Whales Tales Dominate

REPORT #1,001. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 03/11/06
East Cape
North winds prevailed once again this week making it another time of rescheduling as we tap danced around the wind. As you can see by Lance and Josh’s daily reports, it was a tough week at East Cape:
Friday (3/10) . . . While today has been fairly calm, the wave action has persisted and the fishing continues to be brutal. Josh hit the beach today and again found it lifeless.
Thursday (3/9) . . . Josh and I fished the beach today to see what's up. We just got back. Fished all the way to lighthouse. It's tough out there. Less wind today, but big waves. We snorkeled too. Visibility is super limited as the water is extra turbid and churned up. No signs of life. Couldn't even raise a fish on the teasers.
Tuesday (3/7) . . . It's been really dead fishing. Not even the locals have been out there.

We keep hearing rumors of a decent yellowtail bite up at Muertos Bay along with some sierra. All we need is the wind to back off long enough to get there. If we do get a calm day, there are enough skipjack and a few dorado to make it interesting.

Baja on the Fly

Water temperature 65-73
Air temperature 61-79
Humidity 72%
Wind: NNW 4 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 6:31 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:26 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

With all the storm activity in California, the conditions have been what could be best described at unsettled. The big buzz is still the whales that have been putting on a great show since the first of the year. Plenty of up close and personal encounters stories going around.

The best action all week was out at the entrada where the yellowtail snap was about as good as it gets. Mostly smaller fish, but the action was fast and furious.

Locals are reporting that the water is beginning to slowly warm up in the mangroves and expectations are high that the bite will pick up soon.


Water temperature 58 - 62
Air temperature 55-73
Humidity 99%
Wind: WNW 15 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:39 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:33 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Blue water has moved back from 40 miles to the 23 mile mark, and the fishing has picked up some this last week. But, it is still a bit on the slow side. The Terrafin Satellite Surface Temperatures now show 76° water from the beach, out 10 miles to the 100 fathom curve, and an average of 79° water beyond the 100 fathom curve. This is a substantial raise of at least 5° over earlier in the week.

Lots of sailfish are being seen, with a least four or five fish a day being raised to the spread. There are also plenty of yellowfin tuna, and several blue marlin. But, with an incredible supply of mackerel and black skipjack tuna, keeping the fish's attention long enough to eat a trolled bait has been the downfall. We honestly believe they fish are too full to aggressively charge the trolled baits.

The inshore action should also pick up substantially now the water has warmed up a bit.

Ed Kunze, Zihuatanejo

Water temperature 78 - 84
Air temperature 75 - 84
Humidity 83%
Wind ESW 8 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 6:57 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:54 p.m. CST
San Jose, Guatemala
No Report received this week

Jonathan Nicholas owner/operator of “Man of War”

Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 63- 84
Humidity 100%
Wind: WSW 4 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:13 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:13 p.m. CST