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Baja Mexico: Magdalena Bay, Baja Sur & East Cape.
Capt. Gary Graham
November 19, 2005
Baja Sur - Saltwater Fishing Report
Magdalena Bay Explodes…East Cape Fades
REPORT #985. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 11/19/05
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Chuck White on the “Pacific Venture” moved back up to the Thetis area and has found consistent action all week for billfish, wahoo and tuna. Boats traveling in both directions up the West Coast of Baja have had action beginning at the Uncle Sam to the north all the way down to the Finger Bank below Punta Tasca to the south and have tales of big bird schools with marlin thrashing the water to a white froth under them. Even the day boats out of Lopez Mateos are getting into the action finding plenty to fish for all the way out to the Thetis Bank. Stories of acre wide schools of tuna from football to VW size leaping from the water as they chase bait is enough to ignite the imagination. Then there are the kelps found above the Thetis all the way up to the double 23’s loaded with some fat wahoo. As always, when Magdalena Bay goes off it is an explosion heard all the way up the coast. I hope all the yachts arriving this week have plenty of tackle!
Inshore Josh Dickinson and Lance Peterson pounded the Esteros and landed more grouper, corvina and spotted bay bass than they could count. Seems like the exotics eluded them and according to Josh, they never even had a mystery bite.
Check out my column in December issue of Pacific Coast Sportfishing for more information about fishing the beach on Magdalena Island.
Water temperature 68-75
Air temperature 71-84
Humidity 23%
Wind: NNW 4mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:45 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:38 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 84º blue water is only about 8 miles off the beach. The full moon has slowed the action down, with only a few sailfish per boat each day. Thursday, Cheva and Adolpho located a concentration of fish because they certainly did better than the average. Cheva, on the panga Dos Hermanos II, got 5 sails and Adolpho, on the panga Dos Hermanos got 4. They were fishing an area 17 miles off the light house.
Blue marlin have really been the story. Our best day (Wed.) was 8 blue marlin for the fleet, with Alfredo on the Esturion getting two. The fleet of about 15 boats fishing the blue water, is averaging between 2 and 3 caught marlin a day.
With the inshore temperatures about 80º, the jack crevalle and roosterfish action is holding steady. The jack fishing has been incredible for a couple of weeks now. Adolpho fished for roosters for three days this week and released 6, but he also released 31 of the big jacks. Plus, for every boat targeting them, the sierras have also been providing us with limits all around. The roosters are averaging about 35 to 40 pounds, the jacks between 8 and 16 pounds, and the sierras are between 4 and 6 pounds.
Ed Kunze, Zihuatanejo
Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 78 - 87
Humidity 79%
Wind WSW 9 mph
Conditions: Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:09 p.m. CST
East Cape
With the North Wind howling, Lance and Josh headed up to Lopez Mateos to check out the Esteros. Fewer and fewer boats went out this week as a result of the north wind and fewer guests in the hotel. There are still a few tuna and the billfish bite has held up remarkably well. With Turkey day just around the corner, the focus seems to be changing from Rooster to Turkey. Still some “Bubba’s”are around but conditions have made it very tough to stalk them. By Wednesday when Yvonne and I finished up our move and headed back to Escondido, the winds had subsided to a mere breeze. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. It is safe to say that East Cape is slipping into its winter mode.
Baja on the Fly
Water temperature 79-84
Air temperature 72-84
Humidity 45%
Wind: NNW 15 mph
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy 20000 ft
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:34 a.m. MST
Sunset 5:33 p.m. MST
San Jose, Guatemala
With the 2005 Presidential Challenge beginning this morning, most of the boats fishing this week have been in their “Tournament Mode” and keeping quiet about the action and location. Secrets notwithstanding, the fishing was consistently good throughout the week and everyone is looking forward to a successful event. Sounds like there were some double digit scores for sailfish on some of the scouting boats. Boats also reported dorado and tuna were showing up behind the boat.
Les Kagel
Water temperature 78 - 82
Air temperature 78- 82
Humidity 74%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:04 a.m. CST
Sunset 5:32 p.m. CST
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