Gold Rush in Mag Bay!

Jamie Pierre with Mag Bay Gold
Endless Season Update 08/25/2007
REPORT #1077 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
The action for small, golden dorado, yellowtail, a variety of skipjack, bonito and white bonito kept Jamie Pierre, Seattle, WA, and his friend Jack, busy this past week. Fishing outside Boca de Soledad, anywhere from six miles to twenty-four miles, we found about as steady a bite as we could hope for using our olive colored Marabou Deceiver and Wasabi flies. We also found a few marlin in the area, but the guys decided not to target them.

Inside the Estero the sierra action was surprisingly good, as was the corvina bite. Up at Boca Santo Domingo there were plenty of grouper and pargo lurking deeper in the water column.
Today the Gobiernos Baja Fishing Tournament begins in Lopez Mateos and will wrap up tomorrow.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 70 -88
Humidity 91%
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 4 miles

East Cape

In spite of unsettled conditions early in the week the fishing remained consistent. Offshore the boats are averaging one or two marlin a day with the number of blue marlin bites increasing.

If you are one of the first few boats to the high spot off La Ribera each morning, you might get lucky and land one of the few tuna on the fly. The search for dorado continues to be unpredictable with an occasional bite spread throughout the bay.

Near the beach, the action for smaller roosters, pompano and a few ladyfish provided enough action to keep things interesting for the fly folks.

Once again, the week is beginning with unsettled conditions caused by the leftovers from Hurricane Dean. See the link for more info: http://velasdebaja.com/2seaswatch.html

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 74-91
Humidity 93%
Wind: WNW 4 to 5 knots
Conditions: Cloudy
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:44 p.m. MDT


Sunrise 7:05 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:54 p.m. MDT


Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Early in the week, the blue marlin continued their very unusual showing this summer. We are averaging about 3 to 4 hooked blues a day for the 10 boat fleet. Sailfish are doing well also, with a two to three fish per boat average.

Tuesday was my son's 13th birthday and went out with Captain Cali to try for the 50 to 80 pound yellowfin tuna, which have been active at the 1,000 fathom line (30 miles). We started trolling at 16 miles and were hooked up within 5 minutes. I had set out a 40 pound outfit for tuna and dorado, and an 80 pound outfit for marlin. Wouldn't you know it, the blue hit the 40 pound outfit? Happens every time.

Fortunately the blue was small and a little over an hour later my son, Ken, had the estimate 200 pound marlin released.

From 5:00 in the evening Wednesday until 5:00 in the evening on Thursday, we got rain. Seven and a half inches of rain! It was the remnants of hurricane Dean, which had crossed over from the Caribbean side, shutting down all fishing for two days.

The large volume of rain has dirtied up the inshore from the outpouring of the rivers, and the roosterfish bite will probably not get going again for a few more days.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 73-93
Humidity 90%
Wind: ESE at 3mph
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 2 miles
Sunrise 7:31 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:06 p.m. CDT

Sizzle to Drizzle
Endless Season Update 08/18/2007
REPORT #1076 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape

Richard Negley Gill, of San Antonio, TX, arrived with his buddy, John “Cuarto” Smith IV, early in the week in search of their first billfish on the fly. Fishing on Mark Rayor’s boat, Jen Wren, they averaged a handful of shots per day. They each achieved their goals, and then some! Smaller, striped marlin dominated the action. They only connected with one dorado for the entire trip.

Richard spent several afternoons patrolling the beach near his hotel. He had shots at some smaller roosters but they weren’t biting. He did catch a variety of other fish including pompano, short fin corvine, etc.

Clients Kurt Ransohoff, Santa Barabra, CA, and Tom Lorish, Seattle WA, spent two days panga fishing and caught plenty of small roosters, pompano, ladyfish and too many of the ever-present needlefish. They also took a shot at the yellowfin tuna that have been loitering near La Ribera. Unfortunately most of the action was deep and not suitable for the fly.

With the sardina thick in spots, the bait guys have plenty to sell. The sardina have attracted schools of 5-6 lb. roosters along with jack crevalle, sierra, green jacks, triggerfish, and enough needlefish to be a nuisance.

While the weather has been great most of the week, this morning (Saturday) it is overcast and sprinkling.

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 67-89
Humidity 91%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 6:56 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:50 p.m. MDT


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico


I am leaving East Cape this morning and heading for Lopez Mateos to check out the recent reports of great dorado and tuna action. Lightly fished this week, the offshore action continued to produce excellent catches of dorado and tuna. Closer to the Boca there have been schools of smaller yellowtail chasing bait on the surface.

The area near Boca Santa Domingo provided the best action for grouper, corvina and a few pargo plus several snook bites that didn’t work out.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 70 -87
Humidity 91%
Wind: E 3 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:02 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:00 p.m. MDT


Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Unsettled weather late this week made fishing fairly tough. We had very little rain, but the port was closed on Friday due to wind conditions.

Prior to the barometer taking a nose dive, the sailfish action was averaging about 1 to 2 fish per boat/day.

Also early in the week the 60 to 80 pound yellowfin tuna had made a very good showing at the 1,000 fathom line (30 miles), with the bite lasting until the port closure.
Plus, for the boats who traveled the distance for the tuna, the sailfish action was much better than the boats who stayed in the traditional 10 to 14 mile areas.

