LOCAL FISHING BOATS CATCHING DORADO AT BAJO DE LAS BOYAS, BUT THEY ARE PICKY

June 18, 2006, Pam Bolles, Baja Big Fish Company, mixed-size dorado at Baja de las Boyas, Loreto, Mexico:

Dorado are still to be found offshore of Loreto, but they've been picky lately. We're getting all sizes from 10 pounds to pushing 50 pounds. You'll find dorado at the Bajo de las Boyas just north of Isla Coronado. There are lots of fish out there but the weather has made hooking them somewhat spotty at times.

The dorado (also mahi-mahi) are being caught on the troll with plastic feathers, live mackerel and squid strips. They are also being teased up to the surface with live sardinas.

There has been very little sargasso weed offshore of Loreto to hold them lately but with recent winds that has changed. Very much sargasso is now being reported offshore to the north and east.

Two buoys were set by Arturo's Sportfishing last week about a mile northeast of the Bajo de las Boyas. We will be setting one buoy on Sunday at the "cinquenta" spot off Punta Lobos. We have three more to set out after that. We hope to set them over some new bajos that we've located on the sounder. Our goal is to set them just on the outside of the islands so that we can fish for dorado closer to port.

Billfish are very abundant in Baja California offshore waters around the Loreto fishing area right now. Sailfish are very plentiful off Punta Tintorera and Punta Lobos on the north side of Isla Carmen, and also between the area offshore of Punta Lobos and Punta Perico. Just east of the sailfish, from 10 to 20 miles off Loreto, are dorado, marlin, and yellowfin tuna. The yellowfin tuna are in a large, tight school and if you locate it you'll find football-sized fish of 15 to 20 pounds.

The sailfish are more numerous than the marlin and closer to Loreto. You won't have to go beyond Isla Carmen to get into them. They're swimming among the dorado so either species may hit. The sailfish are large this year, approaching 150 pounds. The marlin are most concentrated about 5 to 10 miles off the east side of Isla Carmen. We have landed all three marlin species, but the striped marlin are the most common.

In inshore fishing at Loreto, yellowtail are being caught consistently in 200-300 foot deep water at Punta Pulpito. It's a two hour ride up from Loreto but the yellowtail are in the 30 pound range and limits are obtainable. They're taking live mackerel with 8 ounces of weight at the bottom.

We're still also getting good action on cabrilla and pargo. Light tackle anglers are getting them on live sardinas right along the shore lines. Larger specimens from 5 to 20 pounds are taking mackerel and jigs off the bottom. Punta Lobos has been very good for all inshore species.

Bahia Ballandra on Isla Carmen and Isla Coronado have been holding large roosterfish, best taken on cast and free swimming live sardinas or slow trolled larger baits.

Mackerel live bait is being sold outside the entrance of the Loreto marina. Sardinas are plentiful and are being netted just before sunrise. Giant squid can be jigged up about two miles east of Loreto.

Loreto, Mexico fishing vacation area water temperature range, 74 to 85 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.