“Ocho Ocho” - the Place to Go

Endless Season Update 04/09/2009
REPORT #1161 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

Best action reported is to the north, close to the 88. Loads of dorado and some marlin.
Closer to shore, anything floating seems to be holding schools of small dorado.
Same story inshore with a continuing run of quality roosters mixed in with some big-shouldered jacks north of Punta Pescadero all the way to Muertos.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 57-87
Humidity 60%
Wind: NNW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:38 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Outside, the dorado can be found around the shark buoys and the small yellowfin tuna are within ten miles of Boca de Soledad. There’s still some decent action at the Entrada for small yellows and some remaining sierra.

Estero action has been spotty. The few anglers fishing there found small snook, grouper and snapper at Devil’s Curve.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 52 -81
Humidity 55 %
Wind: WNW 14 to 19 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:47 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

For all species, the fishing here has really been very slow this week. Historically, this is a typical April trend. Then when the cooler water current moves out, the fishing rebounds after the first week of May.

The blue water is still holding between 10 and 12 miles out, but the average is only about 1 sailfish per boat, per day. I was on the beach early this morning watching the night fishermen bring in their catch, and even it was very small. However, this could be attributed to the full moon phase. There was one commercial fisherman who had a few football sized yellowfin tuna, but he said he had to go 50 miles to find them.

Even the inshore jack crevalle action, which has been so hot the last few weeks, completely shut off this week.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 68-86
Humidity 72%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:40 a.m. CST
Sunset 8:00 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

This time of year the Sea of Cortez, specifically up at the Punta Gorda area around the Inman Banks is where you’ll find the best striped marlin action…mostly tailing fish and you’ll need to be pretty accurate with your casts. However, if you manage to get bait within 10 feet, the chances are pretty good of getting a hookup. The better scoring boats are releasing 5 to 7 fish per day; others, one or two.

A few nice yellowfin were recently caught at the Gorda Banks, nothing earthshaking but some decent fish to 50 pounds. There were also several pods of dolphin that did have fish with them, 10 to 20 pound football-sized fish. Most were on the Cortez side of the cape.

There have been scattered 20+ pound dorado in the warmer waters offshore on the Sea of Cortez. Hook one up and there’s a fair chance of getting another following behind the hooked one. Spotting the frigates feeding was the key, although blind trolling resulted in some as well.

Inshore action has definitely been good. Sierra and yellowtail continue to dominate the inshore action. While not large, the sierra are in great numbers once the schools were found. There has been great action just outside the beach on the Pacific side at Pueblo Bonita Sunset Resort and on the Cortez side outside the Cabo Del Sol Golf Course. Most boats have been able to get limits for their anglers using sardina as live bait, but blue/silver swimming plugs and hootchies did well also. A few yellowtail in the 8 to 10 pound class with a few fish to 25 pounds and an occasional fish that could not be stopped. Added to the mix of fish caught were the occasional pargo and amberjack as well as some small roosterfish.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 61 – 91
Humidity 62%
Wind: WNW 14 to 19 kts
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:04 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:38 p.m. MST

Early Billfish Pop

Endless Season Update 04/02/2009
REPORT #1160 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape
Every day can be different this time of the year. The last few days have been terrific!

Mark Rayor, Vista Sea Sport, reported, “Yesterday, we fished straight east about 15 miles. There was a wide open dorado bite to the north of us. Although we saw jumpers all over, the marlin didn’t bite until the afternoon and we ended up with two. Our second one was only 4.5 miles from the house.”
Beach action was best from La Ribera to the lighthouse with numerous small schools of sardina attracting roosters, jacks and ladyfish right up to the shore line.

Cerralvo Island fishing report:

“Outside the warm water bulge continues to produce dorado on the buoys, while yellowtail action is slightly slower but still good. Sierra, cabrilla and pargo are abundant inshore and the winds are calming more and more.” Tim Hatler
Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 58-84
Humidity 75%
Wind: SE 4 to 5 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:11 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:46 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Regardless of the cool water, the dorado remain just a few miles offshore. There are also some football-sized tuna with skipjack mixed in.

The esteros were lightly fished again this week but they did yield a few grouper, spotted bay bass and on the surface, some small sierra and corvina.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 52 -82
Humidity 80 %
Wind: W 9 to 13 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:43 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

With almost the cruelty of a bad April Fools joke, you can be fishing in beautiful blue water, and not see a sign of life. Then you check the water temperature. The 77º reading makes it obvious if you want to catch a sailfish, instead of trolling lures, you would be better off trolling a jacket.

There is a strong cold current pushing the blue water, and it is meandering. It can be at 4 miles in the morning, and then 10 miles in the afternoon. The boats are only averaging one sailfish a day per boat.

There are no tuna or dorado showing, and even the blue marlin bite has died off. Historically, this is very typical for April. In a couple of weeks, the private yachts will start arriving and will be fishing out at the 45 to 50 mile mark. They will do well on blue marlin and large yellowfin tuna. It is all a prelude for the good things which start happening in May.

The best action on the coast is the large jack crevalle. Earlier in the week, Gordon Krantz of Texas fished with Cheva on the Dos Hermanos II. This is what he had to say: "We caught yellowtail jacks till my poor old arms couldn't take it anymore. The most fun, however, was catching them on top of the water...Poppers." The hard fighting jacks were averaging between 18 and 25 pounds.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 68-86
Humidity 72%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:40 a.m. CST
Sunset 8:00 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

There have been just a few striped marlin caught this week. Most of these fish were found on the Pacific side inside the San Jaime Bank area. These fish have been tailing down-sea and when you found a hungry one, you had a chance at a hook-up. The problem was, not many of the fish were hungry! Maybe a quarter of the boats fishing this week returned with a Marlin flag, quite a difference from last month.

There were plenty of bonito to be hooked up, and in those schools yellowfin were reported as well, but they just would not bite.

There were some dorado to be found in the warmer waters on the Cortez side of the Cape this past week. The waters just offshore of the Westin and at the Inman Bank held fish that were not large, but there were some decent numbers averaging 12 pounds. Offshore just a few miles there were larger fish to 40 pounds…few and far between.

Inshore was definitely the way to go this week if you wanted action. Sierra and yellowtail continued to dominate the inshore action this week. While not large, the sierra was in great numbers once the schools were found. There was great action just outside the beach on the Pacific side at Pueblo Bonita Sunset Resort and on the Cortez side outside the Cabo Del Sol Golf Course. There were not great numbers of yellowtail found this week, but they were showing up in the fish boxes of the pangas. Most of them were firecracker fish in the 8 to 10 pound class, but there were a few nice fish to 25 pounds and an occasional fish that could not be stopped. Added to the mix of fish caught were the occasional pargo and amberjack as well as some small roosterfish.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 58 – 84
Humidity 75%
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:11 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:36 p.m. MST

Roosters…Yellows…Dorado!

Endless Season Update 03/26/2009
REPORT #1159 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape


Inshore action dominated this week. Sierra and a few good quality yellowtail were found from Cardonal to Punta Arena, with the largest concentration of sierra from Punta Pescadero to El Cardonal. Warmer water produced a few jacks and roosters as well.

Rumors of offshore dorado some distance from the beach failed to entice many out there. There didn’t seem to be much concentration, so it made for a long boat ride.
The recent nice weather has been favorable for fishing from the beach and the few that tried it reported good signs of bait, particularly from La Ribera to Punta Pescadero.

