SOLO FISHING OFFSHORE TRIPS OUT OF PUERTO LOPEZ MATEOS

Nov. 5, 2005, Bill Erhardt, Thetis Bank, Magdalena Bay, Mexico Fishing Report:

I fishing out of Magdalena Bay at the offshore Thetis Bank on Tuesday and Friday last week.

Both days I launched in Puerto Lopez Mateos and fished alone.

On Tuesday, I launched in fog at first light. Although I was the first boat on the bank I found fish neither there nor on the way to and from Boca de Soledad, and returned home skunked.

To add insult to injury, Jim Luithly and Andres Cota left Loreto at daybreak Tuesday after a full night's sleep, trailered Jim's boat to Puerto Lopez Mateos and arrived on the Thetis Bank after I had trolled the area for 2 1/2 hours in vain and was leaving to try elsewhere.

They immediately caught a wahoo and then another. By the time I returned to share in their good fortune, the bite had stopped and I had to settle for recording their success for posterity.

Jim and Andres spent the night at anchor in Bahia Santa Maria and returned to the Thetis Bank to find better fishing on Wednesday. They returned to Loreto on Wednesday afternoon with a two-day Magdalena Bay fishing tally of 5 wahoo, largest 49 pounds, 1 marlin, 1 dorado, and 1 yellowfin tuna.

Fishing at Magdalena Bay on Friday, I was again the first boat on the Thetis Bank. I caught two wahoo, 36 and 49 pounds, before three other boats arrived around 10 a.m., and none later.

On the way back to the Magdalena Bay boca, I found yellowfin tuna outside the entrada in water around 200 feet deep, as has been the case much of the past two months. I caught five tuna, the largest around 15 pounds, before heading in early with fish still biting. Tuesday was one of those rare flat calm days on the Pacific.

The surface temperature on Thetis Bank continues to drop rapidly. The high temperature recorded both Tuesday and Friday was 73 degrees.

NOTE: One evening last week when I returned to Puerto Lopez Mateos after a day's fishing, there was a fish and game agent at my truck. He asked to see my boat permit and fishing license, then asked for photo I.D. If you plan to launch and fish out of Puerto Lopez Mateos you would be well advised to have your papers in order.

(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.