Bajabytes Sport Fishing Update
October 4, 2023
Welcome to Baja Bytes, our weekly report highlighting the fishing hotspots from the Coronado Islands to Land’s End at Cabo San Lucas.
You will note that we have not included some areas this week. Either we did not receive a report, or fishing was seasonally slow. If you have a location that isn’t listed, don’t hesitate to contact us. We welcome your input. gary.1940@gmail.com
Feedspot selected Baja Bytes as one of the Top 15 California Fishing Podcasts on the web.
https://blog.feedspot.com/california_fishing_podcasts/
Continue
Coronado Islands / Rockpile
The water has cleaned up and runs around the Coronado Islands from the mid to the upper-60s with some mixed-grade bonito.
Some are from three to five-pounders, and a few are larger in the eight to ten-pound class.
The weather side of North Island is one of the better-producing areas, although it is hit and miss as some anglers report decent fishing and some report not seeing many.
Tyler, aboard Unit 91, reported in with this “Hey guys, I fished the Coronado’s yesterday around North Island. There was a good mix of rockfish, whitefish, and bonito. The water was blue and about 67 to 68 degrees. …Fish Dope
Ensenada
Sportfishing in October is still excellent, but it has started to cool down from the peak warm summer months. The offshore season has ended, but anglers are catching fish near shore and in the bay.
Here are some of the fish that can be caught in Ensenada in October:
- Offshore: Yellowtail, tuna (yellowfin and bluefin), dorado (mahi mahi), and barracuda.
- Nearshore: Yellowtail, white seabass, calico bass, and sand bass.
- Bay: Corbina, white seabass, kelp bass, and barracuda.
The best places to fish in Ensenada in October vary depending on the fish you are targeting. If fishing for offshore fish, you must go to Todos Santos Islands or the San Miguel Reef. If you are fishing for nearshore fish, you can stay closer to shore and fish around the kelp beds and reefs. If you are fishing for bay fish, you remain in the Ensenada Harbor or Todos Santos Bay.
Here are some tips for sportfishing in Ensenada in October:
- Use live bait whenever possible. It is always the best bait to use, especially when fishing offshore.
- Fish early in the morning or late in the evening. The fish are more active during these times of day.
- Troll for offshore and bottom fish for nearshore fish. Trolling is an excellent way to cover a lot of water and find the fish. It is also a great way to catch bottom-feeding fish.
- Be patient. It may take time to find the fish and get them to bite.
Book your charter in advance if you plan a sport fishing trip to Ensenada in October. The best charters book up quickly, especially during the peak fishing seasons.
San Quintin
Our yearly fishing trip with Garcias Pangas Sportfishing in San Quintin was fun and full of action. We were lucky enough to find yellowfin tuna not too far from the shore. I want to thank the crew and personnel for the warm welcome and outstanding service. Thank you for accommodating us on such a short notice,
Carlos García, you guys did a fantastic job of cleaning and packing our catch, and last but not least, our captain for the day, Josue Duarte, our gratitude for leading our group into the right spots to find these yellowfin tuna and more! Josue is accommodating, knowledgeable, and always has the best attitude you can find in a fisherman! Thank you, ALL!!! …Benny Resendiz
Bahía de Los Angeles
October is one of the most incredible months for sportfishing in Bahía de Los Ángeles, Mexico. The water is still warm, and the fish are active; plus, it’s excellent top-water fishing now. …Joel’s Sportfishing & Ecotours
South (Baja Sur)
Cedros Island
SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, ~ MARLIN, TUNA, DORADO, AND MORE DELIGHT THE CEDROS ANGLERS!
La Bocana
Denise & Larry ‘Hansome’ Hansen pulled the parker to La Bocana. Nine hours to LB!
La Bocana, BCS, MX – Today, I went fishing with my friends Edward Duitsman, Tony de Malo, and Denis Jung. It was not as wide open as yesterday, but it was terrific.
