DORADO LIMITS SCORED BY BOATS FISHING IN ALL DIRECTIONS

Sept. 3, 2005, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report:

There were lots of fish caught here in Mulege this week. All of the guides are reporting that their clients are taking limits of dorado and a good many yellowtail. Most are being caught up near Isla San Marcos where the dorado are congregated but that is by no means the only spot where they're biting.

Paul and Sandy Rista, for instance, boated four very nice dorado about 15 miles straight out of Mulegé. They also pulled two skipjack out of a huge school that were feeding on the surface out there. Had he know that I use them for bait for triggerfish, he could have gotten a boat load! He knows now! Both the dorado and the skipjacks were caught on feathers, a Mexican Flag being the most productive.

I had some good luck this week on dorado using a pink feather on one side as well as on my favorite, a Mean Joe Green on the other. I boated three, released two and kept a smaller bull of around 20 pounds.

Later in the week, a couple of boaters who were just passing through, also scored on dorado off Punta Concepción. They boated five, including three bulls to 35-plus pounds. They also took home some sierra from the reef off Jingle Beach. One of my commercial fishing buddies brought in some very nice leopard grouper he pulled out of the rocks just south of the mine. He also told me that the roosterfish are still hanging around the entrance to the bay, although I didn't see any the days I went out. Guess I need to look harder!

I also had some fun with the aforementioned sierra. I have a black bass rod and level wind reel that is just a kick in the pants to use on these small fighters. I use light line since these fish don't sound into the rocks. They readily hit hoochies but, in this case, I was slow-trolling a very small blue and silver broken back Rebel. I had removed the front set of treble hooks from the Rebel and changed the rear hooks with stronger ones about two sizes larger that factory hooks. I've had some grouper straighten out the smaller Rebel hooks but it hasn't happened since I went to the larger ones. With the larger hooks, I've brought in grouper to 35 or 40 pounds with no trouble whatsoever. Not having that front hook on there also lets me grab the lure itself to remove the hooks. Much safer!

When I want to release a grouper, I grab my gaff and wait until he flares his gills. I then gently put the gaff under the fish's gill plate without touching the gills. I can lift the fish out of the water that way without hurting it while I remove the hooks. Leaving the fish in the water and grabbing the hooks with a set of pliers is also a good way to release a fish but I like using the gaff because it gives me more control.

Friday and Saturday got blown out a bit too much for comfort in my little tin boat so I stayed in, drank coffee and shot the bull with my father-in-law.

(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.