Wahoo crash Baja Sur marlin fishing party;

Roosterfish counts rebound at Ixtapa

Mexico Fishing News, November 19, 2007

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported exceptional wahoo counts for La Playita charter pangas at San Jose del Cabo last week as the striped speedsters joined a wide-open local football tuna bite and epic marlin fishing continued on the Cabo San Lucas Pacific banks.

A total of 196 La Playita pangas turned in a fish count for the week of: 87 wahoo, 1,660 yellowfin tuna of mostly 10 to 20 pounds, 404 dorado, 4 striped marlin, 3 sailfish, 5 roosterfish, 11 amberjack, 68 mixed pargos, 23 cabrilla, and 26 sierra.

"The elusive wahoo have finally decided to get into the action," Brictson said. "Wahoo were found off La Fortuna, Iman, and San Luis. Many wahoo were being hooked by the unconventional method of sardina baits on direct monofilament. Surprisingly, quite a few were actually landed this way."

The wahoo were shy of wire leader and small baits, Brictson said, but many were also hooked on trolled plugs and skirted leadheads as well as larger, slow trolled and trap hooked skipjack baits. The San Jose del Cabo fishing area was crowded with vacationers and anglers as the 40th annual Baja 1000 race finished in Cabo San Lucas and boats began using the new Puerto Los Cabos marina regularly.

San Jose del Cabo fishing area weather was ideal in the 80s, with light winds and swell, and local water temperatures averaging 82 degrees. Sardina bait was plentiful. "Commercial pangueros are experimenting with lights to attract sardina to the surface at the Puerto Los Cabos jetties during the predawn hours from 4 to 5 a.m.," Brictson said. "They have been able to net quantities of quality-sized sardinas."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Randy Morishita of the Cabo Xtreme Fishing sportfishing service at San Jose del Cabo reported on a panga session following the Western Outdoor News tuna tournament, fishing at the Iman Bank for a good count of yellowfin tuna of 15 to 25 pounds on 20-pound line. "They seemed to almost jump into the boats on this trip as all pangas landed good quantities," Morishita said. "I just kept pinning on dead sardinas, flylining it with a handful of the same, and waited for a few seconds until it got hammered." Morishita fished out of the new Puerto Los Cabos marina. "We had our fish cleaned by the 'fileteros' there for a small price," Morishita said. "Things are changing."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Bob Grimes of San Jose del Cabo reported on a fishing trip at the Iman Bank for a catch including released fish of: 2 small dorado, several small yellowfin tuna, and 1 wahoo. "There were about 50 boats in the immediate area, including some from La Ribera and Los Barriles," Grimes said. "The captains were busily gaffing and clubbing 5-pound tuna by the hundreds." Grimes noted that Mexican officials had been checking fish counts and sportfishing licenses at the La Playita panga launching beach at times. Grimes also noted that the local newspaper El Sudcaliforniano reported Mexican commercial fishing boats taking marlin along the Pacific coast of Baja California from Cabo San Lucas north to Magdalena Bay.

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 few anglers were fishing at Ensenada during the week, but his beach-launched pangas found good weather and daily limits or near limits of mixed bottom fish species at Punta Banda, plus a nice 25-pound fall action yellowtail caught by Marius Tudor on Saturday aboard the charter panga Vonny II with Capt. Vicente. Other anglers scoring good counts of red rockcod, Johnny bass, sandbass, and lingcod during the week with Capts. Vicente and Beto included Adrian Sgondea, Jay Johnson, and Brian Foley. Ensenada fishing area weather over the weekend was partly cloudy in the low-60s, with patchy fog, light winds, ocean swells of 3 to 4 feet, and the water temperature at Punta Banda averaging 59 degrees.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Steve Ross of the boat Bad Dog out of Ensenada's Marina Coral reported an unusual blackgill rockfish, Sebastes melanostomus, caught during a very deep water fishing trip in early November. The rarely sport-caught bottom fish, similar to a cowcod but with dark black markings on its lips and the edges of its gill covers, weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces, about at the limit of its growth range according to Dr. Milton Love of the University of California, Santa Barbara, who confirmed the species identification. "Give a commercial fisherman an order for 6,000 pounds of blackgill and that's what he comes back with, but I'd never caught one," Ross said. "A local Ensenada commercial fisherman has been catching thornyheads and sablefish and selling his catch to Los Angeles markets for years now. He told me that he catches these fish in 1,000-plus feet of water near the Banda Bank." Ross said he fished with a 14/0 Senator reel loaded with about 6,000 feet of braided line, dropping custom made ganions about 1,250 feet deep with 5-pound weights. "We dropped the one ganion loaded with whole sardines pinned in the back with a Berkley Gulp on each hook. Then a kaboom, and that did it. It took me 15 minutes of winding to get this over 7-pound rockcod to the surface. The next few drops yielded nothing at all." Other very deep drops also yielded no fish, so the Bad Dog finished the day at the Banda Bank catching some vermillion rockfish. "I still have not caught a thornyhead nor a sablefish and have nothing but respect for a commercial fisherman," Ross said.

