WINTER WINDS PREVAILING FROM THE NORTH

Feb. 23, 2005, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, Loreto, Mexico Fishing Report:

Last week, Loreto sportfishing weather was pretty typical of February in terms of winds, overcast skies and temperatures. But since the weekend, the air has been unseasonably warm, as highs were reported in the 80s on Sunday and Monday. Today however we seem to be returning to February conditions.

The wind is now prevailing from the north. Early morning is starting out calm but building from the north. Today by 9 a.m. boats were turning back from their journey north to Punta Pulpito. Most were fishing off Coronado by 10 a.m.

At Pulpito I have reports of few yellowtail caught, due to difficult seas and swift moving fish. Just north of Coronado there have been a few fish but most are fishing there to stay off the rough waters further away.

We certainly know that there are Yellowtail in just about every direction of town but the weather hasn't been exactly cooperative. Last week we were stuck under a stationary front which gave us overcast skies for four days and rain for one. After the clouds cleared up the weather was beautiful and the sea was flat. Trouble was the fish weren't interested at all in biting. They were seen breezing at the surface and completely uninterested in bait or jigs. After about two days of this, they were biting again and then the winds became a factor.

Currently we have good numbers of Yellowtail and they're still breezing on the surface. The important part is that they're on the bite again.

I see the water pretty warm right now. Unseasonably warm. We've been getting a sailfish every week since last month. That's rare as hell, like April conditions. The water is churned up in localized areas and the captains are reporting more sargasso out there. There is a lot of bait in the water. The word on sardinas is there aren't any, or very few anyway. They have been very difficult to come by for the past week and a half. Water surface temperature range is 73-66 degrees.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Loreto and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Loreto may be found at Mexfish.com's main Loreto page.