Winter-style winds sweep down Sea of Cortez fishing areas;

Ixtapa sailfish counts increase

Mexico Fishing News, December 17, 2007

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: John Ireland of Rancho Leonero reported 5 days of north wind in the East Cape fishing area, with water temperatures holding at 73 to 75 degrees and boats continuing to find good action for yellowfin tuna to the south off Los Frailes when the weather permitted them to get out.

On Sunday, Ireland said, "We are sending our first boats since the middle of the week out today.

There are huge schools of bait everywhere." Earlier, hotel boats scored limits of yellowfin tuna averaging 15 pounds on live bait. Some striped marlin were present in the East Cape area although few boats fished for them and some dorado to a high of 45 pounds were caught.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly said cold fishing weather at East Cape slowed the bite. "For the hard-core there was still a decent tuna bite in spite of the north winds," Graham said. Inshore fishing produced sierra plus a few small jacks and roosterfish. East Cape fishing area weather was mostly cloudy in the high-60s, with water temperatures at 74 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: John Mensik of Phoenix, Ariz., reported on a mid-November trip to fish 2 days aboard the charter boat Champagne out of Hotel Palmas de Cortez for a catch with trip partner Steve Mandarino including released fish of: 28 yellowfin tuna and 7 dorado. "We caught a whole bunch of school-size yellowfin plus dorado trolling bonita strip baits," Mensik said. "We lost 2 wahoo that bit through the 400-pound mono above the cable on 6-inch cedar plugs. About 12 to 15 boats were in the general area when we were out." Mensik's boat fished southwards and out to about 5 miles off Cabo Pulmo. "Half of our dorado were caught trolling by the lighthouse point on strip bait," he said.

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 very few anglers were in the Ensenada fishing area during the week. "The week was slow," Villarino said. "No anglers came down to Ensenada. We had light rain on Tuesday." On Saturday, Lester Ellet and Joe Rodriguez of Whittier, Calif., fished the tip of Punta Banda on the charter panga Vonny I with Capt. Beto for limits of red rockcod. Other boats had good action for mixed rockcods, lingcod, and sheephead. Ensenada fishing area weather over the weekend was cold in the mornings, calm and sunny, with ocean swells of 2 to 3 feet and the water temperature at Punta Banda averaging 57 degrees.

PUERTO SANTO TOMAS FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO SANTO TOMAS, MEXICO: Ken Jones of Long Beach, Calif., reported on a Baja fishing run down Mex 1 to Puerto Santo Tomas Resort south of Ensenada, panga fishing with Capt. Marcos Juarez out of the resort in light wind and fairly calm seas for a catch of: 5 lingcod, assorted rockcods, sculpin, whitefish, and calico bass. Jones noted that the road from Mex 1 to the puerto was in rougher than average condition. "Storms have messed up the road in from Highway 1 to Puerto Santo Tomas and there are some small detours but it is passable," Jones said. "The surface bite is long-gone but the bottom fishing was great with Capt. Marcos for a good eating catch. A brilliantly clear night sky and a meteor shower was a nice bonus. Thanks to Sam and Paco for another great time."

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Pete Hillis of Pedro's Pangas at San Quintin reported continued exceptionally light tourist traffic in northern Baja during the week, possibly due to recent reports of highway crime. "I crossed the border on Tuesday and noticed a lot more police action on the roads with 2 additional police checkpoints in Tijuana," Hillis said. "Most cars with American plates were passed straight through and I assume this is in response to the recent news reports of crime along that section." Pedro's Pangas again had no sportfishing boats go out during the week. Hillis said, "We have no counts on white seabass or yellowtail. Capt. Hector and I will be going out Monday scouting on our own so I hope I have more to report next week."

SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Hillis also noted that his winter special fishing package at $220 per person, including 2 days of fishing, 2 dinners, 2 lunches, and 2 nights of lodging, was for 3 anglers fishing on pangas or 4 anglers on larger boats, rather than for 2 angler as previously reported in Western Outdoor News. Information: 888-568-BAJA.

