GOOD YELLOWTAIL FISHING AT ISLA CARMEN FOR BAJA BIG FISH COMPANY

Nov. 3, 2005, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Winds in the Loreto sportfishing area have been completely cooperating the last couple of days and conditions have been great.

Yellowtail fishing has been good off Punta Perico at the easternmost point of Isla Carme. At least a dozen Loreto charter boats per day have been fishing there daily. The bite starts early and all boats seem to be hooking up. Losing them to the rocks is happening all too frequently. They're taking live mackerel or bigeye from off the bottom, 150 feet deep, and averaging 25 pounds.

Fishing north of Loreto at San Bruno, Yellowtail in the same size range are starting to feed again. Local angler George in his boat Maravilla fished San Bruno today and scored 4 Yellowtail averaging 20 pounds, five Cabrilla under 5 pounds, and a nice 7 pound Pargo. He and his captain Francisco "Galo" Davis fished jigs 150 foot deep at the San Bruno reef. George reported loads of bait hovering over the reef and that the stomachs of the Cabrilla were full of 4-5 inch huachinango as they were regurgitating them. Captain Galo confirmed them as true huachinango, Red Snapper, a delicacy in these parts!

Sizable Bonita have been hovering just over the yellowtail so you'll need to get past them. The Yellowtail bite at San Bruno starts at around 9-9:30 a.m. and the Cabrilla/Pargo bite precedes it. For overall catch success with live bait at San Bruno, use Caballitos (bigeye), sardinas or Mackerel in that order.

At Isla Coronado we've been doing trips combining a short day of fishing with snorkeling. Captain Francisco Muñoz likes to do these trips as he's been taking couples out where one person wants to fish for a few hours and the other wants to hang on the white sand beaches. The small Dorado are still a good target and they're best attracted with live sardinas. Once located, the sardinas are thrown into the water to keep them interested. We've been having success with fly anglers and light tackle conventional fishermen. The Dorado would be species to target on a Loreto half-day trip. Expect them to be around ten pounds. Sardinas have been the most successful bait.

Other Baja game fish species that you'll likely encounter along Loreto shorelines and over reefs are Pargo, Cabrilla, Ladyfish, Roosterfish, Triggerfish, and Giant Needlefish.

Loreto water temperature range: 74-82 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.