School-sized winter dorado bite for East Cape fishing boats

Mexico Fishing News, February 20, 2006

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Charter boats fishing about 20 to 40 miles off Los Barriles scored on school-sized winter dorado in water temperatures averaging about 70 degrees last week.

Chris Moyers of East Cape Smoke House reported on 71 charter boats from combined fleets including Hotels Palmas de Cortez, Playa del Sol, Punta Colorada, Buena Vista Beach Resort, Rancho Leonero, and Martin Verdugo's Beach Resort, with 209 anglers and a catch including released fish of: 416 dorado, 8 striped marlin, 51 yellowfin tuna, 49 skipjack tuna, and 40 sierra.

"The fishing was especially nice this week with regard to the dorado bite," Moyers said. "Most of the dorado...are still in the 15-pound class...Anglers reported some nice action to the north off Punta Pescadero out at the shark buoy stops, as well as straight off Los Barriles." The week's few striped marlin caught at East Cape were found about 25 miles straight out and also about 30 miles off La Ribera.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: John Ireland of Rancho Leonero reported East Cape fishing area weather in the mid-80s and calming toward the end of the week, with water temperatures of 69 to 71 degrees straight out, and up to 73 degrees to the south. "There is a strong dorado bite with some striped marlin mixed in," Ireland said. "There were few departures, but boats got out all week. The action was best about 20 miles due east of Leonero...The dorado are very concentrated...but with no real size, 5 to 25 pounds...Most boats are limiting out." In inshore fishing, sierra and pargo were biting off most East Cape beaches. "Watch for better conditions, as the water seems to be warming early this year," Ireland said.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Torrance Eddy of Buena Vista said on Saturday, "Half-a-dozen cruisers have six or more dorado banners." Earlier, Eddy reported improved catches by local commercial pangueros fishing at night. "My all-nighter panguero friends had a good night last night with probably 60 to 70 kilos," Eddy said." They caught a gulf coney 30 inches long...Also caught a nice number of red snapper along with some fair-sized...Pacific whitefish." Fishing inshore on his own boat, Eddy said, "I saw fish, but none that were interested in what I had do offer."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported improved East Cape weather late in the week, with sierra still hitting along East Cape beaches in an early morning bite. Baja On The Fly guide Lance Petersen said, "The local handliners on shore did well. We saw one guy walking home with 3 sierra in each hand. Those guys really know how to catch 'em!" Offshore fly angler Dwight Scott of Houston fished about 28 miles out in flat conditions for action on school-sized dorado to about 10 pounds. "They proved a bit picky and wanted their flies ripped across the surface as fast as possible," Petersen said. "Blue-and-white or pink-and-white tube flies with Sigler popper heads were the ticket...We also saw a few free jumping marlin, but couldn't draw them into the pattern. We even found...what appeared to be a big sperm whale lounging on the surface." East Cape fishing area weather was in the high-70s, with water temperatures at 62 to 70 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Fishing the previous week, Chris Llewellyn of Los Barriles reported a 15-pound class yellowtail caught on a Krocodile while casting from shore with a spinning rod near his house early in the morning. "I thought it was a toro until I actually saw the fish, what a surprise!" Llewellyn said. "I was actually fishing for sierra but I'll settle for this guy anytime...I was retrieve jigging the lure in about 10 feet of water but it was near the surface...Later that day I did see balls of bait fish and porpoises within 100 feet of shore." Lflewellyn said he used a Penn 8500 SS spinning real loaded with 20-pound Andy Tournament mono and matching surf rod.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Mark Rayor of the Vista Sea Sport dive service at Buena Vista said, "The north winds seem to have backed off a little...Not as many windy days." Few divers were in the East Cape area as water temperatures at depth averaged 66 to 68 degrees, with color a little off and visibility at 20 to 30 feet.

In other mainland Mexico and Baja fishing action this week:

ENSENADA FISHING REPORTS

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ENSENADA, MEXICO: Ivan Villarino of Vonny's Fleet said his Ensenada pangas fishing at the tip of Punta Banda continued to score on yellowtail of 20 to 30 pounds every day last week except Saturday which produced bottom fish limits but no yellowtail.

