Dorado...Dorado
Capt. Gary Graham
September 28, 2008
Baja Sur - Saltwater Fishing Report
Endless Season Update 09/24/2008
REPORT #1133 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
Action is spread out from La Ribera all the way below Las Frailes. Small dorado close to shore but only a few of the larger fish that had been so common a few weeks ago. Best quality tuna and dorado is down below Las Frailes south of the Distiladera half way to Punta Gorda with some football sized a few miles outside of Cabo Pulmo.
Billfish action seemed to be mostly sailfish with a few striped marlin mixed in but spread all over the bay
The big squid are still thick just a short distance off the beach. Most of the fleet is loading up on them before heading out.
Water temperature 76-87
Air temperature 74-93
Humidity 86%
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Mostly clear
Visibility 9 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:10 p.m. MDT
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Very few boats out this week, but reports indicate it was great for billfish, dorado and small tuna. Still the early morning wahoo bite at the Thetis but you needed to be on the spot at gray light.
Inside, leopard grouper, a snook or two and mangrove snapper dominated the catch. Still some halibut were found on the shallows off the sandy beaches.
Bob Hoyt
Water temperature 60 - 77
Air temperature 75 -96
Humidity 87 %
Wind: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:17 p.m. MDT
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
We have almost an exact repeat of this last week. Few anglers, a one sailfish average per boat per day, and ditto for the dorado. But, we did have some inclement weather in the first three days of the week, with light rain, cloudy skies, and enough wind to make the fishing conditions a bit on the miserable side.
The blue water is still very close and only about 3 to 4 miles off the beach. The inshore water is still stained, due to heavy rains in the mountains swelling the rivers with a large volume of silt laden water.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 73-92
Humidity 83%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:36 a.m. CDT
Sunset 7:38 p.m. CDT
Cabo San Lucas
BILLFISH: I said in the last report that it was beginning to look good for the Striped Marlin fishing and this week proved it to me. We had a client fishing on Saturday who released 11 Striped Marlin and lost a Sailfish in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Banks. Not only that, but he also kept 7 nice Dorado while releasing many more. Most boats were getting at least one or two Marlin releases per day this week. Most of these fish were a result of throwing live bait at tailing fish, but a few were caught on lures being pulled for Dorado. There were also a couple of very decent days of Blue Marlin fishing. Wednesday captains on the fleet boats reported hooking up with at least three nice Blues while a private boat reported releasing one as well. Most of the Blue Marlin action occurred between the 95 spot and the south end of the San Jaime Banks.
YELLOWFIN TUNA While the Tuna action this week was not hot and heavy, there were some nice fish found. One of my friends, while fishing on his boat, "Private Reserve", hooked a double header while working a Frigate bird. The first fish took the #50 class reel into the deep backing; the second fish didn't do much at first. The first fish ended up being a nice 50-pound Yellowfin. After landing it he picked up the rod on the second fish and after a one-hour fight he managed to boat a very nice #175 Yellowfin (and he was nice enough to give me a chunk for sashimi, thanks Tiff!). There were boats that managed to get into schools during the week, but the runs were normally at least 30 miles as the concentrations that were found were outside of the banks on the Pacific side.
DORADO Absolutely no doubt about it! Dorado were the fish of the week. If you were not getting your limit this week, or at least catching all you wanted to catch, you were in the wrong place! The correct place to be was anywhere within 10 miles of the shore on both the Cortez side and the Pacific side, with the better concentrations on the Pacific side. Slow trolling live bait, working Frigate birds or trolling 6-8 inch brightly colored lures all worked well on fish that averaged 15 pounds. Almost everyone (with the exception of a few greedy crews) were releasing anything under 10 pounds, and still limiting out.
WAHOO There were a couple of nice Wahoo to 60 pounds caught this week, but I did not hear of any large numbers. The fish that I know about were caught on the Pacific side by boats fishing for Dorado.
INSHORE: There was some decent Roosterfish this week with fish that ranged to 30 pounds, but not any large numbers on fish that size. The Cortez side of the Cape had the best fishing for bottom fish such as snapper and grouper, but there were no large numbers of anything except triggerfish. With the nice water we had, most of the Pangas were working outside for Dorado and Marlin, and doing quite well with them.
George & Mary Landrum
Water temperature 73 - 88
Air temperature 74 - 93
Humidity 63%
Wind: WNW 5 knots
Conditions: Mostly Sunny
Visibility 9 miles
Sunrise 7:11 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:10 p.m. MST
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