Sierra Rule!

Endless Season Update 12/10/2007
REPORT #1092 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

East Cape weather turned cold this week effectively shutting down most of the action. For the hard core there still was a decent tuna bite in spite of the north winds which are a factor this time of year.

Inshore the sierra offered the best action with a few small jacks and roosters mixed in.

Sierra Tip #2: When the sierra are crashing bait on the surface, use a surface lure or popper (Rebel “Jumpin' minnow) with the hooks removed. Attach the lure with a light piece of 4lb. to 6lb. leader. Cast into the melee and when the fish strike the line, it will eventually break. Now you have a free floating teaser that will drive the Sierra crazy! Just cast your fly or lure in the proximity of the free floating lure and you should have no problem getting hooked up. When the bite is over, recover your floating teaser to use the next time.Tip Archives

Water temperature 74-74
Air temperature 60-69
Humidity 95 %
Wind: WNW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:50 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:32 p.m. MST


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Cold and windy! Even Baja had to contend with its own version of the Polar Express this week. Still a few fish traveling down the coast, but miserable conditions prevented all but the most dedicated from trying to find them.

Estero action remained hot regardless of the cool temperatures. Plenty of pargo, corvina and better than average snook snap this week.

The following reports demonstrate the importance of the old adage (“being in the right place at the right time”)

Rich Johnson on his “Marie B”: We left on November 15, fueled at Turtle, stopped at Santa Maria to make bait, and then went down to Tosca. From there we went to the Potato Bank, saw black porpoise but tuna were not at home. We then plowed our way back to Belcher’s and spent the night. So far only a few marlin and surprisingly few, if any, dorado. No other boats---so we thought we were a day late and dollar short. Heading out the Entrada, my grandson saw a ‘tailer’ about 3 miles outside. Then it was as many as we could catch, nonstop in the green colder water! We stayed until the day after Thanksgiving and then went to Cabo to drop off my son and grandson.

Maurice Smith came down to help Mark Henwood on the “Marie B” for the uphill return to San Diego. Made some bait and caught a few on the Golden Gate. Ran all night back in flat calm weather at sunrise the next morning. The water was grease, and the most lazy 'tailers’ we had ever seen--away from the birds and bait---were still in close in that cold, green water. It was a nonstop bite for 5 hours! We finally arrived in the San Diego early in the morning December 4 before the nasty weather came storming down the west coast.

Our Guide Lance Peterson headed up to Magdalena Bay in early December along with some friends for a “Busman’s Holiday”. He says: “Our 2007 Mag trip began with high hopes but we just never hit the mother lode. We logged over 600 hard miles in not so great conditions. I felt we were really fishing well but the mighty Pacific was a tough egg to crack. We were always a day late, a day early, or just not able to reach the action in a panga. We did catch a few marlin and had some cool fly shots. But damn...we really took our medicine this time! Such is life on a big ocean in a small boat.
On the way back to Lopez we found 70 degree water at the San Carlos Entrada. The sea was finally calm and the sun was out. We just knew it was going to go off out there...but our time had run out and we reluctantly headed back into the bay and up to Lopez. Of course...the marlin went nuts that day where we had fished hard for 9 days. We missed it!!! We did have a blast on the Magdalena Island although it was Alaska-like conditions. It rained buckets at times with strong wind and huge swell. I fished in full north west style rain gear.”

Water temperature 67 - 71
Air temperature 60 -67
Humidity 87%
Wind: W 13 to 17 knots
Conditions: Overcast
Visibility 4 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:38 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The blue water is fluctuating between 5 and 10 miles, but with the moon phase kicking into high gear, the fishing is improving daily.

The cooler 78 to 80 degree water is still here, but the sailfish have been getting more active. Since Wednesday the count is averaging about three sailfish per boat per day. Plus the large dorado are showing again.

Santiago, on the panga, Gitana, had a 4 sailfish released day, and then a day with one sail and three nice dorado. He told me the dorado are averaging between 20 and 40 pounds.

Chuck Stratton fished two days with Cheva on the panga, Dos Hermanos II. Chuck had tried to get his dad C.D. to come down and experience the good fishing here, but it did not happen. On the first day Chuck fished inshore, taking numerous black skipjack tuna to an incredible 15 pounds. These hard fighting fish normally average about 3 to 4 pounds here, and really gave him a work out. Plus, they got 4 very large sierra, up to 10 pounds, for ceviche and dinner fillets.

Fishing offshore on the second day, Thursday, they hooked 7 sailfish and kept 2 large dorado between 30 and 40 pounds. More ceviche and dinner fillets. And dorado is one of the best tasting fish in the ocean. Too bad C.D., you missed out on a lot of good action, the experience of fishing with a world class captain....and some great fresh fish dinners.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 74-95
Humidity 91%
Wind: S at 2mph
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:10 p.m. CST