August 7, 2022  

Southern Baja is definitely feeling more like the tropics this past week. Presently there is another Tropical Depression passing off to the west of the Southern Peninsula, again no impact with land is forecast, though swells will increase some and there are reports of isolated thunder showers. Last Sunday afternoon we felt thunder showers for an hour. on and off full blast, some areas recorded up to two inches of rainfall. Any moisture received now is much welcome, as the desert landscape has been scoring dry through the previous six months. Ocean water temperatures has been averaging in the 80’s, up to 86 degrees was reported.

We saw light numbers of anglers this past week, again the highlight was large bull dorado which have been found on local fishing grounds the last several weeks. This had been the best bite for larger size dorado we have seen in many years. Mixed sizes of dorado are being encountered, larger fish to over 50 lb. Most success has been while using bait, but a percentage of these fish are striking lures. Live caballito and sardina have been available, another option has been ballyhoo and jigging up bolito on offshore grounds and using them for trolling baits.

Dorado action was spotty, sometimes better than others.A few stray wahoo were reported, tuna were scarce as well, one monster yellowfin was hooked on the San Luis Bank, only to be lost after a several hour battle on heavy equipment, this tune had hit on a trolled bolito.
Not much inshore or bottom action going on now, as this is now more the season for targeting the offshore surface action.

A huge congratulations goes out to Team Stella June, along with with local La Playita legendary angler Hugo Pino, with their 375 lb. Black Marlin they won top honors and highest payout of over one million dollars during this past week’s Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore event.

Good Fishing, Eric

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July 31, 2022  

Despite airports and Resorts being fairly crowded, we are not seeing many anglers arriving at this time. On and off breezes from the south have helped keep summer conditions more comfortable. Though with Hurricane Frank now paralleling the Baja Peninsula some 500 miles offshore, this has increased the humidity, as well as slightly larger swells over the weekend. Water temperature has ranged from 77 to 84 degrees, cooler currents closer to shore. Clean blue water is now being found close to shore.

Bait supplies consisted of caballito, sardinas and anchoveta, when surf conditions were not too large, other options being ballyhoo and slabs of squid. Fishing action has included surface action, as well as a mix of bottom species. No particular type of fish being found in abundance. Overall action was scattered. Chance at yellowfin tuna, though this option remains far offshore, out of normal range for morning charters, yellowfin associated with porpoise and average size ranged 10 to 20 lb. 

Striped and blue marlin are being encountered on the normal grounds such as the 1150 spot. Dorado of mixed sizes, including some bulls to over 50 lb. were being accounted for, the majority taken while searching farther offshore, though some larger dorado were also accounted for closer to shore where juvenile dorado were found in small schools.

Wahoo were hard to entice, though a couple were taken on trolled lures, these fish are definitely in the area, but are finicky at this time, spear fishermen have had much better results, on Sat. on dive boat came in with 11 wahoo up to 50 lb., sure would be nice if they changed regulations so the spear fishermen could only harvest one fish of each species and say no more than three total. Something needs to be adjusted so that this area can sustain this type of pressure.

As normal the inshore action starts to fade out at this time of year, we still did see a few late season sierra, jack crevalle and roosterfish. Locals have been surf fishing, but the bite has been tough recently, a few fortunate anglers landing snook, corvina and tripletail.

Good Fishing, Eric

July 24, 2022 

 Light crowds of anglers continue, tropical conditions, after last weekend’s passing of Tropical Storm Estelle, the week settled down and as swells resided ocean conditions rebounded. Ocean water temperatures ranged from 78 degrees on the Pacific up to 85 degrees in the direction of the East Cape. Clean blue water was found close to shore. On Saturday we felt welcome relief from relentless heat as local rain squalls developed, lasting on and off throughout the day.

Bait sources consisted of caballito, sardina, anchoveta, ballyhoo and a few moon fish. Sardinas were smaller in size as compared to previous the recent swell activity. Fishing action has been spread out from the 95,1150 spot towards Cabo San Lucas and north to San Luis Bank, not much being reported from the Gordo Banks, it is the time of year that large bait schools should move in on the Gordo Banks and in turn attracting more gamefish. 

Billfish, dorado and yellowfin tuna were found further offshore, the yellowfin were more often being found associated with porpoise, 15 to 40 miles offshore. Tuna were striking on various lures, feathers, cedar plugs, etc… Sizes ranged from small footballs up to 70 lb. We are expecting that these yellowfin will move closer in soon, on to high spots, making them more accessible to normal morning charters.
Dorado ranged from small schoolies, up to 40 lb. plus bulls. They were found throughout the region, more numbers further offshore, but many were also found closer to shore, as blue water was shifting nearer to shore now. Only a few reports of wahoo being seen free swimming or lost hook ups, so they are in the area, just not being landed.

Action closer to shore off the rock piles remained good for a variety of spaces, pargo colorado, African pompano, yellow snapper, barred pargo, bonito, amberjack, leopard grouper, dogtooth snapper and others. 

Roosterfish are becoming harder to find, as the season winds down, though there still was a chance, as there were reports of nice roosterfish being caught and released.

Good Fishing, Eric