There was not much action on roosters early this week, and the unsettled weather prevented anybody looking for them later.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 74-91
Humidity 93%
Wind: ENE at 2 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 7:29 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:11 p.m. CDT

Sardina Return … Action Improves!

Endless Season Update 08/11/2007
REPORT #1075 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape

The fly flingers were smiling this week as billfish action improved. There were multiples of sails, stripes and even a few blues showing in the patterns.

Our clients, Chris and Ryan Mott, from El Paso, Texas, managed to be the early birds on the scene when the YFT’s were busting sardina on the surface near La Ribera. They had three to the boat before the other boats arrived and drove the tuna down deep. A second day, the Motts had a very fun day catching lots of 5lb roosters, along with a few tuna.

With the sardina thick in spots, the bait guys have plenty to sell. The sardina have attracted these schools of 5-6 lb. roosters along with jack crevalle, sierra, green jacks, triggerfish, and enough needlefish to be a nuisance.


Dorado action consisted of nice sized fish, mostly singles showing up in the trolling pattern; not many found in schools.

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 74-98
Humidity 74%
Wind: NNW 6 to 8 knots
Conditions: Mostly Sunny
Visibility 2 miles
Sunrise 6:53 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:56 p.m. MDT


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico


Lightly fished this week, the offshore action continued to produce excellent catches of dorado and tuna. Football sized tuna, small yellows and nice sized dorado were found feeding on breezing bait just a few miles outside of the Boca. Also a few marlin are beginning to show under circling frigates near the Thetis.

Estero action included good catches of medium sized grouper, corvina, a few pargo and several small snook.

Enrique Soto reported good surface action at the Entrada for small yellows and bonito under the bird schools.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 70 -87
Humidity 74%
Wind: WNW 7 to 10 knots
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:59 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:05 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The small yellowfin tuna are still around the six mile mark and they are keeping the blue marlin around. These small tuna are only about 4 or 5 pounds, and are candy for the big blues. Several more blues were hooked this week.

The larger yellowfin are still out beyond the 32 mile area of the 1,000 fathom curve.

A few dorado are showing this week, and hopefully these are the leaders of the September mass migration we get about every 4 years. When the migration happens, a 100 dorado a day is not unreasonable: unless you get tired and quit before then.

The roosterfish bite is still awesome, and an excellent opportunity for a fly rodder to get in on the action.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 77-97
Humidity 92%
Wind: ENE at 2 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 7:28 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:15 p.m. CDT

Tournament Blues….

Grouper bite picks up

REPORT #1074 “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update August 4, 2007

East Cape


Most of the activity this week revolved around the “East Cape Bisbee Tournament” which finished up yesterday with a disappointing few qualifying blues; the largest blue was caught on the Tres Hermanos out of Hotel Buenavista Beach Resort. Angler Julio Cota took 1st Place Blue Marlin—418.0 lbs. An impressive 164.1 lb. tuna yielded 1st Place Angler for John Martin fishing on the boat, Wildcatter. There were enough stripers showing up in the pattern that only served as a distraction for the fleet that were targeting blues. A handful of dorado over fifty pounds were weighed in as well.

The reappearance of sardinas along the beaches in limited numbers should bode well for the beach action.
Most of the larger roosters seem to be cruising in pairs or in daisy chains and don’t seem to be too interested in eating. Occasionally one will light up but the shots are few and far behind.

While few boats targeted them, the action down south for football sized tuna with some skipjack mixed in continued to be decent.

Water temperature 68-85
Air temperature 71-95
Humidity 94%
Wind: N 10 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:50 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:00 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico


Bob Hoyt, Magbay Outfitters, reported wide open action for yellowtail ten miles outside the Boca in 72 degree blue water with plenty of skipjack in the same area.
Farther outside, there is a band of red tide that is keeping the dorado off the beach; however, above San Lazaro toward the Thetis bank is a solid string of dorado and outside of that line tuna can be found under the bird schools.

In the Esteros, the bite has picked up with plenty of halibut along the shallows near the sandy beaches. Up against the mangroves in the deeper water there has been a consistent grouper bite, with a few in the 10 – 20 pound range, rounding out the count were two snook.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 70 -84
Humidity 87 %
Wind: N 7 - 9 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:55 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:10 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The outstanding inshore action is still holding up for the roosters and jack crevalle. The roosterfish are averaging between 30 and 40 pounds, with a few fish taken this week estimated to be in the 60 to 75 pound class. Some of the jacks have tipped the scales at 25 pounds, but most are averaging about 15 pounds.

The full moon has the blue water fishing a bit on the slow side, but a few people were surprised by the huge blue marlin making another show this summer. Adan, on the panga Gitana II, was back at the dock with his client by 10:20 in the morning having caught and released a sailfish and an estimated 450 pound blue marlin. The client was worn out and had enough for the day.

A few other blues were hooked this week, and the sailfish are averaging about two fish per boat per day.

The 60 to 80 pound yellowfin tuna are at the 35 mile mark.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 75-91
Humidity 73%
Wind: NNW 3 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 4 miles
Sunrise 7:26 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:19 p.m. CDT