Baja Bytes – November 29, 2022
Baja California Sport Fishing
Bull Ring
Squid watch! If you can find a squid bed, the odds of catching yellowtail, seabass and halibut go way up!
In general, surface fishing is sketchy. There are still a few 3-pound class bonito around, but they are very hit-and-miss – mostly miss.
Rockfish are the primary fish; dragging feathers is the best way to find them.
Other than rockfish, it is all bottom fishing. Rockfish, whitefish, sheepshead, and sculpin are the primary catches…Fishdope.com
Coronado Islands / Rockpile / Lower 9 Mile Bank / Upper Finger Bank
We have had the first report of a yellowtail in quite a while. This one was caught at the Gun Site on a fly-lined sardine. The primary catches are bonito on the surface and rockfish down deep.
Big bonito from 6 to 10 pounds are showing from along the weather side of North Island and from the Middle Grounds to the Gun Site. It’s good fishing IF you can get on an active school. However, not everybody can get on them. You will have to hunt them down. Try dragging feathers or DTX minnows to locate them.
Rockfish are biting from just NE of North Island to SW of South Island and from the Rockpile to the Upper Finger Bank.
The Lower 9 is working well, too, down deep, around 400 to 700 feet.
There are lots of reds and whitefish, along with some lings.
Heads Up! The Mexican Navy has been actively checking boats, so be sure to have all your paperwork in order before heading out!
Here is a tip: Place everyone’s permits and IDs in one single ziplock bag so it is all in one place and can quickly be handed over to the Mexican officials when asked…Fishdope.com
Ensenada
During the past week, local pangas from Ensenada have been scoring a few yellowtail on yoyo iron at San Miguel Reef and in the deep water at Punta Banda.
No big numbers but enough to make it worth a look.
Excellent fishing for reds and other assorted rockfish at San Miguel and on the weather side of Todos Santos Island in water at least 250 to 500 feet deep…Fishdope.com
My friends Javier and Lourdes are visiting here in San Quintin. When we were youngsters, Javier and I were bosom buddies. But unfortunately, in time, the fishing camp where we worked broke apart after our fishmonger got sick and didn’t return to work.
Javier returned to Ensenada, where he took an easy, land-based job. In time he worked at two different jobs that he kept for the next 30 or so seasons, and I traveled, worked, and fished here and there and everywhere.
Javier was always there working on his house and family. He was always a rock for me. Now retired, he travels for fun and joy, and I travel on, looking for a better fishing spot…Captain Juan Cook
South (Baja Sur)
Gary Graham, International Sport Fishing Association (IGFA Representative in Baja and Baja Sur), recognized the Director of FONMAR, Martín Inzunza, and the State Coordinator for the Distribution of Fishing Permits, César Alberto Angulo Hirales, for their work in the education of new generations of fishermen through PASSPORT for children’s sportfishing clinics throughout both Baja States.
Gary Graham, International Sport Fishing Association (IGFA Representative in Baja and Baja Sur), recognized the Director of FONMAR, Martín Inzunza, and the State Coordinator for the Distribution of Fishing Permits, César Alberto Angulo Hirales, for their work in the education of new generations of fishermen through PASSPORT for children’s sportfishing clinics throughout both Baja States.
Bahía Asunción
Please join us in prayer or visualizing smooth passage to the other side for our friend Rossman who underwent emergency surgery in the middle of the night in Santa Rosalia but passed away in the ambulance on the way to La Paz this morning.
Ross was dearly loved & his kindness & generosity was much appreciated in the village. He will be sadly missed but his legend will live on forever here.
Fish on Rossman!...Shari Bondy
Mulege
We won the fishing Tournament securing 1st and 2nd place. Thank you to my team Ron/Brian and all involved in Mulege Expo…Nathan Burbey
Magdalena Bay
Lopez Mateos
The Wahoo Tournament in Puerto A Lopez Mateos was rescheduled for Nov 26 and 27, 2022 because of severe weather.
Pepe De La Toba went to Thetis Banks and caught Wahoo early. He won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. I do not know who won the Jackpot for Dorado. 8 teams participated. Really rough conditions.
The excellent fishing with Salvaje continues. So what are you waiting for? We have rooms for rent and a restaurant. So to go for one of these fish, send a private message or WhatsApp to Saul at 613 11 10748 and 613 10 47113….Salvaje Sportfishing
Loreto
The winter cycle has arrived in Baja. A week of windy days has transitioned to some calm days on the water. Roosterfish in the 10-pound range are winning the competition with sierra and the last dorado on the north side of Coronado Island. Similar action has been boiling just south of San Bruno beach with a small pinch of cabrilla mixed in. Most local fishermen stay close to home, avoid the muscle fish and put some edible fillets on ice, i.e., triggerfish and cabrilla.
