Bajabytes Weekly SportFishing Update 01/03/24
The following focuses 2024 start, with photos, and exciting news from various locations up and down the west and east coasts of the entire Baja Peninsula. It provides valuable information for fishing enthusiasts, contributed by local and visiting anglers.
If you and your friends have fished somewhere in Baja and would like to share the results of your trip, our staff and followers would appreciate your info and tips regarding your observations, the location, and the fishing conditions your group encountered. So, let’s get started.
Need a Mexican Fishing License?
https://app.sportfishingbcs.gob.mx/
Imperial Beach
The top story here is the big bonito!!! The boats are finding the bonito under the birds from Del Mar to Point Loma. Guys trolling feathers are getting jig stops and following up with chrome jigs and sardines, just like tuna fishing. It isn’t wide open, but it’s good enough that you’ll likely find them and catch some if you work at it.
Excellent sand bass fishing is happening south of Point Loma down to IB. The local half-day boats are reporting limits on many runs. The sand bass bite best in the afternoon, but they bite almost as well in the mornings…Fish Dope
——— Mexican Waters ————
FMM link here: https://www.gob.mx/inm/acciones-y-programas/sport-fishing-and-nautical-tourism If you are having trouble with the FMM, here is an email for assistance: bc_pescadeportiva@inami.gob.mx.
When bringing fish back to the US from Mexico, make sure to have your Declaration Forms filled out for everyone on the boat. Forms Here
NE of Coronados/Lower 9 Mile Bank/Upper Finger Bank
If you want rockfish, this is your only “local” choice from now until April 1, 2024. Rockfish are still a legal catch in Mexican waters. Just be sure to fill out your Declaration Forms for everyone on the boat. The Lower 9 reports that they were on the slow side yesterday, but overall, it has been producing well for a mixture of bocaccio, reds, Mexicans, bank perch, etc., in 400 to 600 feet of water. Guys are also seeing a few lingcod — a few black gills for those dropping deep in over 700 to 1100+ feet of water.
Boats on the Lower 9 also have a decent bite continues for big bonito. The guys are getting jig stops and seeing bird schools.The rockfish area to the northeast of the islands is producing many whitefish, along with some red ones.
Watch for “extended” half-day runs out of Mission Bay and San Diego to start fishing these areas frequently over the next several months.
There is no recent dope from the 27 Fathom Spot or the Upper Finger Bank, but those areas are likely seeing good rockfish action, too.
Coronado Islands/Rockpile
That said, it is a good bet that there are some big bonito around North Island, the Middle Grounds, and the lee of South Island. There are bonito to the inside on the Lower 9, so why not here? Other than this, all we have heard is good rockfish action at SKR and other spots below South Island. The Rockpile is likely seeing good rockfish action, too.
All the sport boats that usually fish here are in dry dock or doing annual winter maintenance. When they get back online, they will start looking for yellowtail.
With so few boats fishing the Islands, reports are hard to come by, so if you fished the Islands, please shoot us a report at Reports@fishdope.com.
**** ATTENTION ****
You must stay at least 250 meters (820 feet) away from tuna pens. If you don’t, you risk losing your boat and landing in a Mexican jail.
Click here for more details on this subject. .…Fish Dope
Ensenada
Those big 5 to 10-pound class bonito are still around. Local pangas get them by trolling DTX Minnows and Rapalas around Punta Banda and down the coast to Santo Tomas. Santo Tomas continues to give up great fishing for red rockfish, too. …Fish Dope
Colonet
Several boats are online for 1.5-day trips departing on Friday, January 5, 2024, to come down to Colonet and target yellowtail and rockfish. Often, yellowtail are on the high spot and are caught on yoyo iron in 150 to 300 feet of water. Some years, they show here real well – and others, like last year, not so much.
There are plenty of big quality reds and lingcod to fall back on if the yellows don’t show.
