OFFSHORE FISHING FOR MARLIN, TUNA, AND DORADO

Sept. 23, 2006, Gary Graham, Baja On The Fly, Baja Sur, Mexico:

Every fishing year, boats seem to be arriving at Magdalena Bay earlier and earlier to search for the "holy grail," the fish pileup that often is found offshore here in the fall.

This year is no different. I received a call from Nick Smith of Palm Beach, Florida whose boat "Old Reliable" is steaming up the west coast of Mexico to begin fly fishing for billfish at Magdalena Bay later this month.

From recent fishing reports, his timing may be right on target. A few yachts traveling through the Magdalena Bay offshore fishing area have reported large schools of billfish, tuna and dorado all the way from the Thetis Bank down to the entrada at San Carlos.

Inshore fishing action at the entrada included a few small yellowtail, grouper and bonito, with skipjack just beyond the entrance. There are still a few sierra to be caught on the surface at Punta Belcher, with halibut hugging the sandy bottom.

Up north at Puerto Lopez Mateos, Diana Hoyt reports that the mangrove sportfishing included catches of corvina, grouper and spotted bay bass.

Magdalena Bay water temperature was 64 to 78 degrees; air temperature 74 to 83 degrees; humidity 87 percent; winds northeast 5 m.p.h.; scattered clouds.

(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.