Palapas Ventana (Las Arenas area) report: “Mackerel are gone locally - but there are plenty of sardina that will do the job to get those yellowtail for those using live bait. Just keep them out of the rocks please --no slack line ever -- I just bent a spear shaft up good by playing with a 30 pounder too long -- now imagine what a 50 pounder will do to you and your gear!

Now the weird thing is that dorado just showed up and they are good size. Why? Sea surface temps have spiked a little outside towards 88 - I guess that’s why... but under the backside buoys, the dorado are congregating…waiting for flies and baits!! Too much fun!!

Winds are up and down this time of year but the lulls are lengthening and the weather is warming up fast!!” Tim Hatler

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 56-86
Humidity 75%
Wind: ESE 6 to 8 knots
Conditions: Mostly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:32 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

As early as it is the dorado and football sized tuna are showing around the shark buoys according the commercial fishermen. Inside was pretty much the same story with little sportfishing activity. The Entrada is still providing some decent action for small yellows and sierra. Most of the sandy beaches have small halibut in shallow water.

Up in the Esteros, surface action for corvina was widespread from Puerto San Carlos to above Lopez Mateos. Down deeper it was a slow pick for both grouper and mangrove snapper.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 51 -83
Humidity 77 %
Wind: WNW 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:37 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The 80º blue water has moved out to about the 12 mile mark, with the offshore action slowing down a bit. The boats are only averaging 1 to 2 sailfish a day each. Few dorado are being caught, and the blue marlin bite has even slowed. No tuna were reported.
The one highlight is the jack crevalle action has really turned on big time. Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, reported the big jacks are running between 20 and 25 pounds. He is getting them as they crash on bait about a 1/2 mile off the surf line. These are very hard fighting fish and excellent on light gear or the fly rod. He also reports a lot of sierra.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 72-90
Humidity 60%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:45 a.m. CST
Sunset 7:58 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The wide open billfish bite on the Golden Gate that began last November seems to have finally come to a close. Now we are most likely going to be doing the normal fishing, casting live bait in front of tailing fish as they move through the area. With the water cooling down and turning a bit green, we might expect to see a few swordfish in the next few weeks.

There has been very little yellowfin tuna action with only a few fish being reported for the entire fleet. Most of the dorado action is in the warmer waters on the Cortez side and inshore most of the fish taken were in the 12 to 15 pound class with a few larger ones up to 40 pounds occasionally found offshore.

Sierra and yellowtail continued to dominate the inshore action. While not large, the sierra were in great numbers once the schools were located. Though not in great numbers, a few yellowtail have been showing up in the fish boxes of the pangas. Most of them were firecracker-sized fish in the 8 to 10 pound class, but there were a few to 25 pounds and an occasional large fish that could not be stopped. Added to the mix of fish caught were the occasional pargo and amberjack as well as some small roosterfish. The fishing action has mostly been inshore, but there were some days when the bonito averaged 15 pounds and provided a good fight on the right gear when fishing offshore.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 56 – 86
Humidity 67%
Wind: WNW 11 to 14 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:33 p.m. MST

Nicer Weather…Better Bite

Endless Season Update 03/19/2009
REPORT #1158 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape
















The recent nice weather was favorable for fishing from the beach photo Mark Rayor
Inshore action dominated this week. Sierra and a few good quality yellowtail were found from Cardonal to Punta Arena, with the largest concentration of sierra from Punta Pescadero to El Cardonal. Warmer water produced a few jacks and small roosters as well.

Rumors of offshore dorado some distance from the beach failed to entice anyone out there. There didn’t seem to be much concentration, so it made for a long boat ride.
The recent nice weather was favorable for fishing from the beach and the few that tried it reported good signs of bait, particularly from La Ribera to Punta Pescadero.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 58-83
Humidity 48%
Wind: SSE 5 to 7 knots
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:24 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:30 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Whale watching has begun to wind down and rough conditions outside kept the few anglers inside. There were small bait schools on the surface at the Entrada. With birds diving from above and sierra and small yellows chasing the bait from below, it created quite a commotion, making it easy to see from a long way off.

Punta Belcher even produced a few halibut in the shallows!

Up in the Esteros, it was mostly bay bass with an occasional grouper or snapper. There were a few corvina to be had at high slack under the bridge at the entrance to Puerto San Carlos.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 57 -82
Humidity 93 %
Wind: W 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:37 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Considering we are in a full moon period, with the 80 degree blue water between 8 and 10 miles off the beach, the sailfish action is holding up as well as could be hoped for. Dorado are sparse, but the cooler water pushing down from the North is still bringing blue marlin into the area.

Plus, because of a strong pelagic crab migration moving through the area, the game fish are not eating off color trolled baits aggressively. If you are trolling bait, it better have a lot of red to match the color of the crab.
Each boat in the fleet is raising 3 to 4 sailfish a day and catching 1 or 2. The blue marlin are still holding with about 30 percent of the fleet getting strikes.
Martin, on the cruiser, Nautilus, hooked two blue marlin in one day, and was only able to leader the smallest. It was estimated to be about 180 pounds. On the second day he fished, they released 3 sailfish.
Margarito, on the cruiser, Gaby, reported averaging 1 or 2 sailfish a day in the blue water. He then went inshore one day and they got into a lot of large jack crevalle near the rock pinnacles in front of Ixtapa.

Mike Buckley and Capt. Francisco on the panga, Huntress, are still holding up to have the best weekly catches of the fleet. Mike reported this: "Capt. Francisco had a good week releasing 9 sailfish and 2 striped marlin on three trips. The fish have moved out past the 16 mile line with most of the action between the 20 and 25 mile lines. Lots of clean blue water all over and multiple strikes are common. Several blue marlin have been landed this week."

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 70488
Humidity 70%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:51 a.m. CST
Sunset 7:57 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The striped marlin bite tapered off a bit this week as we saw the full moon make its appearance. With the fish feeding all night long, the fish that were caught were biting in the late afternoon. For this reason most of the charter fleet boats were not flying many marlin flags on their return. The few private boats that braved the weather out there and stayed until 5 or 6 PM returned flying outriggers full of blue flags. With less competition in the afternoon and the fish starting to feed, they were able to do quite well.

Once again there were not very many fish caught this week. The few fish that were caught this week were from either very fast moving small groups of dolphin or as a result of heavy chumming with sardinas up around Punta Gorda.

There were scattered dorado caught among the feeders at the Golden Gate Bank as well as some fish scattered up around the Punta Gorda area early in the week. Without any floating debris to hold them we have just not seen very many this week.

Sierra were the fish of the week inshore, with the appearance of some decent yellowtail adding to the excitement for those fishing close to the beach. Add in the occasional jack crevalle, pargo and amberjack, and factor in the conditions offshore, I think that the pangas were the way to go this past week!

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 57 – 86
Humidity 50%
Wind: WNW 8 to 10 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:25 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:30 p.m. MST

Puerto San Carlos Tournament a Local Hit

Endless Season Update 03/12/2009
REPORT #1157 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996




Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico



The composite photo above from the Puerto San Carlos Copa Gobernador Tournament last weekend is irrefutable evidence of how popular this series of tournaments has become in Southern Baja. The photo of families crowded together shoulder to shoulder fishing from the Puerto San Carlos commercial pier is one that many would have never thought would happen.

