CHARTER FISHING BOATS SCRATCHING FOR JUST A FEW YELLOWTAIL

March 17, 2005, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, Loreto, Mexico Fishing Report:

It seems as though since March began the Yellowtail fishing at Loreto has been off for one reason or another, and this has been the case in all directions. Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, most Loreto sportfishing boats caught zero to one Yellowtail in any location they fished, but one yellowtail was considered lucky. A few folks reported fishing for two yellowtail per boat.

After the weekend, we were greeted with strong winds on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 14-16 March. Although folks went out in the morning they were quickly turned back or subject to Coronado Island to take cover from the wind and waves. For those three days no boats went beyond the line that separates Carmen and Coronado as waves were too large to venture safely. Only today have the winds given us a little tiny break. However even though it may appear calm between port and the Islands, it is still visibly rough beyond the islands where the fish are.

Last Sunday, 13 March, Loreto fishing Capt. Eulogio Davis Sanchez decided that surface conditions were perfect for investigating the fishing to the south of Loreto off Isla Catalan. He went to Catalan from Loreto and he even ventured about 10 miles south of the island. They had plenty of bait but there was nothing that would take it. They reported seeing no signs of life off Isla Catalan or Isla Monserrat. After about 10 hours fishing, they finally got one 25 pound yellowtail off Punta Perico on the way back to Loreto.

Eulogio's brother, Loreto Capt. Manuel went out on the same day but to the areas north to fish. He motored as far as Ilsa San Ildefonso, went all the way around it, fished Punta Santa Antonia and San Nicholas Bay, Punta Pulpito... but found nothing. On the way back south in search of fish he also tried Almejas and San Bruno but no luck. They returned to the Loreto marina empty.

The Yellowtail egg sacks are still small and not ready to spawn. It will probably be three to four weeks before we see them spawning.

Inside Loreto's Puerto Escondido, south of Loreto, on Saturday, 12 March, Bill Clarke of Montana kayaked over to the dinghy dock after seeing frantic bait fish splashing at the surface. Twenty minutes later he landed five Pargo Sandia all weighing about 20 pounds. He also caught corvina, giant wrasse, roosterfish, and triggerfish on the same trip.

On 13 March, 2005, off Punta Perico at Isla Carmen, Jim Luithly on his Triumph boat hooked into a huge fish with a Taddy scrambled egg colored iron jig. It was on 40 pound test Maxima line. After a long fight Jim handed off the rod to Jeff Abbott who helped land the great fish. They barely were able to fit it in the boat's fish hold. When they returned to port at Loreto they photographed it and gave it to Capt. Andres as a gift. The great fish weighed 61 kilos, or about 134 pounds.

There is more and more sargasso out there on the surface. With the strong winds we had at Loreto, there is an excellent chance that even more of the stuff will have been broken off the surface of the rocks below. Loreto water temperatures are warm. Off the east side of Isla Carmen from Ensenada Perro to Punta Perico the fishing area water temperatures have been measured at 75.5 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.