Bajabytes Sport Fishing Update January 24, 2023
The season’s opening trip was terrific in Laguna Ojo de Liebre! There were many whale moms and babies and mating trios to see. Of course, they were still a bit shy, but we saw a bit of everything – breaching, spy hopping, courtship, and those cute little newborns! I’d say we saw about 30 whales in front of our camp.
Ensenada
The top story is the excellent rockfish action south of Punta Banda around Santo Tomas and the Soledad Reef. Lots of big reds and lingcod are being caught.
Very few bonito or yellowtail are currently being caught. The few bonito caught are mostly on trolled Rapalas and DTX minnows. These bonito are big fish, with most topping the 8-pound mark if you can find any. Look around Punta Banda and along both sides of Todo Santos Island.
Yellowtail has become hard to get. The few that are biting are coming on yoyo iron off sonar marks down about 180 to 250 feet off Todos Santos Island and in the Punta Banda area….Fishdope.com
Colonet
This area hasn’t been getting much attention these days as most of the fleet is offline for maintenance, but a few boats have run down over the past week and found slow to fair fishing for 15 to 20-pound yellowtail on the big yoyo iron at the high spot either early or late in the day.
The Pacifica returned this morning with one yellowtail, limits of reds and various other red rockfish and whitefish, 32-lingcod, and two bonito.
Boats are seeing decent-sized schools of yellows in 180 to 250 feet of water. Only a matter of time before they bite will bite as well.
Just off the edge of the high spot, guys are getting lots of big quality reds, bocaccio, and lingcod in 280 to 350 feet of water…Fishdope.com
San Quintin
Cameron Fisher, yellowtail, first lesson fast pitch jigging, catch twenty-two jigs, 250-gr. …Captain Juan Cook
South (Baja Sur)
La Paz, B.C.S, January 23, 2023
Bulletin 008
“Pescando Residuos” collects 1.2 tons of materials in mangroves of La Paz
- The waste was destined to different recycling centers to be processed
The second edition of the tournament, “Fishing Waste,” organized by the State Government and environmental conservation groups that took place on January 22 on the beach of “El Comitán” in the municipality of La Paz, achieved the collection of one thousand two hundred kilos of recyclable and non-recyclable materials that were collected in the mangrove area of this beach, with the participation of 67 teams, including more than 300 adults, youth and children.
In response to the indications of the Governor of the State, Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, the Fund for the Protection of Marine Resources (FONMAR), in conjunction with the Sudcaliforniano Youth Institute (ISJ) and the Secretariat of Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Mobility, Environment and Natural Resources (SEPUIMM), as well as environmental conservation groups; carried out this event to encourage greater awareness of ecological care on the coasts of Baja California Sur.
The winning team was “Los 3 dorados,” which accumulated the equivalent of 2,788 pesos in waste, followed by the group “El Manglito,” who earned 1,347 pesos in points; and the third place for the “Cheetah” team that gathered 1,166 pesos in points, in addition to the prize of 3,000, 2,000, 1,000 pesos respectively, for the first three places.
The waste collected from aluminum, plastic, paper, and cardboard was destined for the community station, “Mares Circulares,” which will be responsible for its destination to a recycling center. Although the recycler EcoFilter received the cigarette butts to be processed, Municipal Public Services personnel moved the non-recyclable materials to the landfill.
Coming to make the opening shot of this event was Natalia Ruffo Castaño, Director of Municipal Tourism on behalf of the mayor, Milena Paola Quiroga Romero; Martín Inzunza Tamayo, Director General of FONMAR; Nayeli Arvizu Villegas, Director of the ISJ; Paulina García López, Undersecretary of Infrastructure and Public Works of SEPUIMM; Selma Leonor Rodríguez Orozco, Director of Liaison of SEPUIMM; Otton Arce Espinoza, municipal subdelegate of El Centenario; as well as Ingrid Arely García Huizar, José Lizandro Olachea Burgoin, Juan Javier García Davis and Erick de la Vega Meza by the FONMAR team.
Whale Magic Tours
South of Guerrero Negro
Finally, the season has begun!
The season’s opening trip was terrific in Laguna Ojo de Liebre! There were many whale moms and babies and mating trios to see. Of course, they were still a bit shy, but we saw a bit of everything – breaching, spy hopping, courtship, and those cute little newborns! I’d say we saw about 30 whales in front of our camp.
The star of the show was a calf with inflamed gums and lots of barnacles inside its mouth. This boisterous calf was breaching, opening, and closing its mouth and then shooting water out its mouth. We named this calf Iyla after the little girl on this maiden voyage of 2023. We called the mother Diane, who celebrated her 70th birthday onboard with whales. …Shari Bondy
Ascension Bay
Overlooking the Pacific at La Bufadora Inn.