Clicerio Mercado, organizer of the Copa Gobernador Tournaments in Baja has done an outstanding job of bringing the communities together and introducing sportfishing to families and their kids and it is working. Each year the number of participants grows. Why wouldn’t it? Small entry fees, cash prizes, free stuff…hats, t-shirts, good food and of course the fish.

Corvina, mojarra, cabrilla and yellowtail showed up in good enough numbers to make it a contest. As the winners were announced everyone whooped and hollered for their friend and neighbors who won the cash prizes.

According to Mercado, much of the events success was attributable to API office in San Carlos.

Congratulations to our good friend Captain Sergio Garcia from Lopez Mateos for his win in the grouper division.

Results

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 52 -73
Humidity 82 %
Wind: NW 13 to 17 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:39 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:34 p.m. MST

East Cape

Local Jim Gray with yellowtail caught near Rancho Leonero photo provided by John Torres
Unseasonably calm weather produced an uptick in the fishing action. While there were few boats and anglers to capitalize on the good bite, a couple of pangas found a drifting dead seal and the fly fishermen racked up some double digit numbers of dorado…some of them up to forty-five pounds. It was literally fish till you drop or until you can’t lift a rod anymore.

The warmer water below the light house also had a few striped marlin but there were few anglers who cared.

The inshore was the place to be or maybe no one was willing to go any farther. Roosterfish cruising well within casting range could be seen at several different beaches all week with the lack of wind.

The big news was the ongoing yellowtail bite that keeps going off sporadically. One day it is over the top and the next it is all about pelicans sitting on the water. When it does go off, it is ‘bendo’ for yellows all the way up to fifty pounds. The fifty pound ones are probably the ones that got away…you know how fisherman are.

Don’t forget the sierra that are a nuisance when they buzz through at the same time as the yellows, leaving you with a line fluttering in the breeze as they bite through the line and all.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 60-75
Humidity 77%
Wind: NE 4 to 5 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:31 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:27 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

This week we are averaging about 1 or 2 sailfish a day per boat. Dorado are sparse, but the blue marlin bite is heating up. The 81º blue water is still only 5 or 6 miles off the beach, but the boats that are getting in on most of the action are getting their fish from 18 to 20 miles out. The cooler 78º water is still holding to the North, but should move in within the next couple of weeks. This will bring in the blue marlin in force.

At least 30% of the boats are getting a shot at the big blues, and a few of them have been leadered every day this week.

The super panga, Huntress, with Mike Buckley and Captain Francisco, is still holding up to be the high boat in the fleet, and has been for this last 4 weeks. When they find the fish, they are still getting double and triple hook ups, with one day being a double on sailfish, and a blue marlin taking the third bait. However, as with all the boats, the fish are not aggressive and are short-biting the baits. The total for the Huntress was 30 strikes for 5 days of fishing, and 10 sailfish released. They also got a nice 40 pound dorado.

Santiago, on the panga Gitana, is averaging 2 sailfish a day released, and got a nice blue marlin yesterday (Tuesday).

Early in the week, the private boat Moonlight, out of Marina Ixtapa, fishing with Arturo Ramirez of Morelia, Michoacán, caught a nice 500 pound blue marlin, and then the next day took a huge 56 pound dorado.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 70-88
Humidity 78%
Wind: ENE at 3 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:56 a.m. CST
Sunset 7:55 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The amazing striped marlin action continues as the Golden Gate area went red hot again. It was combat fishing most of the time with boats running to the feeders as they popped up. Many boats caught good numbers by drifting with live baits set deep, while the rest of the fleet ran around chasing the bird schools. Getting your live bait on site was the key to getting good numbers.

Dorado were scattered among the feeders at the Golden Gate Bank, and there were a few fish up around the Punta Gorda area as well. The lack of floating debris to hold them makes them harder to find.

Limits of sierra are the norm now, and there is also a good showing of pargo, amberjack and yellowtail on the Pacific side.

While there has been an extraordinary showing of whales this year they seem to be beginning their northward migration.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 61 – 84
Humidity 75%
Wind: WNW 13 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:31 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:28 p.m. MST

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

Beach Bites Back

Endless Season Update 02/25/2009
REPORT #1155 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

2009 FLY FISHING SHOW AT Pleasanton, CA
Northern California fly-fishing fanatics will converge at the Alameda County Fairgrounds this February 27th, 28th, and March 1st for the annual Fly Fishing Show.

Gary’s Presentation, “Baja and Mainland Mexico Do it Yourself,” will be held in the RELEASE ROOM
Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and again Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
East Cape

Finally a photo, John Alverez is the angler
“We are heading up to Punta Perico…WFO yellows and pargo!” And then later, “We’re back, tough fishing…one twenty pounder and a few firecrackers. Pargo floated, but none landed. No photo”

Sure, the good sierra bite has been going on for a while. However this week the fishing from the beach yielded more fish than the tin boat fleet could scrape up. As the word spread, a few beaches looked like some kind of festival was going on. Locals gathered before the sun came up to get in on the hot bite. Using everything from bait to crocodile lures, the fishermen’s plastic five gallon buckets filled up fast. For some who figured out a hand-lined, slow-retrieved crocodile lure was the hot ticket, their buckets filled much faster. A few of the alert fly guys went to slow retrieved chartreuse Clouser and matched the Mexicans fish for fish…

Dorado have been feeding along the color line but there has been little or no concentration.

There’s plenty of tuna to look at outside of Las Frailes, but unfortunately there are not many hungry ones. Some quality yellowtail in the 30 to 40 pound range are showing near Rancho Leonero. Hopefully, the yellowtail will stick around and give us some good action like they did last year.

Striped marlin are being taken by anglers using live bait fishing deep on the bank outside of La Ribera.

Though there are plenty of sardina and mullet around, the North winds are still an issue; early mornings are mostly calm but the winds usually pick up around noon and remain through sundown.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 61-91
Humidity 66%
Wind: NNW 10 to 14 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:44 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:22 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Still plenty of the crowd pleasing whales cruising about for the crowds arriving each day. They are not disappointed, as the mommas and their young-uns frolic in the bay.

Still grumpy seas on the outside preventing much pre-fishing for the next big tournament in Puerto San Carlos. Enrique Soto reports a good yellowtail bite out at the Entrada. According to his shark fishing buddies, there are some dorado outside the Entrada up to the west out as far as twenty miles.

Puerto San Carlos Copa Gobernador Tournament will take place March 6 and 7, 2009.