BAJA COASTAL FISHING REPORTS

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BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: Shari Bondy of Baja Bed & Breakfast at Bahia Asuncion said good yellowtail and bonito action returned to the area for Capt. Juan Arce of Arce Bros. Sportfishing after a period of heavy wind and rain preceding the Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe holiday on Dec. 12, 2007. "Juan woke up and looked out our window and saw lots of indicator birds so he flew out to the panga and set off to Punta Loma on the Baja coast between Asuncion and San Roque," Bondy said. "There were hundreds of dolphins feeding heavily on sardines and within an hour they had 3 nice big yellowtail and a bunch of bonita and they were home for breakfast soon after." Arce's catch was with 7-inch redhead Rapala X-Raps trolled about 15 feet deep. "Local fishermen report an abundance of yellowtail, bonita, and lots of feed," Bondy said. Baja coastal water temperatures in the Bahia Asuncion fishing area were at about 70 degrees.

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Chico Hernandez of Lopez Sportsman's Lodge at Puerto Lopez Mateos reported on 2 local commercial fishing trips to the Boca de Santo Domingo area, fishing mangrove channels with live shrimp baits aboard the charter panga Sonia Ann for a combined catch of: 15 corvina of 2 to 3 kilos, 7 pargo rojo of 2 kilos, 3 snook of 2 to 11 kilos, 4 paletas of 1 kilo, 20 parguito calandrios, and 5 other pargo of 1.5 to 3 kilos. Hernandez said he fished during low tide periods. "Navigating with the boat is better when the tide is high," he said. Canada geese were present at Magdalena Bay for their winter migration.

MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported rough seas and few boats fishing on the Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay but good action found in the mangrove channels. "There are still a few fish traveling down the Baja coast but miserable conditions prevented all but the most dedicated from trying to find them," Graham said. "But Magdalena Bay estero action remained hot. There was plenty of pargo, corvina, and a better than average snook snap this week." Baja On The Fly guide Lance Petersen reported spotty results after fishing offshore for over 600 miles in December. "I felt we were really fishing well but the mighty Pacific was a tough egg to crack," Petersen said. "We were always a day late, a day early, or just not able to reach the action in a panga. We did catch a few marlin and had some cool fly shots. But we really took our medicine this time!" Magdalena Bay fishing area water was overcast in the high-60s, with 13 to 17-knot winds and the water temperature at 67 to 71 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Fleet reported few vacationing anglers at Cabo San Lucas during the 2-week period before the Christmas holiday, but steady marlin action continuing for boats running north to the Pacific banks. Pisces Fleet boats released 207 striped marlin during the week, plus 1 marlin kept, with top outings including a trip to the Finger Bank about 50 miles north of Cabo for 21 striper releases aboard the charter boat Tracy Ann with anglers Tony Vancooten, Stuart Whitam, and Phil Keoch, all from the U.K. Dorado and yellowfin tuna fishing was slow, with just 2 dorado and 1 tuna landed during the week. Inshore roosterfish action produced 19 gallos for angler Dave Smith of Seattle, Wash., aboard the charter panga Sirrius. Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was good except for rain on Monday, with the water temperature averaging 74 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tommy Garcia of Cabo Magic Sportfishing reported on 60 boats, with a catch including released fish of: 152 striped marlin, 95 yellowfin tuna, 25 dorado, more than 20 yellowtail, 2 mako shark, and many huachinango, pargo, sierra, and amberjack.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Mike Connolly of the Pisces Fleet charter boat Falcon reported on 2 runs up the Pacific side to the Golden Gate Bank for a total of 9 striped marlin released on 16 hookups. "We leadered 7 marlin for 1 angler that had never been on the ocean before," Connolly said. "All the fish were on mackerel bait cast to feeders. It was very steady on bird schools and groups of feeders all day with good scores spread throughout the fleet. Marlin action remains fabulous and steady at the Finger Bank but reports indicate it is becoming a bit more difficult to hook them, probably the result of so many of the marlin there having been hooked before. Fluorocarbon should help. That said, a slow day on the Finger Bank will still get you 20 fish."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: In a weather shortened week, Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 5 outings by the Cabo San Lucas charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 8 striped marlin. Dillon noted that boats were not allowed to go out fishing on Monday morning due to a spell of hard rain at Cabo San Lucas.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 49 outings by Gaviota Fleet and the Cabo charter boats Fish Cabo and Fish Cabo I, with a catch including released fish of: 106 striped marlin with 98 releases, 6 dorado, 4 roosterfish, and 25 yellowfin tuna. "The Cabo San Lucas billfish bonanza just keeps on going and going," Edwards said. "One can only wonder if it will ever again slow down. We saw a decline in water temperature at the Golden Gate Bank but it had no effect on the fish bite at all." Cabo San Lucas fishing area water temperatures were at 73 degrees on the Pacific-side Golden Gate Bank and 75 to 76 degrees at the Gordo Banks on the Sea of Cortez side. Most boats fished the Golden Gate Bank, but marlin action remained wide-open at the Finger Bank about 50 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. Billfish were also being seen in greater concentration around nearby Cabo Falso. Most marlin were hooked on plentiful live bait dropped back on fish raised to the spread, but mackerel colored artificials also worked well.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the week ending Dec. 9, 2007, George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing reported continued wide-open striped marlin action on the Pacific Banks as water temperatures cooled to about 76 degrees. "I fished it on Thursday and released 4 fish out of 7 raised," Landrum said. "Quite a few boats were in combat mode, running and gunning for feeding marlin when they forced the bait balls to the surface. Without a Kevlar armored hull I was not interested. The Finger Bank was a double-digit fishery with everyone making the run and having enough bait being able to hook into as many fish as they could handle."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 48 combined La Playita fleet pangas fishing off San Jose del Cabo, with a catch including released fish of: 395 yellowfin tuna of 10 to 20 pounds, 18 dorado, 2 wahoo, 3 striped marlin, 18 sierra, 24 bonito, 15 cabrilla, 7 amberjack, 46 triggerfish, and 58 various snapper species. Local sportfishing pangas had a couple of slow days early in the week as San Jose del Cabo waters settled after a period of north wind, green water, and surface water temperatures of 71 to 74 degrees. "The wind created choppy conditions and stirred up the water," Brictson said. "Water clarity is now reportedly improving north of Punta Gorda. By midweek a new yellowfin tuna bite developed within 1 to 2 miles from the beaches straight out in front of San Jose del Cabo, La Playita, and Puerto Los Cabos. Pangas and cruisers alike were catching limits and more of tuna." San Jose del Cabo fishing water temperatures were at 71 to 74 degrees, with variable color.

