Species Galore

REPORT #1018. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 07/08/06
East Cape
Fourth of July week at East Cape was memorable for the pleasant weather (though toasty mid-day), little wind and great fishing. Ed Lowery arrived from Las Vegas with his 10-year old son Nick on Sun. (7/2) and from Mon. to Wed. fished outside Cabo Pulmo, (tuna, skipjack, bonito and triggerfish); Punta Colorada, (snapper, pompano, cabrilla and needlefish); and the beach (jack crevalle and ladyfish). Nine species in three days! They also saw billfish and roosters, but couldn’t get them to bite.

With dark clouds of bait strung up and down Bartle Beach, it is not hard to figure out where to be early morning. The diving pelicans are a dead giveaway where the fish are feeding. Just a few yards outside the bait are herds of ladyfish, jacks swimming along the bottom; and roosters grabbing any bait that strays from the school.

The action for dorado was fair a few miles outside of Las Barracas, yielding a few fish from low teens to 40 pounds. We spotted the tell-tale V marking the greasy surface of the sea early morning, tossed a few sardina and the sea exploded – not with the expected dorado – but with a school of 10- to 15-pound pompano which sums up this week: always expect the unexpected at East Cape.

Water temperature 74-85
Air temperature 71-94
Humidity 30%
Wind: ENE 4 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:39 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:08 p.m. MDT





Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Offshore there have been a few dorado close to the buoys 10- to 20-miles west of the entrada. At the entrada, there are a few yellows mixed with sierra under the bird schools. Still reports of large tuna schools west of Cabo San Lazaro.
Up in the esteros there has been some action on snook near Devil’s Curve. Larry and Martha Warlaumont arrived aboard “Retriever” and are spending the entire week checking out the esteros using the big boat as a mother ship.

Lopez Mateos reported good corvina, grouper and a few palometa amarillo up to the north. Offshore, a few dorado and good tuna action out toward the Thetis Bank.

Water temperature 61 - 66
Air temperature 68-80
Humidity 87%
Wind: NNW 2 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:43 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:20 p.m. MDT


Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 82º water is holding great roosterfish action inshore and fairly good sailfish action offshore. This last week or two has only seen a total of about 7 to 10 boats a day fishing, but they are averaging two to three sailfish each in the blue water; or about four large roosterfish if they are concentrating on the inshore fishery. The roosters are averaging 30- to 42-pounds.

A few dorado are starting to show and this should pick up notably over the next few weeks.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 84
Air temperature 72 - 84
Humidity 83%
Wind W 4 mph
Conditions: Thunderstorms
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:16 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:24 p.m. CDT