eagle eyes" put them on these four nice yellowtail caught on aluminum jigs. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

East Cape, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 1

AT LA RIBERA--Haley McChristian and her mom Kim fished between north winds out of East Cape's La Ribera on Russ Fritz' panga Soplado, and they scored on a yellowfin tuna, 10 red snapper, and some of these black skipjack and sierra. PHOTO COURTESY OF RUSS FRITZ.

Loreto, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 1

NORTH OF LORETO--Craig Newland and his wife fished with Hotel Oasis' Capt. Martin Davis 6 miles north of Isla Coronado and they caught two yellowtail in good February sea conditions at Loreto. PHOTO COURTESY OF PATTY ZAPATA.

Mulege, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 1

ISLA SAN MARCOS BAJOS--Chris Johnson, left, and Gary George ran north from Mulege last week to fish the Isla San Marcos bajos off Santa Rosalia for yellowtail to 41 pounds plus leopard grouper to 18 pounds. Other anglers at the bajos landed yellowtail to 45 pounds. PHOTO COURTESY OF RICK BARBER.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Sportfishing Photo 1

RAINBOW RUNNER AMBERJACK--Ken Palmer, left, used a rainbow runner bait to hook this nice amberjack at the Islas Marietas off Puerto Vallarta while fishing on the charter boat Marla III with Capt. Scott Osuna, right. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY OSUNA.

BAJA MEXICO FISHING REPORT ARCHIVES AND FISH PICTURES