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International reported a "funky week for weather" in the La Paz fishing area, with intermittent rain and north wind. Some pangas did fish out of Ensenada de los Muertos on the south side during calmer periods for good counts of yellowfin tuna and sierra, plus some dorado on bait. "The ice chests were full," Roldan said. "But it was cold in La Paz all week." Some large pargo were also caught and some marlin were present but not hooked. Angler Randy Lyons of Elk Grove, Calif., scored limits of yellowfin tuna and sierra, plus some cabrilla and dorado during 2 days of fishing around Ensenada de los Muertos and out at the south end of Isla Cerralvo.

LA PAZ, MEXICO: Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing said the La Paz fishing area had sharply lower air temperatures in the 60s during the week, with strong north wind over the weekend. "Tuna, dorado, wahoo, and some marlin are in the area of Isla Cerralvo," Hernandez said. "However, with this unfavorable weather, we are canceling boat departures and we can't guarantee that anglers will be able to get into the action." Earlier, pangas on the south side of La Paz fished at the island for offshore species and near shore at Las Arenas for sierra during periods of strong wind. "That was about the best that could be done," Hernandez said.

LA PAZ, MEXICO: Joe Kitagawa of Thermal, Calif., reported on 3 days of fishing out of La Paz aboard the boat Dancing Tides with Capt. Art Deffever, for release action on 59 yellowfin tuna from football size to 25 pounds, 1 dorado, 2 wahoo, and 3 striped marlin. "We had a great trip to La Paz," Kitagawa said. "We fished the north end of Cerralvo for the dorado, tuna, and marlin, and the south end had the wahoo."

LORETO FISHING REPORTS

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LORETO, MEXICO: Pam Bolles of Baja Big Fish Company reported little fishing activity in the Loreto area. "There's not much going on here," Bolles said. "The weather has been tough with more cold fronts and wind to come, and the yellowtail bite is slow. We've been pretty much restricted to the shorelines lately due to weather and sea surface conditions." Decent action was found inshore for smaller cabrilla and pargo of 2 to 15 pounds and some roosterfish of 5 to 20 pounds were caught at Bahia San Basilio when winds permitted boats to fish that far north. "The trolled live bait of choice is still jurelito while Rapala-type lures are also quite effective," Bolles said. "Those 5 to 9-inch Rapala, Rebel, and Yo-zuri kind of lures work well." Sierra were caught on town beaches and at the Loreto downtown marina. "Our coolest air temperature period of the year is now upon us, from late December through mid-January, and the coolest water temperatures will follow from mid-January through February," Bolles said. Commercial fishermen camping north at Punta Pulpito and San Nicolas were catching 20-pound class yellowtail.

