Baja Bytes – January 12, 2021
Que Pasa Baja California
Tijuana Bull Ring
The top story here is about sand bass. There is a fairly good bite being caught on the 1.5- to 2-oz. leadhead as well as on the whole squid combo happening in the IB area on the Pipe and nearby on the flats. Pin the squid on once or twice through the tail so it swims right and then work it SLOWLY on the bottom.
The guys fishing the Pipe are also scoring quite a few legal-size sculpin.
Some anglers are finding decent halibut fishing as well both on the Pipe and the IB. They are showing along the edge of the Pipe and on the flats in 80- to 100-feet of water. Drifting with live sardine or mackerel is the ticket, though bounce-balling would likely work as well.
Nine days in a row the yellowtail have been MIA. Are they gone?
It’s starting to look like it, but maybe not. Watch for bird pile-ups as well as watch that sonar! I would bet they pop back up just before the new moon or around the 1st quarter before the full moon.
If we make it through the new moon to the full moon without any signs, then it’s probably over…Fish Dope
Coronado Islands / Rockpile
For the past month or so, yellowtail fishing has been on the slow side with the few yellows caught being on yoyo iron. The little action has been all sonar fishing and has been on the flats east of the Middle Grounds to the Rockpile and east towards Descanso.
At the Islands proper the only surface action has been for bonito on the weather side of North Island. Since the last report was a few days ago, likely, there are still some around.
Rockfish and whitefish are the predominant catch right now and are found NE of North Island, SKR, and the Rockpile…Fish Dope
Colonet
Several boats hit the High Spot on Saturday and found excellent fishing for quality reds and lingcod, but only a sampling of yellowtail. The few yellows were caught on heavy yoyo iron.
The following is a repost of the most current info we got over the past week:
On the weekend of Jan. 2 and 3, a couple of long-range boats found bluefin in the 100- to 200-pound class SW of San Martin in the area roughly 160 miles from Point Loma. Seiners were already on them and the bluefin disappeared on Sunday in rough weather. Since then, the fish scattered.
We have since learned that small spots have been seen on the Hidden Bank and more outside of Colonet along with some spots to the west of the Breakers at San Martin.
There are also reports of bluefin south on the Ranger Bank NW of Benitos/Cedros Islands.
On Tuesday, January 5, the Red Rooster III went searching but came up empty. Conditions were not good with the rough windy seas.….Fish Dope
San Quintin
The fish are still biting. We had a great trip, great fishing, and great company! …Garcia’s Pangas Sportfishing
Bahía Asunción
The fishing continues to be stellar here with reasonably warm water and flat calm conditions. We landed 11 yellowtail this morning, keeping only one jumbo 41-pound fish. As I gathered up my tools and material to clean the fish, a guy from SAPA stopped by to deliver my water bill and I asked if he wanted the fish. He happily accepted.
Fish cleaning and processing would have cut into my siesta time so it worked out great for everyone.… Ross Zoerhof
Baja Sur-Que Pasa
Loreto
The holidays have moved on, and tourism and sportfishing have slowed down. I don’t expect things to get perking number-wise until mid-February. Whale season will energize Loreto. Worldwide visitors will be around wanting to check out the winter whales of Baja.
Right now the boats working Candeleros and a little farther north at San Bruno Reef are doing well on 20-pound yellowtail. There has been lots of action on bottom fish at the same locations using slightly different methods. Yellows have been hot for small mackerel in the 8-inch range. Bigger mackerel are giving out at 200 feet down and falling victim to triggerfish.
Bottomfish are solid on cut bait – both sardina and mackerel. If you get stuck with only big mackerel for bait, try chunk bait or whole with the spine filleted out as we do for surface trolling.
The shallow/surface crowd has been coming in with a little of everything – sierra, barracuda, cocinera/green jack, toro, triggerfish, mini roosters, and cabrilla. I can’t remember seeing so many different species in one catch!
The best options for the next few weeks in Loreto will be to use light line in shallow waters nearshore or hit the deep spots…Rick Hill, Pinchy Sportfishing
Marina Puerto Escondido
Magdalena Bay
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of Jan. 5-12, 2021
East Cape
Harsh weather with strong north winds has kept East Cape anglers off the water almost all week. There was a small window of calm seas Saturday morning. The La Ribera bank was holding a large volume of mackerel at depth but harvesting them for bait was almost impossible. Skipjack were feasting on the bait and destroying the sabiki rigs; however, enough skipjack were caught to feed every cat in Buena Vista along with a few white bonito for sashimi. One angler reported an encounter with a striped marlin that tried to eat the plastic twice before turning away!
