Bajabytes Weekly SportFishing Update 01/10/24
Bajabytes SportFishing Weekly Update 1.10.24
The following report focuses on many fishing updates, photos, and news from various locations up and down the East and West Coasts of the entire Baja Peninsula offering great blue water fishing. It provides valuable information for fishing enthusiasts, contributed by local and visiting fishermen.
If you and your friends have fished somewhere in Baja and would like to share the results of your trips, our staff, and followers would appreciate your info and tips, and we would be honored to include your observations, the locations, and the fishing conditions your groups encountered. So, let’s get started.
Need a Mexican Fishing License?
https://app.sportfishingbcs.gob.mx/
Imperial Beach
Bonito and yellowtail have been popping up throughout this area on bait balls. The bones (bonefish) are found under birds on bait spread from Del Mar to Point Loma, and guys trolling feathers are getting jig stops and following up with chrome jigs and sardine just like tuna fishing. The yellows have been hanging around the upper LJ area.
Sand bass fishing remains good south of Point Loma and down to IB. The local half-day boats have been reporting limits on many runs. They bite best in the afternoon but bite almost as well in the morning. …Fish Dope
——— Mexican Waters ————
Mexican Permits AVAILABLE here:
https://www.californiasportfishing.org/
FMM link here: https://www.gob.mx/inm/acciones-y-programas/sport-fishing-and-nautical-tourism
If you have trouble with 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 until April 1, 2024. Rockfish are still legal to catch in Mexican waters.
Just be sure to fill out your Declaration Forms for everyone on the boat.
The Lower 9 has produced a mix of bocaccio, reds, Mexicans, bank perch, etc., in 400 to 600 feet of water. Guys are seeing a few lingcod and black gill for those dropping deep over 700 to 1100 feet.
The Lower 9 has also had some bonito around. Guys are getting jig stops and seeing bird schools.
The rockfish area to the northeast of the islands has been producing lots of whitefish along with some red rockfish.
There hasn’t been any 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
The Islands got looked at on Saturday, and there was good rockfish action around South Island, where whitefish and sheephead were biting, and a halibut was caught. There wasn’t any word of bonito seen.
With so few boats fishing the Islands, reports are tough to come by, so if you fish 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.
Ensenada
There have been big bonito showing here from Punta Banda down to Santo Tomas. Most are in the 6 to 8-pound class, with a few standouts pushing the 10-pound mark.
Local pangas get them by trolling feathers and plugs like DTX Minnows and Rapalas. Down at Santo Tomas, there are also lots of big reds and other mixed red rockfish. …Fish Dope
Colonet and San Quintin
The yellowtail bite continues in both of these areas. Many pangeros fishing down here have gotten limits almost daily in the last few weeks. These are an excellent grade of yellows, ranging from 15 to 25 pounds on average. Areas like the Colonet Highspot and Breakers Reef have produced the best fishing.
San Quintin
I got to fish with my buddies, Enrique Ibarra and Dave Rivera, and our incredible fishing Captain, Bertoldo Garcia from Garcias Pangas Sportfishing in San Quintin. We got some quality yellows on the boat. There are many fish markings. Get out and fish with Garcias Pangas. They have the boat, rooms, and fish processing and will even prepare your catch the same day for dinner! …Ricardo M Lopez
Bahia de los Angeles
All Quiet
BAJA SUR
Guerrero Negro
…Chema Medina
Bahía Asunción
Yellowtail and big tuna! …Shari Bondy
La Bocana
Quiet
Santa Rosalia
Punta Chivato
Still some fun fishing as the new year begins…Craig and Theresa Cove
Bahía Concepción
We got out before New Year’s! High tide was around sunrise, and the bite started to move very slowly. I was worried it would be “one of those days.” The bite took off as the tide began to go out, and we had more movement! We ended up with seven yellowtail, a few bonito (released), and pinto bass. We stayed close to home the following day, fishing inside the Bay. We caught a few Colorado and mangrove snappers for an NYE Feast…Nathan Burbey
Loreto
Yesterday was the first fishing day of 2024!
