Tuna Dominate . . . Billfish Follow

REPORT #969. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
The tuna just keep biting, but every day is different. Wed. (7/27), Michael Hibbard, Southbury, Conn., headed out to find grumpy seas pushed by a 20 knot south wind. It was almost two hours before the porpoise school could be located. Once found, it was only a few minutes before the distinctive thwack-thwack of the reel handle hitting Michael’s thumb could be heard. From then till quitting time it was almost constant action for tuna and white bonito. Yesterday (7/29), Michael chose to try the beach and had almost perfect weather for the morning. While he added several new species to his list, we didn’t see Bubba all day.
Next week brings the Bisbee Black and Blue Tournament to East Cape focusing on blue marlin; and while that is probably not real important to the fly angler, the fact that last week produced a 400+, 500+ and a whopping 614-pound blue has the town is abuzz with anticipation for what the participants may find during the event
Dr. Manuel Doria, Peoria, Ill., fishing out of Cabo, braving “Victory at Sea” conditions, was looking for a striped marlin on the fly. The shots he had were few and far between and didn’t work out. Accompanied by his friend Helena who was a first-timer to the salt, she had better luck and managing to catch and release her first striped marlin ever.


Baja on the Fly

Water temperature 73-88
Air temperature 78-102
Humidity 55%
Wind: Calm. PM Breeze
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 15 miles
Sunrise 6:48 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:01 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Both the Thetis Bank and shark buoys 230-270˚ 20 miles outside the entrada produced a few dorado this week. A few marlin are beginning to move into the area as the water temps continue to climb offshore. Boats working the entrada reported yellowtail and grouper and schools of breezing skipjack and bonito which were easy to spot with the bird schools chasing them down. Outside of Lopez Mateos, dorado and tuna continued to be found in the 5-10 mile range of the beach. With better action offshore, fewer boats were opting to fish the esteros. The few fishing had good success catching corvina, grouper and a few snapper.


Water temperature 62-73
Air temperature 75-80
Humidity 83%
Wind: WNW 2 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:53 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:12 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80º deep blue water is only 4 or 5 miles off the beach. We are getting out of the full moon period and the sailfish fishing is improving daily. We are currently getting 2 to 3 fish per boat per day average. There are still not many people fishing, and the fleet is holding fairly steady at about 12 boats a day.
The roosterfish action at times has been fantastic. Capt. Cali, on the panga Zapitito Gordo took fly-fishing client Matt Rice of Colorado out to the Pantla area. They raised 5 roosters, of which all could have been caught on conventional gear, but Murphy's Law, and a rush of adrenalin, made it real tough to even get the fly in the water.

Capt. Felipe on the panga Yellowfin and I had a little better luck in the same area. We were using my kite off the back side of the waves. Kite fishing for roosters and jacks is a very effective method, and probably the best chance to get a rooster on the fly. We were fishing with Californian Dean Gilardi. Dean got a very nice jack crevalle, and missed a couple of nice roosters. His girlfriend also got a nice jack and a small rooster.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 80 - 91
Humidity 62%
Wind: N 4 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:24 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:20 p.m. CDT

San Jose, Guatemala
No report received


Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 82- 86
Humidity 100%
Wind: NE 13 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:47 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:32 p.m. CST

Quick Trip . . . Fast Action

REPORT #968. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

Jerry Ortner and Randy Twist, from Rancho Murrieta, Calif., finished up their quickie trip last Sun. by going out for the morning in search of billfish. Several shots later, Jerry had his first sailfish ever and they were back at the hotel in time for lunch before their flight home. Several billfish, plenty of tuna and skipjack convinced them that their quickie getaway was well worth the effort. With the exception of a disappointing dorado bite, the tuna and billfish continued to be the crowd pleaser during this week. By Wed. (7/20) tropical storm “Eugene,” which was heading out west below us, caused the wind to kick up then lay back down on Thurs.; only to become overcast and breezy again yesterday. Beach action still has not reached its potential. My granddaughter, Lindsey and I walked the beach from the house to Punta Ignacio finding little bait nor fish at midday with perfect light. A good sign was that the bait guys had a few mackerel to sell and a few small sardina were spotted around the pier at Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort. Boats could be seen heading out in all directions this morning as the Sea of Cortez was flat again with no wind.

Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 73-86
Air temperature 78-92
Humidity 70%
Wind: Calm. PM Breeze
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 12 miles
Sunrise 6:45 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:05 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

This week at the entrada, the yellowtail along with a few grouper further down in the water column decided to bite. Reports of dorado at the shark buoys 230-270˚ 20 miles outside the entrada is an encouraging sign that the water is warming up nicely. Outside of Lopez Mateos, tuna and dorado are both being found 5-10 miles offshore in good numbers. Further out at the Thetis Bank, a few marlin are being seen along with some breezing schools of yellowtail. Esteros (estuaries) are beginning to provide some action as well. Devil’s Curve produced a few grouper, snapper and even a small snook. Further up the panhandle above Lopez Mateos there seemed to be a good concentration of bait on the estero side of the bocas attracting corvina and grouper.