Conception Bay
No Report.…Nathan Burbey
Lopez Mateos
The weather is back to normal, with good inside and outside fishing. Saul Aragón Ochoa
Loreto
Last week we had pleasant weather and some great action out at San Bruno. But, unfortunately, once the weekend rolled in, the north winter wind also dropped by for a visit. On Friday, yellowtail action shifted to La Cholla, and some 15-pound yellowtail were caught. The wind put the clamps on any multi-day possibilities. (I cruised by the commercial handline fishermen’s boatyard this afternoon, and they are even taking a few days off from the wind!)
I think hunting season has started, and boats will want to return to last year’s glory sites for some repeat action. The traditional monster spots will be in the crosshairs. Do you want to spend the time and gas on a chance at some 30-plus pound yellowtail? That will be the appropriate question, and most fishermen would lean toward a “yes” response. …Rick Hill
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for the Week of Jan. 15-22, 2023
East Cape
Lots of north wind, which has the kiteboard gang smiling. Recent reports of huge schools of sardina along the beaches. It was enough to tempt a few boats to sneak out early morning before the winds came. They were rewarded with a few dorado, sierra, and small jack crevalle.
For the others, it was “stay on shore and prowl the beaches,” sprinting from one sardina school after another, chased by sierra, roosters, and ladyfish. What a great way to get your morning workout!
Puerto Los Cabos
It has been noticeably quieter this past week, with fewer anglers arriving. Although this is never peak season, the cooler weather and more north winds are always a factor this time of year. The ocean water temperatures have dipped to 68 degrees, and winds are even more unpredictable. They pick up most days from the north by mid-morning, sometimes limiting the options available. Live sardina rebounded a bit, still not overly abundant, but they have been an option most days, as well as ballyhoo, slabs of squid, and some days mackerel.
The main fishing grounds are concentrated from the Gordo Banks, Punta Gorda, and Cardon to Iman Banks. Yellowfin tuna up to 80 pounds have been found on the Iman Bank, mainly drift fishing with strips of squid. There are no big numbers, but there are chances of quality yellowfin. Most anglers were lucky to land one, but some had a couple. The wind was a factor on these grounds, making it hard at times, too fast of a drift, with lots of bait needed.
Dorado were still spread out on these same grounds, striking more often on trolled ballyhoo, with sizes to 15 pounds and an average of two to four per boat. Last weekend a few wahoo were landed, and one 52-pound fish won the local tournament! However, we have not seen these fish since; the water is too cold now, and the pelagic species migrate farther south this time of year.
Only a few striped marlin are being found; the run is late to show on local grounds, but we expect more marlin to show up in local waters soon. We have seen more productive bottom action in recent days, using various bait and yoyo-style jigs. A handful of impressive-sized amberjack, as large as 71 pounds, also quality yellow snapper, bonito, leopard grouper, and others. We will do more of this structure action in the upcoming months as surface action typically fades out during the colder months.
More inshore sierra action and juvenile roosterfish action are starting to be seen. Hopefully, supplies of sardina hang in there because we rely on those baitfish during the winter season…Good Fishing, Eric Brictson
Cabo San Lucas
Since this is often the time of year that those of you with larger boats head down the west coast of Baja toward the tip, JD’s Big Game Tackle – Fish Report is full of reliable, on-the-water information – fishing, fuel, up-to-date weather, availability of slips, etc.
JD’s reports have been considered a credible resource experienced Captains and owners have depended on for decades.
https://www.jdsbiggame.com/report.htm
Tijuana Bull Ring
Cold, dirty water here at the Bull Ring, much like everywhere else along the coast, with the water temperature around 56 to 57 degrees.
Sand bass fishing is decent down on the IB Pipe using the knocker rig and a fresh dead squid. There are decent numbers of sculpin here, also. If you want to focus on sculpin, use a dropper loop rig with squid strips, mackerel, or sardine. Pinned on a 100-gram Colt Sniper, those will work excellently, too.
Fair sand bass fishing at Buoy #3 using the leadhead, knocker rig, or whole squid. You’ll catch whitefish, which are biting well too.
A dropper loop rig with small hooks and a couple of strips of squid is the ticket for the whitefish. …Fishdope.com
Coronado Islands / Rockpile / NE of the Coronados / Lower 9 Mile Bank / Upper Finger Bank…
Winter mode is in full effect. It’s all about rockfish down here right now.
This is an excellent zone to fish rockfish this time of year since it’s in Mexican waters, and rockfish are still open here. You’ll find vermillions and coppers (chuckleheads) in 180 to 300-foot depths, with greener blotched and pink rockfish (both nicknamed “bosco”) as well as nice Mexican rockfish around 350 to 550 feet. You may need to bounce from rockpile to rockpile to find one that wants to bite, but you should at least be able to put together a nice mixed bag when the day is done. Watch for the “fuzz” marks on your meter to thin out and start showing a few slightly larger, more defined marks near the bottom to let you know the bigger ones are in the area. Dropper loops with squid, live or dead, sardine, and Gulp bait will all work great, and you can mix and match your rigs to figure out what the fish want to bite best on any day you’re out. …Fishdope.com