On Monday, Bren Doyle and Ray Burgess of Huntington Beach fished with Capt. Beto on the Vonny I for 9 yellowtail to 30 pounds, and Matt and Phill Garcia of Camarillo also caught 9 on the Vonny III.

On Tuesday, Roy Chesley and West Barton of Provo, Utah landed 5 yellowtail on the Vonny I. Other anglers fishing during the week included Jay Johnson and his friend Debbie, Fernando Jimenez of Palmdale, Cohen Gather of Las Vegas, and Calico Brian Foley.

Punta Banda weather was mostly cloudy in the low-60s, with light breezes, 3-foot ocean swells, and an average water temperature of 58 degrees.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Steve Ross of the boat Bad Dog out of Ensenada's Marina Coral reported no yellowtail on trolled Rapalas at Punta Banda on Saturday, but excellent results on bottom fish at the Banda Bank, with anglers Gail Ross, Juan Lu Cardona-Sepulveda, and marinero Jando Ruiz. Ross said of the slow action at Punta Banda, "Trolling Rapalas alongside well-known local Mexican charter boats...after two hours of...no hookups for anyone in the fleet, the boats departed one by one for other areas."

Ross said the Bad Dog fished at the Banda Bank in a water temperature of 57 to 58 degrees exclusively with Berkley Gulp baits for limits of 4 to 5-pound vermillion rockfish, salmon grouper to 4 pounds, lingcod to 8 pounds, and red rockcod to 5.6 pounds.

"The massive schools of mackerel were gone from the Banda Bank and all the ones captured on the last trip and kept in the bait receiver died from the Marina Coral's toxic water," Ross said. "Gordo's live bait boat was parked outside the Ensenada Harbor at Estero Beach...Commercial panga shark fisherman report herds of giant squid 25 miles west of Ensenada but they are unwilling to catch them for the offered 25 cents per pound."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Judy Ostberg of the boat Melody out of Marina Coral reported "fantastic rockcod fishing" at the Banda Bank in 60.1-degree water on Friday. "We changed our minds about going on the yellowtail hunt because of the 4-foot swell and wind chop," Ostberg said. "So we fished the Banda for easy limits of quality reds, 4 salmon grouper, 1 whitefish, 4 lingcod, and 1 Johnny bass...Gordo had excellent bait at $15 per scoop."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Sammy Susarrey of Lily Fleet reported on a Saturday run south of Ensenada to Santo Tomas Point by the charter boat Amigo, fishing with 3 anglers in some early light rain and calm seas for limits of red rockcod and lingcod. Most fish were caught on live sardine baits and the water temperature averaged 59.5 degrees. "It was raining in the morning," Susarrey said. "There was no wind, but it was chilly. We used 10 ounces of weight."

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Earlier, Susarrey reported commercial fishermen running south out of Ensenada finding large schools of bonito at Punta Colonet and yellowtail of 15 to 20 pounds at San Jose Reef. Yellowtail, bonito, and some barracuda were reported locally at Isla Todos Santos in clean water at 61.1 degrees.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Memo Gomez of El Dorado Sportfishing reported on a Friday run with 3 anglers to the El Farito area 3 miles west of Ensenada, fishing at a depth of 45 feet for a catch of: 16 sandbass and 4 red rockcod. The surface water temperature was 59 degrees and all fish were caught with squid bait.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Lee Wood of Oceanside Senior Anglers said the club's speaker for their meeting of March 7, 2006, will be former Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers defensive back Willie Buchanon. The nearly 500-member club meets at 9 a.m. at the Oceanside Senior Center, 455 Country Club Lane. Info: www.osanglers.com. "This year we have scheduled 22 local fishing trips so far with a few more trips to Alaska, Mexico, and one taking place right now to Puerto Rico," Wood said.

PUERTO SANTO TOMAS FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO SANTO TOMAS, MEXICO: Sam Saenz of Puerto Santo Tomas Resort said 10 pangas fished over the weekend, in mostly good conditions but with some light rain on Sunday morning, for good results on lingcod to 15 pounds, sheephead of 7 to 12 pounds, and mixed bottom fish. "We are still enjoying good weather and excellent fishing," Saenz said. "Most of the fishing was just north of the rock pile, or islote." Anglers catching full limits included Chuck Rodriguez and his sons from Fresno.