Clicerio Mercado, the event coordinator, promises a BIG Band during the awards’ lunch around 3:00 pm at the weigh station.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 54 -92
Humidity 89 %
Wind: NW 13 to 18 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:27 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

2/25/09 Rob Morton, Portland OR Jack Crevalle Taken on a 10wt fly rod while being teased in off a hookless Yo-Zuri Popper. Caught in the Saladitas area about 25 miles North of Zihuatanejo. We were fishing out of Majahua with Ramon. Photo and fly fishing guide: Ed Kunze
The blue water is still just a few miles off the beach, but a cooler 79 degree area is moving down from the North. The division between the 79 degree water and 82 degree water is right in front of Zihuatanejo. What is the significance of this? There will be fewer sailfish, and more blue marlin with the yellowfin tuna not far behind These two species prefer the water a bit cooler than the sailfish.
And, this has been what was happening this last week. Most boats were raising 4 sailfish each day, and one blue marlin. Margarito on the Gaby averaged 4 sailfish raised and 1 blue each day, with Martin on the Nautilus, fishing with fly fisher Pat Dunlap of Oregon, raised 5 sailfish and two marlin in two days.
The one day total high boat in the fleet was the panga Huntress with 8 sailfish hooked and released.
Inshore action is picking up with the larger jack crevalle, and even a couple of roosters were caught this last week. Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos caught an estimated 60 pound rooster off Playa Buena Vista slow trolling a large live mackerel, plus he said he took a couple of smaller ones on smaller live bait.
Pat Dunlap, fishing with Martin on the Nautilus also took 6 large jacks between 18 and 22 pounds near the White Rocks. They were all taken on Rapalas. Fly fishing client, Rob Morton of Portland Oregon, took a very nice jack the on the fly while we were fishing up near Saladita. He also got a small rooster.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 71-90
Humidity 59%
Wind: NE at 2 mph
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:07 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:51 p.m. CST


Cabo San Lucas

Though there were still some striped marlin at the Golden Gate, they were not very hungry this week. You could throw live bait in front of at least twenty fish before finding one that would bite. Other areas experienced similar results and the fish were even more scattered. Almost every place you went you could find marlin on the surface but their mouths remained tightly closed.

Dorado remained the fish of the week as most boats were returning with between five and ten fish. Anything found floating in the water was likely to hold at least a few dorado and some of the fish were a very respectable 40 to 50 pounds. Working the current lines was the best way to find the floating debris and both sides of the Cape produced fish.

There were a few wahoo (in the sixty pound class) caught in the open water 15 miles or more due south.

Sierra dominated the inshore action. Most anglers were able to catch limits of these fish that ran to 8 pounds. There were also quite a few small roosterfish, more than are normally seen this time of year. In addition to the sierra and roosterfish, inshore action also produced jack crevalle and amberjack and the pargo bite in the rocks just keeps on going!

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 - 78
Air temperature 61 - 91
Humidity 66%
Wind: WNW 10 to 14 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:44 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:22 p.m. MST

Eye of the Beholder

Endless Season Update 02/18/2009
REPORT #1154 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
2009 FLY FISHING SHOW AT PASADENA CENTER
Southern California fly-fishing fanatics will converge in Pasadena this weekend (2/20-21) for the annual Fly Fishing Show at the Pasadena Center.
Gary will present a “Baja and Mainland Mexico Do it Yourself” in the CATCH ROOM
Saturday 4:00
Sunday 3:00

East Cape
















“Wind ripping…kite boarders delight…”

Though there were come complaints of wind, it seemed to be an ‘eye of the beholder’ kind of week with conflicting reports all over the map!

My email has been full of East Cape fishing updates some of which are below:

“Wide open yellowtail bite right in front of the hotel…no photos.”

“Wind ripping…kite boarders delight…see photo.”

“We are heading up to Punta Perico…WFO yellows and pargo!” And then later, “We’re back, tough fishing…one twenty pounder and a few firecrackers. Pargo floated, but none landed. No photo”

And finally, “The hotel has been sending out two or three boats per day, with all boats doing well…no photos.”

I feel like I am listening to the judges on American Idol. Seven contestants/days…six bad, one ‘okay’ but that one is declared the ‘best ever’ by some.

ATTENTION ALL EAST CAPE FISHERMEN!!!

SAGARPA, the government division that oversees fishing regulations and fishing licenses, has installed a new Port Captain in Los Barriles. In addition to the Port Captain, there are two full time employees, Jorge Castro, whose job it is to sell licenses and a super panga Captain who will be in charge of enforcement.

The boat dispatchers at the various hotels will also have the required fishing licenses available for purchase.

SAGARPA intends to begin enforcement immediately.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 57-82
Humidity 62%
Wind: NW 15 to 21 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:49 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:17 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Offshore action has been limited all week because of high winds and rough seas. Still a decent bite out at the Entrada for small yellows, along with enough sierra to deplete the fly box.
Inside the esteros the action was limited to a few leopard grouper and snapper plus cabrilla.

Seems like there are more whales than tourists this week.

Puerto San Carlos Copa Gobernador Tournament will take place March 7, 2009.


Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 56 -78
Humidity 37 %
Wind: NW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:23 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The 82 degree blue water is still just a short run from the harbor. The overall fishing for both the inshore and offshore is picking up, and should continue the trend as we get out of the full moon phase.
There is a lot of bait inshore, with the jack crevalle, sierras, black skipjack tuna, and birds all getting in on the feast.
In the blue water, the sailfish action is also picking up. A few marlin strikes were reported, and a couple of dorado were taken.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 73-89
Humidity 65%
Wind: NE at 15 mph
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:11 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:49 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The bite at the Golden Gate Bank for striped marlin remained slower than it has been with good days bringing release numbers of three or five fish per boat. The bite at the Finger Bank was reported to be excellent, as there is much less pressure up there.

Tuna were mostly football and small school fish to 30 pounds. There were some found up around the Inman bank and out toward the Cabrilla Seamount as well as a few scattered schools mixed with dolphin on the 1,000 fathom line south of the San Jaime Bank

A dead whale produced a large number of decent sized dorado to the boats. There was a large section of rope found just off of the Solmar Beach that produced great results until someone decided to pick it up and take it home.

One of the best spots this week for sierra was off of the El Dorado development on the Cortez side of the Cape. Most anglers were able to catch limits on fish that ran to 8 pounds. There were also quite a few small roosterfish and jack crevalle around.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 - 78
Air temperature 57 - 82
Humidity 49%
Wind: NW 7 to 10 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:49 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:18 p.m. MST

Winds Drop…Fish Pop!

Endless Season Update 02/12/2009REPORT
#1153 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
















Why you need wire


East Cape



According to Mark Rayor, owner of Vista Sea Sport, the fishing early in the week picked up when the wind died. Punta Pescadero was the scene of an outrageous sierra bite that went on as long as the chum held out. Even the yellow tail began to bite. One mossback, weighing nearly fifty pounds, was caught off of one of the rocky points. Everyone is being ‘mum’ on the exact spot; no one wants a repeat of last year when the local gillnetters swooped in and in one morning wiped out the whole school.

Reports of 74 to 75 degree blue water a few miles offshore sucked a few boat out and they were rewarded for their efforts with limits of dorado.

Then Wednesday morning, the north wind returned effectively preventing anyone from getting out to fish.

IMPORTANT AND ATTENTION ALL EAST CAPE FISHERMEN:

The government division that oversees fishing and fishing licenses - SAGARPA - has installed a new Port Captain in Los Barriles. In addition to the Port Captain, there are two full time employees - Jorge Castro - whose job it is to sell licenses and a Super Panga Captain who will be in charge of enforcement.

The boat dispatchers at the various hotels will have the required fishing licenses available.
Licenses are: $136p/day, $284p/week, $408p/month $531p/year.

SAGARPA intends to begin enforcement immediately.
Hmm…could last week’s Road Trekker have made a difference? http://roadtrekker.blogspot.com/

Lance Peterson, our East Cape Guide reported, “Just returned from some kayak fishing out front this morning. I was motivated by seeing a twenty pound dorado almost beach itself chasing a ballyhoo. I wasn't out there long before I spotted another dorado swimming on the surface. I took a cast but no interest. On the way back in I was surrounded by a school of quality roosters...10 to 15 pounds, I'd say. I hooked two but could not get the hook to stick! Fun to see them though! I was surprised to see how close they would come to the kayak.”