ERENDIRA FISHING REPORTS

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ERENDIRA, MEXICO: Tere Castro of Castro's Camp reported very good weather all week long as 15 boats fished about 7 miles off the Baja coast at Erendira for very good counts of unusually large rockcods, plus lingcod, several white seabass, calico bass, and barracuda. Good concentrations of bait fish were seen in the water with birds working over them. Water temperatures with calm conditions in the main fishing areas averaged 58 degrees.

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Pete Hillis of Pedro's Pangas said few anglers were in the San Quintin fishing area as the Thanksgiving Day holiday approached, but boats that did fish filled up with rockcods, lingcod, large barracuda, and bonita. "One outstanding catch this week at San Quintin was with Capt. Gato," Hillis said. "He took his group out to Isla San Martin for limits of barracuda and bonita, and also got a 130-pound black sea bass, which was released."

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly said offshore winds last week dropped Magdalena Bay fishing area water temperatures and slowed marlin, wahoo, tuna, and dorado action in this year's fall fish pileup around the Thetis Bank. "The best offshore fishing season in years has slowed down dramatically," Graham said. "Bird schools were few and far between as the remaining sportfishing boats in the area fanned out looking for warmer water." Boats fishing the Magdalena Bay entrada south of San Carlos found quality yellowtail in the 30 to 40-pound range. The northern Boca de Santo Domingo estero was productive for pargo, grouper, corvina, and a few snook including some larger fish lost. For Magdalena Bay offshore fishing waters, Graham said, "Hopefully the winds will back off, warmer water will be found, and everyone will get another whack before the fishing season shuts down entirely." Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was clear in the low-80s, with winds at 15 knots and water temperatures at 67 to 73 degrees.

MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Bill Erhardt of Loreto reported on an offshore run out of Magdalena Bay's Puerto Lopez Mateos aboard Bill Klaser's boat Reel Duck. Fishing in slow conditions around the Thetis Bank and southwards produced a catch of: 1 striped marlin, and 1 wahoo. "We launched in Puerto Lopez Mateos and entered the Pacific through Boca de Soledad," Erhardt said. " We found nobody home on the Thetis Bank. We saw little bait on the surface, no schooling marlin, and no dorado at all, and fishing was generally slow." Offshore Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was overcast, with the water temperature at 76 degrees.

MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Jeff Petersen of Lopez Sportsman's Lodge at Puerto Lopez Mateos reported on an early week outing with Capt. Chico aboard the charter panga Sonia Ann, fishing on the Pacific about 3 to 8 miles outside Boca de Soledad for a catch of: 6 grouper, 4 true red snapper or huachinango, 4 yellowtail, and a variety of miscellaneous fish species. "All the fish were caught with hooked shrimp bait," Petersen said. "We used swaged-on weights and 100-pound handlines with a single knot at the hook." Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was calm, with light winds, moderate to light currents, blue water, and the ocean "busy" with birds, sea lions, and sea turtles. Petersen also noted that the twin-hulled Lopez Sportsman's Lodge charter fishing boat Baja Californian would soon be based at Puerto Lopez Mateos. "She'll fish the Pacific as well as the mangroves," Petersen said. The lodge's new website: lopezsportsmanslodge.com.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: In spectacular action on the Cabo San Lucas Pacific side banks, Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Fleet reported an all-time fleet striped marlin count last week of 385 stripers landed and just 3 kept, for a 99 percent plus release rate by Pisces captains. "The majority of the marlin were caught at the Golden Gate Bank, with some boats going to the Finger Bank," Ehrenberg said. "Many boats had over 5 marlin and some had more than 8." Top outings during the week included the charter boats Bill Collector and Libre both with 21-release days, Fearless with 17 releases, and 18 releases for Valerie. Overall, 88 percent of Pisces boats landed billfish, 56 percent caught dorado, and 14 percent scored yellowfin tuna, mostly footballs but including a few to 79 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on Gaviota Fleet and the Cabo San Lucas charter boats Fish Cabo and Fish Cabo I, with a catch including released fish of: 158 striped marlin, 1 mako shark, 56 dorado, 1 wahoo, and 50 yellowfin tuna. The charter boat Fish Cabo turned in a single day count of 27 striped marlin released, 1 mako shark, and 1 dorado, for 4 anglers. Marlin catches were mostly on the Pacific side. "It was one of the best single fishing days we have ever reported," Edwards said. "Overall, it was another sensational week of fishing at Cabo San Lucas as the mucho-marlin action continued." Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the low-90s, with some prevailing northwest wind but good sea conditions, and water temperatures at 79 degrees on the Pacific banks and 81 degrees on the Cortez-side Gordo Banks. "Live bait fishing was phenomenal," Edwards said, "but lures were nearly as hot."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Mike Connolly of the Pisces Fleet charter boat Falcon said, "You don't get many weeks like this in your fishing life," as the Falcon, with Capt. Manuel Romero, turned in a count of 57 striped marlin releases in 6 days at the Golden Gate Bank. "The action was spectacular," Connolly said. "There were marlin schools feeding on top throughout the day with hundreds maybe even thousands of birds working the fish. The Cabo San Lucas sportfishing fleet at the Gate was large as might be expected but I have no collisions to report and everyone had plenty of shots." Connolly said the striped marlin were found in groups of up to about 20 fish and were mixed with mako shark of all sizes and dorado of 20 to 25 pounds. "At times getting a loaded bait rig up past them was nearly impossible," Connolly said. Cabo San Lucas Pacific bank fishing area weather was mostly bumpy, with the water temperature at 79 degrees. "Some afternoons on the Golden Gate could have passed for Finger Bank quality action and of course it is a lot closer to Cabo," Connolly said. "There was no real need to leave in the dark and get back in the dark."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tommy Garcia of Cabo Magic Sportfishing reported on 93 boats, with a catch including released fish of: 160 striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 120 yellowfin tuna, 91 dorado, 12 wahoo, 10 pargo, 2 cabrilla, 16 sierra, 2 skipjack, 12 mako shark, and lots of bonita.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing said, "The good news on the striped marlin front is that they have definitely moved onto the Golden Gate Bank. There are giant bait balls deep over the bank and small bait balls on the surface. Boats going the extra distance were still having great fishing up at the Finger Bank."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Grant Hartman of the Baja Anglers fly fishing service at Cabo San Lucas said striped marlin action at the Golden Gate Bank was "as good as it gets," and included about 1 to 4 dorado per day. Yellowfin tuna of mostly football size were concentrated on the Sea of Cortez side Gordo Banks and were joined by wahoo. "Wahoo at last," Hartman said. "It's been a while since I have seen this many."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Ramon Druck of the Cabo San Lucas charter sportfishing super panga Cheer's reported on 3 outings during the week, fishing on both the Pacific and Sea of Cortez sides with a total of 4 anglers, for a catch including released fish of: 53 yellowfin tuna of 6 to 15 pounds, 4 dorado of 10 to 15 pounds, and 2 roosterfish of 10 and 25 pounds. Anglers fishing aboard the Cheer's included Ralph Perko, Felipe Godines, Lisa Ridges, and Russell Ridges. The best tuna action was from shore out to about 1 mile on the Cortez side off the Hotel Fiesta Americana and at Shipwreck Beach. Cabo San Lucas local fishing area weather was very good, with a calm sea and water temperatures of 74 to 79 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 15 outings by the Cabo San Lucas charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 26 striped marlin, 2 wahoo of 40 to 45 pounds, 1 mako shark of 40 pounds, 30 yellowfin tuna of 15 to 25 pounds, and 37 dorado of 20 to 35 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Dave Palmer of Fiesta Sportfishing reported on his 14th annual November Fiesta Client Fishing Group trip with 35 anglers fishing 2 days at Cabo San Lucas aboard 9 Los Dorados Fleet charter boats, for a total catch including released fish of: 31 striped marlin, 47 dorado of 10 to 30 pounds, 49 yellowfin tuna of 10 to 15 pounds, 2 yellowtail, 2 mako shark, 3 roosterfish, and 8 triggerfish. "This was a record breaking trip with 31 striped marlin, all released except 3 that died," Palmer said. "Striped marlin were stacked up on the Golden Gate and San Jaime Banks. Several boats reported seeing as many as 30 tailers and jumpers per day." Notable catches included 4 marlin released and 2 dorado caught by the Gary Hunt group on Monday aboard the Dorado VII with Capt. Sammy, and a 5-marlin release day on Tuesday for the Danny Tingen group aboard the Dorado I with Capt. Luis. Top dorado counts including released fish were scored by the Enrique Mendoza group with 13 dorado aboard the Gris Annel, and 15 dorado were caught by the Tom Vaughn and Mike Cohills group aboard the Carolina. "We have to say that the fishing in Cabo over October and November has been some of the best we have seen in about 10 years," Palmer said.

