A Flash of Yellow

Frank Fink displays his East Cape flash of yellow photo John Torres










Endless Season Update 03/05/2009
REPORT #1156 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

Much to the disappointment of Baja on the Fly’s client, Peter Gell, grumpy weather returned just in time for his trip. Pete toughed it out though and came back with a sierra and a few small skipjack. Our guide Lance Peterson credited Peter’s success to his strong casting skills.

Mid-week there was a flash of yellows that dazzled the locals. Everyone was looking for something that floated to use to get out to the bite. Tin boats, kayaks, and even surf boards were all crowded around the “hot spot”. It looked like the old days at the Coronado Islands before the gillnetters wiped out the yellowtail there.

Lance Peterson reported this morning that the weather is amazing again today so far. Flat seas and no wind! There was a lot of whale activity yesterday with many seen breaching and tails slapping. Near the beach there were a few frigates on the hunt. Below them the bait would scatter on occasion…ballyhoo of the size-large variety. A few obvious rooster combs and even a large school of milling jacks spotted. Looked promising…

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 58-88
Humidity 62%
Wind: NNW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:37 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:24 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Whale watching is into its final month and the number of mothers and calves in the bay is beginning to dwindle.

There is still a good showing of yellows and sierra beneath the birds at the entrada.

Even the Esteros have perked up a bit with a few leopard grouper, corvina and supposedly a couple of decent-sized snook at Devil’s Curve.

Rumors of tuna and dorado offshore have everyone fired up for the upcoming Tournament this weekend. But the way the locals see it, if the fishing action is slow, the BIG Band and good food promised by Clicerio Mercado, will make up for it. Mercado is the event coordinator for the Puerto San Carlos Copa Gobernador Tournament which will be held March 6 and 7, 2009.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 58 -87
Humidity 56 %
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:27 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Baja on the Fly’s fly fishing client, Pete O'Neil from Boise, Idaho, was fishing with Mike Hollern of Bend Oregon and caught his first sailfish ever, without even taking a practice cast with the guide's 14wt rod...Maybe that is the secret to success (?).
Location: 9.4 miles off the point at Puerto Vicente Guerrero.
Captain: Jose Pino
Boat: The panga Angelica
Guide and photo by Ed Kunze




The 82º blue water is still just 6 miles off the beach, with the cooler 79º water which was pushing down from the North, retreating a bit. This has led to better than expected sailfish action this last week.
Mike Buckley and Captain Francisco, on the panga Huntress, are still maintaining their high boat in the fleet average with three to five sailfish releases each day.
Most of the boats in the fleet are averaging about 2 to 3 sailfish a day. The blue marlin are still a possibility, with a few reported strikes every day.
Fly fishing clients Mike Hollern of Bend Oregon and Pete O'Neil of Boise fished with me down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero for a day. While we did not raise many sailfish, we did get one to eat Pete's fly, and after a 25 minute fight, the sailfish was tagged and released.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 70-98
Humidity 78%
Wind: N at 2 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:02 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:53 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

Last week the striped marlin bite at the Golden Gate Bank dropped off considerably and this week it turned on again. At times it seemed that you could almost walk across the bank by going from boat to boat. One angler reported counting 74 boats working the area at 10 am but almost everyone had left by 2 pm. He said the fishing was much better and also easier without the crowds. Elsewhere there were marlin reported but not nearly in the numbers as at Golden Gate.

There were some decent quality yellowfin being reported from the Gorda Banks and around the Inman area, but while the quality was good, it was scratch fishing with only a couple of decent bites per boat in the morning. Most of the fish were in the 30 to 50 pound class but for every yellowfin bite, there were 15 to 20 bonita and skipjack to go through.

Dorado action slowed this week, probably the result of less floating debris being found, or it could be because most of the boats were focusing on the striped marlin bite at the Golden Gate Bank.

There was a bite on baby wahoo on the Cortez side of the Cape close to shore. Some small 6 to 8 pound wahoo were caught by pangueros fishing for sierra and they were quite the surprise for most of the fishermen.

Sierra averaging 6 pounds was wide open on both sides of the Cape this week. Mono leader got bit more often but more of these were lost than were landed. Fly fishermen had a blast with these fish! There were scattered amberjack, roosterfish, pargo and jack crevalle to be had as well as a few Pacific barracuda and needlefish.

The whales are still out there. As a matter of fact a few boats have had very close encounters, including “Bad Company” a 60 foot Viking that had one come up under it while traveling at 22 knots.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 - 78
Air temperature 61 - 90
Humidity 54%
Wind: W 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:38 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:25 p.m. MST