MARLIN FISHING CENTERED NEAR ISLA MONSERRATE

Sept. 29. 2005, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, Loreto, Mexico, Baja California Sur:

For the past couple of weeks with the calm water and heat there's been no shortage of Marlin and Sailfish. Last week there were a lot of Marlin in a small area between Isla Monserrate and Islote de los Lobos. Once we motored south beyond this area we saw no signs of life. We ventured as far as Agua Verde and still no luck but damn beautiful.

On 23 September Captain Francisco Muñoz bought home a 130 pound blue marlin that his clients caught. These same folks also brought in five Dorado over two days and released a few more.

The fish have moved to 25 miles out beyond Coronado now. Dorado are less common than billfish these days but you're sure to locate some if you fish along the shorelines and keep a sharp eye out for birds working.

Loreto fishing water temperatures are cooler near the shorelines than over the deep water which is why we're finding them there. We've had the best luck with slow trolled or flylined live sardinas.

If we receive significant rainfall from Otis this weekend, debris will get washed out to sea with the water flowing out of the arroyos, prime Dorado fishing!

Inshore, Red Snapper are being caught by handline commercial boats in the same Loreto fishing spot where late this past spring we were catching Yellowtail consistently, right in front of the airport.

Along Loreto shorelines on Baja's Sea of Cortez coast expect Cabrilla and Pargo as well as Triggerfish.

Roosterfish are also out there but are quite elusive. Fishing today in Puerto Ballandra, located on the North and West side of Isla Carmen, we had about a dozen hookups but farmed all of them. Live sardinas were the trick either trolled or free swimming. I would expect them to also be lurking along the shorelines from the northern edge of town, past the channel that separates Isla Coronado, off Coronado's satellite island, and North along the shoreline from there through San Bruno, San Basilio and beyond. As the water cools down they will be much more willing to eat. Loreto fishing water temperatures have probably peaked for the season, although Otis may change these patterns temporarily, so as the water cools I expect this fishery to improve.

There are lots of sardinas inside the Loreto marina and the prime time to net them is just before 7 a.m. Caballitos (bigeye) and Mackerel are available for sale by the baitsellers. Squid is being caught less frequently now. Loreto water temperature range: 80-89 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.