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported strong winter-style north winds howling down the Sea of Cortez toward the end of the week. "As the East Cape fishing area begins the fall-winter transition the weather becomes more sporadic," Graham said. Good yellowfin tuna counts were still found by East Cape sportfishing boats making long runs to the south, and some dorado and a few wahoo were also caught. East Cape beach fishing was good earlier in the week for small roosterfish and jack crevalle. East Cape fishing area weather was mostly clear in the low-80s, with water temperatures at 77 to 85 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Eddie Dalmau of Van Wormer Resorts reported on East Cape charter fishing boats from Hotels Palmas de Cortez, Playa del Sol, and Punta Colorada, with a catch including released fish of: 3 blue marlin, 45 striped marlin, 52 sailfish, 156 dorado, 1,105 yellowfin tuna, 53 roosterfish, 10 wahoo, 9 cabrilla, 18 pargo, 25 ladyfish, 56 bonita, 80 squid, 20 skipjack, and 24 sierra. "The tuna bite is what everyone has been talking about this week," Dalmau said. "Some tuna were well over 100 pounds, but most were in the 20 to 40-pound range."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: For the week ending Nov. 8, 2007, Chris Moyers of East Cape Smoke House reported on 229 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 662 anglers and a catch including released fish of: 4 blue marlin, 87 striped marlin, 89 sailfish, 273 dorado, 1,452 yellowfin tuna, 6 wahoo, 6 pompano, 2 roosterfish, and 14 sierra. East Cape fishing area weather was in the low-90s, with moderate seas and water temperatures at 75 to 83 degrees. "It’s pretty much all about yellowfin tuna right now," Moyers said. "There has been ahi galore." East Cape sportfishing boats worked mostly south off La Ribera, Cabo Pulmo, and Los Frailes. Moyers noted a memorial celebration of the life of the Smokehouse's David Paul Manuel who died on May 16, 2007, after long fight with cancer. "We had what can only be characterized as a 3-day fiesta in honor of Smokey," Moyers said. "It was quite a spectacle. It was all just as Smokey would have wanted it."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Kurt Hoenecke of Huntington Beach, Calif., reported on an early week half-day trip out of Hotel Punta Colorada, fishing off Cabo Pulmo with trolled lures and live bait for a catch of: 1 skipjack, 1 bonito, 1 needlefish, and 1 wahoo that hit 2 lines in sequence. "The 'hoo just pushed his luck too far," Hoenecke said. "After first hitting my fishing partner John Svoboda's line and making short work of his mono-tied hook, it went after my pink-and-white skirted lure. When I landed it, it still had the hook from his first encounter. It made for great table fare at the hotel that night. We had targeted yellowfin tuna but that shut off after a week of good action."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Simon Cazaly of the Vista Sea Sport East Cape diving service reported good diving conditions southward at Cabo Pulmo, El Cantil, and El Bajo, and north at Punta Pescadero where visibility was about 60 feet and the water temperature at depth was at 79 to 81 degrees. Sea life sightings included schools of burrito and graybar grunts, bat rays, yellow snapper, Panamic porkfish, moray eel encounters, concentrated bigeye jack, stone scorpionfish, and good numbers of fall season sierra. "Lots of sierra mackerel were seen here today," Cazaly said. "It must be the season for them as I have not seen them here before so far this year. At El Bajo, a zebra moray eel emerged from its hiding place amidst the coral and allowed us to stroke it as it snaked slowly by."

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing said weather conditions on the Las Arenas side of La Paz were noticeably cooler last week with some north wind. "Anglers should bring jackets for the ride out in the mornings," Hernandez said. "Right now the wind is not very strong, so we're hoping that we can continue to fish easily." Southern La Paz fishing waters continued to produce good counts of school-sized yellowfin tuna and dorado for Tortuga pangas fishing the south end of Isla Cerralvo. Smaller sardina baits were found near Ensenada de los Muertos and large bait was available at Isla Cerralvo when wind allowed the trip across the channel. "For the last 3 days, wahoo fishing has also been very good around the south end of the island," Hernandez said. Anglers fishing with Tortuga during the week included the Phil and Robert Taylor group of fire fighters from Las Vegas, who had several days of good action with Capts. Rigo and Jorge Lucero, and Nufo Green.

LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International reported good action on both sides of the hill last week as La Paz-side boats found 10 to 20-pound dorado off Isla Cerralvo and Las Arenas pangas working out of Ensenada de los Muertos scored close-in yellowfin tuna in the 15 to 30-pound class. "It's some of the best late-season fishing we've seen at La Paz in a long time," Roldan said. "At Muertos Bay, the tuna have been basically right at the mouth and plentiful on flylined sardina." Fish counts also included some wahoo, pompano, sierra, pargo, and roosterfish. La Paz fishing area weather was generally good, with some wind at times.

LORETO FISHING REPORTS

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LORETO, MEXICO: Bill Erhardt of Loreto said his boat Soledad was still down for motor repairs, but other Loret o sportfishing area boats were finding occasional action on scattered wahoo and yellowfin tuna. "Last week one Loreto fisherman reported catching 5 wahoo and 3 yellowfin fishing south of town," Erhardt said. "On Monday, Loreto resident Robert Lawson, fishing with his son Dave from California, caught 2 wahoo and a nice cabrilla off Isla Catalana." Inshore boats caught roosterfish, sierra, bonita, and peanut dorado.

