ENSENADA SPORT FISHING BOAT MATADOR FISHES
AT SAN JOSE REEF AND ISLA TODOS SANTOS

Sept. 18, 2005, Emerald Argonza, Matador Sport Fishing, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

My fish count for the Matador, fishing out of Ensenada on yesterday's San Jose trip for 5 anglers, is 6 johnny bass up to 7 lbs. each, 8 lingcod up to 10 lbs. each, 8 whitefish, 1 treefish released, and limits of rockcod up to 5 pounds each.

On the way back to Ensenada, we stopped to fish by the northeast side of Isla Santo Tomas for 14 more barracuda and 2 good size calico up to 6 pounds each.

All fish were caught on live bait using 3 hooks on each leader, and the big lings were caught using reverse dropper loops with single hook and 5-6 inch sardines.

Lingcod were also hitting flyliners with 3/4 ounce egg sinkers intended for white seabass, and the calicos hit flylined hooks too with sardine.

Barracudas were caught mostly using surface jigs, blue-and-white color or blue-and-chrome. It was a nice quick stop intended for calico bass but the guys decided to play with their jig sticks instead since the barracuda were all over the place and it was hard getting passed them to try and get some calicos along the kelp beds on the north side of Santo Tomas.

Offshore fishing at Ensenada was still slow, with reports of very few yellowfin tuna and yellowtail being caught on the lower 500 spot, the 238, 295, and 220. Seems to be quiet for these past two weeks now, but with lots of warm water up to 67 degrees, and where the fish went, I have no idea.

I suggest local and bottom fishing at Ensenada or the long run to San Jose for those anglers coming from the U.S., if you want to take some fish home since tuna trips had all gone slow and hopefully, will improve this coming week with the month of October being the last chance for pelagics.

We do have excellent bottom fishing here in Ensenada year round and I did notice the sizes of these fish improving lately, especially lingcod which is also a very delicious and expensive fish in the U.S.

We have also caught some really good sized whitefish that almost look like a small yellowtail and is also a good eating fish.