The yellowtail scene is starting to show promise with fish under 15 pounds at a couple of high spots. Consistent catches will probably start after the New Year, which is just around the corner. There are a lot of snowbirds already in town. However, anyone planning to drive to Baja destinations should use caution due to road construction and routine maintenance. More minor repairs are ongoing, but the delays are minor (dragging a trailer up the possible delay factor as it should). Pack your cold-weather gear and leave your ice scrapers at home…Rick Hill
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for the Week of Nov.14-22, 2022
East Cape
Rescue!
We got stuck in soft sand heading up the creek yesterday. Even though our Toyota is a 4WD, it was obviously way too heavy (and we were foolishly alone). The more we tried to get out, the more we sunk, even with the MaxTraxs.
Priscilla Durán and Melissa McDonald were to the rescue! They answered our cry for help and organized the tractor guy (who is also our ‘water guy’to come tout de suite, getting us out of our pickle in just a few hours. Muchas! Muchas Gracias! to the Americans in the ATV who gave me a lift to town, and to Priscilla, Melissa, Kurt, Isla, and Bauer McDonald for taking time on a Sunday afternoon when they had planned to be laying flooring in the office, and to ‘the tractor guy’ who also came so quickly. An ATV is now in the planning for any future family excursions like this. Lesson learned.
The dog loved it all, though, so I guess that’s a plus.— feeling grateful. …Lani Whitman
Puerto Los Cabos
Bait options remained the same, caballito, ballyhoo, slabs of squid, and some charters could catch chihuil. Although the mackerel, schooling offshore of the marina area, seem to have temporarily scattered, slowing the striped marlin action, we expect this action to rebound as the water temperature cools some. No reports of any sardina being found. I have not seen these baitfish since mid-October, when big tournaments started.
Despite relentless north winds, local fleets could find calmer conditions close to shore on grounds such as Cardon, La Fortuna, and sometimes outside on Iman Bank, but these grounds were more vulnerable to the winds. Wahoo and dorado were found closer to shore where winds did not hit too bad. Although trolling live bait was most productive, dorado were located on these same grounds. More wahoo strikes were missed than were actually landed, as is typical for these elusive gamefish. The sizes of the wahoo averaged 20 to 35 pounds. We saw a few nicer dorado to over 30 pounds this week, though the majority were more in the 10-pound range. Numbers of fish per charter ranged from one or two to 8 or 10 in combination.
Tuna action was still very spotted, and a handful of yellowfin were accounted for from the Vinorama and Iman Banks. These fish ranged up to 60 pounds. Though drift-style fishing is never easy on choppy and windy grounds, the tuna are still in the area, and we are optimistic that as wind patterns subside, we expect this action to become more consistent.
Not much going on inshore or off the bottom now. Most charters target surface action for larger gamefish. Sardina are always the preferred bait for late fall and winter action closer to shore and off the shallow rock piles, so we are crossing our fingers that some schools of sardina will reappear soon. …Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas
Cabo San Lucas
Congratulations to the winners of this 9th ORSAN Fishing Tournament Sport Fishing Tournament
1st Place Team #103 LOS SARAGATOS with a 21.5-pound Dorado winning $400,000 + $53,500 in jackpots
2nd Place Team #35 JULIETA with an 18.3-pound Dorado winning $200,000 + $1,137,000 in jackpots
3rd Place Team #136 BAJA ANGLERS with an 18.2-pound Dorado winning $100,000 + $740,000 in jackpots
Wahoo Jackpot Winner Team #146 HERMANOS CASTILLO with a 44.8-pound Wahoo winning $1,498,000
Winning teams in Golden release awards:
#44 Team Ramrod $10,000
#128 Team Hingrates $10,000
#159 Team Yesenias $10,000
Winning teams in Marlin release awards:
#127 Team Marika’s $10,000
#21 Team Leafy $10,000
#133 Team Kraken $10,000
#92 Team La Chingona $10,000
We thank Sistema Dif Los Cabos, Sistema Dif La Paz, and Club Rotario Los Cabos for their assistance in receiving the donation of 60 wheelchairs from Fundación ORSAN.
In the same way, as all our sponsors, participating teams, and people who attended this 9th ORSAN Fishing Tournament, we will be posting photos and videos of the event these days…ORSAN
