SPORTFISHING GUIDES AVERAGING ABOUT 3 OR 4 DORADO PER OUTING

Oct. 9, 2004, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report:

I don't think we could have had better conditions for fishing even if we specially ordered them. Mulege water has been great all week and the winds were just gentle breezes even until after 3 or 4 in the afternoon! Even the fish have been cooperating... or maybe it's because a few more people are now out on the water.

Mulege fishing local guides took clients out over the weekend and did fairly well. Three to four Dorado per boat seemed to be the average and they had some size to them, running up to about 25 lbs.

Fishing didn't taper off during the week either. I nailed four dorado (also mahi-mahi or dolphinfish) while trolling on Tuesday with the largest going at 23 lbs. I caught two right in front of the lighthouse at Mulege and the other two off Punta Chivato. I caught three on a Mean Joe Green (my trusty sidekick) and the other on a Mexican Flag. Why argue with success? I also caught four Skipjack (actually they were Bonito- no stripes on the belly), three of which were in the 8-10 lb. class and they put up a good fight on the light tackle I was using.

Tom Leach, fishing with his wife Marge, did well this week also. He went out on Tuesday and got into Dorado, Pargo and Cabrilla while fishing the Punta Chivato/Santa Inez areas. Later in the week, he got more Dorado, two more Pargo and some Cabrilla.

Tom and Patti Higginbotham, fishing deep with live bait north off San Marcos, nailed a 40 lb. yellowtail! Other anglers have been scoring on the 'tails as well. A local guide said that one of his clients got one, also in the 40 lb. class, near San Marcos and another was pulled from the depths just south of Pt. Concepción. The clients of another guide pulled five large 'tails from the depths near San Marcos. This is beginning to have all the earmarks of a good Yellowtail season!

Marty Robinson, fresh from a prolonged vacation in the States, took some friends out during the week and they nailed two marlin about 35 miles out from Mulege.

Dave Palmer, of Lake Forest, CA, fishing with Marty, was trolling feathers when they spotted a group (herd, pod, gaggle?) of 14 marlin but couldn't entice them to bite. A couple hours later, they spotted four more and two hit almost simultaneously. One tossed the hook after a minute or two but the other, hooked by Dave on a light spinning outfit with 30 lb. test line, was finally subdued and then released at the boat after an hour and a half fight! Way to go Dave and Marty!!! I understand that this accomplishment took some pretty good boat handling on Marty's part. Now I believe this story because someone other than Marty confirmed it! Marty also mentioned that he had a tremendous fight with a Dorado... of about 8 lbs! Now THAT story I believe, Marty!

Other Mulege anglers are reporting catching some really nice Sierra off the Santa Inez Islands while others are reporting that some large Dorado are hanging out in the Punta Chivato area in front of the houses just south of the hotel. Manuel Diaz, Jr., fishing in that area for Triggerfish last week, caught a very nice 30 lb. Dorado. Manuel makes it a habit to always keep a bait rig at the ready when he's fishing. When he spotted Dorado cruising in the area, he flylined the bait in front of the largest and, bingo, scratch one lightning bolt!

Mulege water has been hanging in the 80-82 degree range during the week as it has for the past 3-4 weeks. Dorado are just about everywhere--Punta Chivato, Mulege, and Pt. Concepción--and the Yellowtail are anywhere the water is somewhere near 250 ft. deep. The 'tails like live or fresh-dead bait and the Dorado will inhale anything, bait or feathers. What more could you ask for?

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Mulege and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Mulege may be found at Mexfish.com's main Mulege page.