Mag Bay Still Sputtering…

Endless Season Update 11/24/2007
REPORT #1090 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

More celebrating Thanksgiving and less fishing is the report this week! Lance Peterson did report that the beach looked great, but because of a finger injury he was unable to take advantage of it.

Water temperature 75-80
Air temperature 60-74
Humidity 82 %
Wind: WNW at 10mph
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:40 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:31 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Most of the talk this last week has been about how great the 2007 bite was. However, Bob Hoyt of Mag Bay Outfitters, reports that there is still ‘fair’ billfish action being found below the Entrada near the pinnacles in spite of the windy conditions; nothing like the double digits of last month but enough to keep things interesting.

He also reports that the Estero action has continued to produce good catches of grouper, pargo, corvina and a few snook. Most of that action took place up toward Boca Santo Domingo.

Water temperature 67 - 75
Air temperature 56 -70
Humidity 66%
Wind: WNW 13 to 18 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudyr
Visibility 13 miles
Sunrise 6:50 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:37 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The 84° blue water is just a couple of miles off the beach. All conditions, with calm seas and clear skies, are perfect. But the fishing has been a bit on the slow side.

The blue marlin have been making another showing this week, with about one blue being caught by the fleet almost every day. There are still a few dorado around, and each boat is averaging one to two sailfish a day.

The Northern rooster migration seems to be making its way down, but are still a fairly long boat ride to get to. I was talking to a homeowner up at Saladitas. Saladita is a little over an hour boat ride from Zihuatanejo Bay. He told me there were huge schools of bait out in front of his house, and about 20 big roosters herding them.

I also talked with a surfer who had been up to the Ranch. The Ranch is another 1/2 hour above Saladita. He told me the bait was actually trying to hide under the surfboards, and huge roosters were dashing in and out trying to get at the bait. He said it was the first time he had experienced anything like it, and it was fantastic.

To prove the point even more about our local roosters having disappeared, we fished down South at Puerto Vicente Guerrero and only raised 5 roosters and three jack crevalle after a long day of constant casting with the poppers.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 67-95
Humidity 86%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 4 miles
Sunrise 6:56 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:09 p.m. CST

Mag Bay Winding Down…

Endless Season Update 11/17/2007
REPORT #1088 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape
As East Cape begins the fall-to-winter transition, the weather becomes more sporadic. Most of this week was ‘picture perfect’ until this morning when the north wind began howling down the Sea of Cortez.

There were still good catches of tuna this week, though some boats traveled long distances south to find them. Smatterings of dorado were also to be found along with a few early morning wahoo.

Beach action for small roosters and jacks was good early in the week but the north wind will probably slow that down for the next few days.

Water temperature 77-85
Air temperature 52-81
Humidity 74 %
Wind: NNW 11 to 14 knots
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:35 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:33 p.m. MST


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

The best offshore season in years has been enjoyed off Mag Bay with marlin being taken in extraordinary numbers, but the cold winds crept in and have brought off-color water and cooler temperatures which have slowed the action down dramatically! Bird schools are few and far between as the remaining boats in the area fan out looking for warmer water.
The bright spot is that inside the Entrada this week the boats caught quality yellows in the 30 – 40 lb. range.

Up at Boca Santo Domingo, the Estero action was non-stop for pargo, grouper, and corvina, and a few small snook were landed with several larger ones lost.

Hopefully the winds will back off, the warmer water will be found and everyone will get another “whack” before the season shuts down entirely.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 59 -83
Humidity 83%
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:45 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:39 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 84° blue water is just off the beach. The seas are almost dead calm, and fishing conditions are ideal. The fishing has seen a variety of action this week, with a lot depending on being at the right place at the right time.

Most boats are averaging a sailfish a day, and we are also getting blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and dorado.

For one day counts this week, Cheva on the panga, Dos Hermanos II, got two sailfish and two dorado for his client. Santiago, on the panga, Gitana, took a 275 pound blue marlin while fishing with Russ Kirtchner of Iowa. Laura Sanders of LA got 1 sailfish and 7 yellowfin tuna while fishing with Captain Ruben on the Vamonos III.

Adolpho, on the panga Dos Hermanos, found the roosterfish concentrations again by traveling 20 miles to the North. They got 5 roosters weighing 30 to 50 pounds. And, Dave Martin of Colorado also took a 50 pound rooster while fishing the Pantla area on the panga, Esturion.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 70-94
Humidity 89%
Wind: NNW at 3mph
Conditions: Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:10 p.m. CST

WOW! Double Digits!

Endless Season Update 11/3/2007
REPORT #1087 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape
Thanks to all of you who emailed me last week to remind me that the time changes this week in the U.S. However, this is a “Below the Border” report and the time changed in Baja last Sunday morning.

Sam and Janet Farish, Atlanta, GA, enjoyed a week of great weather and fishing this week with double-digit roosters, sierra and ladyfish inshore. Offshore it was dorado and yellowfin tuna rounding off a great week of East Cape fishing.

Then they headed up to Lopez Mateos in Magdalena Bay to sample the even hotter offshore action.


Water temperature 77-85
Air temperature 66-90
Humidity 83 %
Wind: NNW 7 to 9 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 2 miles
Sunrise 7:26 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:39 p.m. MST


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Early November and the fishing is easy…offshore. Sam and Janet Farish on their first day headed out on the “Mar Gato” with Captain Sergio and our guide Lance Peterson.

Their day started quick! In the first ten minutes they were both tight to fifty pound wahoo. Today they headed out for hopefully more of the same action on the Thetis before sliding down to the anchorage at Santa Maria Bay to spend the night.

Billfish action from the Entrada to below Pta. Tosca could only be classified as “wide-open”. Bird school after bird school in every direction you looked but even as you slid on the spot you could never be sure what might be there. Marlin, tuna, dorado or wahoo? As one angler put it, “They were biting everything; probably would have bitten an old tennis shoe!”

If you are heading this way, bring plenty of tackle. Double digit fishing goes through the tackle fast!!!

Water temperature 72 - 82
Air temperature 67 -88
Humidity 76%
Wind: W 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:36 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:45 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 82° blue water is only a very short ride out of Zihuatanejo Bay, and with the effects of the full moon period winding down, the fishing action has been steadily improving.

The boats are averaging between 1 and 2 sailfish a day, per boat. Plus, at 12 miles, there is still a long weed line which is holding large dorado.

Paul Zobeck, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters on the Kenai River, has fished with Adan on the panga Gitana II for 2 days. They have taken 7 dorado, averaging about 25 pounds.

Yesterday (Friday), Mike Griffin of Anchorage, fished with Captain Poli on the Don Gordo II, taking 4 dorado from 25 to 45 pounds.

This seems to be a week for Alaskan people fishing here, because Cali and I went down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero with Jim Albert to fly fish for roosters. Jim manages one of the Brooks River lodges of the grizzly bear watching fame. We arrived to find the inshore waters had dropped from an ideal 82° down to 76°. The roosters and large jack crevalle had left for other parts unknown. It was a very tough day of fishing, with only three roosters raised.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 77-97
Humidity 65%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Cloudy
Visibility 9 miles
Sunrise 7:46 a.m. CST
Sunset 7:14 p.m. CST