DORADO ARE THE MOST CONSISTENT CATCH FOR LOCAL CHARTER FISHING BOATS

July 11, 2004, Jonathan Roldan, Tail Hunter International, La Paz, Mexico Fishing Report:

Everyone is talking about how hot and humid it is right now and it seems a lot more like August than July. La Paz fishing has been consistent. Give us a few days and it seems like everyone goes home with stuff in the ice chest. There can be an off day but mostly there's fish to be caught with dorado (dolphinfish still the most consistent biters. However, maybe we're seeing a bit of a switch and I don't know if it's permanent, but we'll see.

On the La Paz side fishing, the dorado and billfish sure bit strong during the full moon and it was slower on the Las Arenas side. As the moon has waned, we're noticing that the Las Arenas side seems to be be the most productive, at least for the dorado which are in the areas around the buoys, under current and weed lines and in the gaps between the buoys.

As for the tuna that seems to have everyone's focus, the MO is still the same. Here one day and gone for 2. Then they are around for two days and gone for 3. No patterns. It's a matter of finding the right porpoise school and being able to keep up with them. Then, you just hope the tuna bite. When they do, it's been worth it!

Everyone is still buzzing about that big 180 pound slug of a yellowfin tuna we got this week taken by the tag team of Robert Jackson and Robert Jackson, Jr. with Captain Jorge Mascarone. Geeze...that was alot of fish for me to clean! The guys told me it was about 2 hours on the toad, but I spoke with Jorge and he said they were delirious and that he looked at his watch and it was almost 3 hours of pulling with the single speed reel and 60 pound test straight-tied with no leader! Plus no water and no fighting belt (everyone had forgotten!).

Side note: If you do run for the tuna...it's a long run. A little extra dinero to the skipper for the gas is appreciated. The guys have literally been running until they can go no further or risk not having enough fuel to get back to the beach. Also, it has been bumpy out there and wet chasing the dolphin so you might want to have a windbreaker or just cut a trash bag to put over yourself cuz it can get WET!

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