BAJA WINTER RAINS CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH LOCAL ACCESS ROADS

Feb. 19, 2005, Sam Saenz, Puerto Santo Tomas, Mexico Fishing Report:

The rains keep bugging us as they keep the sportsfishermen away. The upper road to Puerto Santo Tomas from Mex 1 is open and passable. The Punta China cement plant keeps the road open. The lower river bed road is washed off and not passable. All of the Baja tourist economy is hurting due to the persistent rains. Puerto Santo Tomas keeps getting on-and-off rains, but this was a good weekend.

Some Baja adventurers took on the rains and the dirt road this weekend. Three pangas went fishing at Puerto Santo Tomas and caught full limits of bottom fish such as lingcod, rockcod, sheephead and whitefish. Joe Miesinger from Orange County took the jackpot with a 10-pound sheephead. Some surface action activity was reported by Diegas Zavala from Santa Barbara. He landed three bonita along with limits of bottom fish.

The sea urchin and lobster seasons are about over and there will be greater focus on fishing for live fish for the Asian markets at Puerto Santo Tomas. One other important news is that the Baja California, Mexico, state government is building a new launch ramp for fishing boats on the bay side of Puerto Santo Tomas primarily for commercial fishing use. The ramp is now about 75% complete. This development is part of an arbitration agreement imposed by the state which will permit tourist development in our federal zone concession area without commercial fishing interference. The state government also recently conducted a Puerto Santo Tomas onsite bay inspection for consideration of developing a breakwater jetty that will block the southwest ocean swells. At this time no definite commitments have made until the study is completed.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Puerto Santo Tomas and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Puerto Santo Tomas may be found at Mexfish.com's main Puerto Santo Tomas page.