First Release Tournament at Magdalena Bay
Capt. Gary Graham
August 24, 2010
Baja Sur - Saltwater Fishing Report
Endless Season Update August 22, 2010
REPORT #1228 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
Locals are shaking their head in disbelief as the fishing has broken wide open and there are no visitors to take advantage of the action. The yellowfin tuna continued to bite in close in front of La Ribera. These were not the football-sized fish that are usually common close to the beach…some hit the 20 to 40 pound class providing more than an ample amount for sashimi at cocktail hour.
The boats heading farther out found some gorilla-sized tuna that pulled like a souped-up VW Bug.
The trick was to get in front of the right porpoise school with lures or bait and then hang-on! Throughout the week, the big tuna seemed to be winning most of the tug-of-wars with an occasional toad brought to the pier.
Blue and striped marlin have kicked into high gear and are biting better than they have in the past several years. One report claimed it was some of the best billfish action in twenty-five years.
The dorado action also ticked upward which probably accounts for the increased billfish action.
Even though it's beginning to sound like a broken record, the bubba-class roosterfish bite (to 70 pounds) just doesn't want to quit, which is something to crow about.
The big Humboldt squid remain one of the best sources of bait with some scary looking 5 to 6 foot specimens being chunked up for bait or chum.
Current East Cape Weather http://tiny.cc/EastCapeWeather303
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Six kayaks, 22 boats and 42 anglers participated in the first annual Fly Fish, light tackle and kayak tournament in Comondu BCS, Mexico which took place on 13, 14 and August 15, 2010 at Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos.
Considering that the event organizers only had approximately 4 months to plan the event the attendance was remarkable..
The event was held only in the Bay with fishing only from shore, kayaks or boats. Tackle included fly and conventional. With all catches released after weights and length was recorded. It was the first all release event ever held in the bay
Three species targeted were snook, grouper and corvina. During the two day event the contestants caught 35 grouper, 80 snook and 64 corvina.
Winners included click here…Bob Hoyt
Current Magdalena Bay Weather http://tiny.cc/MagBayWeather150
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80° blue water is between 16 and 18 miles off the beach and the fishing is a bit on the slow side. The few boats fishing (only 8 to 10 a day) are each averaging about 1 to 2 sailfish or striped marlin a day. Wind was a major contributor to the fishing this week as we had 3 days where it was darn uncomfortable to go out 16 to 20 miles and then get hammered coming back.
Just before the winds hit us for three days, Cheva on the panga Dos Hermanos II, went to the 22 mile mark and got three sailfish for his clients on one day. So the potential is there.
Adolfo, on the Dos Hermanos, made the 40 mile run to Puerto Vicente Guerrero and is staying down there a couple of days. He was very disappointed. The nightly rains, very intense at times, have the chocolate colored rivers running brim full. They have discolored the entire coastline South of Zihuatanejo to way past Vicente Guerrero.
There is a major movement being undertaken by sportsmen right now. A Billfish conservation act has been introduced to congress. It is for the purpose of "taking bill fish off the menu." Please click on the attached link and then contact your congressman through the link inside the article. http://www.sportfishingmag.com/news/news/billfish-conservation-act-of-2010-introduced-to-us-congress--1000084822.html …Ed Kunze
Current Zihuatanejo Weather http://tiny.cc/zihuatanejo582
Cabo San Lucas
One of our friends released a black marlin estimated at 500+ pounds while working the temperature break to the south, so we know that the marlin are still out there. Striped marlin have made a re-appearance at the Golden Gate and surrounding areas; most boats are coming in with from two to more than a half-dozen releases per day. Black marlin averaging 150 to 200 pounds have been found near shore between Cabo and the Los Frailes area and blue marlin in the same size range (with a few in the 300-pound class) have been found just a few mile farther out with concentrations to the north of the temperature break.
Yellowfin tuna ranging in size from 15 to 30 pounds are being found between the Gordo and the Inman Banks, with a few in the 100+ pound class. These same size fish have been showing from the south by the 1,000 fathom line to the San Jaime Banks area. Though not wide open, everyone who has gone looking for them seems to catch a few.
On the Pacific side, the dorado action has started to open up with a lot of fish being found within five miles of the beach. One boat of clients this week released two striped marlin and landed three dorado…a 50 pound, a 35 pound and a 15 pound. Finding one usually means there are more close by!
There were a few wahoo averaging 30 pounds caught, mostly by boats working close to the beach or at the Gordo and Inman Banks…not large, but a nice surprise for those fishing for tuna and dorado.
Large swells made getting on the beach difficult, so the roosterfish action was down a bit, but the dorado, just a short way out, took their place.…George and Mary Landrum
Current Cabo Weather http://tiny.cc/cabo191
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