Water temperature
67-75
Air temperature
55-77
Humidity
73%
Wind:
N 8 to 10 knots
Conditions:
Partly Sunny
Visibility
10 miles
Sunrise
6:54 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:12 p.m. MST



Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Whale watching continued to dominate the water activities again this week, as the strong winds and high seas kicked up most of the week.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature
67 - 73
Air temperature
51 -76
Humidity
91 %
Wind:
NW 12 to 17 knots
Conditions:
Partly Sunny
Visibility
6 miles
Sunrise
7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:19 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico



With the full moon, the fishing has slowed down considerably. The 82º blue water is still only about 5 miles off the beach, but the fish are not biting.
Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, said it is "muy mal"...In other words, “real bad”. And, when one of the best captains here can't get a sailfish in the blue water, or even a jack crevalle off the back side of the surf line, it IS really bad! Adolfo does think the game fish are here, and said in one more week we will have good action again.
Earlier in the week, and before the full moon, I had fished with John Spriggs down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. We raised 4 sailfish, had two teased to the boat, and he hooked one on the fly rod.





Ed Kunze



Water temperature
78 - 83
Air temperature
72-86
Humidity
65%
Wind:
NE at 1 mph
Conditions:
Mostly Clear
Visibility
10 miles
Sunrise
7:15 a.m. CST
Sunset
6:46 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas



The Finger Bank was still reported to be a wide-open bite on striped marlin by the boats that went there early in the week. Many of these boats reported releasing up to 20 fish per trip. The fishing at the Golden Gate Bank dropped off quite a bit as the fish have appeared to have moved off in search of baitfish, but there were still quite a few being caught, definitely better fishing there than anywhere else in easy reach. A good day at the Gate resulted in four to six fish per boat while the average was two to three fish.

There were striped marlin reported off of the ledge at the Westin and a few boats were doing all right drifting live bait at depths of 50 to 100 feet.

A couple of boats reported catching several small tuna to 20 pounds in the blind while trolling around the 1150 area looking for dorado, but there were no schools to be found.

Water conditions on the Pacific side at the end of the week forced many of the boats to fish on the Cortez side of the Cape, and as a result there were many more dorado caught last week from the same area. Most boats were coming in with at least two, and often as many as five dorado. Average size was 18 pounds but there were a few that went as large as 40 pounds.


I talked to one angler this week who told me he had caught a dozen small wahoo. After asking a few questions, I had to tell him they were large sierra. There were a few fish taken however, and the bite was scattered between the Gray Rock and Punta Gorda. Only a few fish were reported on the Pacific side early in the week.

As listed above, the sierra bite has really begun to take off; at least it had started to until the wind kicked in. The same goes for the pargo in the rocks…most of the activity had been on the Pacific side. The Cortez side still delivered a decent amount of these fish, but not to the number count from the Pacific side. Amazingly enough, there have still been quite a few roosterfish caught. While not the large fish we get later in the year, these fish have been in the six to twelve pound class.





George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature
75 - 78
Air temperature
55 - 78
Humidity
66%
Wind:
WNW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions:
Partly sunny
Visibility
10 miles
Sunrise
6:54 a.m. MST
Sunset
6:14 p.m. MST

Baja Winter Delivers!

Endless Season Update 02/04/2009
REPORT #1152 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape




























When their cruise ship offered a lay afternoon in Cabo, Jim and Val Isaacson took the opportunity to fish a half-day. Jim brought in a rooster fish and Val caught two red snappers, which they had prepared by Soloman’s Restaurant at the Marina before catching their shore boat back to their ship for a late evening departure.

This time of year the quality of fishing is completely in the hands of the ‘wind gods’. A calm evening is no guarantee of calm seas the next morning. Though many a night the windows rattling in their frames give audible validation that the morning will bring grumpy seas.

Almost always the tin boat guys can be found in the early morning darkness with coffee cups in hand, their shadowy silhouettes gathering on the damp sandy beach. They wait for the Baja morning to determine their work for the day…fish or chores?

Occasionally there will be a morning when the sun rises up from a sea so calm that it appears to be an unbroken sheet of glass where any feeding fish can be spotted instantly.

This week included a few of those days and the boys fishing inshore did well catching plenty of sierra as well as a few small jacks. The few hotel boats that ventured farther offshore were rewarded with a few dorado and tuna. Reports of marlin persisted, but few blue flags were spotted on the returning boats.

Lance Peterson reported, “Beach fishing has been hit or miss for me this week despite some calm mornings and ample baitfish along the shore. Some days there is consistent action on pompano, jacks, and ladyfish; other days have provided very little action. Roosterfish have been in short supply recently with only a few fish spotted chasing bait. Farther off the beach, fleeing baitfish and swooping frigates point toward the presence of game fish. However, I have not ventured out there to see what is biting. Reports from the local tin boat fleet have indicated a decent dorado bite just a mile off the beach.”


Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 55-88
Humidity 68%
Wind: NE 5 to 7 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:07 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Copa Gobernador Tournaments part of the XVI Gray Whale Festival was a huge success with good sized tuna, yellowtail and large groupers being the big winners. The winners all wore big smiles and the others vowed to do better next year.

The whale watching continues in full force as tourists arrive by the bus loads. These giants of the sea are the biggest hams in Baja, providing plenty of photo ops for those willing to get up close and personal.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 56 -79
Humidity 61 %
Wind: WSW 4 to 5 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:08 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:13 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Sailfish and dorado fishing has slowed down a bit; however all the captains are telling me "there are a lot of fish out there…they are just not biting." The boats are averaging about five raised sailfish a day each, but they are only hooking one or two.

Baja on the Fly client, Phil Barker of Pleasanton, CA, fished a day with me in the blue water down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. The fly line parted on the first sailfish he hooked. After the hook set, you have only a nanosecond of time. You are up against a 75 pound fish that has been clocked at 68 miles an hour, and is the fastest fish in the ocean. If you hold on to the fly line too long, things start to break down. Fortunately, the second fish Phil hooked was tagged and released.

Inshore, we’re seeing lots of bait and birds, and there is even some decent jack crevalle action. The action depends on whether the bait has moved to the inside or just outside of the surf line. It is dangerous to get in too close to the surf line, so if they are inside the surf line, we just have to leave them for another day.

There are some large cero mackerel being taken on trolled rapalas by the White Rocks. Jacob Schougaard of Denmark caught five with Marcos on the panga, Oceana. The ceros were between 8 and 11 pounds, and were the largest Marcos had ever seen. Jacob also released two sailfish on the Oceana the next day.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 72-86
Humidity 58%
Wind: NE at 6 mph
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:42 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

This week the Golden Gate Banks still held billfish but they were not as hungry as last week. A few boats ventured up to the Finger Bank and reported excellent action there. Scattered strikes were reported almost all over the place but the normal fishing areas for the stripers still produced better than others, i.e., Golden Gate Banks, the ledges off of the lighthouse on the Pacific side and off of Red Hill in the Cortez as well as the point off of Los Arcos on the Pacific.

The Inner Gorda Bank produced a few fish to 50 pounds on live bait early in the week and there were tuna to 35 pounds found at the same time up in the Punta Gorda area. At the end of the week, the fish moved off but there were reports of some yellowfin to 30 pounds being caught by blind trolling 10 miles south of Cabo.

