Baja Bytes Fishing – Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Que Pasa Baja
MEXICALI, B.C. (KYMA, KECY)-Health officials in Baja California say they are slowly working their way up to the ‘orange alert.’ However, health officials say Baja California will remain on the ‘red alert’ from July 6 to July 12.
According to the National Public Radio, the orange alert sees 10 to 24 daily new cases per 100,000 people; stay-at-home orders may be necessary unless it’s possible to surge testing and track capabilities.
As of Saturday, Baja California had 5,830 COVID-19 negative cases, 1,180 suspected cases, 9,772 confirmed cases, 1,928 deaths, and 2,580 recoveries.
Here is a breakdown of the latest numbers of the cities in Baja California:
| City | Confirmed | Deaths | Recoveries |
Tijuana 2,976 874 855
Rosarito 103 11 29
Ensenada 863 96 153
Tecate 242 61 102
Mexicali 5,402 879 1,399
San Quintin 186 7 42
Tijuana Bull Ring
Water conditions are improving and so is the calico bass bite.
The kelp line at the Bullring is loaded with bass and some mostly short barracuda.
There is also a massive amount of bait that is mostly anchovy spread out through the flats… Fish Dope
Coronado Islands / Rockpile
Most of the big sport boats have given up on the Islands due to the slow yellowtail bite, and the water has greened up quite a bit.
Right now it seems the best bet is to hit shallow, kelp spots for bass and barracuda waiting for some yellowtail to come through and the boats with a lot of chum are doing the best on the yellows.
Most of the yellows that are caught are coming on fly-lined sardine but be sure and keep a jig stick rigged up with your favorite mint-colored surface iron in case you happen to find a spot of puddlers or working birds.
It seems the best signal is coming from below South Island.
The Lighthouse Kelp, 5 Minute Kelp, South Kelp, and SKR have seen a good mixed bag of fishing including a lot of legal calico bass, and barracuda along with some yellowtail.
If the crowds are too big here, give Ribbon Kelp, Gun Site, Middle Grounds, or the weather side of North Island a look.
Yellowtail are living on all the spots now so it is entirely possible to catch them anywhere around the Islands..… Fish Dope
371 /425 / Upper Hidden Bank
Looking at the chlorophyll chart, you can see that some warm clean water is pushing up from the south.
If you are wanting to go explore new areas away from the crowds, this is likely a good choice..Fish Dope
Ensenada
San Quintin
Cedros Island
Fishermen friends, currently CEDROS ISLAND is closed for foreign tourism by COVID-19. Hopefully, we can go back to fishing with all of you soon.
Bahía Ascensión
The tuna fleet has arrived in Bahia Asuncion. They have been loitering offshore for the past few days. I was out among them and I have yet to see their nets in the water. They seem to be looking for fish just like me, albeit with a bit more tools and expertise. Everything looks right out there. Clean, warm, blue water with lots of bait, birds, and mammals but still no biters except Makos. It’s too windy out there for me tomorrow, but Tuesday through Friday looks real good on the grounds. Stay tuned…Ross Zoerhof
Bahía de Los Ángeles
Randy Champions & Blakes last day wide open yellowtail, fish were from 16 to 22-pounds, Blake and I fished the dropper loop, Randy used all Deadhead jigs, the blue and brown Bastard both worked great – easy limits by 10.30-am. It was a short day as the wind came up early.We also saw a huge whale shark; Blake went for a short swim with this beautiful, enormous fish. Wow!
Many thanks’ to the Champion family for all their generosity and kindness, Maricela, Arlette & Juan. Nanette send hugs and kisses to Tia Pam y Tio Randy…fishonnn&onnn Juan Cook
Baja Sur-Que Pasa
07.02.20 BREAKING: La Paz, Los Barriles, and Todos Santos beaches are all ordered closed!
Because of the increase in coronavirus cases, Mayor Ruben Muñoz is reporting that the municipal health council made the decision to close all beaches in La Paz starting Friday, including Pescadero, Todos Santos, La Ventana, Los Barriles, Bahia de los Sueños, Cardonal, San Evaristo and Puerto Chale.
