YELLOWFIN TUNA AT PUNTA ARENA DE LA VENTANA

Sept. 1, 2006, Frank Springer, Fisherman's Fleet report, La Paz, Baja, Mexico:

I am reading the Baja novel King of the Moon to my grandchildren. As they have gotten a bit older than the original time I began to read this to them, and as they now have a huge experience of Baja behind them, they are simply sponging up every word and sentence.

I fished out of La Paz with David Jones' Fishermen's Fleet on Sunday and Monday.

We pushed the pangas all the way down to a school of tuna holed up off Punta Pescadero with great tuna in the 20 to 30 pound range and up to a dozen or more per boat, with the odd dorado, until a little torito blew through the area and caused us to reel up and run for the protection of the waters at Punta Arena de la Ventana.

We fished with small sardinas easily netted off the sand just north of Punta Pescadero. We finished out the day at the tuna hole just off the light house at Punta Arena de la Ventana. There was good yellowfin tuna action just a bit over 400 yards offshore.

On Monday the weather south was ugly so we stayed up north and netted big spot sardinas inside Ventana and just fished the tuna off the Punta Arena de la Ventana lighthouse once more with Panguero Captain Gildardo, just one of the nicest and best fishermen we have been with in Baja, and much of a great friend over the years.

We easily caught a dozen or more tuna per boat in the 20 to 30 or more pound range drifted dead bait as well as flylined live sardinas.

Some very nice dorado were picked up as well. It was a great chance to video the 12 year old Gallito fishing good tuna on a very light St. Croix rod and an Avet SX "dinky" real. "Stand up and take a bow. No need to wave to the crowd, I understand you can't lift your arms up anymore!" It was an excellent was to "school" both Gallito and Kate on their first tuna. Zane Gray is in great trouble now, the secret of the best fish in Baja has been revealed.

Fishing with David Jones out of La Paz was as top-rate as always. I just wonder why all the gringos think that August and September are times to avoid Baja, present chubasco excepted. There is light pressure and great fishing simply makes these months a delight.