Baja Bytes – November 30, 2021
Baja Bytes Podcasts
Below the Border
Along the outside edge of the kelp line off the Bull Ring, there are schools of short barracuda, some small bonito, big mackerel, and the usual little rockfish. You might get a quick shot at yellowtail, although the overall odds are not great.
Coronado Islands / Rockpile
There are a scattering of yellowtail around. However, the few there are not eager to bite anything with a hook in it and do not respond to chum very well.
In addition, to make matters even worse, these yellows are being found deep – 150- to 175-feet for the most part. Some are as deep as 225 to 250-feet. There are no surface signs. It is all sonar fish!
They were found along the weather side of North Island, in the Middle Grounds on the edge of the flats, and SW of South Island in the rockfish area. And there could be some on the Flats off Rosarito as they often are there this time of year. Dropper loop sardines and yoyo iron is accounting for most of the yellows caught.
In other action, a few are finding small bonito, some large mackerel, and whitefish around the Islands.
Want rockfish? Hit the Lower 9 or the Upper Finger Bank in 400-to 600-feet for nice reds and lingcod. …Fish Dope
Ensenada
We have sunny skies, little wind, and easy limits of bottom fish. … Mara’s Sportfishing
San Quintin
TEN-DAY WEATHER FORECAST-San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico. As of 1:01 p.m. PST. Today. 71°/53°. 3%. – Mon. 29 | Day/71°. 3%-NW 11 mph. Abundant sunshine. And the bottom fish are biting. … Garcia’s Pangas
Bahía de la Ascensión
Leaving fish to find fish is usually ill-advised, but as it turned out, it was pretty good for Jim Kelley, Randy Ladue, and me today. We planned to catch an early yellowtail bite at San Pablo and then do a bit of trolling in an area that had been full of life yesterday, which included a free-jumping wahoo.
We found the yellowtail bite was crazy. We had not stopped three minutes when all three of us were hooked. That continued non-stop for an hour, and we were ready to do some touristy trolling to give our arms a rest. Two miles from the yellowtail bite, we were into a wide-open tuna bite with multiple hookups even before we could reset all the trollers! Even on the slide, a colt sniper tossed over the side was getting bit immediately. After ten or so fish, we drove away from the fish and headed for home. …Ross Zoerhof
Bahía de Los ángeles
Good day fishing for Martin’s Sportfishing! … Martin Diaz Zurita
Baja Sur
Que Pasa
Torneo de Pesca ORSAN
Congratulations to the WINNERS of this 8th ORSAN FISHING TOURNAMENT 2021
1st Place TEAM RAW | 36.7 LB | $300,000
2nd Place TORITO ROSE OF THE SEA 1 | 34.1 LB | $200,000
3er Lugar SALYS PACIFIC SPORTFISHING | 32.3 LB | $100,000
Golden Chickens TEAM CARBAJAL | 26.4 LB | $2,719,000
Wahoo Chickens FOUR BROTHERS | 51.1 LB | $1,105,000
Thanks to all the participants – 179 teams! We look forward to seeing you next year, November 26 and 27, 2022.
We also thank the President of Rotary Club, Los Cabos, Rubén Pérez Altamirano, who was present to receive the donation of ten wheelchairs through our ORSAN Foundation. …Gonzalo Alamea Camacho
Mulegé
Wide open yellows off Mulege. Giant schools on the fish finder. We caught limits with some Huachinango in the mix…Nathan Burbey
Loreto
Fishing this past week can be summed up with, “The few, the brave!”
Whitecaps stirred up by some nasty winter north winds, then topped off with an early blast of the “December desert rain,” tell the story. The “few” and the commercial guys have had good luck at San Bruno high spot. Cooperation between the yellowtail and live bait put yellowtail on ice, with most fish averaging 18 pounds.
When the north winds are in the forecast, the best spot to hit bottom fish would be San Bruno Reef and Candeleros, North of Coronado Island. The ride home is always of major consideration in the cold season.
Dorado and sierra are still hanging around in good numbers. The coastline heading north has been productive for the surface crowd all summer long. Very few fish larger than 36 inches are the “norm.” Peanut-size still can make some awesome tacos!
As far as other Baja news goes, the snowbirds are back in pre-covid numbers, arriving just as the Baja 1000 crowd heads back north.
It looks like winter has finally come to Loreto. …Rick Hill, Pinchy Sportfishing
Lopez Mateos (Magdalena Bay)
Mag Bay continues to fish well. The marlin bite continues to be strong, and the fish have moved to the North and are now straight out of the Magdalena Bay Estrada about 25 miles. The dorado and wahoo bite continues as well. My friends went over for a three-day trip and did well on wahoo and tuna. …Jeff De Brown-Reel Baja
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of Nov. 18-25, 2021
East Cape
The sea has been flat and calm, around temp 80 degrees most of the week. It is pleasant fall weather with clear skies and cool mornings, warming to the low 80s midday.