Six dorado (live bait). Two yellowtail (knife jigs), Close to Coronado Island.
#nemenchassportfishingandtours
López Mateos
It was good to take the Pontoon, “La Pasadita,” out for a day for a mangrove tour.
Still, we had good live bait fishing with shrimp inside Mag Bay. There were limits of corvina, pargo, grouper, and triggerfish, and we caught a couple of octopi. Plus, we sighted the first juvenile grey whale inside the Bay.
It was too rough and windy to get outside! …Cheri King – Lopez Mateos Sportfishing
La Paz
MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ FISHING REPORT from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of Jan. 2-9, 2024
East Cape
Marlin and dorado bites continues really good !! Great job Captain Sergio Noris and deckhand Alejandro Ceseña on board of the MARLIN MAGIC . Well done anglers…Annibal Medina. Van Wormers Resort
San Jose del Cabo
January 7th, 2023
We have seen fewer anglers arrive after the Holidays. Temperatures have been colder than usual as we are experiencing a cold front. We see mornings in the mid-50s and days in the low-70s. To add to the mix, we also had some windy days this week, mostly coming from the northeast and northwest, with a couple of days of 15 to 20 mph gusts. Even though it has been windy for many days, the fishing continues to be hot and full of action.
This week’s primary highlight has been yellowfin tuna and dorado, with striped marlin in the mix. Earlier in the week, the fleet focused on the inner Gordo as the tuna bite from the previous week at Cabeza de Ballena disappeared. There has been lots of bait at the Gordo, though it has been challenging to have bait in the water as the skipjack would come up in big schools. If you had plenty of sardina, you could bring up some nice-sized tuna and have a good chance of hooking a couple. We did see a few fish pushing the 100-pound mark. These bigger fish were caught on strips of squid and skipjack, while the smaller 30 to 50-pound tuna were hooked on live sardina.
It is common to run into the big schools of dorado within the same area. We continue to see big bulls in the mix.
Throughout mid-week, the bite at the Gordo seemed to slow down as many boats were fishing the area. The fleet started motoring to Iman Bank to scout out the area, and they were successful. The tuna and dorado bite was great right off the bat. A few nice-sized tuna are hooked at Iman, too, with the average being around 30 pounds. We have seen a few 60 to 70-pounders in the same area and heard of many bigger ones lost. For these fish, we are primarily using 40# fluoro; hooking one of those 70-pounders on this setup puts up a great fight.
We also see good numbers of striped marlin from Iman to the Gordo. Many boats targeting marlin have seen significant action between the inner and outer Gordos. These fish have been hooked on live skipjack, fast trolling ballyhoo, a combination of lures, and live sardina if hungry.
Sierra action has been decent throughout the shore, closer to Palmilla Point. Not a lot of bottom action at this time. The wahoo bite has been slower than usual, and few boats could pick a few wahoo throughout the week by trolling Rapalas, with most caught at Iman. Good Fishing. …Brian Brictson
Cabo San Lucas
Valerie 35-ft. Bertram, Carter Hilsher, Hunter Hilsher, Phillip Hilsher, and Taylor Hilsher started their year off on a family outing that offered great blue water fishing that will last a lifetime by catching nine dorado by trolling lures and on live mackerel near Cerro de Arena with Captain Roberto Sandez at the wheel and Mario Juarez assisting on deck. trolling lures and on live mackerel near Cerro de Arena with Captain Roberto Sandez at the wheel and Mario Juarez assisting on deck..
The first week of the New Year began with calm seas. The boats in the Pisces Fleet returned from the fishing grounds with their numerous multi-colored fish flags flapping from out-riggers, displaying their billfish releases and many dorado and yellowfin tuna catches creating a colorful sight.
Throughout the week, the Pisces crews led their clients to the action-packed sport fishing that has made Cabo San Lucas famous. Click below for a partial list of the names of the fleet and their successes during the end of 2023 and the first week of 2024:
That Baja Guy