REPORT #1236 "Below the Border"
Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Wire is a must for these toothy sierra
East Cape
North winds prevailed early in the week and residual conditions lasted for several days. If the warm water pockets could be found there were still a few takers, including dorado and striped marlin lurking beneath the surface. Unfortunately few anglers could be coaxed into gambling on the conditions in hopes of the possibility of a bite.
Most opted for the inshore where there were sierra, small roosters and jacks within a few miles of the hotels, which allowed anglers to flee for cover if a wind line suddenly appeared on the horizon.
Current East Cape Weather http://tiny.cc/EastCapeWeather303
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
With water temps on the outside hovering around 70°s, the billfish action has been spotty at best. According to Terrafin SST's the water temps are beginning to creep upward, which is an encouraging sign. There are a few football-sized tuna along with some dorado around some of the shark buoys.
The esteros continue to produce a variety of species including grouper, corvina, pargo and a few snook under ten pounds for the few anglers fishing this week…Bob Hoyt
Current Magdalena Bay Weather http://tiny.cc/MagBayWeather150
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80° blue water is still only about 7 to 8 miles off the beach, with some outstanding action this last week. Even though the sailfish have been excellent, the blue and striped marlin are stealing the show.
Early in the week, Mike Garrett of Malvern, Arkansas, fished with Mecate on the cruiser Aqua Azul. Mike had a great couple of days of fishing, plus the Razorbacks beat Alabama, so his week was fantastic. First they released a sailfish, then Mecate spotted a huge blue marlin which was trying to get at a dorado next to a turtle. The dorado was using the sea turtle as a shield, and would move to where the repeated attempts by the marlin failed. Mecate brought the trolled lures and baits nearby the turtle, and hooked the marlin solid in the corner of the jaw on the second pass. Mike released the estimated 400-pound blue after a two-hour fight.
The following day Mike fished inshore for small game with Arturo on the panga Janeth, and got about 35 fish of several different species.
Mark and Doug of San Diego, CA, also had an incredible day fishing on the super panga Huntress with Francisco. This was Doug’s first bill fish experience ever, and he ended up releasing a black and a striped marlin. The total count for the day was four sailfish, a black marlin weighing about 200 pounds and a striped marlin weighing approximately 100 pounds. All of the fish were taken on a SW heading between 16 and 20 miles.
Argentine fly angler Enrique Amatore fished with Cheva and me for two days on the panga Dos Hermanos II. In total, we raised 12 sailfish, one blue marlin, and one striped marlin. Seven sailfish and the two marlin followed the hookless teaser to the boat, with Enrique hooking a sail and the striped marlin..…Ed Kunze
Current Zihuatanejo Weather http://tiny.cc/zihuatanejo582
Cabo San Lucas
The lower water temps seem to have brought more striped marlin into the area, but the moon phase (maybe) has had the effect of keeping their mouths from opening on most bait and lures. Boats are seeing several dozen fish a day but are lucky to get three or four bites, releasing one or two fish a day. Almost all the action has been on the Pacific side of the Cape just off the beach near drop-offs that concentrate what bait has been out there. There have been plenty of fish offshore as well, but not concentrated in any one area.
There have been quite a few scattered schools of football-sized yellowfin tuna this week, with the fish ranging in size from 8 to 25 pounds and a few larger fish to 80 pounds on the outside of the schools. While much more common than they have been, it is still not wide open by any means, but when you do get into the fish there are multiple hook-ups. The fish have been found from near the shore to 30 miles off the beach and most of them have been to the south and west. Larger fish have been found near the temperature break outside the 1,000 fathom line to the west of us.
Cooling water slowed down the dorado bite close to home, but reports from the Punta Gorda area have been that the fishing for dorado in that area has picked up, and all the way to the East Cape, even though the water is cool, the fishing has been fair to good for these great eating fish. In our area, the water near shore on the Cortez side has produced some decent fish to 25 pounds, and the same depth of water on the Pacific side has produced a few more fish, but in smaller sizes.
I thought that the wahoo bite was over, but the past two days seemed to have proved me wrong as friends of mine caught six yesterday and two the day before. Working near shore and slow trolling with rigged dead baits they have been catching fish ranging in size from 25 to 40 pounds. Other boats have been getting one or two here and there, so the fish are still around.
Small roosterfish, the occasional yellowtail, some decent sierra and an occasional amberjack rounded up the normal inshore catch this week. A few pangas got into some grouper and snapper, and a few focused on the dorado. Both sides of the Cape produced, but the sierra were more concentrated on the Pacific side. The numbers of yellowfin have proven to be a big draw and quite a few pangas are venturing farther offshore in search of the fish.…George and Mary Landrum
Current Cabo Weather http://tiny.cc/cabo191
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