ENSENADA, MEXICO: Ivan Villarino of Vonny's Fleet reported steady limits of bonito and bottom fish for most of his beach-launched pangas fishing at Ensenada's Punta Banda last week. Anglers fishing during the week for catches of bonita, sugarbass, whitefish, lingcod, and 1 yellowtail of 20 pounds included Brian Foley of Campo La Joya, Eric and Larry Risen, and Bryan and Steve Fessel of Carlsbad. "This week was pretty good fishing with lots of bonitas," Villarino said. Ensenada fishing area weather was partly cloudy, with light breezes, 3-foot ocean swells, and the water temperature at 60 degrees.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: For the previous weekend, Sergio Susarrey of Sergio's Ensenada Fishing Center reported on 14 anglers fishing aboard the charter boats Quest and Clipper II, with a catch of: 40 bonito, 13 lingcod, 53 rockcod, 16 sheephead, and 5 red rockcod.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: For the previous Saturday, Judy Ostberg of the boat Melody out of Marina Coral reported on a run to the Banda Bank for limits by 10 a.m. including red rockcod of 3 to 5 pounds, 7 sugar bass, 6 whitefish, 3 salmon grouper, and 1 lingcod. Local Ensenada fishing water was mostly calm at 66.7 degrees, with about 30 feet of visibility due to fog.

SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Pete Hillis of Pedro's Pangas said very few people were fishing at San Quintin last week. Pedro's Pangas sent 5 boats out for limits of sandbass, big calico bass, and barracuda south at Socorro, and limits of rockcod and lingcod at the 240 and 15 spots. San Quintin mornings were overcast, clearing by 11 a.m., with sunny afternoons. "There are no winds, which is making the waters good for fishing," Hillis said.

SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Sarai Garcia said Don Eddie's Landing at San Quintin was offering its 4-pack fishing special at $105 per person until Dec. 31, 2006, including 2 nights lodging and 1 day of fishing on Don Eddie's Skipjack cruisers, information 011 52 616 165 6061.

MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly said water temperatures were beginning to cool down off Magdalena Bay last week but "dorado action that will be talked about for a long time still dominates the offshore fishing." A women's fly fishing group led by Pudge Kleinkauf of Alaska found wide-open dorado action all day long at midweek, with both marlin and dorado still swimming around the charter boat Mar Gato as they left. "The group also had great mangrove estero action with lots of grouper to feed their flies to," Graham said. Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was foggy in the high-70s, with water temperatures at 75 to 83 degrees.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 112 combined La Playita sportfishing fleet pangas at San Jose del Cabo, with a catch of: 220 yellowfin tuna, 122 dorado, 16 rainbow runner, 19 wahoo, 9 striped marlin, 14 sailfish, 95 skipjack, and 38 sierra. "San Jose del Cabo fishing water became a bit stirred up within a few miles of shore and this contributed to slower fishing," Brictson said. San Jose del Cabo weather was ideal in the mid-80s, with water temperatures steady at 80 to 82 degrees. WARM WATER BUT SLOWER FISHING FOR LOS CABOS PANGAS.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Species fishing specialist John Snow of San Jose del Cabo reported his first surf-caught roosterfish last week. "About 12 inches long, and it had a mouthful of yellowfin croaker with the tail sticking out," Snow said. "It's a jungle out there!" Bait was scarce for panga fishing and Snow reported "no tuna around" during his outings. Dorado were being caught on the troll, and bottom fishing produced Pacific creolefish and orangeside triggerfish. Two San Jose del Cabo surf fishing sessions produced release action on a total of 27 fish, and 1 midweek outing with Capt. Pata on the panga Salome produced 42 fish. A weekend panga trip produced a catch of: 9 finescale triggerfish, 4 spotted rose snapper, 1 very small dorado, 1 porgy, 2 very large spotted scorpionfish, 3 orangeside triggerfish, 2 bonito, 1 flag cabrilla, and 1 unidentified fish. "Two days previous in same general area filled the boat up with Pacific creolefish," Snow said. 'This place remains mystifying and amazing!"