Water temperature 62-73
Air temperature 75-82
Humidity 45%
Wind: SE 11 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:49 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:16 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
No report received.


Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 80 - 87
Humidity 62%
Wind: South 6 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:21 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:22 p.m. CDT

San Jose, Guatemala

No report received

Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 80- 84
Humidity 100%
Wind: SSE 4 mph
Conditions: Thunder Storms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:35 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:34 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

Sailing Time Begins at East Cape

REPORT #967. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
The sailfish began to show in respectable numbers this week; however, some were the smallest I have ever seen. Wed. and Thurs. (7/12 and 13) we had a south wind that stirred things up a bit. The good news was the billfish were tailing within six miles of the beach. Lots of shots, near misses and enough “would of . . . could of . . . should of” to keep the bar busy at happy hour. Tuna were way out early in the week, but moved closer as the week progressed by yesterday (7/14) they were found just a click under 20 miles out. Size ranged from footballs to Oh my God! Baja Wasabi Jr. http://www.bajafly.com/bajawasabi.htm was the hot ticket for our clients and we were forced to tie up a new batch every night. Beach action was still slow most of the week, though by week’s end Thomas Bell was getting plenty of shots at cruising roosters and jacks on La Capilla Beach not far from Buena Vista Beach Resort Hotel.





Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 73-84
Air temperature 78-97
Humidity 70%
Wind: Calm. PM Breeze
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 12 miles
Sunrise 6:42 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:07 p.m. MDT
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Dorado and tuna offshore in front of both the entrada and Lopez Mateos finally are giving the fly-fishers something to smile about. Warmer sea temps seem to have made the difference. The esteros (estuaries) are also beginning to heat up with enough corvina, pargo and halibut on the sandy beaches to make things interesting. Looks like summer has finally arrived at Magdalena Bay . . . and not a minute too soon.

Water temperature 62-73
Air temperature 75-80
Humidity 45%
Wind: W 15 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:46 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:18 p.m. MDT
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80º blue water remains a short 5 or 6 mile run out of Zihuatanejo Bay. The sailfish action has been fairly good. Most boats are each averaging between 2 to 4 sailfish a day. And, there are only about 10 boats in the fleet fishing the blue water every day.

Fly fishing with David Schack, from Long Beach CA, we worked an area 180º and 16 miles from Zihuatanejo Bay. This proved effective allowing Dave to tag and release his first ever fly caught sailfish.

Talking to Cheva on the panga Dos Hermanos II, he told me he spent 4 days down below Papanoa. This roosterfish fishing was absolutely fantastic, catching an average of 15 large roosters a day. The fish were averaging 35 pounds. He said he took most of his fish on surface poppers. They stayed in a hotel down there, rather than make the 40 mile run each day.


Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 80 - 87
Humidity 62%
Wind: SW 6 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:24 p.m. CDT
San Jose, Guatemala
Report Not Received


Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 80- 84
Humidity 66%
Wind: East 8 mph
Conditions: Thunder Storms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:43 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:35 p.m. CST

Summer Settles In at East Cape

REPORT #966. "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
We managed to put together an entire week of nice weather and the season just keeps chugging along. The continued lack of sardina along the beaches is both puzzling and exasperating. Tuna continued its role as the crowd pleaser, though the ride could be from 23-45 miles to find them. The billfish are in a bit closer ranging anywhere from 10-40 miles. Billfish made a strong showing as the second most caught fish for the week. Dorado are still not showing up in any quantity, however, the few found are definitely in the lunker class. There were a few sardina found off the beach next to Rancho Leonero a few days ago and the ladyfish were all over them at sunset. The sticks yielded a few small jacks, pompano and a handful of shots at Bubba class roosters cruising close to shore between La Ribera and Bartle Beach.

Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 73-84
Air temperature 82-93
Humidity 64%
Wind: Calm..PM Breeze
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 12 miles
Sunrise 6:39 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:08 p.m. MDT
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Add a few degrees to the sea temp and the ocean explodes with dorado and YFTs. Bob Hoyt reported wide open fishing for both just a few miles outside of Boca Soledad. Inside, the esteros are still trying to get the season going. Look for the water temps to begin to climb inside and the action will pickup quickly. Corvina, grouper, and pargo are beginning to bite at all of the stock spots. I understand that there are plans to hold a Cabrilla Tournament in the near future; we will keep you posted as the plans develop.

Water temperature 62-73
Air temperature 73-78
Humidity 80%
Wind: WSW 15 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:43 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:20 p.m. MDT
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The run for the 80˚ blue water is still just a couple of minutes out of Zihuatanejo Bay. The moon cycle is just right and expectantly, the fishing has been very good. The 10 – 12 boats in the fleet fishing the blue water are averaging about three sailfish a day, with several boats posting 4 – 5 fish a day.