PUERTO SANTO TOMAS, MEXICO: George Starr of Bonita and David Hamilton of Spring Valley reported on a midweek fishing trip with Capt. Marcos out of Puerto Santo Tomas Resort, for a catch in 60 to 80 feet of water including many red rockcod, 5 lingcod, and a 10-pound sheephead. Starr said they fished in flat water until afternoon winds picked up. "This is a great place to stay and fish," Starr said. "The view from the cabins is one you will not soon forget...We went south past the cement plant and tried for some calicos without much luck. We moved further south and out close to Punta San Jose. We fished...with squid on slider rigs, large plastics and frozen salted sardines...Just a whole squid on a slider worked best."

Starr said of Puerto Santo Tomas' Capt. Marco: "I cannot say enough about our Captain Marco. He was a very pleasant person to fish with. His love of the area and the sea life it supports was obvious. He did a few things that you do not see too often. He released small bass and lings without prompting, but at the same time asking if we thought it was alright. He also took the time to crush and break the bones of some small fish so that even the small birds could enjoy our collateral damage. In the afternoon...he gave us a... comfortable ride uphill without the usual saltwater bath and bone jarring ride."

ERENDIRA FISHING REPORTS

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ERENDIRA, MEXICO: Fernando Castro of Castro's Camp said he had 19 boats fishing out of Erendira during the week, for continued heavy counts of red rockcod and lingcod, plus many bonita. "The water was very clear," Castro said. "We had a lot of bait in the water, many sardines and small mackerel." Erendira weather was variable during the week, with some clouds, some light winds that did not affect fishing, and some cool air temperatures. The water temperature was at 56 to 58 degrees in the main fishing area 7 miles out of Castro's Camp.

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Denis Quesnel of Action Lures reported on 2 runs out of San Quintin to fish south at Socorro with Kelly Catian of K&M Offshore Sportfishing, finding no white seabass their first day, but full limits by noon on lingcod and quality red rockcod. "The reds were the biggest in years, to 8 pounds," Quesnel said. "All the lings were 10 to 16 pounds." The second day's catch in 90 feet of water included 4 lingcod, 10 small rockcod, some whitefish, and 2 large sculpin. Quesnel said he fished with his jointed Action Lure iron jigs. "I, of course, fished with my large chrome Action Lure," Quesnel said. "I was neck-and-neck with the bait guys. Then the bite stopped on live bait and all 6 of us continued using my jigs to the amazement of Kelly."

SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: K&M Offshore Sportfishing's Kelly Catian commented on the same trip: "I took Dennis and Tom Gatch...and a few friends out over the weekend and scored great bottom fishing using Dennis' Action Lures. We fished south at the 180 spot about 16 to 18 miles south of Cabo San Quintin. We made drifts...with live bait and jigs...Most of the larger fish were caught with the big Action Lures pinned with a strip of mackerel." San Quintin weather was windless, with clear blue water at 59 degrees.

BAJA COASTAL FISHING REPORTS

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BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: Juanchys Aguilar of La Bocana on the semi-remote Baja coast north of Punta Abreojos reported on 2 days of fishing offshore and inside Laguna la Bocana on his panga Karol with anglers Miguel Terrazas and Roberto Diaza of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, for a catch including cabrilla plus yellowtail to 23 pounds. Aguilar said they fished in 10 feet of cloudy water at 61 degrees, in windless conditions about 3 miles south of La Bocana. Fishing inside the lagoon produced good action for cabrilla, small grouper, and medium halibut, plus corvina of 6 to 8 pounds caught along the beaches with Krocodiles.

Capt. Paco Zuniga of Punta Abreojos reported black sea bass caught south of the point.

Aguilar also made a trip for Baja whale watching at Laguna San Ignacio. "We had a good day with the gray whales," he said. "There are possibly about 300 of them in the lagoon right now, although we saw only 9 with babies. We met the owner of Campo Antonio. It has 3 clean boats with new motors, restaurant, and 4 cabins with good service. The whale watching trip is $40 per person and lasts one-and-a-half hours. Campo Antonio is contacted through the El Padrino trailer park and restaurant in San Ignacio on Mex 1 and they have 9-passenger vans for transport to the lagoon in 1 hour."

