GOOD MIXED SPECIES FISHING DAY FOR BAHIA COYOTE BOAT

May 2, 2005, Roger Pramhus, Bahia Coyote, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report:

Looking For the Dorado: I had heard that Alex, a local guide, had caught a couple dorado a few days ago out past the Santa Inez Islands, about 14 miles from Mulege NNE. So off we went in 2 boats.

I went past Sta. Inez for about 5 miles and then spotted a huge flock of birds working the boil beneath them. The water temperature was now 73 degrees. I saw many flying fish scattering everywhere around me and began thinking Dorado.

I saw some backs charging and smashing bait and quickly tossed a feather out and buzzed through the boil on a high-speed troll, about 12-14 m.p.h. I got a hit right away and it bent the rod down pretty good. But as soon as I had the rod in my hands I knew it was not a dorado. There was a telltale staccato thud-thud-thud-thud on the line. You guessed it, a big skipjack!

I decided to head further NNE a little south of Tortuga Island and just keeping heading out to sea in search of warmer water. We were quartering into some rolling swells, not bad, but enough to keep us at 20-25 m.p.h. We separated our boats 1/2 mile to monitor water temperatures in a wider area.

Finally, at about 25 miles out, we found warmer water, to 75.5 degrees, a couple of whales slowly moving north, lots of flying fish, and some jumping mantas. No grass patties, though. The swells had disappeared and we had pretty calm seas and no wind to speak of. A good place to start some feathers.

I didn't go far before a small female dorado hit a red feather, a bubbler jet-head.

Then another, a little bigger, hit my second feather, a large yellow popper. Seems they liked the more active, noisy lures. Then Two Dogs shouts over the VHF, "Hey, Pompano...I'm into a sailfish!" It was a good sized sail and fought a long time before it slid up alongside long enough for a picture and release. He gave a surge of his tail and headed down quickly, so we knew he was okay.

Back to circling the general area with feathers again. Blammo! A marlin hits my feather with his sword and then again. Goodbye feather, leader, and all! Then Two Dogs hails me with another excited call. Another marlin. Then, snap, the marlin must have sawed the line with a scrape alongside his jaw or sword and he was gone.

All in all, a good day on the water. Some skipjack, 4 dorado, 1 sail, couple cabrilla, 2 marlin hits, 1 marlin fight, and some whale watching.

(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.