We did have a couple of days of port closure, due to a tropical storm that stayed out at sea. But the lack of fisherman for the fleet caused no scheduling problems at all.

The blue marlin are still hanging around, as proven by Captain Santiago on the panga "Gitana". His clients, Paul Herder and Bob McGriff of CA, had a double hookup on 200 pound class blues. It was a good thing they were smaller blues because it would have been tough to get them to the leader if they had been any size.

Santiago also fished with Jeff Dixon of Houston and released 5 sailfish. Mel Com of Fremont, CA fished one day with Captain Margarito on the cruiser "Gaby". He also caught and released 5 sailfish.

The roosterfish action on the beaches has been very good. Each boat is averaging between 3 and 4 roosters a day. Most of the fish are going about 35 pounds, with several large ones mixed in. Steve Carroll of Tulsa, OK fished with Felipe on the panga "Yellowfin" for one day. They got two smaller roosters and a nice jack crevalle on live bait. Losing two very large roosters, Steve learned a hard lesson but he will be ready for them next year. Apparently, he is used to striped bass fishing for fish averaging under 10 pounds. When the huge rooster hit, and started taking a lot of line, he locked his thumb down. Twenty pound line with a 50 pound plus rooster attached will not last long with a locked down drag.


Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 80 - 86
Humidity 79%
Wind: West 8 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:24 p.m. CDT
San Jose, Guatemala
Seas continued to be less than hospitable for the boats that headed out early in the week.
Most thought that it was worth the effort with high single digit catches to mid double digits catches reported.
The 78˚ blue water was found 45 to 50 miles out and today the seas settled down for the few boats headed out. Not only was the sailfish action decent there were plenty of
dorado and tuna as well.

Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 82- 86
Humidity 66%
Wind: West 13 mph
Conditions: Thunder Storms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:41 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:35 p.m. CST

Tough Week – Few But Fat Dorado; Bonanza Day, FINALLY!

REPORT #965. "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
It is July and it is hot! No, not the fishing – the weather. By anyone’s standards it was a tough one with little action to be found. For four days Dale Gross, Anchorage, and his buddy Rick Hall, from Hanford, Calif., scoured East Cape waters is search of action. The result was a few white bonito, skipjack, one tuna, dorado and more wind and rough seas than they wanted. Then came yesterday (7/1) and they finally got it right. There were flat seas, tuna boiling behind the boat, dorado and marlin chasing the teasers. When the scales had settled, they had eight yellowfin tuna, a handful of white bonito, a marlin, three dorado, two topping the 50-pound mark. High fives and cervezas were the order of the day on the two hour ride home. Was it what they had hoped for? Nope! Will they be back next year? I wouldn’t be surprised. Beach action slowed down dramatically, our guide; Josh Dickinson spent his last few days before heading home, trying to add another Bubba notch to his belt, but it wasn’t to be. He will be back in Oct. to resume the quest.


Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 70-82
Air temperature 77-95
Humidity 61%
Wind: South 11 mph
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:37 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:08 p.m. MDT
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
The wind quit and it warmed up considerably. The few reports from the esteros indicated slow fishing with corvina and cabrilla being the bulk of the catches this week. Out at the entrada there are still plenty of barracuda, a few yellows to 10 pounds and down a bit deeper you may get lucky and get grabbed by a grouper. Offshore is just beginning to turn around with a few tuna and some dorado under the shark buoy off of Punta Tosca. Sounds like the esteros up at Lopez Mateos are producing better action with a few grouper and several smaller snook being taken across from Boca Santo Domingo tight to the mangroves on an incoming tide.


Water temperature 62-71
Air temperature 75-85
Humidity 70%
Wind: SSW 11 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:40 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:20 p.m. MDT
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The ride to the 80° blue water is short six miles off the beach. We have been getting most of our action on sailfish between nine and 11 miles, averaging two to three sailfish a day per boat. All in all, the prospects for decent fishing are really picking up, because this last week was impacted by a waning full moon. This next week should show some decent counts.

A few boats are still picking a blue marlin or two, which is kind of unusual this late in the year. Our best action on marlin is from the 1st week of May and on through to the middle of June.

Several tuna schools popping up at 16 miles and then disappearing, a few boats are getting one or two before they go down again, but the action could not be considered red hot for the tuna yet.

Adolpho, skipper of the panga Dos Hermanos, reported he is really encountering a tremendous amount of roosterfish down near Puerto Vicente Gro. a 35 mile run that is really paying off for him.

Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 80 - 86
Humidity 79%
Wind: West 8 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:15 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:24 p.m. CDT
San Jose, Guatemala
Less than perfect weather made the 18-23 mile run to the hot spot a bumpy ride. The few that took the challenge were rewarded with fair to good fishing by most standards but poor for Guatemala.

Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 80- 84
Humidity 94%
Wind: WSW 8 mph
Conditions: Thunder Storms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 5:39 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:35 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