Puerto Vallarta big fish rumble;

Dorado and tuna mixer for East Cape sportfishing boats

Mexico Fishing News, September 24, 2007

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Capt. Josh Temple of the Prime Time Adventures charter boat Conquistador reported more big fish caught during the week as the Puerto Vallarta fall fishing season began. Offshore outings by the Conquistador included a run the previous Sunday with angler Steve Danziger for 2 yellowfin tuna of 265 and 298 pounds.

"Two-hundred-pound and 300-pound tuna are catapulting, and I mean catapulting, out of the water," Temple said. "There are marlin, tuna, and a certifiable infestation of dorado out there."

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Stanley Gabruk of Master Baiter's Sportfishing and Tackle said the week's fishing by the charter boat Magnifico with Capt. Alonso, mate Charlie, and angler Charles Faison of Jacksonville, Fla., included a black marlin taped at 575 pounds landed after a 6-hour fight.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Mike Borden of La Paz reported on an earlier outing offshore of Puerto Vallarta by his boat Fish Magnet for a catch at El Banco that included a blue marlin and a striped marlin within the first 2 hours, and then a yellowfin tuna taped in the 350-pound plus class after a fight of 35 minutes on standup tackle. The big cow tuna hit a bridled skipjack bait.

"I had the drag buttoned down to 30 pounds and was gripping the spool to 50 pounds," Borden said. "The local talk is that the tuna could go strong at Puerto Vallarta until December or even until the first of the year." Also aboard the Fish Magnet were Capt. Luis Paolomino and anglers Danny Powell, who landed the striped marlin, and Ron Sharp, who caught the blue marlin.

In other mainland Mexico and Baja fishing action this week:

ENSENADA FISHING REPORTS

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ENSENADA, MEXICO: Ivan Villarino of Vonny's Fleet said his charter pangas fishing at the tip of Ensenada's Punta Banda landed steady limits or near limits of bottom fish and bonita during the week. "Not a bad week," Villarino said. "We're hoping for the home guard yellowtail to come in any day." Anglers fishing with Vonny's Fleet Capts. Beto and Hector for red and mixed rockcods, lingcod, calico bass, bonita, and whitefish on the pangas Vonny I and Vonny III included Jay Johnson, Brian Foley, Terry Higgins, Pam Shier, Dave Drummond, John Valestra, Mark Latimer, Stephen Lohemer, and a group of fly fishing anglers from the Campo La Grulla Gun Club on Friday and Saturday who caught bonita for the Vonny's Fleet fish smoker. Ensenada fishing area weather over the weekend was partly cloudy at 70 degrees, with 10 m.p.h. southwest winds, mixed ocean swells at 2 to 3 feet, and the water temperature at Punta Banda averaging 61 degrees.

ENSENADA, MEXICO: Sergio Susarrey of Sergio's Ensenada Sportfishing Center reported on 4 anglers fishing offshore at the end of the week aboard the charter boat Quest for a catch of: 2 yellowfin tuna, 1 dorado, and 12 rockcod. Midweek local outings by the charter boats Shir-Lee and Cazador with a total of 14 anglers produced a catch of: 1 yellowtail, 15 bonito, 1 calico bass, 1 white seabass, 15 lingcod, 61 rockcod, and 20 miscellaneous fish.

ERENDIRA FISHING REPORTS

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ERENDIRA, MEXICO: Tere Castro of Castro's Camp reported on 22 boats fishing off the Baja coast during the week, in generally good weather conditions including some fishable northeast wind, for a catch of continued heavy counts of mixed bottom fish, rockcods, lingcod, bonita, and barracuda. Baja coastal water temperatures averaged 62 degrees in the main fishing area 7 miles out. "We had some cancellations due to weather reports," Castro said, "but we were able to fish every day and the fishing has been good..

