SPRING YELLOWTAIL FISHING SEASON A DISAPPOINTMENT

May 4, 2005, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, Loreto, Mexico Fishing Report:

I wish I could post better news but the fishing at Loreto has pretty much been in the crapper as of late. Fishing in March and April 2005 has been disappointing. Consistently strong winds and unseasonably high water temperatures are to blame.

Loreto yellowtail spawned in deep water this year and have yet to get on a good feed. It may be that there is plenty of bait deep in the water column where the temperature is more to their liking. They must be gorged on bait because they are not biting at all. There's only one location that's producing some fish and that place is so close to the Loreto shoreline that you can practically swim to it. It's about a mile off the arroyo Loreto. The structure is at about 70 feet and every day there have been at least 20 boats fishing it. Even though it's not producing all that many fish, the distance and time involved are vary minimal and it's been worth a try for local boats. Besides this nearby spot, nothing is producing fish at this time.

Cabrilla and Pargo are being caught in pretty good numbers over the many reefy areas that surround Loreto. Off Isla Carmen's north end, and north at San Bruno and San Basilio. Barracuda and Ladyfish are in the same areas. Sierra Mackerel and Roosterfish have been scarce.

There are Dorado but reports are that they are 40 miles offshore of Loreto and that they are few and small in size. There is a lot of sargasso out there but its not piling up off the breakwater like it should be for this time in the Loreto fishing season. Perhaps it will in the next few weeks.

There have not been many folks going fishing at Loreto, as tourism is slow, so I don't have much to report right now. When the Dorado come in, it usually happens literally "overnight." Bait has been pretty easy to catch is also been available to buy. On the windy weather days they haven't been selling bait. The sardinas are back into the marina again and are available to buy. Water The surface water temperature range in the Loreto sportfishing area is 75-68 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.