OFFSHORE FISHING CONDITIONS VERY ROUGH AT ENSENADA

April 30, 2005, Steve Ross, Bad Dog, Marina Coral, Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico Fishing:

Fishing on Saturday, with a tankful of sardines, Alex, Gail and I, charged ahead on 3-5 foot combined seas in Bad Dog to reach warmer water a few miles outside of the 295 spot offshore of Ensenada about 45 miles one way.

Once there, the water went from 59 degrees and green to 62 degrees and blue. The three kelp paddies we found were barren, and out of three jig fish we boated two bonito, the largest weighing 8 pounds. Gail lost one of them in the props.

It was so rough out there that at one time our props almost came out of the water. Fishing was awful for the few boats that were out there. There were two fishing boats from San Diego and four fishing boats from Marina Coral. One boat from San Diego named "Salty Dog" reported to me that he was there at first light and boated two albacore and a few yellowtail in the cooler 60.5 degree and green water.

I had been working in the blue Ensenada 62 degree water for nothing, so I turned back and fished the colder green water, and that's where we hooked the bonito just on top of the 295 spot. I metered a lot of bait fish in the cold water. "Melody" reported catching one yellowtail for the day out there. We traveled 120 nautical miles for the day. Bonito, when properly chilled immediately upon capture makes excellent sashimi and poki.