BAJA FISHING TRIP TO REFUGIO AND PUNTA REMEDIOS

June 3, 2006, John Carroll, San Diego Rod & Reel Club, Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico:

I just returned from Bahia De Los Angeles. We launched Wednesday afternoon after the winds slowed, heading to Estanque (Snake Island) instead of the plan to fish at Refugio at the north end of Isla Angel de la Guarda.

A friend on the beach assured us of large yellowtail and a great anchorage just inside the island. We got out there and found lots of squid and the Tony Reyes boat complaining of wind and no yellows.

We quickly returned to Don Juan Cove near Bahia De Los Angeles and settled in for the night.

We went to Punta Remedios the next morning with tanks full of fresh live macs and caught what we felt was plenty of yellowtail, a smaller grade; we kept five and released a few more.

At midday the call was made to go over to Refugio a few days. We were welcomed by huge schools of small to huge yellowtail following our iron with mostly a case of lockjaw. They would follow the jigs to ten feet from the bow and sink out, 30-40 per cast. We have sensational video of the whole event that left us screaming and hollering for hours.

We ended up with plenty of biters while fishing on the fly rod, live bait and mostly the jig. We also had the usual mixed bag of culprits.

After spending the night at Refugio off the Baja coast, the next day found a stiff westerly wind howling around with solid waves. We spent the morning looking around and fishing our shorts off catching loads of different fish.

We tried to cross the channel in calmer conditions later in the afternoon only to have those hopes absolutely crushed, and I mean crushed, by solid 50 m.p.h. gusts with five foot swells. We headed right back to yellowtail alley and the beach. After catching probably 16 fish species from the anchor inside Refugio we made dinner and strategized for the coming day or days. We had plenty of food and water for at least a week.

I made back up plans with Bobby Castellon on the San Felipe panga mothership Cecilia Angelina as to where we would be. My buddy boater however was very low on fuel and was looking at one more try at the crossing.

The next day I found white caps off about four miles. Rafa's panga said it was calm on the shore. We crossed with some difficulty only to be handed our ugliest weather trying to cross over Guadalupe reef with a 50 m.p.h. west wind coming out of the mountains.

There were ten-plus pangas at Punta Remedios and not one would have been there if Guillermo's tournament had been on. We were blinded 20 plus times with water over the entire boat. We were in 25 and 26-foot, deep vee boats.

We pulled in to the ramp at Bahia de los Angeles in calm conditions at around 11 a.m. The tide was too low to pull the boats out so we anchored up and swam in.

My truck was broken into for the second time in three trips in nine months. Everyone on shore was well aware of it because the 'alarm was going off, señor,' and no one knows who stole all the stuff. Even the police when I made the report were well aware of the incident when I reported it. I lost a lot of vital items. To be ripped off for more than a thousand bucks two times in less than one year really burns me. Baja is changing faster and faster.

We refueled and were ready to fish the next day. However, the wind just got worse as the day progressed and was blowing 40-plus from the west in town on Sunday.

At Bahia de los Angeles, caught numerous yellowtail, none over 20 pounds; 10-plus Cabrilla; countless bass; triggerfish; and lots of bait; more that 35 species in four days of fishing.

Squid were very prevalent at Snake Island and Don Juan Cove all the way up to Punta Remedios, but none at Refugio.

The water temperature around Bahia de los Angeles was from 67 to 77 degrees, with too much wind, but all safe and sound with seven guys. We had another incredible trip and feel like we continue to cheat life along the way.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Bahia de los Angeles and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Bahia de los Angeles may be found at Mexfish.com's main Bahia de los Angeles page.