“We don’t want any more sources of contagion,” said the municipal president, after it was reported that 290 patients are in hospitals that are on the verge of their maximum capacity.
He also warned that no pedestrians would be allowed on the city’s Malecón. Free traffic will be only for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.
These prohibition measures will be in effect until contagion decreases. The police forces will ensure that the prohibition measures are enforced.
Over the weekend, Dr. Jose Luis Urias Corrales made a desperate appeal to the public because many sick people were arriving at hospitals in La Paz in serious conditions infected with COVID-19.
All the medical staff was filled with sadness earlier today when it was reported that a doctor from the IMSS hospital of Ciudad Constitucion had died while being treated at Clinic 1 in La Paz.
Loreto
Until yesterday I was thinking that this week would continue down the same road we have been on for the past few months!
The only fishing info has been centered around the nearby bread and butter spots with most boats not wanting to risk the gasoline for adventuring out to more distant spots.
A sudden bite on baqueta has changed everything with the first consistent catches happening just north of Coronado Island.
Not a whole lotta fight in baqueta but they get big and some of the best-eating fish for many miles.
The baqueta bite at Coronado got a few boats interested in the possibilities out at Carmen Island’s “Lobo.” Some of those rock piles are famous for baqueta over 30 pounds!
The reports back from this bunch sure got my interests boiling! Striped marlin between 150 and 200 pounds, black marlin over 400 pounds, and dorado in a class we haven’t seen in Loreto for a few years…48 to 60 inch translates to fish close to 40 pounds!
We shall see if a few of the landlocked gringo fishermen will put their boats in the water and head for Lobo…Rick Hill, Pinchy Sportfishing
Some of our favorite clients are having family fun and making memories with Outpost Charters! They were missing the monthly visits to Loreto to fish with us! Welcome back!
Some of our favorite clients are having family fun and making memories with Outpost Charters! They were missing the monthly visits to Loreto to fish with us! Welcome back!
“Our crew is taking all safety precautions and abiding by the hygiene guidelines to make our charters enjoyable and safe to return to Kathy Hunter, Outpost Charters!”
Today we went back to the ‘roosterfish honey hole’ we found the other day and had more action in numbers than we did the other day when we scored 65. We landed 98 in total, plus a few rockfish and pargo, but we didn’t get anything of decent size. Most averaged in the 6- to 10-pound range, with an occasional 12-pounder. A quantity over a quality situation, but still a heck of a lot of fun. We did see a few larger fish but no luck with hook-ups. We still haven’t seen any dorado or billfish to speak of, and I think we’re going to have to wait for warmer weather and water temps. for them to make an appearance…Carl Blackliedge
La Paz
Photo
Richard Rygg … Yesterday was an epic flyfishing day. After an hour and 40 minutes, and 14 runs, I landed this 70 plus-pound roosterfish. I must give most credit to Captain Efren Lucero Ortiz, who worked diligently to make it happen. It ended up being the last cast of the day. It was the biggest rooster I’ve ever seen. Last I saw, it swam away released and alive…Gary Bulla
East Cape.
Water- 83-85. Clear, flat, light afternoon SE breezes.
Air- Clear skies, highs in the low 90s. Our first real rain of the year Tuesday.
Another very good week of fishing. All boats targeting marlin are releasing at least five a day! Very big roosterfish to 90 pounds are being released daily. All anglers fishing inside are releasing multiple fish. Football- sized yellowfin tuna are outside under the porpoise and much larger tuna in the 30- to 50-pound range are being taken off the lighthouse. Some big bull dorado to 50-pounds are coming in – all taken on marlin lures. It was very consistent fishing all week.
Striped marlin from five to ten miles off the lighthouse.. about 50/50 taken on ballyhoo and marlin lures. All boats released at least three, and some as many as ten. Lots and lots of stripers around, as well.
