REPORT #1163 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
By all accounts, the past few days have been the best in 2009 so far. With the help of a floating dead whale and flat seas, the dorado action was ‘off the charts’ providing nonstop action on both fly and conventional.
Inshore action continued with its winning ways providing plenty of bait which attracted roosters, jacks and pompano…enough to keep rods bent. Even after being thrashed last week by wind, the beach has turned the corner and those fishing from shore in the past few days have had the kind of action normally not expected until later in the spring.
Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 56-86
Humidity 48%
Wind: NNW 13 to 18 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:41 p.m. MST
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Very few anglers went out but the commercial guys are still talking about the dorado around the shark buoys west of the Entrada. Skipjack and small tuna remain in easy striking distance of Boca de Soledad.
The Esteros have also been lightly fished but there were a few grouper and mangrove snapper all the way up to the top end of the bay. There are also a few small halibut on the sandy beaches near the inside of the Boca.
Water temperature 67 - 77
Air temperature 52 -81
Humidity 45 %
Wind: WNW 12 to 16 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:50 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Being the blue water has moved out beyond the 24 mile mark, the blue water fishing is practically non-existent this week for the sport fishing fleet. They are only averaging less than a sailfish a day per boat. The only reports of decent blue water fishing are coming in from the commercial pangueros. They are working an area from 45 to 50 miles out, and scoring on yellowfin tuna and blue marlin.
There is a hot bite going on however. The jack crevalle, chulas and black skipjack tuna are providing lots of action for the light-line fishermen. The majority of the action is taking place between 1/2 to 2 miles off the beach, all up and down the coast. (A chula is an excellent tasting small tuna, between 4 and 6 pounds, with white meat and a serious set of dentures).
Most of the inshore fish are being taken on trolled Rapalas.
Talking to Jaime this morning on the municipal pier, he told me how yesterday they even encountered a school of large jacks at 17 miles. The 25 pound (average) fish were so hungry he ended up with a quadruple hookup on his sailfish baits.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 68-86
Humidity 62%
Wind: WSW at 13knt
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:29 a.m. CST
Sunset 8:03 p.m. CST
Cabo San Lucas
The striped marlin bite has slowly begun to pick back up with fish showing on the surface on the Cortez side of the Cape. Most of the fish being caught are found tailing on the surface and the bites have been pretty evenly mixed between live and dead bait. On the Pacific side there have been a couple of fish found, but overall everyone pretty much agreed that inside the Pacific side banks the water is too cool for much action. There were reports of a couple of blue and black marlin giving some adrenalin rushes out there.
Once again the yellowfin tuna failed to show in any numbers. There were a few fish found, but they were at quite a distance from Cabo. It took several hours running time to get into the productive waters, such as they were, and once there it took quite a long time to find any fish, it there were any. A few schools were found 40 miles to the southwest, in the 20 to 35 pound class. That meant a long run for the possibility of getting a couple of small tuna…most anglers said never mind.
There were mostly scattered dorado; however, most boats were able to get at least one, and a few boats managed to get three or four. The warm water on the Cortez side produced the fish and the best area was three to five miles off the beach in the same area that held most of the striped marlin.
Wahoo were scattered with a few fish found in the early part of the week in the Punta Gorda, Inman Bank area. These fish averaged 25 pounds and swimming plugs had the best results.
Sierra and yellowtail continued to provide the best inshore action, but there was also a fair bite on amberjack and pargo and a few grouper to add to the mix. Most of the action early in the week was taking place on the Cortez side of the Cape but as the winds died down the bite moved back to the Pacific side off of Los Arcos.
George & Mary Landrum
Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 56 – 86
Humidity 48%
Wind: W 9 to 12 knots
Conditions: Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:41 p.m. MST