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported continued slow East Cape fishing for billfish last week, with a break in the north winds and some marlin and sailfish caught off Punta Pescadero. East Cape sportfishing boats caught Humboldt giant squid off Punta Arena to be used as bait for tuna and dorado. Good counts of ladyfish and small roosterfish to 5 pounds were hooked inshore. East Cape weather was clear at 90 degrees, with water temperatures at 74 to 84 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Torrance Eddy of Buena Vista fished aboard his beach-launched aluminum boat on Wednesday, trolling silver-blue and silver-black Rebel Fastrac jointed lures for a catch in 100-foot deep water south to Rancho Leonero of: 4 sierra to 27 inches, 1 giant needlefish, 1 jack crevalle of about 20 pounds, and 1 skipjack of 12 pounds. Fishing with the jointed Rebels, Eddy said, "I see no difference between the blue and black. The bigger fish were caught in a pretty heavy chop with a brisk wind while flying fish were going in all directions." INSHORE TIN BOAT FISHING WITH REBEL FASTRACS.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Steve Gruenwald of Orland, Calif., fished several days out of La Ribera with charter panga Capt. Victor Garciglia for a catch in moderate north winds of a few yellowfin tuna each morning about 2 miles off the Punta Arena lighthouse, Humboldt squid, and a steady pick of single dorado including bulls of 25 to 35 pounds and 1 dorado measured at just under 5 feet long. Gruenwald said he usually fishes at East Cape with Garciglia, 011 52 624 1300 080, or Capt. Rigo Sandez Cota, 01 624 13 00 161. PANGA FISHING FOR DORADO OUT OF LA RIBERA.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Earlier in November, Curt Collier of Long Beach, Calif., fished out of Martin Verdugo's beach resort with cruiser Capt. Jesus for a catch of 11 yellowfin tuna of 10 to 32 pounds hooked south between Los Frailes and Boca del Alamo. "We fished in 82-degree water about 3 miles offshore under porpoise," Collier said. "We lost an hour when the motor threw a rod. Martin Verdugo had another boat there for us in 45 minutes." The following day Collier got into a good bite for 14 tuna and 3 dorado around the Iman Bank and La Fortuna. "Once we starting chumming squid chunks and sardinas the 20 to 40-pound yellowfin started boiling," Collier said. "It was the first time I ever saw dorado and yellowfin cross in midair! Fantastic! At one point we had 5 hookups at once." Collier's last day at East Cape also produced a first-ever billfish for his fishing partner Greg, a sailfish hooked about 15 miles off Punta Pescadero.

SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Jim Anderson of San Lucas Cove reported good inshore fishing all week for small yellowtail and cabrilla along the Santa Rosalia cliffs, plus some quality yellowtail to about 27 pounds and a big, 150-pound gulf grouper caught on 50-pound line aboard his Moosea Boat at the north end of Isla San Marcos. "When I saw deep color in the water I could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw the size of the fish," Anderson said of his big gulf grouper. "We put the fish in a wheelbarrow and hauled it down to the squid camp where we weighed it." Santa Rosalia fishing area weather was in the mid-80s, with water temperatures at 71 to 73 degrees. YELLOWTAIL AND A BIG GULF GROUPER CAUGHT IN ISLA SAN MARCOS FISHING.

SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Steve Calvert of Catch-22 Sportfishing said water temperatures around San Carlos were found up to 79 degrees, 14 miles out on a heading of 210 degrees. "Dorado action has been good with a 48 pounder caught on Wednesday," Calvert said. Action for the charter boat Catch-22 included 2 striped marlin and 1 sailfish released, and a late season blue marlin. "This late season action is strange for our waters," Calvert said. "There were around 15 boats out and all caught marlin. The San Carlos fleet total was very near 30 billfish released, including a black marlin. I'm not sure what is pushing all the warm water north, but we love the extended season we have this year. Marlin for Christmas?"