We had a little rain over the weekend. However, today is nice with a little north wind that’s supposed to pick up in the next couple of days. We still have decent dorado fishing, and a few marlin are still in the area. Anglers have had good action on sierra early in the mornings, but that bite has been over by about 10 a.m. …Jeff De Brown-Reel Baja
Puerto Los Cabos
We did it again win wahoo category on Orsan tournament 2021 with this beauty 51 pounder, fishing with my three brothers was epic win a tournament with them thanks at my amigo Dany to make this happen...Jaqueline sportfishing
This week we saw a strong showing of striped marlin, mainly straight offshore from San Jose del Cabo, anywhere from two to five miles out. Even anglers fishing from kayaks got in on the action. The marlin were readily striking on lures and bait, with most in the 60 to 80-pound size and a few topping 100-pounds. In addition, one black marlin estimated at close to 500 pounds was brought in mid-week by a local commercial pangeros. Also, quite a few sailfish were scattered throughout the zone.
The bait supplies have remained plentiful; unfortunately, we have not heard of any sardina, although they should begin to rebound later this month, and caballito and ballyhoo, with chihuil and slabs of squid, are working and available. Although not consistent, off San Jose del Cabo hotel zone, there have been reports of the season’s first mackerel and sardineta. As water temperatures cool off, more of these bait schools should show on these grounds. Ocean temperatures have remained in the 80 to 83-degree range.
Wahoo action picked up for a few days before the word spread, and everyone congregated in the small area near Cardon. These fish became weary with so many boats, and they spooked with the spearfishermen chasing them around as well. The rules should be enforced! Spear anglers are not supposed to be within 200 yards of any boats with conventional rod and reel anglers.
We hope that the authorities might finally do something about the added stress because this area cannot sustain this form of pressure from above and below the water.
Wahoo ranged in size from smaller juvenile 6-pound fish up to 50 pounds. They were striking on slow-trolled bait, Rapalas, ballyhoo, and cast jigs. Mid-week some charters accounted for up to six fish, but overall, anglers were fortunate to land one or two. Average-size dorado, from 5 to 15 pounds, were spread out over these same grounds.
Although no yellowfin tuna were seen locally, we heard of some tuna associated with moving porpoise some 30 to 40 miles outside Cabo San Lucas. However, that action was very hit or miss.
Inshore, both fly and light tackle anglers were finding action with smaller sierra and roosterfish.
Off the bottom, there were more triggerfish than anything else, along with a handful of deep-water baqueta grouper, Pacific tilefish, a few cabrilla, yellow snapper, and barred pargo. There was even a handful of smaller-sized dogtooth snapper and Mexican bonito.
We see more whales throughout the area as the peak season is almost here for these migrating mammals. …Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas
Cabo San Lucas
This last week of November has had extraordinary fishing. Sport fishers returned to port with the familiar red and white release flags flapping from their outriggers, indicating triple-digit striped marlin, sailfish, and a few blue marlin released.
Not to be outdone, the dorado have exploded, accounting for more catches and releases. Some lunker dorado were weighing in at double-digits – up to 45-pounds.
With near-perfect weather and sea temps hitting 80-degrees, local Captains are optimistic that December could be even better than November – a very fishy Christmas!
LOCATION: The best fishing locations have been Golden Gate, Palmita, La Palmira de Nicolas, Los Arcos/Margaritas, Cerro del Golden Gate, Migrino, Pozo Cota, Faro, Lighthouse, San Jaime, Cerro’s de Arena, 34 miles 180 degrees.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: The sea temps have been from 79 to 80 degrees, partly cloudy and calm with three-to-five-foot swells and calm winds. The air temps have been from 70 to 75-degrees.
BEST LURES: The best bait has been alive or dead caballito, mackerel, ballyhoo, sardina, cedar plugs, trolled lures of all colors, plumas, pushers, plastic squid, and Rapala-style lures.
LOCATION: The best fishing locations have been La Palmira de Nicolas, Los Arcos/Margaritas, Cerro del Golden Gate, Migrino, Pozo Cota, Fuera Lighthouse, San Jaime, Cerro’s de Arena, 34 miles 180 degrees.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: The sea temps have been from 74 to 78 degrees, clear and calm with two-to-three-foot swells and calm winds. The air temps have been from 70 to 81-degrees.
BEST LURES: The best bait has been alive or dead caballito, mackerel, ballyhoo, sardina, and cedar plugs. Trolled lures of all colors, pushers, plastic squid, and Rapala-style lures. …Pisces Sportfishing Fleet
That Baja Guy-Gary Graham
