Mex ONE 48 Years Old!

Baja Bytes –December 7, 2021     

HISTORY CALIFORNIA PENINSULAR

December 1, 1973 – 48 YEARS AGO

On December 1, 1973, on the inauguration of Luis Echeverría Álvarez, the President of Mexico, the Federal Highway 01, Benito Juárez García, “La Transpeninsular,” was completed and ran through the Baja California peninsula.  Mex 1 passed through the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, beginning in Cabo San Lucas, and ending in Tijuana. The total length was 1,711 kilometers, of which 713 km. was in Baja California and 998 km. was in Baja California Sur.

Below the Border   

Down south, some sand bass and a few sculpin are biting the lead head and squid combos at the Bull Ring Kelp…Fish Dope 

West of Ensenada / Hidden Bank / Double 220 / 295 / 238
We thought we might hear some better news down this way, but we got intel over the weekend from a few boats running out of Ensenada that fishing offshore was slow, and the boats were calling it quits for the year…Fish Dope    

Ensenada

The expected rain may hamper the limit-producing bottom fishing bite for a day or two on Wednesday. … Mara’s Sportfishing

San Quintin

Another good day…Garcias Pangas Sportfishing

Bahía de la Ascensión    

We are heading home after a 2 a.m. start. We’re waiting to cross the Mexicali East Border. Thanks again, Jim, for letting me join you on your annual fishing trip to Bahia Asuncion.  I had a blast catching so many yellowtail and yellowfin on your boat.  Thanks, Ross, for being such a great host at your home and a saltwater guide to help us locate all the fish.  It was a blessing to fish with both of you guys.  I was happy to have Cooperativa lobster tails, a kilo of San Felipe jumbo shrimp, three mahi-mahi, and a couple of yellowtail to top off my freezer…Jim Kelly 

Baja Sur  

Que Pasa    

Mulegé

As usual, I was jigging deep for yellowtail (they were absolutely on fire this morning). I hooked a fish about halfway up (150-ft.); it jumped straight to the surface. At first, I was stoked, thinking it was a late dorado before I looked closer and saw it was a roosterfish! I have caught a ton of roosters over the years, but this is the first while deep jigging!…Nathan Burbey

Loreto    

This past week, we had a patch of favorable weather that made fishing and the Coronado Beach activities a pleasure.

A few boats soaked sardina in the waters around Coronado Island and picked away at the pargo and triggerfish populations. Trolling lures in the same area produced mean-fighting bonito but not much else.

The sierra and dorado are still doable down south, close to Puerto Escondido.

Yellowtail fishing has been solid for medium-sized yellows at the San Bruno reef.  Live mackerel gets fished the most for yellowtail and usually gets the best results.  Blue and white iron chuckers have also been doing well on the smaller, 12-pounders.

The “hot talk” is about taking the long ride north to hammer the big yellows at Pulpito and the Almejas rock piles.  “Let’s go, let’s go” doesn’t mean the fish are hitting the decks, but the time of year is pointing in that direction. As soon as the Christmas tourist rush is over, we should be seeing more big yellows coming in from up north.

I have seen more snowbirds floating into town with kayaks and surfboards piled on the roof racks!

Christmas is big in Baja!…Rick Hill, Pinchy Sportfishing    

Lopez Mateos (Magdalena Bay)    

Mag Bay continues to fish very well. The striped marlin bite is still strong, and the fish have moved to the North, straight out of the Magdalena Bay Estrada, about 25 miles out. The dorado and wahoo bite continues as well. My friends went over for a three-day trip and did very well on wahoo and tuna…Jeff De Brown –   Reel Baja

La Paz    

MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of November 26 – December 5, 2021

East Cape      

The sea has been flat and calm, around 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 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 10 a.m…Jeff De Brown-Reel Baja

Puerto Los Cabos   
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, anglers have spotted quite a few scattered sailfish 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.  More of these bait schools should show as water temperatures cool 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 gathered 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. Spear anglers are not supposed to be within 200 yards of any boat with conventional rod and reel anglers. The rules must be enforced! 

We hope that the authorities might finally do something about the added stress because this area cannot sustain the pressure from above and below the water.

 Wahoo ranged from smaller, juvenile six-pound fish to 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. In addition, they spotted average-sized 5 to 15-pound dorado over these same grounds.

Although there were no reports of yellowfin tuna 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. 
Both fly and light tackle anglers found action with smaller sierra and roosterfish inshore.

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    

We fished two days with Jaime on the new 31-foot Sea Hunter.

Day one – Kids’ Trip

We ran about 25 miles north on the beach to fish dorado. There were four kids and three adults on the boat. The kids all caught a dorado, and we missed a few sierra.

Once the bite slowed down, we ran to the Golden Gate to fish for marlin. We hooked four and got three to the leader. Then, we stopped on one more spot to fish snapper. I went one for about ten on the snapper.

Day 2

We had six adults and two kids on the boat. We had tons of room!

Sunday was the day of the Dorado Tournament, so we went straight to the Golden Gate. We went seven for seven on marlin.

My buddy John had a stroke seven years ago at age 31. Jaime set him up with a spinning rod to reel with his left hand. We had a triple going with one on the spinner. Great times! My 12-year-old son hooked four or five dorado fishing live mackerel. He has been learning from Jaime for seven years now, and he is incredible!

We stopped on the snapper spot for a few minutes and hooked about six fish, landing a nice grouper and a couple of snappers.

https://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/cabo-thanksgiving-week.785203/

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…got2fishsd

In Cabo, the fishing remains good for dorado and marlin. The marlin are also plentiful on the Finger Bank.  I plan on fishing the Finger Bank with a guest later this week if he can make it down. I will let you know how we do if we get there!…Jeff De Brown-Reel Baja

LOCATION: The best fishing locations have been Afuera St. Maria, Los Arcos/Margaritas, Cerro del Golden Gate, Migrino, Pozo Cota, Fuera Lighthouse, San Jaime, Cerro’s de Arena, 

WEATHER CONDITIONS: The sea temps have been from 75 to 81 degrees, clear and calm with two-to-three-foot swells and calm winds at 7-m.p.h.  The air temps have been from 74 to 83-degrees.    

BEST LURES: The best bait has been alive or dead caballito, mackerel, Cuchis, ballyhoo, sardina, and cedar plugs. Trolled lures of all colors, pushers, plastic squid, and Rapala-style lures are also working. …Pisces Sportfishing Fleet    

That Baja Guy-Gary Graham