Transition Time Below the Border

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East Cape
Early in the week again saw more wind that the kept most of our clients hunkered around the pool until Thurs. (4/14), when we welcomed our first flat calm morning in some time. Of course, there had to be a catch . . . there was little if any bait to be found for purchase. Both [Baja on the Fly guide] Josh and I had to search far and wide for some, but came up empty. I opted to go out and try and troll up a bonito or two. We hooked only one and I headed inshore to tease roosters. The bonito was a good teasing bait, very lively and durable, but we found no roosters to tease in the early morning. We eventually found a few ladyfish for our casts. There were even a few pompano early, but they proved difficult to hook. Large schools of jacks were seen, but they were once again milling in circles and very boat-shy. The sea lions were attacking them – which did not help their mood. Josh found some feeding jacks Wed. for his clients and brought some big ones to the boat.

Report by Baja on the Fly Guide Lance Peterson.
Water temperature
66-74
Air temperature 69-82
Humidity 39%
Wind: 5 mph from the WNW
Conditions: Scattered Clouds 25000 ft

Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:57 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:40 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Not much to report this week as most of the attention was directed toward the unusual run of Humboldt squid outside the entrada. Reports of squid to 30 pounds were the talk of San Carlos. With perfect weather, the action both inside and outside should begin to pick up in the next few weeks. There are still a couple of whales hanging around, delaying their long migration North until the very last minute.

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Conditions are getting more favorable every day. The blue water is moving back in to just a few miles off the beach and the water temperature is edging into the 80-degree mark. The best results have been the blue marlin this last week. We have now had 11 days in a row where at least 1 nice blue has been boated.

Plus, the inshore fishing for jack crevalle is still holding up and has provided us a lot of action for both the anglers using light line conventional gear or the flyrod enthusiasts. Jim Kelsey of the San Francisco Bay area fished with Felipe and me on the panga Yellowfin and took 6 jacks to 25 pounds near the Valentine area.

Chase Smith of New Braunfels, Tex., fished with Ruben on the Vamonos I and got a very nice blue marlin. But, they missed a much larger one.

Santiago got another blue this week for his clients on the panga Gitana, plus 4 sailfish the next day. However, most of the boats are only getting between 1 and 2 sails a day.
Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 77 - 91
Humidity 78%
Wind:
Calm
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:28 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:02 p.m. CDT

San Jose, Guatemala
Sat. night (4/9) brought a tropical thunderstorm leaving a soggy San Jose that greeted Lori-Ann Murphy, Reel-Women Angling and her group of five women flyfishers who had come in search sailfish action on the fly. While long boat rides were the norm, the women weren’t disappointed; flat seas and sunny skies made the traveling easy as they searched for their first opportunity to face a sailfish with only a fly-fishing outfit between them and the fish. The entire group with the exception of one met their goal during the four exciting days of Guatemala bluewater fishing.
Those who achieved their goal of a sail-on-the-fly for the trip were Lori-Ann Murphy, Victor, Idaho; Bobbie Armor, Fremont, Calif.; Diana Rudolph, Islamorada, Fla.; Nancy Keilty, Cedar Mich.; and Jodie Reece, Florida, releasing their first sailfish on the fly and in some cases more than one. In addition to the sailfish, JoAnn “Bo” Ribaudo, Destin, Fla., found enough tuna and dorado for dinner several days to earn the title “Provider” from the group. As they toasted each other’s accomplishments with 23 year old Guatemalan rum at their awards ceremony on the final night at Villas Pacifico Hotel, they all agreed that it had been as fantastic an adventure as they had hoped for and would continue next year.
Water temperature
78 - 82
Air temperature 82- 89
Humidity 94%
Wind: NE 11 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 5:49 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:16 p.m. CST

For additional information: bajafly@bajafly.com
USA toll-free (800) 919-2252 or 760/746-7260; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373