LORETO, MEXICO: Pam Bolles of Baja Big Fish Company said fishing improved last week after a period of slower action. Capt. Andres Cota reported 2 wahoo over the south reef of Isla Catalana on Tuesday. On Wednesday, 2 boats fished south for catches of cabrilla, sierra, dorado, and roosterfish, and 2 boats fished north for 3 yellowtail at about 30 pounds, a few dorado, and 2 roosterfish at about 40 pounds. On Friday, 1 boat fished north at San Bruno for a catch of: 8 yellowtail of about 30 pounds, 7 cabrilla of 10 to 20 pounds, and 1 dorado of 15 pounds. The yellowtail were hooked about 80 feet deep on live jurelito baits. Yellowtail were also hitting jurelito baits off the downtown Loreto marina breakwater. "On Saturday, all the boats selectively netted the jurelitos, fished the San Bruno area, and did well on dorado, cabrilla, and yellowtail," Bolles said. Loreto fishing area weather had frequent winds, with just 2 days of good conditions during the week. "Water temperatures were brought down by wind," Bolles said. "The key is to find some warmer water along the shorelines. Focus on northward protected areas for best results."

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Jim Anderson of San Bruno reported heavy local fishing pressure on the Isla San Marcos yellowtail bajos with exceptional results on strong tidal currents early in the week. "The yellowtail were abundant and aggressive this week again even though they have been located in one small spot which is getting a lot of pressure," Anderson said. Yellowtail action slowed on the approaching quarter moon but was expected to pick up again as tides increased during the full moon period. "Friday marked a change in the currents and tides," Anderson said. "I expect that we will see a return to a strong bite when the tides start moving again around the 23rd of November." Santa Rosalia inshore fishing was also good for abundant skipjack tuna, sierra, spotted bay bass, and leopard grouper. "Early morning has been the hot time to be fishing and the knowledgeable angler should have no trouble filling a cooler with tasty fillets," Anderson said. Anderson also noted that heavy line and the Mike Kanzler-style sliding sinker just above a live bait hook worked best for Santa Rosalia yellowtail fishing conditions. "These big yellowtail are close to the bottom," Anderson said. "You need a minimum of 50-pound line, 60 is better, and quite a few opt for 80. The fish have learned over many generations to put everything into the first few minutes of the fight and they can escape if they can just make the bottom. The favorite sinker this time of the year is an oval slider in the 3 to 8-ounce category on the main line above the hook. Make sure that your reel will take at least 25 to 30-pounds of drag and you should be good to go."

SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Mike Kanzler of Isla San Marcos reported very steady yellowtail action on the bajos north of the isla. "Basically it's catch bait wherever you can, fish them where the stack of boats is, and hold on," Kanzler said. "The rigs being used are egg sliding sinker and dropper loop, pick your poison. You need to have at least 50-pound line or better to keep the fish out of the rocks." The 110 bajo also produced a 130-pound gulf grouper for commercial panguero Antonio Higuera, and another panga scored a 40-kilo plus grouper. Kanzler's trips to the 110 bajo included a run with Carlos Garces of Isla San Marcos and Raymundo Lopez of Santa Rosalia for a catch of 5 yellowtail, all over 25 pounds. Santa Rosalia fishing area weather was good except for 1 windy day, in the mid-80s, with water temperatures at 69 to 70 degrees inshore, up to 75 degrees on the bajos, and green water visibility poor at about 15 feet.

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

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BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES, MEXICO: Abraham Vazquez of Camp Gecko at the south end of Bahia de los Angeles said Baja Midriff fishing area weather was in the 80s, with light north wind and some calm periods and the local water temperature holding in the low-70s. Good concentrations of bait fish were present in the bay and fishing was good for bass, barracuda, and sierra close in, plus bonita and some yellowtail on the outer reefs. "Most of the catch is on trolled lures and iron," Vazquez said. "There is lots of dust left over from the Baja 1000 race."

SAN FELIPE FISHING REPORTS

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SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Katherine Hammontré of the Sanfelipe.com.mx website said a season-long fishing tournament was announced last week by Tony Reyes Sr. of the Tony Reyes Fishing Tours panga mothership service. "For the combined 2008-season, 6-day trips on the Jose Andres only, the fishermen who catch the biggest yellowtail, sea bass, and cabrilla, win a free trip on the Jose Andres," Hammontré said. "The 3 winners will be determined at the end of the 2008 season."

SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Don Gleason of Get Reel Fishing in San Clemente, Calif., said store customer Rick Jensen and his son took a tin boat to Gonzaga Bay and had a good trip using Jointed Rebel Lures for a variety fish count that included yellowtail, pompano, spotted bay bass, leopard grouper, triggerfish, and barracuda. "It was all on jointed blue-silver Rebel lures," Gleason said. "They had so much fun they're going back for Thanksgiving."

SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Catalina Meders of the Title Company Bookstore overlooking San Felipe bay said the weekend weather was cooler in the mid-70s with a light breeze blowing. "It feels like a fall day in New England," Meders said. The town of San Felipe was busy with preparations for the Mexican Dia de la Revolución 3-day weekend and the Thanksgiving Day holiday. "Down here it's called El Dia del Pavo because there are so many norteamericanos," Meders said. Also scheduled was the annual Snow Bird Festival on Nov. 24-25, 2007.

