Baja Windy...Zihuatanejo Blues

REPORT #999 . “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 02/22/06
East Cape
We started off with great weather early in the week as the north wind took a few days off allowing a few boats to get in on the unusual winter dorado bite. Nothing huge, still fifteen-pound dorado aren’t to be sneezed at. Beyond that, fishing was pretty sketchy with good catches of white bonita being the lead item.

By mid-week the wind was back in full force causing grumpy seas. Even the early risers in search of some gray light sierra action were greeted with blown out beaches and few if any fish.

According to the extended wind forecast, it may be Tuesday before things settle down, so we are declaring this a Baja kickback weekend which I imagine will include some pool time laced with an occasional margarita or cerveza for East Cape visitors which isn’t a bad way to spend a February weekend.

Baja on the Fly

Water temperature 62-72
Air temperature 63-78
Humidity 34%
Wind: NNW 13 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 6:43 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:20 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Outside, the conditions are windy, sloppy and the water temps have dropped like a rock down to the 60 degree range. Inside, the Entrada is still producing fair catches of firecracker yellows and leopard grouper. At Puerto San Carlos, under the bridge at slack tide there are a few corvina to be found.
Whale watching continues to keep the panga fleet busy.

Same deal up at Lopez Mateos, more whales than fish this week. The corvina bite continued to produce the best action with a few mystery bites sprinkled in…….snook maybe?


Water temperature 68-73
Air temperature 61-74
Humidity 79%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:26 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Blue Marlin are the big story this week. There have been (literally) a ton of them caught. There are about 5 hook-ups a day for the fleet on these 250 pound average fish, with several of them over 400 pounds. One fish boated this week was almost 700 pounds. Yesterday, Mike Griffen of Alaska, wanted a few more hours of fishing with Captain Poli on the Don Gordo before he had to catch a flight home. At only 4 miles outside Zihuatanejo Bay he released a sailfish, and a few minutes later, hooked into a 350 pound marlin.

The fleet is averaging about 2 sailfish a day, but this will definitely improve as we go into the dark of the moon period next week.

One large 75 pound rooster was taken this week at the White rocks. It ate a slow-trolled live mackerel. Not much else has been reported inshore.

Ed Kunze, Zihuatanejo

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 77 - 87
Humidity 79%
Wind W 8 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:06 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:51 p.m. CST
San Jose, Guatemala
Like Zihuatanejo, it sounds like the sailfish slowed a click and took a back seat this week while the blue and black marlin went off pretty well. This accentuates the point that you never know what may show up in the pattern. Talk about a thrill, you are staring at the teasers expecting a sailfish to appear and a monster marlin the size of small VW suddenly appears. That could intimidate even the most seasoned fly fisher.


Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 72- 82
Humidity 94%
Wind: SS6 6 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:21 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:10 p.m. CST