The dorado were on the flats up off of Punta Gorda yielding two to five fish per trip. The point off of Los Arcos had two days of excellent fishing with many boats getting their anglers their limits of two dorado each. The ledge off of the lighthouse on the Pacific side also produced quality fish averaging 15 pounds.

A few wahoo were found on the flats at Punta Gorda as well as a few from the rocky points on the Pacific side. These fish were small.

The sierra bite has been good and the fish are nice sized…between 8 and 10 pounds. Also a good grade of yellows is beginning pop occasionally near the Rocky points as well as some pargo to 25 pounds right in the rocks.

The first few gray whales of the year appeared this week very close to the beach in 30 feet of water.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 - 78
Air temperature 57 - 83
Humidity 69%
Wind: WSW 5 to 6 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:09 p.m. MST

Best Fishing: Cabo Marlin-East Cape Beach

Best Fishing: Cabo Marlin-East Cape Beach
Endless Season Update 01/28/2009
REPORT #1151 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape





















The north wind can tough to work around

While there were a few nice days, this is not the time to plan a trip around fishing at East Cape. Sure the fish are still here…a few dorado, maybe a marlin or two and all the sierra you might want, but the wind can tough to work around.

On the other hand, the beach produced well on some days according to our guide, Lance Peterson.

“There were lots of fish off the beach at times but they were feeding on really small bait and were pretty tough to feed a fly. Nonetheless, we caught small roosters, jacks, pompano, and even black skipjack.”

So while the weather isn’t ideal, you might get lucky!

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 53-77
Humidity 67%
Wind: NNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:00 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:03 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Welcome to one of the greatest shows on earth…if you are looking for gray whales, that is. The season is in full force and every day more busses arrive, disgorging eager tourists with digital cameras clutched in their fists hurrying to the pier to have an ‘up close and personal’ experience with one of these giants a few hundred yards in front of the pier.

Adding to the excitement this weekend is the first in a series of localized Copa Gobernador Tournaments. These tournaments attract many local families seeking cash prizes, tackle, and
Tee shirts while introducing many to sportfishing for the first time.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 53 -79
Humidity 83 %
Wind: WNW 8 to 10 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:09 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Our sail fest slowed down a bit this week. This can be accounted for by several reasons. The blue water is still close to the beach, but it cooled down a couple of degrees. And, we had a small earthquake last Tuesday, which really shuts off the bite. Plus, on Monday, we had a barometer pressure drop come over us, dumping a little rain in the mountains behind us. A barometer drop is tough on fish. They go deeper in the water column to balance out the pressure, and hate to come to the surface for a trolled bait.
The fish are still here, and if we can get the favorable conditions back, the fishing will definitely improve.
Most boats are raising five to seven sailfish a day, but only hooking one or two. Again, they are just off their feed from the weird unseasonal conditions.
Jacob Schougaard of Denmark hooked a sailfish on the fly when fishing with me down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. We raised 5 sailfish and a huge dorado, which did not take the fly.
Marcos, on the panga Oceana, got two sails and a 250 pound blue marlin for his best day. And Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, told me he got two roosters while fishing up North beyond Saladita. He also said there were a lot of big jack crevalle. The jacks are running 15 to 20 pounds.

Ed Kunze
Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 72-87
Humidity 61%
Wind: SE at 2mph
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:19 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:39 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

Striped marlin continued to dominate; every boat that tried for them was able to get hooked up. The best bite for the boats that stayed local was at the Golden Gate Bank. The fish were coming up on small bait balls. As soon as the pelicans and frigates started to dive on the bait, the seals started feeding as well, and then suddenly there would be a half-dozen or more marlin swirling on the bait. Sometimes they remained up for 15 or 20 minutes, other times they would disappear almost as fast as they showed up. Live bait tossed into the ‘feeders’ almost guaranteed a hook-up. There were also plenty of fish found at the Finger Bank, but with hot action at the Golden, there was little reason for boats to travel that far. Some fish were showing up on the ledge at the lighthouse and on Friday evening quite a few scattered singles were feeding just outside of Cabo San Lucas Bay.

The Dorado bite definitely dropped off for almost all the boats this week as the water temperature continued its slow but steady drop. A good catch of dorado this week seemed to be two fish, but most boats did not catch any.

The sierra action for fish between 8 and 10 pounds continued throughout the week. There are also some quality-sized yellows starting to show occasionally off of the Rocky points as well as some pargo to twenty-five pounds near the rocks.

Still no gray whales to report, but plenty of humpbacks.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 73 - 82
Air temperature 55 - 81
Humidity 72%
Wind: WNW 3 to 4 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:00 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:05 p.m. MST

Cabo and Zwhat Rocks…East Cape and Mag Rests

Elivis is the only one that likes the wind

Endless Season Update 01/21/2009
REPORT #1150 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996


East Cape

Very few visitors in the hotels again this week with only a boat or two heading out on the non-windy days. One Palmas boat returned yesterday sporting two blue flags with small red flags beneath. I guess that means they caught something with a bill that they let go??? They also flew five yellow flags indicating dorado, I suppose. Most of the locals have had to be content with sierra, small roosters and jacks before the north wind cranks up.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 62-73
Humidity 71%
Wind: NE 2 to 2 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:57 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Good news for the whale watchers….more whales! And for the surfers, the bigger surf has attracted surfers on Jet Ski’s. Both of which have over shadowed the fishing this week. There were a few sierra and corvina along with a few grouper and pargo deeper in the water column. Out at the Entrada there were more firecracker yellows under the bird schools. However, the show went pretty much unnoticed because of a lack of anglers in the area.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 62 -77
Humidity 56 %
Wind: NW 4 to 6 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:13 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:03 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Our sailfish fest is still holding up. The 83º blue water is still just off the beach and the boats are all scoring well. Early in the week the counts were down a bit because of a lot of fishing pressure with most boats working an area 8 to 12 miles in a southerly direction, but now the concentrations of fish been relocated and they have moved more to the North-West.

The Tournament Anglers Association is holding their annual 4-day tournament this week, with 17 pangas and 34 anglers. After day two days of the tournament, the points leader was John Jackson, with 7 sailfish and 1050 points. The TAA is an outstanding group of fishermen dedicated to the conservation of the billfish species. Their point system is set up so the angler gets 150 points per fish when the leader is touched within 5 minutes. Points are deducted for every 5 minutes after that. No points are given for a fight of 1/2 hour or more. And, all of this is using circle hooks and a maximum of 20 pound test line.

I am getting reports of a few roosters being caught up North above Saladita, so tomorrow I will try that. Today (Thursday), I am fishing with Toronto, Canada angler, Gary Megan, with the fly rods for sails. He hooked two a couple of days ago, and wants to do that again.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 74-89
Humidity 58%
Wind: SW at 12mph
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:20 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:35 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

Once again striped marlin were the top fish, giving anglers all the action they could wish for on most of the boats that worked the Golden Gate Bank. Not every day was a red-letter day though; we saw a definite slowing of the bite right around the full moon, several days either side of it seemed to be better. The same held true for the action we had been having on the Lighthouse ledge as the bite went from red-hot to hot to cool over three days. At the Golden Gate the better catches were had just before the full moon and boats that had experienced anglers were releasing double-digit numbers per day. That bite died to two or three fish per day during the full moon, and as of Saturday things had picked up very well

Yellowfin remained scarce this past week. A few boats managed to get into some fish ranging from 20 to 50 pounds working due south of Cabo on Tuesday. On Wednesday the fish had moved north about 15 miles and on Thursday they disappeared.