SAN CARLOS (SONORA) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Lalo Munoz of Masatun Sportfishing at San Carlos reported on an early week run to Isla San Pedro Nolasco by the charter boat Sueltame for a catch of: 2 yellowtail at 16 and 18 pounds and 8 bonita at the north end of the isla, and good numbers of marlin seen and baited but not hooked. "We went straight to the island thinking yellowtail," Munoz said. "Then we decided to troll for marlin. There were a lot of birds. There were a lot of marlin feeding on sardinas. One came into the pattern and I fed him a ballyhoo but he never took it. They were just not interested in our offerings." San Carlos fishing area weather was calm and flat, with the afternoon water temperature at 75 degrees.

SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Steve Calvert of Catch-22 Sportfishing reported a pocket of warm water temperatures and concentrated striped marlin activity about 8 miles southwest of San Carlos late in the week. "Mucho striped marlin appear trapped," Calvert said. On Friday the charter boats Catch-22 and Margarita IV counted 46 marlin tails and many jumpers as they fished the area and released a total of 6 striped marlin, plus 2 more broken off. On Saturday, Calvert said, "Many of the local San Carlos boats went out today. It sounds like the bite is wide-open and there are fish everywhere."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 34 Aries Fleet offshore charter boats out of Mazatlan's Marina El Cid, with a catch including released fish of: 27 sailfish, 1 striped marlin, 5 yellowfin tuna, and 79 dorado. Five inshore super pangas had a variety species catch of: easy sierra limits, 5 jack crevalle, 1 dorado, 4 roosterfish, 10 corvina, 1 permit, and 25 pargo. "The blue marlin disappeared this week and for no apparent reason," Edwards said. "But inshore super panga action has really turned on and offers a wide range of fun light tackle fishing. Offshore fishing remains very good for sailfish." Mazatlan fishing area weather was mostly sunny in the high-80s, with calm seas, light breezes, and the water temperature stable at 82 degrees. Offshore boats fished about 23 to 29 miles southwest of Mazatlan, using rigged baits for billfish.

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Stanley Gabruk of Master Baiters Sportfishing & Tackle said boats fishing off Punta Mita did well on dorado last week and catches included a first-ever black marlin landed by angler Donna Wiles aboard the charter super panga Bella del Mar with Capt. Hector. "The marlin was boated off the point in 2 hours on light tackle," Gabruk said. Inshore fishing species available included snook, snappers, and skipjack tuna.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Mike Borden of El Cajon, Calif., reported on 2 days of fishing off Puerto Vallarta by his La Paz-based boat Fish Magnet for a catch at El Banco including released fish of: 1 blue marlin, 2 sailfish, about 25 dorado, and "lots of small yellowfin tuna that really wanted to chew at night." Two days earlier, the boat Redneck landed a 325-pound yellowfin tuna at Roca Corbeteña, Borden said. "There were lots of tuna on the bank under 100 pounds, but no one caught them while we were there," Borden said. "I think El Banco has potential for a chunk bait bite at night. Our blue marlin died during the fight and so we ate some wonderful blue marlin sushi and deep fry."

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 Ixtapa fishing area waters were almost dead calm, with ideal conditions, 84-degree blue water almost on the beach, and roosterfish returning to the fish counts in good numbers. Offshore boats scored on about 1 sailfish per day, plus some blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and dorado. A run 20 miles north of Ixtapa by Capt. Adolopho on the charter boat Dos Hermanos produced 5 roosterfish of 30 to 50 pounds, and another 50-pound roosterfish was landed in the Pantla area about 12 miles north of town by angler Dave Martin of Colorado aboard the charter panga Esturion. A total of 3 offshore runs by the boats Dos Hermanos II, Gitana, and Vamonos III produced a combined catch including released fish of: 1 blue marlin of 275 pounds, 3 sailfish, 7 yellowfin tuna, and 2 dorado. Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing area weather was cloudy in the mid-90s, with light breezes and the water temperature at 80 to 84 degrees.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Stan Lushinsky of Ixtapa Sportfishing Charters reported on 11 combined offshore and inshore fishing trips by the charter boats Dos Hermanos, Dos Hermanos II, and Leydy, with a catch including released fish of: 9 roosterfish, 64 jack crevalle, 8 sierra, 9 sailfish, and 6 dorado. "Ixtapa had a dramatic turnaround in water temperature and sea conditions," Lushinsky said. "Calmer inshore water also allowed the captains to fish the more productive areas for roosterfish and jacks."

San Jose del Cabo Mexico Wahoo Fishing Photo 1

NEW BOAT & MARINA--Gordo Banks Pangas skipper Chame Pino, center, celebrated the San Jose del Cabo launch of his new 26-foot panga Killer II last week with a great catch of these wahoo plus tuna and dorado for anglers of the Michael Angeles group from Santa Barbara, Calif. In the background is the breakwater jetty of the new Puerto Los Cabos marina at San Jose del Cabo which is now open for panga and charter cruiser operations. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BRICTSON.

