Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) sportfishing articles, maps, fishing reports, peak
seasons, hot spots, and vacation travel information for Rocky Point, Mexico.

Fishing at "Rocky Point," a town also known by its Spanish name of Puerto Peñasco, has a fascinating history that includes a huge commercial trawling effort for shrimp and fin fish species, the near annihilation of an enormous cousin of the white seabass called totoaba or totuava, and an amazing but short-lived sportfishing heyday in the late 1950s and early 1960s when hundreds of anglers would fish here during a weekend, and some were even brought to Rocky Point by Pullman train car for fishing aboard the 14-stateroom charter boat Galeana.

The original Rocky Point fishing village, located near an eponymous rocky hill in the Mexican state of Sonora on an otherwise sandy shore at the extreme northern tip of the Sea of Cortez, also came to the outside world's attention as a Prohibition era watering hole in the 1920s and a military outpost during World War II, but mostly the town passed the decades as an obscure witness to the drastic commercial overfishing of Mexico's northern Sea of Cortez that reduced both the commercial and sport fisheries to vestiges of their former selves by the late 1970s.

The story of the endangered totoaba is illustrative of Rocky Point's fishing past. The totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi, or Cynoscion macdonaldi) is the largest member of the croaker family of fishes that includes the corvinas, croakers, and white seabass. But unlike other croakers, the totoaba is capable of growing to the size of a marlin. (In 1954, Western Outdoor News published a photo of a totoaba weighed at 312 pounds, and in 1961, California Fish & Game biologist John Fitch was quoted as having seen the weighing of a 330 pounder.)

Confined to a habitat encompassing only about one-third of the northern Sea of Cortez and a shallow water spawner traveling in dense schools, the totoaba was easily netted to the brink of extinction by the mid-1960s when Western Outdoor News writer Ray Cannon said, "As a great commercial game fish, the giant, up to 300-pound totoaba seems close to losing its popularity, if not its very existence...The once enormous migrating schools have now been reduced to a scattered few."

Such was also the fate of Rocky Point's once abundant schools of corvina, croaker, red snapper, grunts, triggerfish, spotted bay bass, pompano, and many other species, all reduced to very low population densities by drastic overfishing and bottom habitat destruction by shrimp trawlers.

Totoaba were given endangered species status in 1978, but today's struggling population continues to be pounded by illegal commercial and sport poaching of this very rare and susceptible fish.

Nevertheless, the fishery around Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco) and Mexico's northern Sea of Cortez in general is so intrinsically resilient and productive that even today very good catches are made regularly in this area by knowledgeable anglers for a good range of species.

Desert-style winds sweeping down from the north and low water temperatures down to the mid-50s tend to make fishing at Rocky Point difficult during the winter months, but spring and summer fishing at submerged offshore reefs, such as the "51-mile" reef, can bring very good action for red snapper, whitefish, halibut, and goldspotted bass, and exceptional action for black sea bass.

During late summer, the shallow water in this area becomes the warmest in the Sea of Cortez at up to about 93 degrees or even higher. For boats fishing very far south out of Rocky Point, especially along the eastern shore south of Isla San Jorge, the late summer and fall seasons bring the possibility of encountering dorado, sailfish, or marlin.

Inshore or beach fishing around Rocky Point can also be very good for small and occasionally, medium-sized corvina, pompanos, and other mixed species, peaking about the end of May and tapering off gradually as the surface water warms beyond the optimum range and resident fish retreat to the depths.

Although today's Rocky Point fishery is greatly overshadowed by a booming vacation travel industry, with a full range of activities available, hotels and condos rising into the desert sky, and services of all kinds, the old "puerto" of Puerto Peñasco can still be found, almost hidden in its midst, and good to sometimes excellent sport fishing opportunities are still available for the tourist angler.

"Mexico Fishing News":
Weekly reports and photos from Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) and other Mexican vacation spots.

Other Mexican Vacation Fishing Spots:
Travel and fishing information for Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) and other major Mexican sportfishing destinations.

Rocky Point Fishing Articles & Information:
Beyond Roca Consag: A "Different" Trip To Puerto Peñasco.
Rocky Point Boat Trip On The Intrepid.

