Love is in the Air

REPORT #1051 “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 02/25/07
East Cape

A little nice weather and suddenly there are more flags flying from the riggers. The gold ones account for the sprinkling of dorado found scattered around Las Palmas Bay. And then there’s the blue and white marlin flags also beginning to fly: Good billfish action was 15 -18 miles to the north with a report of one boat hooking seven marlin earlier in the week. This combination has the locals predicting an action-packed April for billfish as they begin to spawn.
Inshore, grande class jack Crevalle put on a show out in front of Punta Colorada, driving the sardina bait balls all the way up onto the sand. It seemed to be “love in the air” as they went into their milling\mating mode, but they ignored all offerings made by frustrated anglers taking advantage of the mild winds flinging this and that at them.
Water temperature
65-72
Air temperature
55-80
Humidity
86%
Wind:
NNW 17 to 24 knots
Conditions:
Clear
Visibility
8 miles
Sunrise
6:45 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:19 p.m. MST
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
The word must have gotten out about the excellent whale watching this year! Every hotel in Magdalena Bay is sporting a “No Vacancy” sign.

Offshore there are still reports of marlin being spotted but few boats are available to take advantage of the late/early show (take your pick). Most of the dorado have disappeared as the water temps continue to cool down.

The only action of any significance in the Esteros this week seemed to be a decent corvina bite with a few larger ones in the ten pound class.


Water temperature
65 - 72
Air temperature
50 -80
Humidity
78%
Wind:
NE 8 to 11 knots
Conditions:
Partly Cloudy
Visibility
5 miles
Sunrise
6:54 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:26 p.m. MST


Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
This has been a very mixed week. Our bread and butter fish, the sailfish, has been fairly slow. We are only averaging one or two fish per day per boat, with many boats not seeing a thing. But, the blue marlin action has been incredible.

On one day this week, we reported 14 large blue marlin with the tourist sport fishing fleet out of the municipal pier in Zihuatanejo, plus another 6 from the private boats in Marina Ixtapa. And, this does not count the other 10 blue marlin caught by the commercial pangeros. For the entire fleet, including the commercial pangeros, we put about 40 boats on the water and caught 30 blue marlin in one day!

The other days in this week have not been quite so plentiful, but we are still seeing a minimum of 10 blue marlin a day being hooked and landed.

One notable catch was made by Bill Hermann from Washington, while fishing on the Gaby with Captain Margarito. Margarito called me on my cell phone at 9:00 and they were almost back to the pier already. His clients had enough excitement for the day. The 426 pound blue marlin had wiped them out.

Another notable catch was made by Onno Van Veen of Holland. He fished 6 days with Santiago on the panga Gitana, releasing 2 sailfish, 1 striped marlin, and a blue marlin of about 100 pounds. All fish were taken on the fly.

The party of four in the Bob Stevens group out of Seattle, WA, fished on two pangas at Vicente Gro. for one day. I was on one panga, with Cali on the other. Between us, we tagged and released 3 sailfish for the 4 fly fishermen. Of course, the guy paying the tab, Bob Stevens, never even had a shot.
There has been very little action inshore.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature
80 - 84
Air temperature
76-88
Humidity
82%
Wind:
SE 15 mph
Conditions:
Mostly Sunny
Visibility
6 miles
Sunrise
7:08 a.m. CST
Sunset
6:51 p.m. CST

Sierra Snap

REPORT #1050 “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 02/17/07

East Cape

Beach and inshore action this week was dominated by a better-than-normal sierra bite that went on from gray light until well after sunrise. Our guide reported that between releasing fish and retying flies on, he barely had time to take any photos. If you were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, the small roosters and ladyfish could be found chasing small schools of sardina right to the beach. Offshore there was still consistent billfish and dorado action to the north outside of Punta Pescadero, as well as to the outside of the color break near the Punta Arena.


Water temperature
65-70
Air temperature
58-77
Humidity
62%
Wind:
Calm
Conditions:
Partly Cludy
Visibility
8 miles
Sunrise
6:51 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:15 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Remarkably, the whale count continues to climb. Enrique Soto, Puerto San Carlos, reported seeing over fifty whales on a three hour trip on Friday. Huge schools of large squid have mysteriously appeared during the week and have been washing up on the sandy beaches. Inside the Esteros, the corvina fishing exploded this week for the few anglers fishing there. There were also a few snook caught at Devil’s Curve.