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Jim Anderson of San Bruno reported Santa Rosalia fishing area weather with howling wind over 25 m.p.h., water temperatures at 59 to 63 degrees, and yellowtail action spotty on the Isla San Marcos bajos. Two runs north with Ed Hogan of San Bruno produced some cabrilla and bottom fish but no yellowtail. "But we did manage to see a lot of new territory," Anderson said. A run to the Isla San Marcos bajos on Wednesday found spotty action. "We managed to find fish deeper as well as on the surface but it was a slow bite all day long," Anderson said. Inshore fishing remained strong for bass, cabrilla, and a "white meated bonito" species. "On light tackle these are really scrappy fish and provide some very tasty fillets," Anderson said.

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 mid-December Midriff area weather was cool in the mid-60s, with heavy rain earlier, overcast skies, and north winds. "The fishing is as good as can be expected for yellowtail and bonita," Vazquez said. Some yellowtail were caught on the northern reefs and bonita and bottom fish were biting locally. Bahia de los Angeles fishing area water temperatures were cooling into the upper and mid-60s. Electrical power lines were working with new service to the village. "The desert is completely covered in green from the last rains," Vazquez said.

SAN FELIPE FISHING REPORTS

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SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Catalina Meders of the Title Company Bookstore overlooking Bahia de San Felipe said internet service was coming back online Sunday after a 2-day outage. San Felipe weather was overcast at a cool 52 degrees and few vacationers were in town. "Where are all the snow birds and tourists that usually have the town packed by this time of year?" Meders said. The after some reorganization, the Baja 250 race was returning to San Felipe and was scheduled for March 14-15, 2007. Meders said, "This is glorious news for the entire town. Losing the race was a real catastrophe. There will be great joy in the streets when the word gets around."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 29 Aries Fleet offshore charter boats fishing out of Mazatlan's Marina El Cid, with a catch including released fish of: 10 striped marlin, 16 sailfish, 34 dorado to 45 pounds, and 55 yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds. One inshore super panga had a catch of: 14 sierra of 4 to 8 pounds. Mazatlan fishing area weather was sunny in the low-80s, with inshore water temperatures at 68 to 69 degrees rising to 77 to 78 degrees about 15 miles out. Offshore Aries Fleet boats fished 24 to 30 miles southwest of Mazatlan with feathers for tuna and slow-trolled mullet for billfish.

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Danny Quinonez of PV Marlin Sportfishing reported on 4 late November and early December outings by the charter boat Lorena, with a catch including released fish of: 2 yellowfin tuna of 80 to 90 pounds, 1 tuna lost after 45 minutes, 1 other tuna, 1 blue marlin of about 300 pounds, 4 sailfish, and 21 dorado. Anglers fishing out of Puerto Vallarta aboard the Lorena included Liel Hudson, Steve Bever, Morris Hollings, Ken Olsen, and Jack Fritz. "Things have started to slow down a bit now but there are still tuna out there and there are plenty of skipjack for bait," Quinonez said. "As the water gets a little cooler, we will be targeting some of the big pargo out at Roca Corbeteña." Quinonez also noted that PV Marlin Sportfishing is an official IGFA weigh station for Puerto Vallarta. "If you think you have a record or want to get into the 300-pound tuna club, we can make it official," he said. "We also have tag sticks and tags for sale in our office in the marina. We will sell them at our cost to any boat captain that wants to start tagging fish."