The best action for dorado appeared to be close to the beach on the Pacific side of the Cape. With an average size of 15 pounds, most boats were able to get two to five fish trolling live bait under areas where the frigate birds were hanging out, or trolling bright colored artificial lures within a mile of the beach. An occasional 35-pound fish added spice to the catch as well.

The sierra bite is picking up and the fish are very nice size, between 8 and 10 pounds when you find the right areas. There are a few nice yellowtails starting to pop up occasionally off of the Rocky points as well as some pargo to 25 pounds right in the rocks. Many of the pangas have been working just offshore for dorado and striped marlin and doing fairly well.

We are still seeing plenty of humpback whales outside of the beach area but have not seen any gray whales yet…at least I haven’t. The whale harassment fleet (whale watching charters, the small panga guys) can be spotted right on top of the pods, often 10 boats at a time.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 73 - 82
Air temperature 63 - 84
Humidity 32%
Wind: NW 2 to 3 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:02 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:00 p.m. MST

Mexican Fishing Licenses: More = Less

Endless Season Update 01/14/2009
REPORT #1149 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

The box below compares the cost of the 2009 Mexican Fishing licenses with the cost in 2008. The price of the licenses actually went up about 8%. However, the peso rate increased in favor of the dollar by about 31%. The lesson here is to purchase your Mexican License with pesos and it will be cheaper than it was last year.

Mexican Fishing license cost two year comparison
2008 1 USD =10.9076 MXN 2009 1 USD = 14.2829 MXN
2008 1 day license 130 pesos ($11.92) Weekly 260 pesos ($23.84) Annual 500 pesos ($45.84)
2009 1 day license 140 pesos ($9.80)Weekly 290 pesos ($20.30)
Annual 540 pesos ($37.81)


There are few guests at the hotels so most of the boats are not heading out. North winds blew most of the week creating a left over lump along the beach which prevented even the tin boat fleet from getting a couple of hours fishing in before the relentless wind pounded the beach in the afternoon.

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 57-77
Humidity 65%
Wind: NNW 9 to 12 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:53 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

The annual influx of tourists arrived in search of a close encounter with the rapidly growing number of whales that have begun arriving from the North. Every year the number of visitors seems to grow. Meanwhile the fishing almost comes to a standstill while the town puts on a short lived, eco-friendly image. An image that quickly disappears when the ‘big guys’ leave.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 56 -78
Humidity 68 %
Wind: WSW 5 to 6 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 7 miles
Sunrise 7:13 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:58 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

It is still only a short ride to the 83º blue water, and the outstanding fishing for sailfish continues. And, we were in the middle of the full moon phase last week. It is hard to believe, but the great fishing we have now is going to get even better in this next few weeks.

Each boat in the fleet is averaging between four and six sailfish a day, and at least one 20+ pound dorado. Most of the blue water action is taking place between the 12 and 13 mile mark.

The individual counts are almost too numerous to list, but a few examples are like Martin on the Nautilius, averaging five sailfish and a dorado per day, with a high day of nine sailfish released. Martin also hooked a large blue marlin, but lost it after a few minutes. Annual returning fishermen, Billy and Barbara Gray of Hilton head, South Carolina fished 3 days with Santiago on the panga, Gitana, releasing 19 sails, and then one day with Adan on the panga Gitana II, releasing seven.

There is a large group of fishermen from Denmark here now, and they are having a blast. The days they fish the blue water, they gets lots of sails and dorado. The days they are inshore, they are getting lots of jack crevalle and sierras. The only thing missing inshore are the roosters, but they will be back in May.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 80
Air temperature 73-89
Humidity 65%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:20 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:31 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The striped marlin have continued to bite at the Golden Gate Bank. Catch rates varied from between two to ten fish per day. Running to the diving pelicans and frigates and throwing a couple of live baits in among the feeding seals and marlin resulted in many hook-ups on both marlin and pelicans. The striped marlin have also begun to show just off of the lighthouse on the Pacific side. Along the flats at the point, the bait has begun to stack up and many boats are fishing there instead of making the run to the Golden Gate Bank.

There were also a few yellowfin between 15-20 pounds found among porpoise off of Gray Rock, and the same type of action was occasionally found 8-10 miles off the beach on the way to the San Jaime Bank on the Pacific side.

There were decent catches of dorado averaging 12 pounds this week from the Pacific side of the Cape just a few miles off the beach. Farther off shore at 10+ miles, the fish seemed to be bigger... one boat came in with three dorado over 35 pounds

The sierra bite is picking up and the fish are good sized, between 8 and 10 pounds, and a few quality yellowtail are starting to pop up occasionally off of the Rocky points, as well as pargo to 25 pounds right in the rocks. Many of the pangas working just offshore for dorado and striped marlin are doing fairly well.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 73 - 82
Air temperature 54 - 85
Humidity 67%
Wind: ENE 2 to 2 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:55 p.m. MST

Good-to-Great Greets 2009

Endless Season Update 01/07/2009
REPORT #1148 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape

Sierra...Don't forget the wire!
Winter conditions persist with sporadic north winds dictating the quality of fishing each day. There are still reasonable quantities of fish to be found on the good (no wind) days.

Though none of the hotels have more than a few guests and the number of boats going out is light, when they do go out, it is more often than not for half a day until the wind gets them.

In spite of the fact that most of the boats are fishing within 5 miles of shore, the catches have been remarkably good. Plenty of marlin are found tailing down-swell with an occasional bite yielding a fish per day for those targeting them.

Dorado in January? You bet…a few fish are being caught from 5 to 35 pounds, mostly free swimmers in open water.

Sierra continues to be the go to’ fish when nothing else wants to bite or the boats are forced to remain near the shore.

Water temperature 71-76
Air temperature 57-81
Humidity 76%
Wind: NNW 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:48 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

As usual, sportfishing has taken a backseat to Magdalena Bay’s other cash crop…whale watching.

With a few whales beginning to arrive and the promise of more to follow, everyone is focused on preparations for the visitors wanting to get up ‘close and personal’ with these friendly giants of the sea and their newborn.

Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 52 -79
Humidity 44 %
Wind: W 9 to 12 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 7:13 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:53 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

Our fantastic sailfish action has not let up, plus we are seeing more 20+ pound dorado each day. The 82º blue water is just 8 miles off the beach, with almost all the fishing action taking place between the 10 and 15 mile areas.

Jaime Morales, the owner of the Vamonos fleet, told me the Vamonos I fished three days, accounting for nineteen sailfish, four dorado, and one small blue marlin. The Vamonos II had five sails and two dorado for one day, and the Vamonos III had seven sails and one dorado for one day.

Martin on the Nautilus, and Margarito on the Gaby, both told me they are getting an average of five to seven sailfish and two dorado a day.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 80
Air temperature 71-91
Humidity 77%
Wind: SW at 2 mph
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:19 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:26 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

BILLFISH: Striped marlin continued to dominate fishing at the Golden Gate Bank. Catch rates varied from between seventeen fish to two fish per day, depending on the length of time spent there and the experience of the anglers. Running to the diving pelicans and frigates and throwing a couple of live baits in among the feeding seals and marlin resulted in many hook-ups, both on marlin and on pelicans. The other day we released three marlin and three pelicans in an hour. Slow trolling live bait also worked very well.

