Monster Rooster on fly

Baja Bytes Fishing – Tuesday, December 15, 2020

I’ll put it to you straight – it’s highly likely this is the largest roosterfish ever taken on the fly! A 100-pound class monster taken by @reamsjeff, his second ever grande!… Joshua Martz, Pursuit Anglers

See “East Cape”

Que Pasa Baja California

 Costa Presents Deep Drop Swordfishing with the Pro’s #BDLIVE

About this Event
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from the pros and step up your swordfishing game! Join us as Ali Hussiany from BD Outdoors hosts a live chat with Capt. Duane Diego from San Diego and Capt. Rush Maltz from Key West as they talk “all things deep drop swords!” They will run through some bait basics, presentations, and rigging, ideal water conditions, tactics, and techniques, plus all the tools and gear that are necessary to battle and safely land these denizens of the deep. Best of all, it’s FREE … and you have a chance to win a pair of Costas. Just register to join at #BDLIVE. We’ll see you on December 16th! SIGN UP NOW.

Tijuana Bull Ring

Small craft warnings kept most boats off the water. Not a lot of activity or boats that were heading down to the kelp beds close to shore. Few calicos and sand bass were in the flats, though maybe a yellow or halibut were around early before the winds kicked up… Fish Dope

Coronado Islands / Rockpile
There are yellowtail in the general area but not so much around the Islands. They are on the flats east of the Middle Grounds south to the Rockpile and east to Descanso. It’s basically sonar fishing. Find a good mark in 130- to 200-feet of water and drop your yoyo iron on them quickly. The schools are on the move and you will need to stay mobile if you are going to do well.

The Rockpile is also seeing decent fishing for reds and lingcod.
At the Islands proper, there are still schools of big bonito. These are on the weather side of North Island and the Middle Grounds
There is also a ton of overly aggressive sea lions at North Island and the Middle Grounds. Slow trolling sardines is all but impossible…Fish Dope

Ensenada

There’s some great fishing happening here!… Mara’s Sportfishing 

San Quintin

Yellows and bucket-mouths continue to please the few anglers eager to fish with Garcia’s Pangas.

Bahía Asunción

We had the official tree lighting formalities last evening here in Asuncion but because the rules required that you had to remain in your vehicle, I decided to take a look at it tonight and get a few photos. Next weekend I’ll take my customary tour of the pueblo taking photos of some of the decorations of the houses. The decorations seem to have gone up earlier than usual this year and there seem to be more houses adorned in the seasonal festive garb. In the scheme of things, the village has a lot to be thankful for in 2020. The fishermen from the two co-ops in the village have been able to work throughout the entire year which means the workers in the processing plants have been able to work, as well. The world’s current situation has certainly affected market prices, but they are so much better off than some communities that depend on tourist dollars to thrive. I wouldn’t want to spend Christmas in any other place.… Ross Zoerhof

Baja Sur-Que Pasa

Charles Kinder is hosting a WEBINAR featuring all you need to know about LORETO GOLF…

Thursday, December 17, 2020, at 2-p.m. PST.  Save the date!

To register: click here 

Loreto

http://webcamsdemexico.net/loreto1/live.jpg

As expected this time of the year, the weather has been chewing up the days of the week and spitting out most of them as unfishable. Three good days a week should be the minimum we would recommend to whoever controls the weather.

Most of the fishing has been happening close to home base as it has been the past few weeks. Yellowtail and sierra with some small to medium dorado mixed in have been consistent around Danzante Island and south of the “six-mile” spot. Coronado Island has some good numbers also, but this area requires an early arrival and an early departure to avoid the afternoon wind chop.

Most of the yellowtail caught are in the 8- to 14-pound range and are falling victim to sardina. Cabrilla are hitting sardina and hard bait that resemble said sardina. Most fish I’ve seen are dinks at 14 t0 18 inches.

The wind/calm cycle should be evening out in a few weeks giving fishermen a better idea of what days will be fishable (comfortable and mostly dry). Most of the visitor-related services are open and it looks like the annual Baja crowd is back for the annual outdoor activities!  (and the road north to the border is in the best shape that I have ever seen!!!) …Rick Hill, Pinchy Sportfishing

Magdalena Bay

We got back Saturday.  After spending lots of boat miles looking for fish, a big cold-water surge happened during our week and we only saw two aerial marlin. We did see quite a few roosterfish, but we didn’t catch too many. Marty got one on a fly. I hate to admit the teaser guy hooked this one and let the “girl” reel it in!!! Had fun though… the weather was nice but nothing like last year where there were fish every minute. Toby said it had changed the week before, of course. We will try again when this COVID crap is over. Best, Janet

La Paz

MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for the Week of Dec. 3-14, 2020

East Cape

Pursuit Anglers is at Somewhere Over the Rainbow!