Offshore, in spite of the windy conditions earlier in the week, local shark fishermen found both marlin and dorado west of the Entrada, 10 – 22 miles.


Water temperature
65 - 72
Air temperature
64 -79
Humidity
41%
Wind:
Light
Conditions:
Partly Cloudy
Visibility
5 miles
Sunrise
7:00 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:22 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

This week's trend is still staying true to the improving fishing from last week. The sailfish average is holding at between two and three sails per boat per day, but the blue marlin have showed up to join the party. Early in the week, foretelling what was to come, several huge blues were taken. A couple came in around 750 pounds, and a few more between 450 and 650 pounds. But, on Thursday, six big blues hit the dock, and then yesterday (Friday), another eight. Plus, several more were taken by the private boats based out of Marina Ixtapa.

Keep in mind, more of these marlin are lost than are actually hooked. Almost every boat in the blue water is getting a shot at one. Almost all the blues are being taken on a slow trolled live black skipjack tuna.

The inshore action is kind of unknown at this time, as most captains are telling their clients to try for the marlin.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature
80 - 84
Air temperature
75-89
Humidity
82%
Wind:
SE 15 mph
Conditions:
Mostly Cloudy
Visibility
6 miles
Sunrise
7:12 a.m. CST
Sunset
6:48 p.m. CST

Drat They’re Rats!

REPORT #1049 “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 02/10/07
TELL THE PACIFIC COUNCIL --NO LONGLINES http://www.savethefish.org/action_items_Pacific_LL.htm
East Cape
Wow - a week of more better days than bad! This week provided some of the best winter conditions so far in 2007.

Molly Semenik, a guide on the Yellowstone River from Livingston, MT, hit the beach early mid-week. The weather was calm and offered perfect beach fishing conditions. Molly had more “firsts” than on a high school prom night! Rat roosters showed up for the beach party determined to snatch every fly that came close and of course, no Baja beach party would be complete without a ladyfish or two! All in all, Molly enjoyed a memorable Baja fishing day.

Offshore it was the same story with good if not great winter dorado action and there were even striped marlin bites in the mix for variety. While there was some tuna action report below Las Frailes, there were not many takers for the long ride. Chances are the dreaded north wind will soon return and it will be the old, “you should have been here last week”.


Water temperature
65-70
Air temperature
54-79
Humidity
67%
Wind:
NW at 4 knts.
Conditions:
Sunny
Visibility
4 miles
Sunrise
6:55 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:11 p.m. MST
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Finally, decent weather for the yachts traveling up and down the coast of Baja. Out front they are reporting a few marlin and dorado bites strung all the way from the Thetis Bank to below Tasco. No bonanza - just a steady pick. Good conditions for checking out some of the local high spots for grouper and some “home guard” yellows.

Just outside the Entrada was a busy place with birds crashing on schools of sardine pushed to the surface by small yellows, bonito and skipjack.

Snook action slowed at Devils Curve with corvina, small grouper and pargo providing the best action.

For the locals the good news is the continued increase in the number of whales showing up inside the bay, attracting a steady stream of “ooohs and aaahers” with digital cameras in hand.


Water temperature
65 - 72
Air temperature
57 -78
Humidity
80%
Wind:
W 5 kts
Conditions:
Cloudy
Visibility
5 miles
Sunrise
7:05 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:17 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
We have had a very pleasant surprise this week. The fishing has actually been better during the full moon phase, than it was the week before.

A current of cooler, 81° water, moved in, with clean blue water only a half mile out in front of Zihuatanejo Bay, and the cobalt blue water is only 5 miles out. The game fish came with the blue water. Each boat is averaging between two and three sailfish a day. And, several nice blue marlin were caught this week.

Plus, at 12 miles, there is a large area of 10 to 30 pound yellowfin tuna. The tuna have been hard to stay on, because they pop up and down, and when they are up, they are moving fast. This is when you wish you had a San Diego long range boat, with hundreds of scoops of chum bait available.

