WEATHER UNCOOPERATIVE FOR LOCAL SPORTFISHING BOATS

Dec. 19, 2004, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report:

Unfortunately for the fishermen of the area, the Mulege weather continues to be uncooperative. We've been having northerly winds of 15 to 25 knots regularly which have been whipping up the Sea of Cortez to the point where it has just been impossible or darned uncomfortable to go out. The last fishable day was Monday and it looks like we're not going to be able to get out again until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Bummer!

Marty Robinson reported that the schoolie yellowtail are starting to move into the Isla Santa Inez area. On a trip late last week, he spotted a large school working bait on the surface just north of the north island. He spotted large and small yellowtail and some cabrilla in the school.

Manuel, one of the workers at the Oasis Park in Mulege, went out with friends near San Lucas to make bait and then headed for Isla San Marcos where they boated seven nice yellowtail in 40 to 50 feet of water. Looks like the cooler water is bringing the fish to the surface. Good news for the trollers.

Early this week, Don and Donna Garcia took some friends out in Don's Trophy and caught one small yellowtail and five cabrilla, one that tipped the scales at about 15 pounds. They were using MirrOlures at the north end of Isla San Marcos in about 50 feet of water.

John Dinning and Tom and Patti Higgenbotham took their boats near the north end of San Marcos last week where they ran into some larger yellowtail that bit live bait. Their fish were in the 20 to 30-pound range.

I've been getting some deep rigs set up to try for some huachinango (red snapper) and baqueta, which is a shirttail cousin in the grouper family that runs to 50 pounds or more. Both are excellent eating and one good specimen of either fish will give you more than enough fish to eat for a week. The weather's going to have to cooperate quickly for that to happen though because you need minimum currents to be fishing in 100 to 250 feet of water. After Monday or Tuesday, the moon will be fuller and the currents higher. Ah, the problems we fishermen have to go through!

(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.