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORTS

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IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Ed Kunze, reporting for Baja On The Fly, said sailfish action picked up for Ixtapa sportfishing boats last week as 6 outings by the charter boats Gaby and Isamar and 1 fly tackle trip with Capt. Cali guided by Kunze produced a catch including released fish of: 2 striped marlin, 15 sailfish, 7 dorado, and 13 sailfish teased but none hooked during the fly fishing trip. "We have been having an exceptional week with no slowdown in sight," Kunze said. "We are going into our annual mass migration of sailfish and we should be able to expect this action to continue through February." Inshore fishing produced larger sierra to 15 pounds. Ixtapa fishing area blue water was 2 miles off shore.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Keith Paul of St. Paul, Minn., reported on 3 days of fishing with Capt. Luis Maciel of the Zihuatanejo charter panga Gringo Loco, for a catch including released fish of: 2 "mackerel tuna," 2 barrilete, 7 dorado to 40 pounds, 2 sailfish, and 1 blue marlin of about 180 pounds. "All the bills were caught in the morning within an hour-and-a-half of each other," Paul said. "The first sail bit at 7:55 a.m." One sailfish and the blue marlin could not be released, Paul said, and the catches included a first-ever sailfish for him and a first-ever blue marlin for Jeff Rooney.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Paul Phillips of the Fintastic Total Tag & Release Tournament reported the results of Flip Himmelreich's family Over the Hill Gang Tournament, with 7 boats fishing 2 days and a catch including released fish of: 1 blue marlin, 15 dorado, and 33 sailfish. On the day before the tournament, team "Team Shut Up & Fish" scored a practice fishing catch of 9 sailfish and 1 striped marlin on the charter boat Gitana II with Capt. Adan.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported steady improvements in Ixtapa fish counts during the week as catches included a 350-pound blue marlin and 4 roosterfish to 55 pounds landed by Capts. Adolofo and Cheva. Two inshore outings at La Saladitas by Capt. Adolofo produced release action for 90 sierra and 25 jack crevalle on lures. Ixtapa fishing area weather was mostly calm in the high-80s, with sunny skies, blue water inside 7 miles, and water temperatures at 83 degrees inshore to 87 degrees offshore.

CANCUN FISHING REPORTS

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CANCUN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters said rough weather in the Cancun fishing area kept boats ashore except for 2 days as the El Cid Caribe fleet at Puerto Morelos reported a total catch of: 5 king mackerel, and 5 Atlantic barracuda. "Fleet manager Mario Anzoategui reported rough sea conditions with heavy winds through most of the week and rain Friday," Edwards said. Cancun fishing area weather was in the mid-80s, with water temperatures holding at 80 to 81 degrees.

East Cape Mexico Fishing Photo 1

PALMAS DE CORTEZ--John Mensik of Phoenix, Ariz., with an East Cape dorado caught during a November trip to Hotel Palmas de Cortez. Fishing south off Cabo Pulmo produced 7 dorado, 28 tuna, and a couple of wahoo cut off during 2 days of action for Mensik and fishing partner Steve Mandarino. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN MENSIK.

Ensenada Mexico Fishing Photo 1

ENSENADA ROCKY REDS--Lester Ellet and Joe Rodriguez scored a nice catch of these red rockcod plus lingcod and sheephead last week while fishing at Ensenada's Punta Banda aboard the Vonny's Fleet charter panga Vonny I with Capt. Beto. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

Puerto Santo Tomas Mexico Fishing Photo 1

BAJA FILLET BOARD--A nice selection of mixed bottom fish species being readied for the ice chest during Ken Jones' recent trip to fish with Capt. Marcos at Puerto Santo Tomas Resort south of Ensenada. The catch included lingcod, red rockcod, sculpin, calico bass, and a treefish. PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN JONES.

Bahia Asuncion Mexico Surf Tournament Poster 1

CHRISTMAS SURFING CONTEST--A local surfing tournament is scheduled Dec. 22-23, 2007, on the Baja Pacific coast at Bahia Asuncion. The event will be held at Playa Punta Los Chorros, about 5 miles south of town. GRAPHIC COURTESY OF SHARI BONDY.

Bahia Asuncion Mexico Fishing Photo 1

CENTRAL BAJA YELLOWTAIL--Capt. Juan Arce, left, of Arce Bros. Sportfishing at Bahia Asuncion on Baja's central Pacific coast had to wait a few days for calm weather last week but eventually got out with Juan Carlos Lopez for a quick catch of quality yellowtail at Punta Loma between Bahia Asuncion and San Roque a few miles north. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARI BONDY.

