Spring and Bubba Finally Arrive

East Cape
The weather is cooler then normal for this time of year, but Spring seems to have finally arrived. Offshore, there are plenty of billfish to look at; the trick is to get them to bite. If you want football-size tuna they are way outside (45 miles). Inshore action began to improve; Bubba has arrived, still as finicky as ever. Spa reported one in the 50-pound class and our clients are getting a few shots a day from the beach. We are seeing an increase in dorado, but we are still waiting for the hot bite to begin. All-in-all things are looking up as we get ready for a hot June.
For those of you who missed it, here is a link to our update on the ATV\Beach situation.
http://www.bajafly.com/Newsletter/atv.htm

Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 71-80
Air temperature 60-82
Humidity 64%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:33 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:59 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay , Baja Mexico
Giant squid and scallops seem to be on everybody's mind this week. However, with a little digging I did find out that there are a few dorado off the beach outside of Lopez Mateos. Corvina and pargo seemed to be the catch of the day in the esteros. Up at Devil’s Curve there were a few snook that got the better of our clients. They were headed back out today to give them another chance.
Water temperature 62-71
Air temperature 66-71
Humidity 87%
Wind: WSW 15 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:37 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:10 p.m. MDT


Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80° blue water is only 3 to 4 miles off the beach. The full moon period has slowed the sailfish catch a bit, with only a 1 to 2 fish a day average per boat. But, what we lack in quantity is more than made up in quality. We are recording some great catches of blue marlin and large yellowfin tuna.

The fleet is putting out an average of about 15 boats a day on the water. At least a third of those are fishing inshore, but we are averaging two blue marlin each day (caught). That does not count the thrown hooks, or the stories told by all of the broken lines or spooled reels. The average blue is weighing in at about 250-pounds. A few of the blue marlin, like one by Luis on the panga Gringo Loco, are hitting the 500-pound mark, and several others are in the 130- to 180-pound range. These smaller fish are ideal for a person to accomplish his goal for a blue marlin on the fly rod.

Ed Garvis, of Anaheim, Calif., fishing with Arturo on the panga Whisky III, took a 300-pound tuna. The schools are breezing in and out and when you find a feeding school of tuna, they are going to be big. Several of the commercial pangeros have boated tuna in the 150- to 250-pound class this week. As with the marlin and sailfish, almost all the action is only about 8 to 10 miles offshore.

Both of the Dos Hermanos boats have been fishing the inshore this week. Cheva and Adolpho told me this morning (Sat.) they have really been doing well on the big jack crevalle and roosterfish. Between the two boats, they are averaging about 14 of the jacks and 8 roosters each day. The timing is about right; because we normally see the big roosters arrive in volume by the 1st of June

Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 77 - 89
Humidity 64%
Wind: SW 6 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:15 p.m. CDT

San Jose, Guatemala
Weather was unsettled after the hurricane that passed well below our area. The lack of clients this week left the fleet tied to the dock while the local pangeros whacked the dorado. Sailfish? Who knows! We bet they are out there waiting for someone to come play.
San Jose, Guatemala report by Brian Barragy and Lissa McFarlin
Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 82- 86
Humidity 94%
Wind: SSE 4 mph
Conditions: Thunder Storms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:34 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:26 p.m. CST