GAME FISH PRESENT BUT NOT BITING IN LOCAL WATERS

June 12, 2005, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report:

The fishing weather here in Mulege has been fantastic this week. Warm days, in the low to mid 90's, and cool nights in the mid 60's, and the wind has been holding off during the days until early afternoon, when it picks up a bit to 10-15 m.p.h.

Mulege fishing water temperatures are in the mid to high 70's, with an occasional 80 being recorded. What more could you ask for?

Well, as a fisherman, I would like some fish. That's been the problem if you want the "glamor" fish.

The dorado are up north of Mulege, between Isla San Marcos and Isla Tortuga, have been seen, but won't bite.

Billfish are abundant around Mulege, but they aren't feeding. It's been a frustrating week.

Gary MacFarland and I went out on Tuesday and started trolling for dorado. It was a beautiful day but no fish. After a couple of hours we switched to trolling for grouper but that wasn't too successful either. We were listening on the radio to three boats up near Tortuga and they were all excited about being in the middle of dorado and billfish but they couldn't get any takers. Alejandro "Alex," one of our local Mulege fishing guides, managed to boat one dorado on Friday outside of Isla Santa Inez, but that was the only one I heard of this week.

Gary and another neighbor, Del Lehr, went out in Del's panga on Friday and, while they saw dorado, couldn't get any takers. Del finally dropped a live bait down to see if he could entice a grouper or home guard yellowtail to bite. He was finally rewarded by a huge strike and, after a 40 minute battle, boated and release a large sailfish.

The only other Mulege fishing action to speak of during the week were the "cabrilla." Dave and Mary Landgraf, who go out every other day or so, have been having consistent luck boating a number of very nice-sized leopard grouper. They generally fish at Punta Chivato rocks and Isla Santa Inez and usually bring in a nice catch of 5-10 pound grouper. Good eating size fish. Marty Robison has also been having success with leopard grouper. He consistently brings in 5-10 nice "cabrilla" on ice.

I personally think that a lot of people are missing the boat not fishing for the leopards. They are one of the most delicious fish around, abundant, and will readily take a trolled MirrOlure. If you're looking for plain good eating fish, leopard grouper take the blue ribbon in my book.

If you like to fish live bait, any of the rocky points--Punta Chivato rocks, Punta Concepción, and the Mine down to as far as Punta Theresa---or beyond, will all yield good fish including grouper from 50 to 150 lbs. or more!

These are areas where, if you're trolling or using live bait, you don't want to be using light tackle. Fifty-pound test is a minimum with 80 being the norm. If these bruisers get a chance to get back to the rocks, they're history. If you're trolling, use a relatively tight drag and don't stop the boat when you get bit. Keep going and s-l-o-w-l-y head for deeper water. Doing that, the fish generally won't be able to get back into the rocks where he'll saw you off in a heartbeat. Use the boat to drag them out to deeper water, letting the boat fight them for the first few minutes. You can then take the rod out of the holder to bring them to the boat. As the fish approach the boat, don't forget to ease off on the drag a bit. Many a fish has been lost at the boat because the drag is too tight!

The Pelican Reef dorado tourney is this coming week, on the 15th and 16th of June with the presentation dinner on the 17th. I'll have a full report next week. Until then, sea ya on the water!

(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.