Another area where the striped marlin began to show was just off of the lighthouse on the Pacific side. Along the flats at the point the bait has begun to stack up and many boats have been saving time by fishing there instead of making the run to the Golden Gate Bank.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: Yellowfin remained scarce this past week. A few football-sized fish are beginning to show up off of the Westin area on the Cortez side of the Cape just a few miles off shore, the same area where we had such a good time catching them on light tackle last year. Using live sardina as chum and bait resulted in catches of up to six fish per boat. There were also a few fish in the 15 to 20 pound range found among the porpoise off of Gray Rock late in the week, and the same type of action was occasionally found 8 to 10 miles off the beach on the way to the San Jaime Bank on the Pacific side.

DORADO: There were decent catches of dorado this week from the Pacific side of the Cape just a few miles off the beach. These were smaller fish averaging 12 pounds, while farther off shore at 10+ miles, the fish seemed to be larger. One boat came in with three dorado, all over 35 pounds.

INSHORE: Near the beach things have been very good. One roosterfish of 50+ pounds was caught and released just to the east of the lighthouse. Others are having a blast on small roosterfish from 5 pounds to 15 pounds.

The sierra bite is getting better with some very nice fish to 8 pounds being caught. A commercial panga had one about 12 pounds. A few nice sized pargo have been found among the rocks on the Pacific side and some good grouper to 30 pounds were brought in as well.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 73 - 82
Air temperature 52 - 82
Humidity 74%
Wind: NNE 5 to 6 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:02 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:50 p.m. MST

Recollections, Anticipations and Updates

Endless Season Update 12/31/2008
REPORT #1147 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape

2008 Looking back, our fishing season was largely spent on the beach in pursuit of roosterfish on the fly. So, as to be expected, it was wind and waves that determined when the ingredients for successful fishing would come together.
As the winter months faded into spring, the opportunities on the beach increased as the North wind subsided. Early season found the usual ‘fast movers’ (jack crevalle and roosterfish) within range of a fly from shore. But it was a few big yellowtail in March that made for the most noteworthy targets from shore.
While the roosterfish are not often big early in the year, the potential for a grande pez gallo is always there, and by spring the reality of roosters pushing the 50 pound mark (and beyond) made every day on the beach interesting to say the least.
Good numbers of big roosterfish made an appearance at the East Cape in 2008 but finding yourself on the right beach, at the right time, with fish ready to eat a fly was critical. When it all came together, countless hours on the hunt paid off in memorable action and a few amazing fish. Beyond playing the rooster game there were ample opportunities for several other species including sierra, pompano and pargo. Lance Peterson, BOF Guide

2009 The last days of 2008 have provided some great weather and calm seas. The early morning bite has been consistent, providing action on a mixed bag of fish. Most of the roosterfish are under 5 pounds as is usually the case in the winter, but there are some bigger fish around also. I have spotted two roosters in the 30 pound class recently, giving hope to the idea of hooking big fish from shore in the winter months.
Of course, I can't help but look ahead to spring, the last of the North winds, and the best months for hunting roosterfish with a fly. The sardina have been concentrating quite well along the shoreline. If that trend continues, I'm optimistic that we will see great fishing at East Cape in the coming year...it's all a matter of being there when the bite is on! Lance Peterson, BOF Guide
Water temperature 71-76
Air temperature 60-80
Humidity 55%
Wind: NNW 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 11 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:43 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Dropping sea temps have slowed the offshore fishing. However, one boat fishing the Thetis reported good catches of yellowtail. There are also some smaller yellowtail, as well as sierra, at the Entrada.

Estero action provided some grouper under ten pounds along with some good surface action for corvina.
Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 58 -79
Humidity 44 %
Wind: WNW 8 to 11 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 13 miles
Sunrise 7:12 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:48 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico



Fly angler: Chris Sovak, New YorkLocation: Mahuja, North of Zihuatanejo about 30 miles
Guide and photo by Ed Kunze

2008 This last year was really kind of a disappointment for fishing here on the West Coast of Mexico. During the peak of the high season, we had unusual cold water currents move in, which caused our warm water game fish to leave for parts unknown. We look at this as not being a long term affect, rather a short term 10-year cycle about to repeat itself.
2009 This coming year should prove this out as our blue 80º water is currently just off the beach, and the fishing is outstanding. Sailfish action will peak during the dark of the moon periods for January and February, with another mini-migration occurring in July. Roosterfish action will heat up in May, and peak at the end of July, but we will still be getting decent fishing into late December. Blue marlin and yellowfin tuna will be best in May and June.

Our fishing is continuing its excellent action on sailfish. The 82º blue water is just off the beach, with most of the fish being taken between 7 and 10 miles.
The yellowfin tuna are still a ‘no show’, but a few blue marlin and dorado are being taken.
Mecate, on the boat Aqua Azul, is averaging 7 sailfish a day released. He has a total of 34 releases in 5 days, but many other boats are doing almost as well.
Plus, the fly fishermen are finally getting a number of shots at sailfish and a decent chance for a hookup. Fishing with Andre Padovanti, of British Columbia, we teased four fish to the boat and he got the hook into two. We were up at Mahuaja fishing with Ramon on his open panga, and launched off the beach.
A couple of days later I went back to Mahauja with Chris Sovak of New York. The fish had apparently moved out of the area, because we raised only one fish all day. At 11:00 a.m., we got the strike, teased it to the boat, and Chris got a good hook set, with the fly firmly in the corner of its mouth. It was Chris's first ever billfish, either on the fly or conventional gear, so it turned out to be a decent day after all.
The next day (yesterday), I went down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero with Joe and Denette Romano. Joe is a hunting/fishing guide out of Anchorage and an avid fly fisher. We raised six sails, and had four come to the boat. He hooked two, and she hooked one.
Inshore action is still holding steady with lots of sierra and smaller sized jack crevalle.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 80
Air temperature 71-88
Humidity 65%
Wind: SW at 12mph
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 11 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:23 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

2008 This has been a very interesting and productive year for us, the fish have been biting well and while the economy has had an effect on bookings the fish don’t seem to care! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you celebrate the New Year in style.

BILLFISH: The marlin bite remained the same but the fish have moved off the Golden Gate Bank a bit. There are still plenty of fish there, but with the number of boats working the area causing traffic problems at times, some of the guys have been working to the south toward the San Jaime Bank and have been finding the striped marlin there as well. Not the same numbers as at the Golden Gate, but the pressure is less.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: Tuna were scarce once again, but a few fish were showing up mixed in with the porpoise around the San Jaime Bank. These fish ranged in size from 10 to 40 pounds with an occasional larger fish to 80 pounds hooked up.

DORADO: The dorado bite was decent this week with fish coming from close to the beach on the Pacific side, most of them within a mile or so, but a few were in the deeper water as well. The warmer water on the Cortez side of the Cape started to produce as we expected and there were good catches of fish to 35 pounds around the Red Hill area and off of Grey Rock.

INSHORE: Panga fishing this week has produced good numbers of small roosterfish, some nice sierra and yellowtail along with a few good-sized pargo. Fly fishermen have been having a blast with the occasional dorado and good numbers of bonita, chumming them up with live sardina.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 73 - 82
Air temperature 61 - 86
Humidity 34%
Wind: SW at 12mph
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility 13 miles
Sunrise 7:01 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:46 p.m. MST