GOOD SMALL BOAT FISHING OUT OF PUERTO LOPEZ MATEOS

Jan. 27, 2005, Russ Fritz, Magdalena Bay, Mexico Fishing Report:

Our Magdalena Bay fishing trip was a great success, both weatherwise, and fishwise. We fished at Puerto Lopez Mateos and Santo Domingo, catching lots of spotted bay bass and corvina both days.

We stayed at the Camaron Feliz hotel/restaurant, which is primitive, but the owners are very cordial. At $17 per night for two persons, who can complain?

The Magdalena Bay vacation area is a 500 mile round trip from La Ribera at East Cape, so we traveled two days and went fishing 2 days. Launching was free, and worked well where the commercial pangas bring in their fish. We were allowed to keep my panga at the whale watching dock, for a minor tip to the night watchman, and that made it very easy to come and go.

We didn't get outside the bay, and the Magdalena Bay whale watchers were no problem. We fished along the sand spit side, near the mangrove trees, and caught spotted bay bass constantly, some to 3 and 4 pound. The mini cruise ship "Sea Bird" was anchored in the bay, just north of Puerto Lopez Mateos.

I estimate that as many as 12 pangas were whale watching. On our second day of fishing, we went north along the bay and fished just across from the opening at Santo Domingo. There are some deep holes there along the mangroves, and we got nice corvina, about 4 to 5 pounds, and were broken off by fish we assume were grouper over 25 pounds.

We were using light tackle, obviously too light for several Magdalena Bay bruisers feeding there. We used scampi type plastics, and the color didn't seem to matter. Magdalena Bay water temperatures were from 64 to 68 degrees.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Magdalena Bay and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Magdalena Bay may be found at Mexfish.com's main Magdalena Bay page.