Inshore we are seeing a lot of jack crevalle cruising the beaches, plus we are now having a very good all day long bite on the large jacks inside the bay.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature
80 - 84
Air temperature
68-87
Humidity
82%
Wind:
Calm.
Conditions:
Mostly Cloudy
Visibility
6 miles
Sunrise
7:16 a.m. CST
Sunset
6:45 p.m. CST

Now, That’s a WSB!

REPORT #1048 “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 02/03/07
TELL THE PACIFIC COUNCIL --NO LONGLINES http://www.savethefish.org/action_items_Pacific_LL.htm
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Whale watching continues to dominate the activity at both Lopez Mateo and San Carlos. Enrique reported sighting over 40 whales near the Entrada. Between whales he also managed to find the firecracker yellows under the bird schools. Here’s proof that they eventually grow up! This is a second hand report I received this week:
”Thank you for your info on white sea bass in Mag bay last week. We didn’t fish the location you sent, but found another one outside the bay after looking for an anchor spot after running from bad weather off shore.”

“The spot produced white seabass and yellow tail in the 45-52 lb range. They bit all night the evening of January 23/24, it was absolutely freezing cold with 40 knot winds. These were particularly aggressive fish that required 80-100 lb test to successfully land them. Even with International 50s and 100 lb test, we still only managed to land 8 out of 20 hook ups. The preferred technique was 16oz dropper loops and a live mackerel. Several yellowtail that were brought within site were estimated to be over 60 lbs before breaking off on 100 lb and in one case, 130 lb test.”

“The catch include personal best fish for the Captain (Mike Pritchard – 52 lb yellow tail), the deckhand/cook Dusty (45lb WSB and 50lb YT), and myself (42LB WSB).”Mike Reader

Lance Peterson while on a recent whale watching trip at Lopez also found some time to fish (go figure) and reported that the Spotted Bay Bass bite was all you wanted.

Water temperature
65 - 72
Air temperature
46 -80
Humidity
81%
Wind:
NE 6 - 8 kts
Conditions:
Cloudy
Visibility
3 miles
Sunrise
7:09 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:13 p.m. MST

East Cape
Some of that cold snap to the north seems to have found its way all the way down the Baja Peninsula. In “shorts only” country, that is big news as everyone is digging out their one pair of long pants and jackets.

Before breakfast and before the wind gets going, sierra are the best bet. For a few lucky anglers, a small rooster now and then along with an occasional ladyfish can be added to the catch.
Not far offshore, some small dorado are still hanging around along with a sprinkling of billfish that should be wearing fur coats.

Water temperature
65-70
Air temperature
47-75
Humidity
86%
Wind:
NNW at 13 - 18 knts.
Conditions:
Sunny
Visibility
4 miles
Sunrise
6:59 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:09 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The fishing has been very poor this last week. And, with the full moon phase coming up, I do not see an improvement. This certainly is a dilemma. For sailfish, we should have been having one of the best weeks of the year. It is possible the El Niño affect has delayed the main body of fish getting here, or maybe they are going to by-pass us completely on their way down to Guatemala and Costa Rica.

This last week saw almost as many dorado taken as sailfish, and that was less than a one per boat average. Yesterday (Friday), Efra on the panga Tequila, was high boat in the fleet with three sailfish raised, and they hooked all three. He fished an area at 14 miles on a 180° heading out of Zihuatanejo Bay.

Mike O'Keefe of England, fished with Martin on the panga “Isamar” for 4 days. To find the fish, and to cover more water, they fast trolled marlin lures. They did manage to hook three sails on the fly.

Cali made the 35 mile run down to Vicente Gro. on the panga “Zapatito Gordo”. Three days in the blue water only yielded 1 sailfish, a dorado, and a nice blue marlin. Two days inshore yielded 2 small roosters (5 to 7 pounds), and about 20 small jacks (2 to 5 pounds).

About the only decent bite going on right now are the large jack crevalle (10 to 15 pounds) hitting in the early morning inside Zihuatanejo Bay.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature
80 - 84
Air temperature
70-93
Humidity
82%
Wind:
Calm.
Conditions:
Mostly Cloudy
Visibility
7 miles
Sunrise
7:18 a.m. CST
Sunset
6:42 p.m. CST