Santa Rosalia, Mexico: Mike Kanzler Returns From Trip To U.S.

Dec. 17, 2005, Mike Kanzler, Isla San Marcos, Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

I'm home from my trip to the States. I fished 5 days this week, and today Christmas came early with massive schools of big yellowtail feeding on the surface.

Santa Rosalia fishing area weather has been borderline most of the week, but very fishable if you cowboy up a little. Winds were in the 10-20 knot range, overcast for the most part with a few rays of sunshine breaking through from time to time. Air temperatures were cool in the mornings in the low to mid 50s with afternoons in the 60 to 70s. Water temperatures are right where you want it to be for Yellowtail fishing 62-64 degrees and clean green. It does have a little soupy look to it with heavy plankton.

I had to come home for the Holidays with my kids, which I miss very much, along with this place I have grown to love. Being in the States for over one and a half months makes me realize how great it is living down here.

I got back here with my Mom last Saturday. The very next day I was fishing! windy and all. Not a good start, but it was great to be back on the water with my good friend Alan Lewis and my son Michael. We scratched up a few good Sawtail groupers for dinner and lost the only two yellowtail we had hooked up.

Next day, I had a charter with Dennis Badaczewski of Costa Mesa and we did better with two yellowtail in the 25 pound class, a pair of nice cabrilla, and a big Sawtail of 20 pounds.

The day after that Dennis along with Alan jumped on the boat for more of the same.

I took Wednesday off to do some stuff in town.

On Thursday just Alan and I went fishing and waxed them good out there with 7 yellowtail of 23 to 28 pounds caught on slider sinker rigs and live mackerel. However we were discussing and wondering why the fish aren't on the surface yet, they usually start chewing up there by now.

I sat Friday out, and was glad I did. The water was sloppy and from what I heard on the radio, fishing was on the slow side with only one boat taking a pair yellowtail.

On Saturday and my son wanted to fish. We made bait up at the cliffs south of Santa Rosalia, mostly large Spanish mackerel (jack mackerel).

We made our way out to the 110 and started fishing. It was kind of on the slow side of things with only two fish. Then around 11 a.m., out of no where it went off big time! Birds first and then I saw it, fish on the surface! They were the first of the new winter season.

I started the boat and ran full speed to the boils and got there just too late to cast on them, but saw them on the meter about 100 feet down, so I sent live bait down to them and picked up another two nice Yellows.

Now you have to make a choice, sit and soak or run and gun. Did you ever notice when you sit there soaking bait those damn fish always come up just out of range? Well no different today! So we tried a little wait and run. This worked out fine. We got there and long cast one. The water exploded! And so did my back. We got that fish in with just about as much pain I could take only to cast right back out and get bit on the splash. I had to hand it off to my son who smartly put it in the rod holder to battle that big nasty yellow.

Well that's this week. I have about another week or so to go. Man, it's just good to be back. You really don't know how much you miss it when you are gone.

On another note Christmas has come early in more ways than one. Before I had to leave Mexico I was picked up by ProGear Reels which I will now use exclusively. I will do another story about the great reels they make.

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