GOOD TUNA FISHING IN SHALLOW WATER NEAR LIGHTHOUSE

Sept. 25, 2005, Jonathan Roldan, Tailhunter International, La Paz, Mexico Fishing Report:

La Paz just had an almost spectacular week of tuna fishing for our Las Arenas fishermen. This is the type of fishing that made Las Arenas famous.

Las Arenas tuna got bigger this week, between 10 and 40 pounds, and they were literally a football field in front of the lighthouse in water only 20-40 feet deep, where you can see the bottom and sometimes even see the fish below the pangas. The boats have averaged 4-10 yellowfin tuna per day plus losing fish as well. The weather has been in the low 90's with water at 84 degrees.

The biggest problem...hardly any fishermen!

Sometimes the fish bite early. Sometimes they bite late, but they have been biting now for about 3 weeks and the bite has gotten better. On top of it, dorado schools occasionally move through the zone and are being found at the buoys.

The routine right now is to push off the beach and get some of the giant squid. These uglies are 20-60 pounds right now. Live bait has been difficult to get. I can only wonder what it would be like if we had our usual live chum to bring the fish to the surface, but cutting the fresh squid into chunks has been incredibly effective. I think as long as the squid are there, we'll keep getting tuna. Also, since the fish are so close, the commercial guys can't come in and wrap the school. Sometimes the anglers get a little disappointed because it seems like fishing is scratchy, but then at noon...BOOM! The fish crash like crazy.

Other species are also starting to bite...large dog tooth snapper in the 40-60 pound class have been a great surprise as well as some 20-30 pound yellowtail.

Fishing on the La Paz side continues to push up the dorado bite. The fish are getting a little bigger too. Fish are 10-40 pounds and relatively close around the Punta Coyote area. As long as the weather doesn't change, I think it's only going to get better. Bait is no problem.

(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.