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Marita Melville of Don Eddie's Landing said San Quintin fishing boats were still catching white seabass during the week as 2 outings by Capt. Oscar Catian of K&M Offshore Sportfishing aboard the Don Eddie's charter boat Panchita produced 2 croakers to 57 pounds for Mike May and Cecil Baker of Calipatria, Calif., and 11 white seabass to 25 pounds at Socorro on Saturday. On Saturday, Capt. Roman Gonzalez also went out, for a catch of 7 white seabass to 26 pounds plus lots of bottom fish and a few barracuda. Weather in the San Quintin fishing area was calm in the mornings, with afternoon winds and the water temperature averaging 58 degrees. "Everybody thought that the white seabass were gone but here at Don Eddie's we are still catching them," Melville said.

BAJA COASTAL FISHING REPORTS

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BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: Eduardo Villegas forwarded a fishing report from Capt. Juanchys Aguilar of La Bocana on the Pacific Baja coast for excellent catches of yellowtail from 15 to 35 pounds in very clear water at 72 degrees, plus dorado, some grouper, and estacuda of 15 to 35 pounds. "These 2 weeks have been excellent," Aguilar said, "and we are hoping for even better yellowtail and grouper since in October the water visibility is very clear." Villegas also reported a catch of 15 dorado to 30 pounds plus large yellowtail found the previous week 6 miles off La Bocana. No dorado were being reported at the end of the week.

BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: Baja California Sur species fishing specialist John Snow of San Jose del Cabo reported on a trip up the Pacific side of Baja to observe fish catches by commercial pangueros at Todos Santos, with about 15 boats returning to the beach after 5 p.m. with about 75 fish per panga, including about 50 percent red snapper. Surf fishing at Todos Santos was slow for 2 gafftopsail pompano in about 3 hours.

BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: Shari Bondy of Baja Bed & Breakfast at Bahia Asuncion on the Pacific Baja coast said her husband Capt. Juan Arce Marron of Arce Bros. Sportfishing scored 5 yellowtail of 9 to 12 kilos plus some bonita in less than an hour at Punta San Pablo with angler Todd Verbeke of Canada. "It has been fine fishing weather all week with calm winds and seas in the morning and only light westerlies in the afternoons," Bondy said. Baja coastal fishing water temperatures off Bahia Asuncion were at about 75 degrees. "We enjoyed sharing the catch with Juan's family and amigos as we gathered to celebrate Mexican Independence Day," Bondy said. "The ladies played at our beach and had a lovely seaweed wrap and swam in the warm water." Commercial fishermen at Bahia Asuncion were doing well during the annual caracol or giant sea snail harvest and lobster traps were being readied for the opening of the commercial lobster season.