Our catch consisted of YFT, small dodos, and a nice mako – a very nice, fun-filled day with an excellent time had by all….okay? fishonnn!!! Captain Juan Cook!!! …9/30/23
Bahía Concepción
Great to be back in Mulege. We went out for a strike mission, and I wanted to try out new MILF Jigs prototypes. We dropped at my favorite high spot and got bit. The yellowtail were smaller grade with the warm weather. Caught about a dozen yellowtail on Knife Jigs, but they were mostly “firecrackers” being released for another day. The dorado bite is still hot. We started trolling home, and we were catching dorado a few miles out from Mulege. Two friends in town hooked into very nice billfish in front of Mulege. An eight-foot sailfish was caught on 40-pound test, and an estimated 300-pound black marlin was taken after a three-hour battle on lighter line. …Nathan Burbey
Loreto
The dorado bite has slowed, so we began looking for Black Sea bass working in 700-feet-deep water. On our way back to Punta Colorada, we found a couple of good-sized dorado. It was such a good day on the water with our friend Joel Paullin! …Rubio Sportfishing
López Mateos
Nothing in this last week because of wind and big seas. Looks like the end of this week we will be able to get outside. Reports from the commercial fishermen at the south end of Magdalena Island fish camps – of 20 kilo Yellowfin Tuna at Thetis – and 35 – 40 lb Wahoo. Can;t wait to see them!!!…Cheri King
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing
East Cape
Heading home after 14 amazing days at the Van Wormer Resorts’ Hotel Palmas De Cortez! … 2023 Tuna Shoot Out & “Casting4Souls” event are now in the books! Successful!
Special THANK YOU to: Eddie & Shannon Moe Dalmau, Jack McCulloch Jr., Capt. Carlos Alberto Araujo Tamayo, Anibal Miranda, the entire staff at the resort, all the volunteers who came out to help, and everyone who supports us through Taco Tuesday … you are all AWESOME!
Gordo Banks
October 1, 2023
This week has indicated how a typical September going into October fishing should look. The days continue to be extremely humid, with temperatures in the mid-90s, although the mornings are starting to show a light and cool breeze. Going into the last week of September, we expect a lighter crowd and only a few daily trips. Beginning October, that will not be the case as we have quite a full schedule until the end of November.
This week, we started seeing giant tuna at the Gordo, indicating excellent fishing for tournaments in October and November. Most of the fish caught were over 70 pounds. We weighed many fish in the 100-Pound Club, the biggest weighing in at 142. These fish are a bit finicky this time of year; they only bite briefly, either early in the morning or afternoon. Most of these fish are hitting on squid strips or slow-trolling live skipjack or bonito you catch on the fishing grounds. An occasional 250 to 300-pound black marlin was caught and released while slow-trolling these live bait, though there is not much to report.
According to the weather and bait conditions, we are confident that we will slowly start to see the famous “cows.” (The locals use the term cows for tuna over 200 pounds.)
Many tournament teams have begun scouting the areas for giant marlin and tuna. The Bisbee’s tournaments are coming up in October, and the Cabo Tuna Jackpot will be the first week of November. It should add to the excitement if we continue to see similar conditions.
More dorado and wahoo have been caught this week compared to the last two. You can target most of these by fast-trolling ballyhoo, Rapalas, and lures. Because it has been extraordinarily hot, some boats are trolling back to the marina to alleviate heat exposure. Not only is trolling a great way to stay cool, but it also covers some ground and helps find these schools of dorado.
Off the bottom, there were more triggerfish than anything else, with an occasional red snapper or amberjack in the mix. We are also continuing to see a few dogtooth snappers at the Gordo.…Good Fishing, Brian
Los Cabos
Ready to join the FORTY and FIFTY-POUND MAHI CLUB? Come fishing with us!
The boys have landed these big Bull Mahi over the past THREE days! It’s nonstop action with the dorado bite right now!
Just TODAY, we had 137 dorados caught for the fleet, with 65 of those released cause we’re always respecting fishing limits.
Get out here fishing. Let’s go o o o!!!—- …Rebecca Ehrenberg