Action till the end

Endless Season Update January 2, 2011
REPORT #1239 "Below the Border"
Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

After a week of great weather, with clear days and low-80's midday, the north wind fired back up on New Year's morning.

Pressure was light all week with just a handful of boats getting out each day. Those that did make it out were rewarded with some nice-sized dorado outside of Punta Pescadero, a few very respectable thirty-pounders included. There are still a few billfish but the water temps continue to plunge.

Inshore, remarkably there are still some leftover roosters from one of the most productive rooster seasons ever recorded. Slowly, however, they are being replaced with sierra and jacks, as well as good sized pargo and grouper.

Current East Cape Weather  http://tiny.cc/EastCapeWeather303

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

New Year's brought cooler weather and water temps to the entire area. Partying seemed to be more important to most with few interested in braving the cold to go out into the Pacific to find the white sea bass or grouper.

Same thing inside the bay; the transition for most locals now is to focus on whale watching to satisfy the impending horde of tourists seeking their own close encounter with one...…Bob Hoyt

Current Magdalena Bay Weather  http://tiny.cc/MagBayWeather150

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The terafin.com satellite photos show the blue water moving out and away from Zihuatanejo Bay to the north to about the 15 mile mark. But, on a 200º to 180º heading to the south, it is still within six miles from the lighthouse.

And, the fishing has been excellent. We are coming out of the full moon period, and going into our most productive blue water time of the year for sailfish…January.

Each boat is averaging about three sailfish a day released in the blue water. High boat in the fleet this week was Martin on the cruiser Gaviota with nine sailfish releases.

But, the biggest surprise is that the roosterfish have come back. Actually, I don’t think they came back, as our local fish headed south for warmer water in early November, but we are getting a great showing of a southerly migration from parts unknown to the north of us.

Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos went 1½ hours north on Tuesday and raised 28 roosters, hooking and releasing 10. He was using surface poppers and slow-trolled live bait. Per Adolfo, they varied from “fairly small to medium to large”. Cheva, on the panga Dos Hermanos II, worked the areas to the south to the antennas and below, doing well on three roosters and lots of large jack crevalle.

Jose Pino, in Puerto Vicente Guerrero, where I am going tomorrow, told me there are lots of roosters and jacks. Hopefully, we will get into some of the action.

Ed Kunze …Ed Kunze

Current Zihuatanejo Weather  http://tiny.cc/zihuatanejo582

Cabo San Lucas

This past week was probably the slowest for striped marlin that I have seen in some time.  There were fish out there, but for some reason, perhaps the cold water, they did not want to bite.  A few boats were able to get a released fish or two, but they were few and far between.  For the most part, seeing the fish was the best anglers were able to do.  Most of the fish were seen in the cold water on the Pacific side, or just along the temperature break on the east side of the cold water plume.

Yellowfin tuna fishing continues to be a hit-or-miss proposition as the fish moved a lot.  The most consistent action was close to shore between the Palmilla resort and the Inman Bank for boats that slow-trolled live bait or chummed with sardina.  Catching two or three fish to 35 pounds was not unheard of but most of the fish were slightly smaller.  Offshore, finding the white-bellied porpoise was key, as there were very few fish found that were not associated with them.  If you were one of the first boats to the porpoise you had a decent chance of getting bit on fish to 70 pounds (most of them much smaller), if the porpoise held fish, and many did not.  One of the largest groups of porpoise we have seen in a very long time showed up mid-week 30 miles to the south.  There were porpoise to the horizon, and a mix of yellowfin with them, bigger fish in one spot, smaller fish in another.

We are almost ready to hang it up as far as trying to target dorado this new year.  There are still fish out there as many boats have shown this week, but there are no consistent concentrations to be found.  A few boats came in with great catches this week, some with four of five fish to 30 pounds, some with just a couple, but most of the boats did not get any at all.  

Sierra were found by pangas working the beach on the Pacific side up around Migraino.  These fish were not large but they were there in large numbers. Many shore fishermen got into these fish as well!  In other areas a few amberjack as well as a few yellowtail provided action, and just off the beach some very nice-sized jack crevalle (to 35 pounds) and bonito provided excitement.  .…George and Mary Landrum

Current Cabo Weather  http://tiny.cc/cabo191