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly said fishing off Magdalena Bay was good during the week for dorado, small yellowtail, and football yellowfin tuna, as approaching storm Ivo produced some unsettled conditions later in the week and rain by Saturday. Fishing inside the Magdalena Bay mangrove channels produced spotted bay bass, grouper, and a few sierra and corvina at Devil's Curve. Small yellowtail and bonito were caught under birds at the San Carlos entrada, and the flats at Punta Belcher produced some small halibut. Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was raining at 90 degrees, with northwest wind and water temperatures of 64 to 76 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Fleet reported 95 percent of charters releasing billfish during the week, plus 66 percent catching dorado, and 17 percent with yellowfin tuna, including some tuna caught from 70 pounds into the 200-pound plus range. Billfish catches included: 225 striped marlin, 3 blue marlin of 190 to 300 pounds, 1 black marlin, and 9 sailfish, with all but 2 stripers released. Pisces Fleet scored a 100 percent overall catch rate for all fish species combined with no boats skunked. Larger yellowfin tuna catches included 2 fish of 210 and 250 pounds caught 12 miles south of the cape on the same day by the charter boats Bill Collector and Andrea. Other top outings included C Rod and Yahoo with 12-striped marlin release days, and a 10-release day for the Falcon.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 32 outings by Gaviota Fleet and the Cabo charter boats Fish Cabo and Fish Cabo I, with a catch including released fish of: 3 blue marlin under 300 pounds, 68 striped marlin, 59 dorado, 3 wahoo, and 3 yellowfin tuna. The best billfish action continued to be found at the Pacific side Golden Gate Bank. "Striper action continues to dominate the daily catch," Edwards said. "Boats continue to log good averages of 2 or more per day." Top outings for the week included a 6-marlin release day for the charter boat Fish Cabo. Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the mid-90s, with water temperatures at 81 degrees up the Pacific side and 83 to 85 degrees up the Sea of Cortez side to Los Frailes. By Saturday, Cabo waters had some growing southwest swell from distant storm Ivo.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 8 outings by the Cabo San Lucas charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 1 blue marlin of 200 pounds, 4 striped marlin, 2 sailfish, and 34 dorado at 15 to 40 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Mike Connolly of the Pisces Fleet Charter boat Falcon said, "Cabo marlin fishing is awesome. There are lots of feeders on the Pacific side, especially in the afternoons." Capt. Manuel Romero of the Falcon reported 29 striped marlin released in 4 outings that included a 9-release day and a 10-release day, 5 dorado, and 4 yellowfin tuna.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the previous week, Donald Rubi of Duarte, Calif., reported on 2 days of fishing out of Cabo San Lucas aboard the charter panga Choyera with Capt. Jose for a catch with fishing partner Ismael Valladores of 7 dorado in the 20 to 25-pound range, some on jigs and some on slow-trolled caballito baits. The Choyera fished about 20 miles up the Pacific side and about 1 mile off the Baja coast. "Striped marlin were jumping in every direction but we could not get to them quick enough," Rubi said. "I did have about a 150 pounder hooked, only to be sawed off when another sportfisher who had seen all the action swooped over and literally sat on my fish, which was only 30 feet from our boat. They do things a little differently down there."

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Ramon Druck of the Cabo San Lucas charter fishing panga Cheer's reported on a Friday trip with 2 cruise ship passengers from Texas, departing at 10 a.m. for less than 3 hours of fishing, with good dorado trolling action on the Pacific side. Eight dorado of 8 to 10 pounds were caught in about 2 hours off the Hotel Solmar and farther up the beach and another 4 dorado were lost. "Although we fished for just 2 hours, we had very good action," Druck said. Local Cabo San Lucas fishing water was at 78 to 79 degrees, with hot, clear weather and calm seas.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing said Cabo San Lucas fishing area waters had offshore swells increasing to about 6 feet by Saturday due to weakening storm Ivo to the south. "Hurricane Ivo became Tropical Storm Ivo, and then finally regressed into merely a tropical depression, much to our relief," Landrum said. Unseasonably good striped marlin catches continued to dominate Cabo billfish counts. "An unprecedented number of striped marlin are being caught," Landrum said. "Having these numbers so close and at this time of year is simply amazing." Landrum said some boats released double-digit striped marlin and "a lot of boats were getting into that kind of action" mostly up the Pacific side between shore and the Golden Gate Bank. Cabo San Lucas fishing area water temperatures were at 84 to 85 degrees on the Golden Gate Bank.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the previous week, Landrum reported good striped marlin counts to about 8 releases per day at the Golden Gate Bank southwards around Cabo San Lucas and into the Sea of Cortez. Yellowfin tuna were still mostly footballs, but with a few into the 60-pound class reported. Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was mostly calm in the high-90s, with some cloud cover but no rain. Live bait available at the Cabo marina included caballito, mullet, and sardina.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 43 combined La Playita fleet pangas fishing off San Jose del Cabo, with a catch of: 430 mostly school-sized yellowfin tuna, 265 dorado, 2 striped marlin, 4 sailfish, 3 wahoo, and 72 assorted pargo and cabrilla. Few vacationers were present in the Los Cabos fishing area during the September tropical storm season, as some choppy seas and scattered rainfall was expected for the arrival of weakening storm Ivo, downgraded from hurricane status a few days earlier. The port captain of San Jose del Cabo closed the port on Sunday morning, although some boats had already left for fishing. The few anglers in the area during the week did well on yellowfin tuna, mostly of 10 to 15 pounds but with some fish to 70 pounds, in 80 to 84-degree water. Dorado were also plentiful. "Dorado were hard to stay away from," Brictson said. "They were even striking hoochy skirts when anglers were fishing for bolito bait fish."

