PANGA OUTINGS ON LAS ARENAS SIDE WITH FISHERMAN'S FLEET

July 2, 2006, Fishing the La Paz Las Arenas side with Fisherman's Fleet, David Gassman.

Dave Gassman of Truckee, Calif., and Pat Kralj of Lafayette, Calif., joined host Jerry Carr of Alamo, Calif., for four days of Las Arenas panga fishing with David Jones Fishermen's Fleet. Jerry's group of ten anglers fished from June 25th thru July 1st.

Bait was plentiful and close at hand, Sardinas, five inches and larger. Mullet were also provided by the bait boats. Bonito were plentiful throughout Las Arenas, and ladyfish for roosterfish bait were readily made at Punta Perico.

La Paz fishing area weather was typical for summer, mid-70s at sunrise and 100 by 1 p.m. Gentle breezes did little to cool slow trollers or drift fisherman. Water temperatures were in the mid-80s.

The yellowfin tuna off Punta Perico have seen heavy pressure for a couple of weeks now, so light fluorocarbon leaders are necessary to get bit, resulting in plenty of lost fish. The bite dies soon after the sun is on the water.

We fished with panguero Jorge Lucero north and south of the Punta de la Ventana lighthouse.

Fishing on Wednesday, June 28th, we did the shark-buoy boogie north, almost to Las Cruces for 4 small dorado (also mahi-mahi or dolphinfish) to 10 pounds. We baited a large pod of common dolphin in the middle of Cerralvo Channel, but they were traveling, not feeding. We ended the day making ladyfish and trolling the lighthouse. Pat Kralj caught and released a 45 pound roosterfish.

Fishing on Thursday, June 29th, we drifted the Punta Perico yellowfin tuna and saw a few hookups lost. A few tuna were landed by the fleet. We continued south, made bonito and fished as far south as El Cardonal. Our score was zero. At 11 a.m. we called it and headed to Punta Perico and the lighthouse. Again Pat had the hot rod and got another roosterfish about 45 pounds.

Fishing on Friday, June 30th, we fished with Enrique Lucero, Jorge's younger brother. We went north all the way to Las Cruces and it was really slow. We trolled mullet on the beaches of Cerralvo Island on our way back to the lighthouse and more roosterfishing with ladyfish. We couldn't shake the skunk. Pat had one roosterfish thrash his bait to the surface, but no hookup.

On Saturday we fished with Enrique Lucero again. Today the Punta Perico tuna wanted our sardinas offered on 25 pound fluorocarbon. I hooked up on the first drift, but pulled the hook about halfway through the fight. Pat hooked and landed a 20 pound yellowfin tuna. One more drift, and I was on again. This time I landed the 20 pound yellowfin tuna and we headed south in search of dorado. We made bonito and trolled as far south as El Cardonal. We were joined by a half-dozen charter fishing boats from the East Cape fleet. Fishing was scratchy at best. I finally caught a 12-pound dorado on a sardina off Boca del Alamo. We finished our day back on the sands of the lighthouse but the roosters didn't want to play. Pat had a roosterfish hit, he dropped his bait back, but the rooster wasn't having any of it. We saw roosterfish swimming near the surf.

The Jerry Carr Group as a whole had a good week. Fish species caught included Tuna, Dorado, Sailfish, Striped Marlin, Pargo Mulato, African Pompano, and Jack Crevalle. A few bull dorado went to 45 pounds.

David Jones took good care us, in spite of the Aero Cal situation and the Hotel El Arco strike. We enjoyed fishing with the Lucero brothers, and will return to La Paz and Las Arenas.

(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.