Magdalena Bay Mexico Snook Fishing Photo 1

CHICO GRANDE--Capt. Francisco "Chico" Hernandez of Magdalena Bay's Lopez Sportsman's Lodge at Puerto Lopez Mateos with a hefty 11-kilo black snook, or robalo in Spanish, caught in the mangrove channels at Santo Domingo with a live shrimp bait aboard the charter panga Sonia Ann. Chico's oversized hook is being used only for showing the fish. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF PETERSEN.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fishing Photo 1

CABO ADRENALINE DAY--Nelda Pace, left, and Evelyn Kaler and their group from Lone Oak, Texas, work on sierra and yellowfin tuna during a recent fishing trip out of Cabo San Lucas aboard the Cabo Magic charter boat Adrenaline that also produced 2 striped marlin releases. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI GARCIA.

San Jose del Cabo Mexico Panga Fishing Photo 1

DECEMBER DORADO--With the official arrival of winter just days away, Ramona Morales of California fished at San Jose del Cabo last week on a Gordo Banks Pangas charter super panga and landed this nice warm water dorado. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BRICTSON.

La Paz Mexico Tuna Fishing Photo 1

YELLOWFIN TUNA LIMITS--Randy Lyons spanked limits of yellowfin tuna and sierra plus some nice cabrilla and dorado while fishing 2 days with Tailhunter International at La Paz last week during periods when the winds didn't blow. Lyons said there were so many fish he had to call it quits. PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN ROLDAN.

Baja Mexico Juanaloa Coast Photo 1

WINTER IN JUANALOA--A rainy winter day, looking south down the Sea of Cortez from the site of Ed Tabor's old Flying Sportsman's Lodge at the south end of Loreto. Isla Danzante guards the northern entrance to the stretch of water named "Juanaloa" by original Western Outdoor News Baja columnist Ray Cannon. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF PETERSEN.

Santa Rosalia Mexico Fishing Photo 1

BAJO BIGGIE--Cinthya Sanchez and Felipe Andalla of Santa Ana, Calif., fished the famous Isla San Marcos 110 bajo off Santa Rosalia in November and landed this quality yellowtail in the high 30-pound class with Danny Chiquete. The fish was one of many landed at the bajo during 3 days of fishing. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE KANZLER.

San Felipe Mexico Fishing Photo 1

SAN FELIPE SPORTFISHING--A north Sea of Cortez charter fishing panga from Pio's Sportfishing at San Felipe gets ready to take out Donna Robbins' local group for unusually good action recently about 6 miles out that produced a boat load of corvina in the 10-pound class. PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA ROBBINS.

Santa Rosalia Mexico Windy Surf Photo 1

NO FISHING TODAY--Marika Anderson of San Bruno south of Santa Rosalia checks out the north wind on a December day when she and husband Jim Anderson decided not to venture out to the Isla San Marcos yellowtail bajos aboard their Moosea boat. "Marika was ready to go fishing but when we checked conditions by the marina in San Bruno it became immediately apparent the water was too rough for getting the boat out of the harbor," Jim said. PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM ANDERSON.

Magdalena Bay Mexico Rough Seas Photo 1

ROUGH SEAS EXIT--The north channel of Magdalena Bay's Boca de Soledad exit to the Pacific Ocean was too rough for a safe departure during a recent run by Jeff Petersen's Lopez Sportsman's Lodge charter boat Sonia Ann. "This is the channel used by the gray whales for entry into the estero near Lopez Mateos beginning any day now and extending through March," Petersen said. "White water was over sandbars and the collision of outbound and inbound water, all part of the show. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF PETERSEN.

Ixtapa Mexico Fishing Photo 1

IXTAPA SAILFISH SEASON--With the peak winter sailfish season about to begin, Keith Paul, left, fished with Ixtapa Zihuatanejo Capt. Luis Maciel aboard the charter boat Gringo Loco for a first-ever sailfish release. Assisting Paul is Gringo Loco first mate Jorge. The photo was taken by Jeff Rooney. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL PHILLIPS.

Bahia Asuncion Mexico Double Rainbow Photo 1

BAJA SKIES--A double rainbow glows in the afternoon sun during December's stormy rains at Bahia Asuncion on Baja's Pacific coast. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARI BONDY.

BAJA MEXICO FISHING REPORT ARCHIVES AND FISH PICTURES