YELLOWTAIL CAUGHT ON FISHABLE DAYS

Dec. 12, 2004, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Reports:

Fishing in Mulege this week was generally spotty due to weather, again. Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday were the only fishable days this week and there isn't too much to report. Mulege fishing water has been in the 67-70 degree range with an occasional temperature a bit higher in the protected areas.

The only "glamor" fish taken locally was caught by Jim Galvin on Tuesday who was fishing with Marty Robinson just south of the mine in about 30 feet of water. Jim was trolling a MirrOlure when he boated a 30-35 pound yellowtail. Marty and Jim also caught some nice pargo in the 5-10 pound range. Marty took a couple of visitors from the States out on Saturday to see what was happening. Suzie, Marty's wife, said that the guys did catch a few cabrilla at Santa Inez and had fun but they got pretty wet.

Mulege fishing boats south of Point Concepción near the mine tangled with lots of roosterfish chasing bait up against the shoreline and rocks. Some of the roosters were hooked but none landed, which is about par for the course for these brutes. These fish have a better escape per hookup ratio than any other fish with which I'm familiar.

Local Mulege fishing guides were catching yellowtail with live bait but they were traveling north to the bajos near Isla San Marcos to get them. "Gringo", Alex and some of the other Mulege guides are taking their clients north and using live bait to boat some very nice 'tails in the 30-40 pound range. Gringo stressed that live bait must be used to be really successful. He said that he hasn't had much luck with dead or cut bait.

Manuel Diaz, Chichi Meza and Loreto "Tito" Meza, three local commercial fishermen, reported that fishing for triggerfish and pargo is good when you can get out. Chichi mentioned that he has much better luck when he uses freshly caught barracuda for bait. These are readily available right off the Mulege lighthouse. Use slowly trolled small broken-back Rebels. Manuel likes orange while Chichi prefers silver & blue. Both pargo and triggers can be caught anywhere there are lots of rocks. Triggers prefer fairly shallow water, 10-25 ft. deep but they are readily caught in water up to 35-40 ft. deep and there are some trigger holes I know of that are over 100 ft. deep. Pargo like it just a bit deeper than the triggers, 25-40 ft. or so, but anywhere you catch one species you can rest assured that the other isn't too far away. Ice chests with both species are more common than not.

We're going to be praying to the Great Kahuna this week in the hopes for calmer water. The temperatures have been mild enough for comfortable fishing- into the mid-to-high 70's during the day, but the water has just been too rough to go out.

(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.