GONZAGA BAY FISHING SLOW IN
WATER TEMPERATURES OF 83 DEGREES

July 2, 2005, Doug Magee, Papa Fernandez, Gonzaga Bay, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico Fishing Report:

The water temperatures are up to 83 degrees in the Gonzaga Bay area, but the fishing is still slow. There have been a few nice cabrilla taken, a type that is called "sardinera" by the locals. They were taken by a group known as "Los Juanes," so called because it seems that all the guys names are "Juan." They are from San Diego.

The leaders of the group are Juan Roman Gonzales and Juan Diaz. They have fished here for five years with their families, which consist of 20 people. They spend about eight days here, fishing every day.

They where fishing from the Fernandez brothers' panga which is now operating out of Papa Fernandez Resort. Tony Fernandez who is the guide for the operation, has fished this area with his father and grandfather for over 30 years. His grandfather, Papa Fernandez, fished totoaba (totuava) here with Tony Reyes for many years, starting in about 1951 fishing for whatever was salable, shark, turtles, white seabass and totoaba.

Tony Fernandez splits his time between San Felipe and Papa Fernandez. He comes here as soon as his children are out of school, about the middle of June, and stays until the children have to return to school around the first of September.

There is no official business name. The panga is the "San Luis Gonzaga" operated out of Campo Papa Fernandez. Tony is licensed and commercially fishes for shrimp from his San Felipe panga during the shrimping season. Although, on occasion, during that season he is available for guiding here in San Luis Gonzaga. He is always here during all the school holidays, including Christmas, spring break (Semana Santa) and the months of July and August.

The Fernandez family contact phone number in San Felipe from August 25th to June 25th, yearly is 011-52-686-577-2492, mostly only Spanish speaking, but comprende mucho "Spanglish"! Special arrangements are always possible. They can be reached here at Campo Papa Fernandez, when in the area, locally on VHF Channel 9.

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