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported good numbers of sierra and corvina inside Magdalena Bay, plus good halibut action on sandy beaches, and fair yellowtail and grouper at the San Carlos entrada. "Try a slow retrieved, chartreuse Clouser along the bottom for best results," Graham said. "Whale watching is still keeping most of the fleet busy as more and more folks make the trek to either Puerto San Carlos or Lopez Mateos." Magdalena Bay weather was in the mid-70s, with water temperatures of 68 to 73 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Mike Connolly of Cabo San Lucas and the private boat Falcon reported a flurry of striped marlin in the patterns early in the week on the Cortez side, but the action "just a memory" at midweek as the bite dropped off, and then another bump over the weekend.

"Things are looking up and fast," Connolly said on Sunday. "Could be a good week. The Ni Modo II, with Jobe Garcia, returned late Saturday with news the fleet has been waiting for. His guys were 6 out of 10 on marlin at 45 miles, on the Cortez side."

"The week started of with a rush," Connolly said. "Hungry marlin moved into the area between Chileno and the Palmilla, 4 to 10 miles offshore...Fish charged into the patterns in groups. Drop backs were not as effective as usual as the fish stayed with the plastic, indicating they had been feeding on squid.

"Molly Rose had 10 fish in the jigs for 1 release and Swiss Mist had 25 flood the pattern...Monday for 3 releases...Lots of excitement for a grateful fleet. It remained solid fishing for several more days with Minerva IV, Chuy Tolentina, among the more consistent boats...No news on tuna or dorado except they are not anywhere near Cabo at this time."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tommy Garcia of Cabo Magic reported on 97 boats, with a catch including released fish of: 63 striped marlin, 7 yellowfin tuna, 7 dorado (mahi-mahi), 3 wahoo, 2 cabrilla, 35 pargo, 60 sierra, 8 amberjack, 6 skipjack, 1 roosterfish, 3 mako shark, and 23 boats skunked. "There was a good variety of species caught," Garcia said. "Some folks simply wanted only one fish type, for example only marlin or yellowfin tuna, and that can result in 'no suerte' for the day. Other great entertainment on the water includes good numbers of whales, porpoises, and turtles which delighted many first time visitors."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 45 outings by Gaviota Fleet, the Fish Cabo, and Fish Cabo I, with a catch including released fish of: 26 striped marlin, 5 dorado, and 10 yellowfin tuna. "It appears that some stabilization to the area's water temperature may be happening as the warmer waters move off to the south of Cabo," Edwards said. "The downside to the southerly movement...is...to diminish the catches and scatter the boats in all directions...The 'hot spot' this week seemed to be at the 95 fathom spot." Cabo San Lucas sportfishing area weather was partly cloudy in the low-80s, with water temperatures stable at 68 to 70 degrees from the Golden Gate Bank on the Pacific side to the Gordo Banks on the Cortez.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 9 outings by the Cabo San Lucas charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 9 striped marlin, 1 roosterfish of 20 pounds, and 1 jack crevalle of 15 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Benjamin Ortega of Solmar Fleet reported a catch including released fish of: 15 striped marlin, 27 dorado, 21 sierra, 9 yellowfin tuna, and 9 giant Humboldt squid. Solmar's top charter boat for the week was the Solmar IV, with Capt. Mario Arballo and a 3-outing catch including released fish of: 6 striped marlin, 7 dorado, 9 yellowfin tuna, and 12 sierra.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS), MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 78 combined La Playita fleet pangas, with a catch of: 380 bonito, 14 amberjack, 26 cabrilla, 175 sierra, 40 yellowtail snapper, 22 pompano, 36 golden and island jacks, 28 triggerfish, and 34 pargo. San Jose del Cabo weather was at 80 degrees, with warming water temperatures of 69 to 71 degrees. Mackerel live bait was scarce, but mullet, sardina, and caballito supplies were adequate. "On the Gordo Banks the action was exclusively for Mexican bonito," Brictson said. "These fish were...wide-open for anglers using yo-yo jigs, Rapalas and hoochies. The average size was...3 to 8 pounds...We look for this warming trend to help the offshore action become steadier and we expect that the more productive action will start to swing in the direction of the Sea of Cortez...For the panga fleets...the best bite...was for a combination of shallow water species...from the San Jose del Cabo estuary to Palmilla...It was not unusual for anglers to catch 8 or more species per charter."

