Santa Rosalia, Mexico:
Hot Weather But Cold Fishing At Both Islas San Marcos And Tortuga

Aug. 7, 2004, Mike Kanzler, Isla San Marcos, Santa Rosalia fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

This week right from the start showed some improvement in fishing trends, well at least in luck anyway.

Santa Rosalia fishing weather was HOT! and that's about it, 80s in the mornings and 90s during the days, humid, for the most part 65-75%, did have a couple of dryer days in the mix too.

Wind, not much except for one day. Friday started of calm but by 9:00 a.m. blew to about 20 knots out of the southeast.

Water temps stable at 82-85 degrees with 25-60 feet of vis. Okay, lets talk about Santa Rosalia fishing. After last week's one day fishing and not getting bit, well it's kind of hard to give any good report with just the one day right, plus the fact I passed up Dorado that I knew where there, that's what happens when you have the one target syndrome.

Now the very next day, Sunday, I had Jose Iturriaga Jr. now living in Santa Rosalia and an old friend of the COMSA company Bill Cannily from Dallas, Texas. I decided on a hit or miss Tortuga run since fishing was so slow the day before at San Marcos, the water being pretty nice for the run. But on arrival at the Island a little breeze started coming from the southeast making for tough drift conditions. Trying dropper loop rigged live mackerel for bottom fish we did manage to catch two small Santa Rosalia in 180-220 feet of water.

The whole time I'm saying to myself just can't get a break. Then out of nowhere Jose got stuck on something big down deep. With line coming off the reel I'm thinking big Yellow or something, till I saw the water explode 75 yards off the starboard side! Sailfish, and big too, already wrapped up in the dropper rig.

After about a 30-minute battle the fish came boat side, messed up, bleeding and lifeless. Having a 12-ounce sinker and dropper loop didn't help. Tried to revive the fish, but no luck. Just for the record the fish was filleted and eaten, not wasted. I always try to release sails when I can and I did see about 3 photos last week of Sailfish hanging so it makes me feel a little better.

Now with the Tortuga fishing run out of the way, which I saw as a bust, I took one day off, but got back on the water on Tuesday and went fishing with the boss Agustin Casanova and Bill Connelly for a San Marcos reef and offshore combo run. That damn reef just wouldn't give up the goods, catching only one yellow snapper and a mexican bonita. I shot outside to where I saw the dorado, and yup still there. Slow trolled live mackerel among some broken weed lines and took 5 Bulls of 12-26# and one cow which was released. Not too bad, got dinner.

Friday, made bait. Water was calm. Fished the reef and did catch one Yellowtail 15# and a goldspotted bass. Then the wind came up fast and strong, blowing me back to port.

The inshore fishing here on the island is fun. Lots of corvina at the Puerto Viejo beach. Agustin, Bill and I drove over there in a company truck and caught 10 fish to 3# on chrome spoons casting from the shore with light outfits for some good fun and eats. That's this fishing week. Shows some improvement, a little luck. and time on the water ups your chances anyway.

Isla San Marcos, Mexico, yellowtail landing

SAN MARCOS DORADO--Bill Connelly of Dallas (right) and Agustin Casanova caught these 12 to 16-pound dorado off Isla San Marcos with Mike Kanzler last week. Photo courtesy Mike Kanzler.

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