September Sizzled!

Endless Season Update 09/29/2007
REPORT #1082 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

East Cape’s September fishing was some of 2007’s best, and hopefully it was a prelude to a great October.

Offshore action began where inshore action left off, just a few miles offshore. John Lowther, of Phoenix, AZ, called in yesterday morning from his cellular to report he was in a wide open tuna bite only a few miles from the hotel. John is hosting a group of friends at the old Rancho Buena Vista Hotel.

At Punta Pescadero, the sailfish were lollygagging on the surface less than two miles from the point and only a few miles farther out, the blue marlin were in the teasers.

Finding the dorado was a ‘slam dunk’ with plenty of easy-to-spot debris providing cover for them.

Lance Peterson reported that on the beach around the bait there were many "schoolie" jack crevalle, roosterfish, and ladyfish that could be sucker punched with the right fly. The gaff top sail pompano schools were in evidence cruising up and down the beaches. A smaller fly and light tippet were needed to get the grabs from the pompano.

Water temperature 77-85
Air temperature 67-89
Humidity 90%
Wind: N 5 to 7 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:09 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Bob Hoyt, Mag Bay Outfitters, reported bay fishing is “as good as it gets” with limits of grouper, a handful of snook, as well as several large corvina

Outside, the dorado action picked up again with some larger bulls showing up. Still plenty of small yellowtail with a few sierra mixed in.

Water temps out at the Thetis have climbed to 78.5 degrees and the top of the bank is covered with small bonito. The clients had to get off the high spot to find the dorado.

One yacht making the trip south reported wahoo, marlin and dorado on the ridge.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 71 -90
Humidity 83%
Wind: NW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 4 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:17 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The sailfish have been kind of slow, but with the full moon, this is not really a surprise. Plus, there are only 4 or 5 boats fishing per day, and half of them are fishing the inshore for the great roosterfish bite.

The 83° blue water is about 12 miles off the beach, but the boats are often short stopping at the 6 to 8 mile mark in order to fish the dorado in the weed lines. They are averaging about two or three of these tasty fish, which are averaging between 16 and 33 pounds.

The inshore water, averaging about 86°, has really been holding the bait and the roosterfish on the beaches, with quite a few jack crevalle in the mix. There is no defined area for the concentrations of roosters. They are all up and down the coast.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 76-92
Humidity 86%
Wind: NNW at 3 mph
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 9 miles
Sunrise 7:36 a.m. CDT
Sunset 7:37 p.m. CDT

Hurricane Roulette…

Endless Season Update 09/22/2007



REPORT #1081 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape




You know its September because there was another tropical depression below Baja and threatening to head our way. That must be why all the hotels offer special deals in September to entice folks to play hurricane roulette. For all of you who played this week, you are big winners!

Once again, East Cape’s little secret that some of the best fishing of the season is in September has been exposed. By all accounts this week was one of the best this year!

Dorado and yellowfin were found close to shore along the current break, which was easily found with all the floating debris.

Billfish action, while a click slower, is still good enough that Mark Rayor, owner of Vista Seasports, is headed out this morning to try to get one on the fly.

Our Guide, Lance Peterson, reported good beach activity as well. “Schools of gaff top sail pompano continue to provide some challenging opportunities. I see them feeding actively but have to work to catch them. Sparse fry baitfish, in small sizes, has been effective. As always find the bait and you find the fish. Around the sardina schools I've been catching jacks and roosters (to 5lbs), ladyfish, as well as some pargo.”

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 76-96
Humidity 83%
Wind: SE 2 to 3 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:35 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:43 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Offshore action for dorado, small yellows and football sized tuna was great throughout the week. TD IVO produced some squirrelly weather late in the week and rain this morning.

Estero action included spotted bay bass, grouper, and on the surface, a few sierra and corvina down at Devil’s Curve.

The Entrada also produced small yellows and bonito under the bird schools as well as some small halibut in the shallows at Belchers.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 71 -90
Humidity 82%
Wind: NNW 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Rain
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:15 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:25 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
No report received this week, the following report is from the past week:
Not much is happening this week. There are so few clients fishing, there are not many boats on the water. Those boats which are getting out with a client, are only averaging about one sailfish per day and maybe one or two dorado.

The commercial pangeros are still working the areas out about 30 miles and getting four or five dorado apiece, averaging about 25 pounds.

No action has been reported on the inshore for the roosterfish.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 76-96
Humidity 83%
Wind: NNW at 3 mph
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:35 a.m. CDT
Sunset 7:43 p.m. CDT

Right Place, Right time…

Trash Fish?
Endless Season Update 09/15/2007
REPORT #1080 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape

After a slow start September action finally picked up with good catches offshore.Though the water cleaned up after the recent storm, it left behind enough debris to provide cover. The dorado action was some of the best we have had this year. Fish from the teens up to the forty pound class kept most rods bent much of the day. The tuna action remains in front of La Ribera. Unfortunately, it is not exactly a secret spot so either be early or do without. Once the boats begin to stack up the fish go too deep for the fly.

Offshore, marlin action continued with blues and stripes providing the best bite with a few sails mixed in.

Beach action also cranked up with more sardina showing from La Ribera to the Lighthouse. ‘Right place, right time’ is the rule when the small jacks and roosters begin slamming the sardina against the beach and it can be a footrace to get to them before it is over.

School of gaff-top pompano also can be found feeding along the shore. Use fluorocarbon tippet (8 – 12 lb.) and small flies and a slow retrieve.