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International said more yellowtail in the 20 to 30-pound class were caught on the La Paz side around Isla Espiritu Santo as winds calmed toward the end of the week. "The week started off pretty windy with gusts coming in from the north that made fishing near impossible," Roldan said. "However, as the week progressed winds diminished and both Las Arenas and La Paz got back on track, and more yellowtail showed up...The best spots were...around Espiritu Santo...using yo-yo iron in scrambled egg patterns or green-yellow...Captains are recommending you bring extra iron as you'll lose quite a few in the rocks." Live bait worked better on the Las Arenas side, Roldan said. "In addition to the yellowtail, sierra continued to bite nicely, as well as some good sized pargo lisa in the 10 to 20-pound range."

LORETO FISHING REPORTS

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LORETO, MEXICO: Nacho Davis of the Carnaderos y Pescadores baitsellers cooperativa said bait was scarce last week due to wind, strong currents, and dirty water in the Loreto area. "Last night we caught nothing from 7:30 p.m. for three hours and wind is forecast for this morning," Davis said on Saturday. "The three previous nights were slow. The best bet is to catch baits showing up in the morning on the usual grounds. Join the folks off Coronado Island in the mornings if the bait boats have already sold what they have."

LORETO, MEXICO: At Villas de Loreto, Wendy Wilchynski said no anglers were present at the hotel: "There's no fishing report to speak of...the beach chairs are very comfortable!"

LORETO, MEXICO: Jeff Petersen of Loreto said the windy period last week was a good time to pull his boat Baja Californian for 100-hour service: "The boat should be ready for our next break from the wind."

MULEGE FISHING REPORTS

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MULEGE, MEXICO: Gary Black of Huntington Beach reported on a run to fish off the north end of Isla San Marcos by Chuck Benge, and Ken Wright of the Cuesta Real Hotel in Mulege, fishing on Benge's center console boat for a catch including school-sized yellowtail, 2 large cabrilla, several pargo, and an amberjack weighed at 58.5 pounds caught by Wright while trolling for yellowtail with a jointed Rapala.

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Mike Kanzler of Isla San Marcos reported Santa Rosalia fishing area weather with some northwest winds to 16 knots, air temperatures at about 70 degrees, and clear green water "the coolest I've seen in past years" at 59 to 61 degrees. Fishing action was generally slow at Isla San Marcos just before the Mulege yellowtail tournament. "On one pre-tournament run...it was totally dead without even a pickup the whole morning," Kanzler said. "So with my tournament partner Alan 'Voodoo Lounge' Lewis, we...headed out to Tortuga Island.

Fishing was much better at Isla Tortuga, as Kanzler and Lewis landed 8 yellowtail of 22 to 27.5 pounds, and then dropped 480 feet deep in 15 knots of wind and 3-foot seas for 2 gulf coney, or baqueta, of 20 and 29.46 pounds. "On the first drift I was up with the boat running in reverse," Kanzler said. "I go bend-o, 15 minutes of cranking a 20-pound baqueta...Alan's turn...With...me bailing the boat...and again seconds later, wam!...We call these fish slam cod!...You feel it all the way up your spine. Alan's fish turned out to be about 10 pounds heavier." Fishing the second tournament day at Isla San Marcos, Kanzler's boat caught 4 yellowtail of 25 to 29 pounds in about 1 hour.

BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES (L.A. BAY) FISHING REPORTS

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BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES, MEXICO: J.L. Terry of San Francisquito south of Bahia de los Angeles reported clouds, light rain, north winds, and "no fish" over the weekend: "Lots of motorcycle groups at hotel."

SAN FELIPE FISHING REPORTS

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SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Wayne Pinkerton of B&B Bait & Tackle in Blythe reported good triggerfish action while fishing south of Black Mountain out of his place at Bahia Christina near Puertecitos. "Just below Black Mountain, as it's called in The Baja Catch, we caught nice triggers at will and kept a half-dozen nice ones for dinner," Pinkerton said. "It's still a little early for corvina, but I heard of a few yellowtail being taken locally." Pinkerton also relayed a local report of a 59-pound white seabass caught on 40-pound line.

SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: At San Felipe, Catalina Meders of the Title Company Bookstore overlooking the bay said the seagoing raft of "Poppa Neutrino" David Pearlman was nearing readiness for its cruise down the Sea of Cortez. "Poppa Neutrino is currently adding the finishing touches to his raft," Meders said. "His rafting buddy from Amsterdam conferred with him, and they decided to add a sort of 'pontoon' arrangement using large blocks of wrapped styrofoam. They miraculously located a large stash of this material here in San Felipe!...As soon as that is accomplished...they will be all set for the first jump."

San Felipe weather was sunny at 70 degrees, with the water temperature in the bay in the mid-60s. "Lots of people are coming to town with interesting vehicles in trailors...for the 250 race which is on March 10-12," Meders said. "There are very, very few hotel rooms left for that weekend. First though, comes February 24-28 which is Carnaval."

SAN CARLOS (SONORA) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Fernando Almada of San Carlos reported on a run to Isla San Pedro Nolasco by the charter boat Catch-22 Pez Vela, fishing in rough conditions for 5 yellowtail and 1 cabrilla in about a 2-hour period during the afternoon. "We had around 4 or 5 strikes in the morning but we kept striking out!" Almada said. "Finally around 2 p.m. the bite was wide-open...We fished with Rapalas trolled on wire...We fished both the north and south tips of the island, south being more productive for us. I heard on the radio of many San Carlos boats with good catches all day." Water temperatures at the island averaged 62 degrees, Almada said. Anglers fishing with Almada aboard the Catch-22 Pez Vela included Gustavo Guerreo, Luis Fernando Liogon, Alejandro Liogon, and Fernando Liogon. "The Catch-22 Pez Vela is one of the boats that will be operating under Catch-22 Sportfishing Adventures starting operations next spring," Almada said.

SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: George Galayda of Montana reported generally poor action while fishing out of San Carlos on his trailer boat during a trip from Dec. 30, 2005 to Feb. 5, 2006. "We caught yellowtail on only 7 of 35 days fished," Galayda said. "We caught no bottom fish over 2 pounds...We enjoyed the people of Mexico very much and were impressed with the quality of Marina San Carlos...I am thinking about trying further south, perhaps Mazatlan, though that is a long way to tow a boat!" Galayda reported the unusual catch of a damsel bass, also called an "antenna fish" due to its extended dorsal fin ray, while trolling a jointed Rebel lure on a downrigger at Punta San Antonio. "I also caught a spotted grouper and a lizardfish that day," he said. "All small fish."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters said red-hot bottom fishing continued at Mazatlan, with 9 species including fish to 50 pounds caught. A total of 23 super panga outings reported a catch of: 330 "seabass," 186 red snapper, 33 "rabbits," 3 cabrilla, 8 toro or jack crevalle, 6 pompano, 1 triggerfish, 16 baqueta, and 18 grouper. Aries Fleet reported on 40 offshore outings out of Marina el Cid, with a catch including released fish of: 21 striped marlin, 4 mako shark, 1 yellowfin tuna, and 2 dorado. "Inshore fishing kept anglers in perpetual motion," Edwards said. "What an incredible inshore bite!...Rigged mullet baits were best for the billfish and shrimp heads for the bottom fishing." Mazatlan weather was mostly calm in the low-80s, with water temperatures at 69 degrees inshore and 72 degrees in the best offshore fishing area 25 to 30 miles southwest of Marina el Cid.

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: For the previous week, Bill Heimpel of Star Fleet said his offshore Mazatlan boats averaged about 2 striped marlin, 5 to 8 yellowfin tuna, and just a few dorado per outing, about 15 miles off the lighthouse.

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Danny Osuna of Marla's Sportfishing reported on a run to Roca Corbeteña by the charter boat Marla II, for a catch including jack crevalle and bluefin trevally for anglers Michael Hornbacher and Julie and Jimmy Baker of Wyoming. The Marla II fished in 74-degree water, with a light northwest wind and 2 to 3-foot swells. "We were trying to catch yellowfin tuna," Osuna said. "They were crashing all over the roca, but they were feeding on very small bait like squid and langostinos. So after a very hard try we did not have any luck on the tunas, but we did catch other types of fish...We end up landing pargos, jacks, groupers, and other species."

