Santa Rosalia, Mexico: Dorado Fishing Is On Weed Paddies, With Yellowtail At The Bajo

July 10, 2005, Mike Kanzler, Isla San Marcos, Santa Rosalia fishing report, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

I'm back from Cedros Island, and I sure do miss that cooler weather, that's for sure.

The fishing weather at Santa Rosalia is hot and starting to get sort of sticky too. Air temps are in the low 80s for the mornings, getting into high 80s-90s for the afternoons. Some winds are coming out of the south-southeast making for bumpy conditions offshore, but still worth the run now that Dorado fishing is just about normal. Fishing water temperatures are at 77-78 degrees around the island this week, with cloudier visibility of only 20 or so feet, most likely due to strong upwelling. The fishing water is 80-81 degrees offshore with 40-50 feet of visibility.

I took a few days off during the first part of the week, but got back out on the water to see what's been going on.

My first fishing run was with son Michael. We caught our bait off San Lucas Cove with the help of my trusty bait light; it's a must-have item in your Baja boating gear. It's so much easier to get on the fishing grounds before sunrise with a full tank of mackerel, and during this time of the year the earlier the better, because the yellowtail bite only lasts for a few hours and then it's dead.

With the bait done, my son and I ran out to the bajos of San Marcos. I baited him up and set the depth of his line and told him to hold on real tight. Lucky I did, because before I could even get a bait pinned on my outfit he was screaming! Dad! Help! He's still just a little small to handle summer yellowtail, especially when they're running in the high 20s, plus close to the bottom. So we put the rod in the gunnel holder and he gets line back when he can. Nice fish to start the morning too, fat yellow in the 27-28 pound class. We fished yellowtail until about 9 a.m. catching a total of 5 and loosing 2, then decided to take a little run offshore to see if the dorado were there. They were, and with a lot of weeds in the area too. Things have finally changed for the better. We picked up a pair of small bulls, just right for fish tacos later that afternoon.

Yesterday I had Robert Jones out fishing. It was pretty much did the same thing. After a while, got a shout for my buddy Captain G.J. Sacco on the Don Juan sportfisher asking what's the yellowtail bite doing. I told him to come on over, it's a few here and there. We and one other tin boat fished until the 9 a.m yellowtail stop biting time allotment and then ran offshore to the weed lines, but we found only spotty fishing due to miles of weed lines. After a little time spent slow trolling live mackerel, we picked up a nice bull dorado of about 20 pounds and then struggled for the next hour. Then, I got a call from Don Juan which was a few miles east. Come on over Mike! We have two larger Sargasso paddies here and lots of fish. I ran up there and yup! Wide open dorado (also mahi-mahi or dolphinfish) like it should be, however late in the season it is. Better late than never.

All yellowtail are being caught with live mackerel on slider sinker and also dropper loop. Dorado are caught paddy hopping, slow trolling live mackerel and a few trolling feathers.

The Santa Rosalia Dorado Tournament is on for 15th 16th and 17th of July with Saturday and Sunday being the fishing days.

I heard upon my return from Cedros that some broker for a unknown second party wishes to buy the trailer park.

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