San Jose del Cabo Mexico Wahoo Fishing Photo 2

San Jose del Cabo Mexico Wahoo Lure Photo 1

CUSTOM LURE WAHOO--Tony Hale of OC Custom Fishing Rods in Orange County celebrates his nice San Jose del Cabo wahoo caught last week while fishing with Eric Brictson's Gordo Banks Pangas at the Iman Bank. Hale hooked his wahoo on one of Brictson's custom made skirted leadhead trolling lures. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIC BRICTSON.

Ensenada Mexico Yellowtail Photo 1

ENSENADA FALL YELLOWTAIL--Marius Tudor of Los Angeles fished the tip of Ensenada's Punta Banda on Saturday and got lucky with this home guard yellowtail aboard a Vonny's Fleet panga with Capt. Vicente Flores. Tudor and fishing partner Adrian Sgondea also scored bottom fish limits. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

Mexico Blackgill Rockfish Photo 1

SUPER DEEP ROCKFISH--Steve Ross of the Ensenada boat Bad Dog fished super deep for new bottom species and came up with this unusual blackgill rockfish while dropping his line about 1,250 feet deep with a 5-pound weight. The fish is shown by Bad Dog angler Juan Lu. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE ROSS.

Magdalena Bay Mexico Jumping Marlin Photo 1

THETIS BANK STRIPER--Bill Klaser and Bill Erhardt from Loreto fished out of Magdalena Bay on Wednesday south of the Thetis Bank aboard Klaser's boat Reel Duck for a catch of 1 wahoo and this striped marlin that took a 2-piece wahoo lure. PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL ERHARDT.

Magdalena Bay Mexico Grouper Fishing Photo 1

LOPEZ SPORTSMAN--Jeff Petersen of the Lopez Sportman's Lodge sportfishing service at Magdalena Bay's Puerto Lopez Mateos with a grouper caught 222 feet deep aboard the lodge's charter panga Sonia Ann. Changes coming soon at Puerto Lopez Mateos include a new paved launch ramp and the arrival of Lopez Sportsman's Lodge's twin-hulled charter boat Baja Californian. At right, Capt. Chico of Lopez Sportsman's Lodge with a nice pair of Magdalena Bay broomtail grouper caught on a bajo about 40 feet deep. The grouper on the left shows part of a commercial fisherman's gill net embedded in its skin. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEFF PETERSEN.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Marlin Release Photo 1

CABO MARLIN MELEE--Howard Krasnow of Scottsdale, Ariz., fished the huge striped marlin bite at Cabo San Lucas' Golden Gate Bank and released 2 Pacific-side stripers aboard the charter boat Cabo Magic with Capt. Hector. Also fishing aboard the Cabo Magic was Diana Krasnow. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI GARCIA.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Marlin Underwater Photo 1

BOLD STRIPED MARLIN--In a display thought to warn colleagues away from a slashing bill attack, a Finger Bank striped marlin lights up boldly in this underwater photo from the boat Reelaxe's epic day out of Cabo San Lucas on Nov. 3, 2007, with 179 stripers and 1 sailfish reported released. Another striped marlin from the intense schooling action can been seen in the lower center area of the picture. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BADSEY.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Dorado Release Photo 1

DORADO NOT FORGOTTEN--Dorado have been overshadowed by Cabo San Lucas' epic striped marlin bite for the past several weeks, but the mahi have also been present in good numbers. Greg Vanzant hooked this nice dorado on fly fishing tackle last week at Cabo's Golden Gate Bank during a trip guided by Grant Hartman of Baja Anglers aboard the charter boat Flying Fish IV with Capt. Arturo. PHOTO COURTESY OF GRANT HARTMAN.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Panga Fishing Photo 1 Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fish Chum Photo 1

LOCAL CABO TUNA--Ralph Perko got into a hot schoolie yellowfin tuna bite last week while fishing close to Cabo San Lucas aboard the charter super panga Cheer's with Capt. Ramon Druck. Perko's outing produced release action on 21 tuna of 6 to 15 pounds. At right, Cheer's angler Mike Wilson chums up some bait-sized sea life during a stop near Cabo San Lucas. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAMON DRUCK.

San Jose del Cabo Mexico Gulf Grouper Photo 1

SNACKING ON TUNA--You never know what you'll catch in Baja. This 140-pound gulf grouper, photographed by Eric Brictson of San Jose del Cabo's Gordo Banks Pangas sportfishing service, hit a whole yellowfin tuna last week for the La Playita father-and-son commercial fishing team of Hugo and Pepe Pino. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BRICTSON.

East Cape Mexico Wahoo Fishing Photo 1

WON'T QUIT WAHOO--Fishing out of East Cape's Hotel Punta Colorada on a half-day charter off Cabo Pulmo, Kurt Hoenecke got lucky and bagged this tasty wahoo after it bit off fishing partner John Svoboda's line and came back to hit Hoenecke's skirted lure. PHOTO COURTESY OF KURT HOENECKE.