Yellowfin- Big tuna in the 30- to 50-pound range taken off the lighthouse on the Rincon side. Taking live Caballito and chunk Squid. Solitary fish, not schooling with patient anglers picking up one or two a day. Outside ten to twenty miles off Pulmo Park pods of porpoise are holding lots of football-size to 20-pound tuna, and anglers finding them are limiting. Hoochies, cedar plugs, and squid are all working.
Roosterfish-Whoppers!! Lots are around, and 50-pounders are common, with a few released that were over 80 pounds. Off the lighthouse was the best spot. Live caballito are the bait of choice.
Dorado- not many this week. The ones that came in were big 39-50#’s. Taking trolled Marlin Lures and Cedar Plugs. In the same areas as the Marlin…John Ireland, Rancho Leonero
Nice dorado on board the cruiser Anzuelo with angler John Coleman…Van Wormer Resorts
Puerto Los Cabos
Ocean conditions were changing, off-colored currents moved in, and anglers were having to search a bit farther offshore to find blue water. Bait supplies consisted of caballito, ballyhoo, mullet, and some bolito that were being found on the fishing grounds. Later in the week, the bolito which had been schooling on the San Luis Bank became hard to find. These baitfish had been working for targeting the yellowfin tuna, which had ranged in sizes up to 100-pounds. No numbers to speak of, but a handful of quality fish were accounted for, yet without the bolito for bait, this limited the anglers’ options.
Closer to shore there were African pompano, various pargo species, cabrilla, amberjack, and bonito, taken over the shallow rock piles, on jigs and bait. Trolling along the beach, some stretches produced epic wide-open action for roosterfish, some reaching up to 60 pounds. Shore fishermen also got into this action, a few nice-size snook were also reported. Some monster-sized sierra to 15 pounds were landed; it was a late-season for these mackerel species – this is the time when the largest sierra of the season are usually reported.
Not much going on for reports of dorado or wahoo at this time, though there was good action for striped marlin found in the vicinity of the Gordo Banks and straight out from there. Trolling ballyhoo seemed to produce best, with some charters reporting as many as three or four marlin per outing, sizes ranging up to 140 pounds. Light crowds, good fishing…Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas
Cabo San Lucas
Billfish 50%, Dorado, 2%, Tuna 41%, Other 24%
Decent fishing this week, even with the port closed two days due to a (very) far off storm, that only brought a bit of a swell and not much more. Still, fishing was allowed again by Port Captain starting Wednesday, July 1st. For a shorter fishing week, boats did well to release 50 Billfish total, which included striped marlin and sailfish (plus we had one or two blue marlin that got away).
We also had our first overnight fishing trip of the year, aboard Pisces 37’ BBII, which headed up the Cortez side to Los Frailes. Ryan Caughren aboard reported “The East Cape is littered with striped marlin right now, big ones. We released 5 striped, lost one blue marlin and had 7 yellowfin tuna”. Total, this boat went 9 for 13 on Marlin on their trip.
And altough we had 40 Tuna for the fleet this week, they were quite difficult to find, with schools moving quickly. Most were found with the porpoise, but not too many landed.
Pisces 35’ Bill Collector 2 was also the only boat this week to land a dorado, this one of about 16-pounds, taking ballyhoo close to Destiladeras. Anglers Jim and Nick Swafford, Joey Van Ness and Ward Miller also released 2 striped marlin outside of Gordo Bank.
LOCATION: Pacific side for Roosterfish and Sierra mainly, and all over the Sea of Cortez side from Punta Gorda to Cabrillo to Cabeza Ballena, 95, 1150, and 120 Spots for Marlin and Tuna.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Some swell around 3 to 4 ft, but no wind, partially cloudy days.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 75 – 78 F.
BEST LURES: Caballito liver and dead, lisas, cedar plugs, feathers, guacamayo lures…Rebecca Ehrenberg, Pisces Sportfishing