WAHOO AND STRIPED MARLIN LEAD BOATS COUNTS

June 18, 2005, Jonathan Roldan, Tailhunter International, La Paz, Mexico Fishing Report:

It sure seems like the La Paz fishing area might finally be waking up. After several weeks where it seemed like La Paz was stuck in springtime cool water fishing, it might finally be turning on.

Despite pesky southern winds, over the last week-and-a-half, we've probably had one of the best wahoo and striped marlin bites in recent memories. Each day for the past 10 days at least several wahoo between 25 and 70 pounds have been caught and there are many other stories of bite-offs or seeing schools of wahoo even swimming close to the beach. Larger baits on leaders, dark-colored Rapalas, and Marauders have been extremely good.

As for the striped marlin, there's still a lot of them sitting lazily on the surface, but more of them have sure been willing to charge the baits, from tiny sardines to mackerel or trolled jigs, than in the past weeks. Multiple hooks-ups have taken place in an area from northern Espiritu Santo Island to Muertos Bay far to the south.

Additionally, we're sure seeing a lot more dorado all over, chasing flying fish, although, again, they haven't always been willing to chew. However, each day it seems like a few more fish get caught ranging from punks to 35 pounders.

There's just an incredible variety of fish in the water. Amberjack and big pargo are still biting out of Las Arenas. Yellowtail, which are normally a springtime fish, were hitting at La Reyna, and yes, we even got a few yellowfin tuna midweek that were in the 25 pound category.

Nothing is wide-open, but it seems like it's on the verge, with each week just a tad better than the week before.

(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.