La Paz Mexico Fishing Photo 1

TORTUGA PANGA FISHING--The Phil and Robert Taylor group from Las Vegas, Nev., found good Baja panga fishing action for this nice load of tuna and wahoo out of La Paz's Las Arenas side last week with Tortuga Sportfishing Capts. Rigo Lucero, Jorge Lucero, and Nufo Green. PHOTO COURTESY OF GERARDO HERNANDEZ.

La Paz Mexico Fishing Photo 2

LA PAZ WAHOO--Esteban Romero of La Paz had a banner day of fishing out of Ensenada de los Muertos south of La Paz this week as he nailed 6 of these wahoo in this year's fall bite on a panga with Tailhunter International. PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN ROLDAN.

Loreto Mexico Wahoo Fishing Photo 1

LATE LORETO WAHOO--Loreto resident Robert Lawson fished off Isla Catalana south of Loreto on Monday with his son Dave visiting from California on Robert's boat Stryker and they scored on a 30 and 40-pound wahoo double hookup. Billfish and dorado are mostly gone for the season from the Loreto sportfishing area but occasional wahoo and yellowfin tuna are keeping things interesting offshore. PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL ERHARDT.

Santa Rosalia Mexico Yellowtail Fishing Photo 1

CIRCLE HOOKER--Gary Schall of British Columbia with a personal best 36.5-pound yellowtail caught aboard his boat Circle Hook out of San Lucas Cove south of Santa Rosalia. "Gary has used circle hooks for a long time," said Jim Anderson of San Bruno. "When he went to Owner circle hooks he started landing all the fish he hooked." PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM ANDERSON.

Santa Rosalia Mexico Gulf Grouper Fishing Photo 1

NOT A YELLOWTAIL--San Bruno panguero Antonio Higuera, left, and his fishing partner with a gulf grouper of 132 pounds caught during a trip to the famous 110 yellowtail bajo north of Santa Rosalia's Isla San Marcos. The bajo is particularly known as one of the most reliable year-round yellowtail spots in Baja, but also produces a range of other surface and bottom species. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE KANZLER.

San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico Yellowtail Fishing Photo 1

PEDRO NOLASCO YELLOWTAIL--Jason Henault, left, and Capt. Lalo Munoz of Masatun Sportfishing at San Carlos, Sonora, fished at Isla San Pedro Nolasco last week and scored these nice yellowtail on jigs at the north end of the island. Trolling for marlin found lots of lookers but just 1 striper in the pattern that refused a ballyhoo bait. PHOTO COURTESY OF LALO MUNOZ.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Family Fishing Photo 1

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Family Fishing Photo 2

VALLARTA FISH MAGNET--Beth Borden works a fish at Puerto Vallarta during a recent 2-day fishing trip by the Borden family boat Fish Magnet, with a catch at El Banco of small tuna, 1 blue marlin, 2 sailfish, and about 25 dorado. Below, the Fish Magnet's Capt. Palomino, the Borden family kids, and a Puerto Vallarta blue marlin that died during the fight and could not be successfully released. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE BORDEN.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Black Marlin Fishing Photo 1

PUNTA MITA MARLIN--Puerto Vallarta angler Donna Wiles with a first-ever black marlin landed last week off Punta Mita with Capt. Hector of the Master Baiter's Sportfishing & Tackle charter super panga Bella del Mar. The marlin hit a trolled lure and was landed after a 2-hour fight on light tackle. PHOTO COURTESY OF STAN GABRUK.

Puerto Lopez Mateos Mexico New Boat Launch Ramp Photo 1

LOPEZ MATEOS RAMP--After years of discussion, work was in progress last week on the new Magdalena Bay boat launching ramp at Puerto Lopez Mateos. "That should make for easier access to the action on the Thetis Bank," said regular Magdalena Bay angler Bill Erhardt of Loreto. "Now if they would just do something about that boca." PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL ERHARDT.

San Jose del Cabo Mexico New Puerto Los Cabos Boat Slips Photo 1

NEW MARINA OPERATIONS--Charter sportfishing pangas have begun operating out of San Jose del Cabo's new Puerto Los Cabos marina which is still under construction at the traditional La Playita panga launching beach. PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDY MORISHITA.

Isla Angel de la Guard Mexico Blue Mystery Fish Photo 1

WHAT IS IT?--Baja traveler Bonni Mackintosh, wife of author Graham Mackintosh, sent this photo of a mystery fish species spotted in shallow water off the west side of Isla Angel de la Guarda at Bahia de los Angeles, in February 2006. "It was very docile and fearless and navy blue in color with luminous green spots," Mackintosh said. PHOTO COURTESY OF BONNI MACKINTOSH.

BAJA MEXICO FISHING REPORT ARCHIVES AND FISH PICTURES