Baja Mexico: Magdalena Bay, Baja Sur & East Cape.
Capt. Gary Graham
June 26, 2004
Baja Sur - Saltwater Fishing Report
Sat., June 26, 2004. Report covers the period Sat.-Fri. (6/19-6/25)
EAST CAPE, MAGDALENA BAY, ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO; AND SAN JOSE, GUATEMALA CONDITIONS
EAST CAPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
IN GENERAL: Tuna are still slurping up flies like kids eating peanuts at a baseball game. Dorado, within a few miles of the hotel, changed the focus for the fly-guys as they would slide up on a shark buoy, toss a bit of chum and have the Sea of Cortez explode into colors of neon blue and gold as dorado chased down every single free swimming sardina not to mention almost every fly that hit the water. The Mike Croft group, from up the coast in Seattle, dedicated fly-fishers, had quite a tale to tell their Pacific Northwest friends. They caught over 100 dorado one day and went back out the next morning and doubled the count. Mike and a buddy caught in excess of 40 dorado one day.
Roosters were another story. There were plenty of hookups and stories of 200 yard runs and broken tippets. Breakfast on their last morning they were lined up to purchase one of the Rasta flies that I brought down this trip.
I even had a few personal beach stories. One Bubba chased my fly, creating a wall of water as he charged, only to have a dink (10-pounds) streak in and grab the fly at the last second literally right from the mouth of Big Brother. Hot weather . . . hot fishing . . .Baja Summer . . . I love it!
AIR & SEA -
Water temperature 70-84
Air temperature 80-90
Humidity about 64%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 12 miles
Sunrise 6:35 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:09 p.m. MDT
July 2, Full, July 9 Last Quarter, July 17 New, July 27 First Quarter
+ OFFSHORE: Blue marlin, striped marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and all within 25 miles.
+ INSHORE: Plenty to look at jacks, roosters, pompano cruising close to shore, all the reefs holding a plethora of fish that have me reaching for my fish ID book, even saw a couple of parrot fish this week.
+ BEACH: Not a question of shots, more a question of how long your arm will hold out before you find the willing one. In a two hour period the other day we had 36 shots on Rooster alley and we were the only ones on the beach.
BILLFISH – The summer blue bite has begun. Do you dare throw a Billfish Baby at one of these monsters? Go ahead . . . no guts, no glory.
YELLOWFIN TUNA – Porpoise schools close and tuna boiling behind in the hot Baja sun.
DORADO – Shark buoys holding and the fish looking for just the right fly to land in their neighborhood.
ROOSTERFISH\JACK CREVALLE – Rooster alley best bet early, Bartle Beach when the sun climbs a little higher and the lighthouse for Bubba class roosters and toros.
BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK – Still around, but way down the list as a targeted species
PARGO AND CABRILLA – Rocky points as the sun falls behind the mountain seem to be the best time.
SIERRA – Still grabbing a fly every now and then.
MAGDALENA BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
IN GENERAL: Esteros producing good catches of corvina, pompano, cabrilla and an occasional leopard grouper. Entrada still slow and offshore skipjack are about all that can be found.
Water Temperature 60-65
Air Temperature 73-82
Humidity 89%
Wind Calm
Conditions Scattered Clouds
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:39 a.m. MDT
Sunset 8:20 p.m. MDT
July 2, Full, July 9 Last Quarter, July 17 New, July 27 First Quarter
YELLOWTAIL – A few on the bottom at the entrada.
CORVINA – Plenty to play with
SNOOK – No takers this week.
HALIBUT – Sandy beaches always will produce a few.
SIERRA – Under the bird schools near Belchers Cove.
ZIHUATANEJO, MAINLAND MEXICO
IN GENERAL: The 80º blue water is still only 1 mile off the beach. For this time of the year, the sailfish action continues to be very good. We are normally a winter fishery and to release a 3 to 4 sailfish per boat per day average, are respectable summer numbers.
I fished with BOF clients Johnny and Fran Deleshaw of Portland, Ore., on the 38-foot “Yellowfin II” with Captain Ruben. We tagged and released two nice sailfish while fly-fishing.
Yellowfin tuna are breezing in and out, and when a school is located under the porpoise or birds, they are really fast movers. It is all a boat can do to just keep up with them. Very few of these tuna are being hooked.
There is a little debris washed out of the rivers form our rains, forming weed lines
inshore. Quite a few small dorado have been holding in these weed lines, making for some decent light tackle fishing.
The roosterfish action has been outstanding. Adolpho on the panga “Dos Hermanos” got 9 again a couple of days ago. All of the fish are averaging between 30- and 42-pounds. Unfortunately, there are very few clients here to take advantage of all this good fishing. Luis Marciel, of the panga “Gringo Loco” and I were talking yesterday about how many roosters were here, but he also made a very true statement, “Now, I just need a client to go get them.”
Water Temperature 80-89
Air Temperature 78-91
Humidity 66%
Wind Calm
Conditions Thunder Storms
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:13 a.m. CDT
Sunset 8:24 p.m. CDT
July 2, Full, July 9 Last Quarter, July 17 New, July 27 First Quarter
Baja on the Fly's Zihuatanejo report by Ed Kunze
SAN JOSE, GUATEMALA
IN GENERAL: With few boats venturing out this week because of a lack of clients it is hard to access conditions. The locals reported good action for sails less than an hour from the marina.
Water Temperature 79-85
Air Temperature 80-86
Humidity 89 %
Wind Calm
Scattered Clouds
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:37 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:34 p.m. CST
July 2, Full, July 9 Last Quarter, July 17 New, July 27 First Quarter
Baja on the Fly's Guatemala report by Brian Barragy and Lissa M. McFarlin.
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