ENSENADA FISHING AREA RED TIDES SLOW SURFACE ACTION FOR GORDO'S TRIP

July 20, 2005, Donald Rubi, Gordo II, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico,:

I went fishing last Saturday, July 16, out of Ensenada with Gordo's Fleet aboard the Gordo II.

With the dreaded red tide conditions prevailing at Ensenada, 25 anglers did however manage to bag an assortment of bottom dwellers including lingcods, salmon groupers, red snappers, sculpin, and rock cod.

We picked up sardines at the bait receiver on the way out. They measured 5-7 inches and were not lively at all. Seems like they did not want to swim away from the boat especially when the yellow boils were around us. Lively or not, we were out of live bait by noon, and we fished 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the boat.

I caught the lone yellowtail of the day while trolling a size 14 green/gold mackerel Rapala out around the northeast end of the islands. That fish weighed in the neighborhood of 8-10 pounds. We did see yellows boiling throughout the day, but without any takers. While out at the islands, we came across a couple of Ensenada commercial fisherman in a panga who proudly displayed a massive swordfish that looked to weigh about 250-300 lbs.