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Earlier, Osuna reported on a run by the Marla II to El Morro rock at the Marietas Islands for a catch by angler Bill Relord of Colorado including a 30-pound dog snapper, in flat seas, and a water temperature of 74 degrees. "We were slow trolling a small blue runner, looking to catch a roosterfish or amberjack," Osuna said, "but as lucky we are, we nailed this nice pargo and few small pompanos too."

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Danny Gomez of Dhamar Sportfishing reported on 4 outings by the Puerto Vallarta super panga Dhamar, for a catch including released fish of: 7 jack crevalle to 35 pounds, 4 sailfish, 1 wahoo of 35 pounds, and 2 dorado of 30 and 40 pounds.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Gal Hever of Thousand Oaks reported on 4 fishing days out of Puerto Vallarta for a catch of: 3 roosterfish to 25 pounds, 1 dorado of 20 pounds, 1 sailfish of 40 pounds, and 2 yellowfin tuna caught on poppers. "Lots of tuna," Hever said, "Tuna are crashing but not willing to bite the cabbys we set out...Some amazing tuna popper fishing...These fish strike so aggressive that the water they are shooting through just pushes the popper out of their mouths."

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORTS

ALL ARTICLES, REPORTS AND FISHING INFORMATION FOR IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Ed Kunze, reporting for Baja On The Fly, said sailfish action was good through the full moon for sportfishing boats out of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo last week. Offshore boats also caught a few dorado of 20 to 50 pounds, plus some blue and black marlin. "We are averaging about 2 to 3 sailfish a day," Kunze said. "Even with the full moon...the fishing has been good...Several dorado were taken this week, with a couple of 50-pound fish boated. The fleet is averaging a couple of large marlin a day, with at least 3 large marlin this week over 400, 500, and 550 pounds." Several boats also caught yellowfin tuna in the 50-pound class. Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing area weather was clear in the mid-80s, with water temperatures at 80 to 84 degrees.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters relayed a report from Ixtapa Zihuatanejo charter fishing representative Abel Cortez saying, "The full moon had little affect on the offshore and inshore fishing...The sailfish bite remained good, with each boat reporting several shots per day...along with a few dorado (also mahi-mahi or dolphinfish) and marlin." Top anglers for the week included Tom Davis of New Hampshire who fished 4 days with Capt. Adolfo on the Dos Hermanos I and landed 15 sailfish, 1 dorado, and 10 jacks. Ixtapa Zihuatanejo water temperatures averaged 78 degrees inshore and 79 offshore.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Capt. Josh Temple of the Puerto Vallarta charter boat Prime Time announced the introduction of an additional boat out of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, a 27-foot Grady White with "all the bells and whistles." At Puerto Vallarta, Temple said, "Our captain and crew have been trained up here and shipped back home to Zihuat where they have been fishing their entire lives...We are very excited to be bringing some high-tech techniques to the area and further developing the potential for the big tunas and marlin found offshore...We all know that the cow tunas and giant marlin definitely migrate through the area and I am certain that we will be very successful in developing the tuna and marlin fishery down there."

East Cape Sportfishing Photo 1

KROCODILE SURPRISE--Chris Llewellyn was casting with a spinning rod for sierra near his house at East Cape's Los Barriles when this yellowtail hit a Krocodile in 10 feet of water about 30 feet from shore. PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS LLEWELLYN.

East Cape Sportfishing Photo 2

PANGUERO'S CATCH--East Cape fishing improved last week and Buena Vista's Torrance Eddy caught this basket of fish being brought in by a local commercial panguero. PHOTO COURTESY OF TORRANCE EDDY.

Ensenada Sportfishing Photo 2

YELLOWTAIL AMIGOS--Gary Basil of Escondido fished out of Ensenada with Lily Fleet and got into the recent hot bite on yellowtail around Punta Banda. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMMY SUSARREY.

Ensenada Sportfishing Photo 1

FISH ON DECK--Alfredo Lopez of Tijuana, Mike Bradmiller of Hollywood, and Munetoshi Matsumoto of Torrance fished with Lily Fleet on the Ensenada charter boat Amigo and scored on a big load of bottom fish off Punta Santo Tomas. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMMY SUSARREY.