The boats might swing out for bluefin, too, if they are close…Fish Dope
San Quintin
Great fishing in San Quintin with Dina Martino. Our AFTCO gear kept us warm, dry and super comfortable! Only the best! ……..good times and great food at Eucalipto /Old Mill…Gerry Mahieu
Bahia de los Angeles
Great day of fishing with Martin Diaz Zurita Bay of Los Angeles The last one of the year was December 27. …Captain Martin December 2023
BAJA SUR
Catch up on the latest news from FONMAR
https://wordpress.com/view/fonmarusa.blog
Guerrero Negro
Fabulous !!! Fishing in the Barril, Baja California, Mexico – a short fishing day with much action! The jurels (yellowtail) were very active. We bid farewell to the year with good fishing. Blessings to all, and may this year be full of good things and excellent fishing. …Chema Medina with Jhonatan Castro Martinez and 2 others
Bahía Asunción
I’m super happy we caught this guy. It was rough out on the water, and almost every time Tony and I made eye contact, we would say, “Time to go in?” So, yeah, rough! A beautiful yellowfin tuna (aka ahi tuna) just over 40lbs. Tuna in January in Asunción! Here is to a successful and prosperous new year…Miki Couchoud
Wow..we had a brief rain squal this wonderful first day of the New Year & a dramatic sunset even the dogs admired!!Shary Bondy
La Bocana
Quiet
Santa Rosalia
Punta Chivato
Quiet
Bahía Concepción
Get lucky with MILF Jigs https://a.co/d/5nBSu4z Nathan Burbey
Loreto
Late Christmas dodo (dorado) today – around 30 pounds!! And some white bonito for this delicious Mexican sashimi @ San Bruno Banks…German Martinez Davis ·
López Mateos
Fishing is excellent inside Mag Bay, using live shrimp for bait. Limits of pargo, corvina, and grouper. …Cheri King
La Paz
East Cape
Outcast Deckhand Lizandro Cota and our happy client show off the impressive fish we’re still catching here in the East Cape in between the windy days. … Baja Fishing Adventures
San Jose del Cabo
December 31st, 2023
It is the last day of the year, and most of the boats at the Panga Dock are out fishing. What a great way to say goodbye to 2023. This week, we experienced some colder temperatures, with mornings in the high 50s and beautiful sunny days in the mid-70s. These mornings are considered very chilly for us locals.
So far, this has been one of our most productive weeks of the year. The main target species this week was yellowfin tuna. The Cabo and San José fleets found nice-sized yellowfin tuna, most averaging around 30 pounds. These fish were found heading towards Cabo, at Cabeza de Ballena, and are 13-15 miles from our marina and around half a mile from the shore. Anglers reported that the best action was around 140 to 160 feet on live sardina.
We had plenty of nice-sized sardina supply this week. The local bait guys have focused on netting sardina within the Cabo Real area.
Most boats fishing for these tuna have been able to catch their limit within a few hours. Due to the hot bite, this area has been hit hard by the Cabo and the San José fleets, which we estimate on most days to be around 80 to 100 boats. The main concern with the high volume and boat proximity is the tangles. Numerous boats within the fleet reported losing many fish due to other hooked tuna tangling their lines or boats cutting their lines.
Within this area, we heard of some boats hooking tuna with small lures and feathers, though not many as they did with sardina. Some nice-sized dorado are also being caught while drifting for these tuna. We have also seen a few wahoo accidentally caught using the same technique and bait, though nothing over 15 pounds.
It has also been good for the boats going towards Gordo. The local pangeros are finding bigger tuna at the inner Gordo with live and dead sardina. The best time for these fish is definitely the afternoon. They can be all over the boat at certain times but are a bit finicky and hard to hook. Most of the fish landed are anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds. A few of the pangeros caught, on average, three per day. Within that same area, we are still seeing some big bulls caught.
We expect to have a great day of fishing for the last one of the year. The Gordo Banks Pangas crew wishes you a Happy New Year! …Good Fishing, Brian …Gordo Banks Pangas
Cabo San Lucas
In a week of mid-70-degree daytime weather with clear skies, calm 78 to 79-degree sea temp, and three-foot swells, some species, including striped marlin, dorado, and skipjack, were caught and or released in double-digit numbers. Other species, including yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and sierra, underscore the beginning of one of Cabo’s prime fishing seasons, extending for several months. …Pisces Sportfishing Fleet
That Baja Guy
Tell Miki that “Ahi” are Blue fin not Yellow fin!!
From my research, Ahi, the Hawaiian name, applies to bluefing, yellowfin and bigeye. If I am wrong, please correct me and include the correct name for each. Thanks