Archived Rocky Point Sportfishing Reports:
Feb. 16-17, 2007, Winter grouper fishing on northern Cortez reefs.
Feb. 10, 2007, Offshore fishing trip by the boat Dos Borrachos.
Feb. 9-10, 2007, Grouper and black sea bass caught while fishing at Rocky Point.
Feb. 7, 2007, Slow fishing day at the 41-mile reef for the Dos Borrachos.
Jan. 29, 2007, A nice day on the water.
Jan. 26-27, 2007, Winter grouper and bass fishing aboard the boat "Just Hammered".
Jan. 12, 2007, Offshore fishing trip with Joe Anacletto.
Dec. 22, 2006, Grouper fishing on reefs 10 to 20 miles out of Rocky Point.
Nov. 24, 2006, Red snapper and halibut fishing at the Rocky Point 51-mile reef.
Nov. 5-11, 2006, Black sea bass caught in fishing at the 51-mile reef.
Oct. 13, 2006, Gulf grouper for sportfishing boat Bonus Time.
Oct. 2, 2006, Fast grouper fishing for End Of The Line.
Sept. 28, 2006, Fishing For Sierra South Of Rocky Point At Isla San Jorge, Mexico, Jim Davis.
Sept. 19, 2006, Slow Fishing At The Bruja Spot South Of Rocky Point, Mexico, Ollie Peltier.
Aug. 28, 2006, Good Northern Cortez Dorado Season, Rocky Point, Ollie Peltier.
Aug. 19, 2006, Goldspotted bass and a big toadfish, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco.
Aug. 9, 2006, Ric Felder, Fishing off Rocky Point on the boat End of the Line.
July 25, 2006, Curt Grant, Good grouper fishing at the 22-mile reef off Puerto Peñasco.
July 13, 2006, Ollie Peltier, Rough day on the water for one dorado.
July 10, 2006, Don Dufek, Inflatable boat fishing near Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico.
July 8, 2006, Ollie Peltier, An excellent dorado day out of Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco).
July 6, 2006, Ric Felder, End Of The Line fishing trip for gulf grouper and leopard grouper.
June 21, 2006, Ric Felder, gulf grouper and leopard grouper fishing at Rocky Point, Mexico.
June 16-17, 2006, Ollie Peltier, JJ's Cantina fishing tournament report.
June 6, 2006, Ollie Peltier, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico, fishing 40 miles out.
June 3, 2006, Mike Auditore, Arca de Noe, mystery fish catch out of Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco).
May 31, 2006, Wayne Sheffield, Kayak Fishing at Rocky Point, Mexico.
Jan. 22, 2006, Dave Kyle, Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Mexico Panga Mothership Erik Fishing Trip Report.
Jan. 6, 2006, Ryan Jenkins, Sandy Beach, Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico Shore Fishing Report.
Dec. 11, 2005, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Sportfishing Report.
Dec. 5, 2005, Ryan Jenkins, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Halibut Fish Species Identifications.
Nov. 28, 2005, Ryan Jenkins, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Nov. 25, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Nov. 14, 2005, Lloyd Robinette, Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Mexico Sportfishing Trip Report.
Nov. 5, 2005, Stuart Burnett, Constancia, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Nov. 5, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Oct. 24, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Oct. 22, 2005, Lloyd Robinette, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Sept. 25, 2005, Jon Kay, Tiburon Charters, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Sept. 24, 2005, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Sept. 9, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Aug. 30, 2005, Ric Felder, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Aug. 29, 2005, Jon Kay, Tiburon Charters, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Aug. 29, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Aug. 25, 2005, Jon Kay, Tiburon Charters, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Report.
Aug. 5-6, 2005, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Aug. 5, 2005, Rick Felder, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
June 20, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
June 19, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 20, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Murphy Girl, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 17, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 14, 2005, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 5, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 2, 2005, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
May 2, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
April 22, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Murphy Girl, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
April 22, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
April 21, 2005, Mike Doukas, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
April 5, 2005, Shawn Gustafson, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
March 15, 2005, Ric Felder, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
March 8, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
March 6, 2005, Don Dufek, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
March 5, 2005, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Feb. 10, 2005, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Jan. 27, 2005, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report.
Jan. 24, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point (Punta Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report.
Jan. 9, 2005, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point, Punta Penasco, Mexico Fishing Report.
Dec. 12, 2004, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) Fishing Trip Report.
Nov. 28, 2004, Arthur Pina, Rocky Point Fishing Trip Report.
Oct. 21, 2004, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point Fishing Trip Report.
Oct. 8, 2004, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point Fishing Improvement.
Oct. 5, 2004, Don Dufek, Rocky Point Fishing Trip Report.
Oct. 4, 2004, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point Fishing Trip Report.
Aug. 31, 2004, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) Fishing, Stuart Burnett.
Aug. 15, 2004, Stuart Burnett, Rocky Point Fishing Report.
July 16, 2004, Mike Auditore, Rocky Point Fishing on El Gato Blanco.
June 12, 2004, Barry Norman, Chinese Restaurant Advertising Totoaba Soup; Eating Poisonous Pufferfish.
June 4, 2004, Stuart Burnett, Puerto Penasco trailering incident.
June 2, 2004, Jim Davis, Isla San Jorge fishing.

(See weekly online fishing reports, news, photos, and weather and water conditions in "Mexico Fishing News." See the Mexfish.com home page for sportfishing and travel information for Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) and other Mexican fishing vacation destinations.)