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported a catch including released fish for Aries Fleet at Marina El Cid of: 9 blue marlin, 1 striped marlin, 26 sailfish, 12 dorado to 55 pounds, 8 pargo, 25 sierra, 49 triggerfish, and 12 red snapper. "Mazatlan offshore fishing is holding at a little better than 1 billfish per boat day and about every fourth boat is landing a blue marlin," Edwards said. Mazatlan fishing area weather was clear in the mid-80s, with some southerly swell, light winds, and water temperatures at 81 degrees inshore and 82.5 degrees offshore.

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: For the previous week, Tadeo Hernandez of Flota Bibi Fleet reported a blue marlin of 326 pounds landed aboard the charter cruiser Norma Patricia about 29 miles off the lighthouse. The Norma Patricia was crewed by Alex and David, and anglers aboard included Steve and Anna Underwood, Tim Bates, and Walter and Kris Townsend.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Josh Temple of Prime Time Adventures said offshore fishing for giant yellowfin tuna was "epic" last week and fishing on Tuesday produced 3 tuna of 245 to 275 pounds. Warming water temperatures also produced very good action for large blue marlin and black marlin. Angler Merle Erickson of Chicago fished 2 days at Puerto Vallarta with Prime Time Adventures for a catch including released fish of: 2 blue marlin, 2 tuna of 120 to 150 pounds, and 2 black marlin of about 500 pounds. "That is just unbelievable fishing folks," Temple said. "We are beginning to release giant tuna again. When you start throwing 200-plus pounders back you know the bite is on fire." HOT GIANT TUNA, BLUE MARLIN, AND BLACK MARLIN.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Merle Erickson of Chicago reported on his 2 days of fishing with Capt. Josh Temple on the Puerto Vallarta charter boats Prime Time and Bad Influence for a catch including released fish of his 2 black marlin of about 500 pounds plus yellowfin tuna and blue marlin. The 2 black marlin were both released on Friday, Nov. 24, 2006. "Two big blacks in one day!" Erickson said. "Still can't believe it. Phenomenal fishing. Just unreal."

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Keith Denette said Puerto Vallarta Capt. Danny Osuna of Marla's Sportfishing fished aboard Fred and Lynn Gross' boat Mojito in the recent 51st annual Pez Vela y Marlin Tournament for a catch including a 249.7-pound yellowfin tuna good for team prize money and a Chevy pickup. Capt. Scott Osuna of Marla's Sportfishing also took second and fourth places in the marlin division of the tournament aboard the charter boat Arca de Noe. "Fishing is as good as it gets right now," Denette said. "Multiple catches of cow yellowfin are being caught daily on most of the charter boats."

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Ed Kunze, reporting for Baja On The Fly, said 80-degree blue fishing water came to within half-a-mile of the beach at Ixtapa last week as boats averaged about 2 sailfish per day plus a few 15 to 25-pound dorado. "Blue water is at Solitary Rock," Kunze said. "The majority of the yellowfin tuna are still beyond the 1,000-fathom line at the 30-mile mark, but some football tuna did show up only a mile off the beach." Inshore action was good for small jack crevalle, sierra, black skipjack, grouper, cabrilla, and some roosterfish. Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing area weather was partly cloudy and humid in the mid-80s, with water temperatures of 74 to 82 degrees.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Paul Phillips of the Fintastic's Tag & Release Tournament said charter panga availability will be very tight for at least the next several months at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo due to 2 very large groups reserving a total of over 700 boat days. "Almost all of the better sportfishing pangas in Zihuatanejo are now booked through February and into March," Phillips said. "I highly suggest that anglers start looking at the smaller cruisers." TOP SPORTFISHING CHARTER PANGAS BOOKED SOLID.

HUATULCO, MEXICO: Sportfishing articles, maps, and fishing report archives for Huatulco.