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 73-95
Humidity 84%
Wind: NNW 3 to 4 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10miles
Sunrise 7:34 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:38 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Offshore action picked up right where it left off after Henriette. Plenty of smaller dorado and yellowtail can be found at the pinnacles in front of Boca de Soledad. Farther out, more marlin are showing every week. Football sized YFT’s were also found inside of the Thetis Bank in a fairly large area stretching back toward shore.

This week marked the beginning of the opening of Shrimp Season so most of the locals opted not to fish in the Esteros.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 74 -92
Humidity 91%
Wind: NW 11 to 14 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:13 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:31 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Not much is happening this week. There are so few clients fishing, there are not many boats on the water. Those boats which are getting out with a client, are only averaging about one sailfish per day and maybe one or two dorado.

The commercial pangeros are still working the areas out about 30 miles and getting four or five dorado apiece, averaging about 25 pounds.

No action has been reported on the inshore for the roosterfish.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 73-95
Humidity 84%
Wind: NNW at 4 mph
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:34 a.m. CDT
Sunset 7:48 p.m. CDT

Hurricane Henriette Leaves Mud & Dorado

Henriette dumps plenty of water
Endless Season Update 09/08/2007
REPORT #1079 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
In spite of assurances that Hurricane Henriette would head out to the west missing Baja Sur, she made landfall on Tuesday on southern Baja leaving plenty of mud and debris in the wake of strong winds and lots of rain. Damage was minimal except for a couple of arroyos that filled up and all the main streets in town that had been dug up to replace the sewer pipes turned into a muddy mess.
Before the storm the fishing had been reasonably good and the action has once again picked up where it left off.

While the sailfish seemed to have taken a powder, the “stripeys” and blues provided the best action in the billfish department this week with the better action down to the south.

All the debris which was washed down out of the arroyos was just the cover needed to attract the dorado in closer to shore. Yellowfin tuna action remained close to shore but has moved farther down outside of Punta Colorada.

Don’t bother looking for much along the beach until later this week as they took a pretty good hit from the large wind waves that thrashed the beach.

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 76-96
Humidity 85%
Wind: NW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:38 p.m. MDT

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

According to Diana Hoyt, our Clients, Tom St. Pierre and his friend from Orangeville, CA, fled the East Cape with Hurricane Henriette on their tail but found excellent dorado and yellowtail action offshore while the East Cape dealt with the wind and rain.


Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 72 -92
Humidity 77%
Wind: WNW 16 to 21 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 7:08 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:47 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The heavy rains from late last week did just about as predicted. The fishing has been fairly slow this week, due to the water conditions being affected by the 9 inches of rain we got in a 24 hour period.

On Thursday, Santiago, on the panga Gitana, went 24 miles and still had yet to find blue water, nor did he get a strike from any kind of a fish. He told me this morning (Saturday) he was heading out to the 1,000 fathom line (30 miles) or beyond to find the fish.

There were several reports of lots of dorado being taken by the commercial pangeros, but all of them were 30 to 35 miles.

The inshore is still murky and probably will not clear up for another week.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 70-90
Humidity 95%
Wind: E at 21 mph
Conditions: Cloudy (rain)
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:01 p.m. CDT

Henriette a Threat?

Endless Season Update 09/01/2007
REPORT #1078 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape

Baja eyes are looking to the south as the usual procession of September storms begins their march up the west coast of Mexico. Hopefully, they will continue out to the west and miss the Baja peninsula.

There was some much welcomed rain earlier this week; not enough to dampen the marlin bite, or even the football-sized tuna bite in front of La Ribera. And finally we have a few small dorado further down to the south of us.

Inshore action remained good for small roosters, pompano and a few ladyfish from the beach and close to shore.

Water temperature 78-87
Air temperature 76-96
Humidity 85%
Wind: NW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:38 p.m. MDT


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Estero action took a backseat this week with the great action outside the Boca.

The dorado action remained consistent throughout the week. The yellowtail action improved near Cabo San Lazero, producing larger fish. There were also more marlin spotted and several released according to Diana Hoyt of Mag Bay Outfitters.

Gobiernos Baja Fishing Tournament scheduled for last weekend was cancelled at the last minute much to the disappointment on the locals who had been pre-fishing all week.

Water temperature 64 - 76
Air temperature 72 -92
Humidity 77%
Wind: WNW 16 to 21 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 7:08 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:47 p.m. MDT

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
I am writing the fish report a few days early due to the imminent arrival of tropical storm Henriette. There is no way of knowing the intensity at this time, but when we get 6 to 15 inches of rain in less than a day, it usually knocks out our internet service for a while.

The tropical storm fairly much says it all, as it is due to hit Saturday, and will probably wipe out the fishing for a few days after. The blue water will be pushed out to maybe as much as 30 miles, and the inshore will be brown and dirty from the debris coming from the numerous rivers we have along the coast.

The blue water will recover the fastest, with the tree laden current lines attracting schools of dorado. Plus, all this week, even though the sailfish fishing has been a bit slow, the blue marlin are still very active. At least 3 blues a day are being hooked by the 10 boat fleet.

Depending on the intensity of the rainfall, the inshore fishery for the roosters and jacks may take up to a couple of weeks to recover.

5:00 am update: The storm bypassed us, and we had some heavy rain last night, but nothing like what I was expecting…only four inches of rain. The port is still closed and will not open until late today.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 70-90
Humidity 95%
Wind: E at 21 mph
Conditions: Cloudy (rain)
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:01 p.m. CDT