BOATS FIND SPOTTY FISHING BETWEEN WINDS AND WAVES

July 17, 2004, Jonathan Roldan, Tail Hunter International, La Paz, Mexico Fishing Report:

There was a tropical depression down south that hurt us this week making for some waves and strong winds. Even after it was over, the water and the fish at La Paz were turned over. In the long run, it'll push up more warm water, but it sure made for a pick bite this week on both the Arenas and La Paz sides of the peninsula.

Everyone caught fish, but it was a hard go either because of the weather or lockjawed fish. Sometimes, a boat would find the right spot of willing dorado, but mostly, it was a few here and a few there with fish scattered and not as willing to chew. A few striped marlin in the counts and some bottom grabbers...cabrilla, pargo and triggers in the mix and that was our week.

The problem was a tropical depression down south off the coast of mainland Mexico. Although hundreds of miles to the south of La Paz, it was enough to generate high winds, swell and waves that curtailed La Paz fishing not to mention scattered fish or sent them to ground. In the long run, stuff like that is good. It sends up more warm waters into the area from the south, but it's small consolation for anglers who just get caught up in it because of the whims of nature.

Midweek Report:

Tell ya the truth, early in the week it stunk. La Paz vacation area boats pushed everywhere fanning out in all directions to find a great big ocean and not much else...The Gap, the Canyon, North Cerralvo, El Bajo, La Reyna, La Reynita, 88 spot. You name it and someone tried dragging or drifting a bait out there without a whole lot of success. I don't think I've seen the whole entire fleet take a goose-egg like that for awhile. I"m talkin' our boats, Mosquito Fleet, Pirates, private boaters...Don't know what happened. Lots of boats working alot of the same area and yes...there were a few fish here and there, but it wasn't unusual to see boats without even a biter all day long. Just one of those things. Nice thing about Baja...it rebounds eventually and as the week moved along, dorado and billfish found again. In fact, during this time, Las Arenas fishing was much more productive, but then when fishing got tough at Las Arenas, we were able to bring our clients to fish on the La Paz side.

(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.