Ensenada Sportfishing Photo 1

MORE BIG ONES--Ensenada's Punta Banda run of quality yellowtail continued last week for Vonny's Fleet panga anglers Bren Doyle and Ray Burgess of Huntington Beach, who fished on the Vonny I with Capt. Beto Zamora, right. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

Castro's Camp Sportfishing Photo 1

HEAVY-DUTY BONITA--Keith Bishop and his group from Temecula fished out of Erendira south of Ensenada and got into a hot bite of bonita with Castro's Camp's Capt. Mauricio, right. PHOTO COURTESY OF FERNANDO CASTRO.

San Quintin Sportfishing Photo 1

QUALITY QUINTIN REDS--Ricky Bethel, left, fished with K&M Offshore Sportfishing out of San Quintin for some good-sized red rockcod caught south at Socorro. At right, John Sheppard with a nice lingcod caught during the same trip. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELLY CATIAN.

La Paz Sportfishing Photo 1

LOS MUERTOS PARGO--Isaac Cortez of Oxnard fished on La Paz' Las Arenas side with Tailhunter International's Capt. Ramiro and landed this nice snapper on light tackle at Ensenada de los Muertos. PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN ROLDAN.

Loreto Sportfishing Photo 1

WIND BREAK--Jeff Petersen's Loreto boat Baja Californian took advantage of winds last week to get a 100-hour service done. PHOTO COURTESY JEFF PETERSEN.

Mulege Sportfishing Photo 2

MULEGE PEZ FUERTE--Ken Wright of Mulege's Cuesta Real Hotel with a nice 58.5-pound amberjack caught off the north end of Isla San Marcos. The "pez fuerte" hit a jointed Rapala being trolled for yellowtail. PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY BLACK.

Santa Rosalia Sportfishing Photo 1

HEAVY HIND--Tournament teammates, Alan Lewis, left, of San Lucas Cove, and Mike "Kid Jurel" Kanzler of Isla San Marcos weighed in a 29.45-pound rooster hind, or baqueta, at the Jungle Jim's weigh station during last week's Mulege yellowtail tournament. The fish was caught by Lewis at Isla Tortuga. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE KANZLER.

San Carlos Sportfishing Photo 2

CATCH-22 SPORTFISHING--Anglers, from left, Alejandro Liogon, Fernando Almada, Fernando Liogon Sr., and Fernando Liogon Jr. trolled Rapalas on wire at San Carlos, Sonora, over the weekend for good results on yellowtail and cabrilla. They fished on the charter boat Catch-22 Pez Vela, which will operate at San Carlos with the new Catch-22 Sportfishing Adventures fleet in the spring. PHOTO COURTESY OF FERNANDO ALMADA.

San Carlos Sportfishing Photo 1

"ANTENNA FISH"--George Galayda of Montana found mostly slow fishing around San Carlos, Sonora, during his extended trailer boat trip this winter, but one interesting catch included this damsel bass, which hit a jointed Rebel lure trolled on a downrigger in 243 feet of water off Punta San Antonio. The damsel bass is also called "antenna fish," or "antena" in Spanish, due to its extended dorsal fin ray. PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GALAYDA.

Puerto Vallarta Sportfishing Photo 2

VALLARTA DOGGIE--Bill Relord of Colorado fished at Islas Marietas on the Puerto Vallarta charter boat Marla II and scored on this beautiful dog snapper plus some small pompano for the day. PHOTO COURTESY DANNY OSUNA.

Puerto Vallarta Sportfishing Photo 1

BEAUTIFUL BLUE--Julie Baker of Wyoming with a beautiful bluefin trevally, Caranx melampygus, caught aboard the Puerto Vallarta charter boat Marla II at Roca Corbeteña. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY OSUNA.

Mulege Sportfishing Photo 1

LOW TIDE AT MULEGE--Chuck Benge's boat waits for deeper water at the Hotel Serenidad ramp just inside the "river mouth" at Mulege. PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY BLACK.

BAJA MEXICO FISHING REPORT ARCHIVES AND FISH PICTURES