I also heard an unverified rumor that dorado, from small- to medium-size, are 15 miles off Punta Perico! .…The Masked Angler
- FROM EAST CAPE HEALTH CENTER: We have just heard the news about the new mandatory test requirement for entering Canada. We understand this is very inconvenient for those traveling by air. However, as medical professionals, we understand why the Canadian government is implementing these rules. We understand that in Canada, medical care is free most of the time. Unfortunately, the Mexican government has not subsidized the PCR tests.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐂𝐑 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝟒,𝟖𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐬. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞
𝐞𝐱𝐭r𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 make your 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 arrangements.
The Canadian government is asking for a negative PCR test less than 72 hours before arrival in the country. At the moment, we are not sure how the government or the airlines will enforce these rules.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐂𝐑 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟒–𝟕𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲–𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟗–𝟏𝟏𝐚𝐦. This assures that the sample is sent off for processing as soon as possible. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐛 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲. If you would like to make an appointment for a PCR test or any advice on testing or traveling, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀: 𝟲𝟮𝟰–𝟭𝟮𝟰–𝟴𝟮𝟬𝟯
- ALERT: This applies to all who are to travel to Canada starting today Jan. 6, 2021: Google https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories – jebeddy2012@hotmail.com
Puerto Los Cabos
The Gordo Banks has been producing the best overall fishing action for the last several weeks. With lots of juvenile-sized wahoo concentrated on this high spot, anglers have been finding excellent action for fish in the 8- to 15- pound range, occasionally larger. Casting chrome patterned jigs has been the most productive technique, as well as sardina, ballyhoo, caballito, and trolled Rapalas.
There has been heavy pressure on these grounds since the word of the action spreads quickly. Then we have the spearfishermen, who for some reason believe that it is perfectly okay to move in and get in the water with their spears directly next to where the already congested rod and reel angler fleets are concentrated and established, while mainly drift fishing. A strange, unprecedented situation will then develop. What happened to any etiquette or reasonable sense? We thought that there were regulations in place where this activity would be to keep a certain safe distance apart to avoid any conflicts or injury.
With cold, green current now upon the Gordo Banks, the action has slowed and become far less consistent than in previous weeks. This will be the time when fleets begin to concentrate along the shore for sierra, as well as the shallow water structure, for a variety of species. Striped marlin action will be the main option farther offshore, as this action will now be more prevalent in the direction of the Sea of Cortez and not on the Pacific side. As the marlins’ predominant food source has them now migrating in this same direction.
There are still some dorado being encountered, though in the cooler green conditions, the numbers are fewer. Sizes vary, a few nicer-sized bulls were accounted for and found on the same marlin grounds farther from shore. In the coming weeks, the key to offshore success will be to find the best-looking conditions and concentrate on these locations.
Only a very occasional report of any yellowfin tuna found, although mid-week a couple of nicer-sized yellowfin were hooked into. Both were lost. These fish are in the area and have shown at times on the surface, though they proved very skittish and elusive.
Recently we have not seen much off the bottom besides some bonito, smaller red snapper, and triggerfish. Maybe this will be the year that we see a strong run of yellowtail appear on local grounds. We will optimistically wait and see what develops this winter season. There have been strong numbers of whales sighted, and this is the peak season to view these mammals in local waters.… Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas
Cabo San Lucas
Huge schools of baitfish are gathering on the surface and deeper in the water column on the Golden Gate and Gaspareño on the Pacific side attracting large pods of striped marlin. Boats are reporting releases of from 6 to 14 striped marlin, mostly caught with weighted live bait along with small yellowfin tuna and dorado closer to shore, and with great inshore roosterfish, sierra, and a few smaller dorado.
Good fishing around some of the pinnacles along the coast for pargo, red snapper, and grouper.
There’s plenty of sea life – huge porpoise schools, and gray whales beginning to arrive in the area.
Inshore
Fishing is very good for sierra, a few snapper and grouper at the Lighthouse to Rancho Migrino taken on cut bait.
LOCATION: From the old Lighthouse to Los Arcos and offshore 13 miles to the Golden Gate Bank.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Sunny, with winds in the afternoons at 11-mph.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: Sea temps still in the mid-to-low-70s.
BEST BAIT AND LURES: Live and dead mackerel, sardina, feathers, and cedar plugs.
That Baja Guy
Gary Graham
Photojournalist
https://bajabytes.com/about/
Cellular (760) 522 3710