I’ll put it to you straight – it’s highly likely this is the largest roosterfish ever taken on the fly! A 100-pound class monster taken by @reamsjeff, his second ever grande.

I found this fish the previous day in a group of four monsters and we had the good fortune to cross paths again in the same spot early the next day. To have taken this trophy sight fishing from terra firma puts it in a class all its own. No chummed up feeding frenzy from the boat, no teasers, no second chances.

Any time and any way you catch a rooster on the fly is special but catching a true grande (over 50 pounds) from the beach is something NOT every fly angler is capable of for a long list of reasons! Congrats to both my amigos @reamsjeff and @roguebeavers. Thanks for being good friends and clients. This was the top highlight of my beach fishing career!... Josh Martz, Pursuit Anglers 

Puerto Los Cabos

The wind was predominately out of the north limiting where anglers were able to comfortably concentrate their efforts, although the wind did slack and ocean conditions were again more favorable. Water temperatures are now averaging from 75- to 77-degrees, with clearer blue water found on our normal fishing grounds. Off-colored currents are near Vinorama and towards Los Frailes.

Anglers have been using mainly sardina and caballito for bait. We should begin to see mackerel and sardineta move onto local bait grounds, as this is the time of year when this happens. Most boats are fishing the areas from Chileno, Red Hill, Punta Gorda, Cardon, and Iman. We saw lots of sierra closer to shore, most in the 2- to 5-pound range, striking smaller-sized lures as well as the sardina. We have also been seeing more dorado which have been larger and there were even a handful of bulls over 20-pounds spotted. With the ocean still warm for this time of year, we expect this dorado action to continue through the month. Also, there were good numbers of wahoo accounted for, striking on trolled Rapalas, various bait, and yo-yo jigs. Sizes ranged from small juvenile fish to fish over 40 pounds with most of the wahoo being even smaller in size.

Tuna action has been spotty for the past several weeks, though recently, we did see more of the yellowfin being hooked into from near the Iman Bank, and drift fishing with sardina was the best bet for this action.  Sizes ranged to over 40 pounds with some boats accounting for two, three, or four of these fish.

Not much bottom action was being done, and often choppy ocean conditions made bottom fishing harder, especially with few anglers in town, and the fact that surface action was the most productive. We did see more striped marlin moving into local waters, so it will not be long now until the billfish make their main migration toward the Sea of Cortez following their favored food source.

More and more whales are being sighted as well since we are now nearing peak season for these migrating mammals.… Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas

Cabo San Lucas

Striped marlin fishing has picked up, as they are beginning to move down from Mag Bay. Most of the fish are being caught at the Lighthouse so far on mackerel, pitching bait and dropping to 160-feet drift fishing.

Dorado fishing has slowed.  We have been catching a few, although they are not schooled up anymore; most of the fish are being caught in pairs.

Yellowfin tuna fishing has been okay – one day we will find them, the next day – zero. The schools are very small. The Horseshoe has been the best area, though there are not a lot of fish, even there – there are from two to four a day at 12 to 25 miles out. Most fish are in the 30- to 60-pound range. The wahoo have slowed with the largest weighing less than 20 pounds. 

Inshore
Sierra have been super from Solmar to Rancho Migrino weighing in the 5- to 8-pound range.  They are great for ceviche and smoking. There have been a few roosterfish and a few small grouper.

LOCATION: From Cabo Falso to Migrino, Pozo Cota to Golden Gate, and San Jaime.

WEATHER CONDITIONS:  Temperatures are still reaching the high seventies during the mid-day, but a windbreaker or sweatshirt is needed in the mornings. Light winds in the afternoons to 10 knots with sea temps averaging around 78 degrees; on the Pacific side, it has remained 76 degrees. 

BEST LURES: The best bait and lures have been live sardina, mackerel, or dead caballito along with ballyhoo, hoochies, and feathers.

That Baja Guy – Gary Graham
Photojournalist
http://www.thatbajaguy.com/
Cellular (760) 522 3710