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: San Jose del Cabo species fishing specialist John Snow reported a catch including released fish of 15 yellowfin tuna of 5 to 20 pounds and 2 dorado of 10 pounds during a session on the charter panga Salome with Capt. Pata. "We found the fish and radioed to call in the 'fleet,'" Snow said. "We found ourselves out there without a gancho. El Capitano put the first 3 tuna in the boat via hand-to-hand guerilla warfare. Interesting!" Species fishing with Capt. Pata during the week produced 30 species caught or observed but no new ones. Few anglers were fishing in the area of the new Puerto Los Cabos marina. "The new marina remains opened to the ocean but continues with no boats and no infrastructure. The site dedicated to the pangueros is in dismal condition," Snow said. Beach species collections included popeye catalufa, common remora, and brown smoothhound shark.

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: As the southern tip of Baja waited for the arrival of recently downgraded Tropical Depression Ivo over the weekend, John Ireland of Rancho Leonero said East Cape fishing continued to produce very good action for a wide variety of species including yellowfin tuna, dorado, roosterfish, wahoo, sailfish, striped marlin, and blue marlin. "And all of them within 5 miles," Ireland said. "Every species that is normally available at this time of year is biting aggressively. We have huge schools of bait blooming inshore." East Cape anglers were fishing through large black skipjack to get to tuna of 15 to 40 pounds within 3 miles of the hotel and dorado were mixed in under almost any debris floating on the surface. Roosterfish were mostly smaller but very plentiful along the beaches. "For 2 days I personally fished schools of 500 or more 5 to 10 pounders," Ireland said. "They are sticking around and feeding on all the sardina." East Cape fishing area weather just prior to the arrival of Ivo was calm and clear, with afternoon breezes and the water temperature at 81 to 83 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Jeff deBrown of The Reel Baja fly fishing service said at the end of the week that storm Ivo was not expected to produce very heavy rain and wind in the East Cape area. "It looks as if it will not hit our area directly," deBrown said. Fishing at East Cape during the week was exceptional for yellowfin tuna, bonito, and dorado about 3 to 7 miles from shore from La Ribera to the Punta Arena lighthouse. On the beaches, good action was available for smaller roosterfish and jack crevalle plus ladyfish, and pompano. "We continue to see bait along our beaches and when you find the bait you will find the fish," deBrown said. Few boats fished inshore as most anglers targeted tuna and dorado.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Eddie Dalmau of Van Wormer Resorts reported on 170 East Cape charter fishing boats from Hotels Palmas de Cortez and Playa del Sol with a catch including released fish of: 15 blue marlin, 150 striped marlin, 10 sailfish, 768 dorado, 789 yellowfin tuna, 8 roosterfish, 2 wahoo, 32 pargo, and 66 skipjack. Van Wormer Resorts' Chucky Van Wormer said, "East Cape fishing is like no other time this year. Tuna and dorado are wide-open." East Cape weather was in the mid-90s, with water temperatures at 78 to 86 degrees. Dalmau noted that Van Wormer Resorts' Hotel Punta Colorada was scheduled to reopen for the season on Oct. 1, 2007.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported very good East Cape fishing action between September storms for dorado and yellowfin tuna close to shore on floating debris, plus good beach fishing for schooling gafftopsail pompano, ladyfish, jacks, and roosterfish. "Once again, East Cape’s little secret that some of the best fishing of the season is during September has been exposed," Graham said. "By all accounts, this was one of the best weeks this year." East Cape fishing area weather was cloudy and calm in the mid-90s, with water temperatures of 78 to 87 degrees, and some wind and rain from storm Ivo expected in a few days. "You know it's September because there's another tropical depression below Baja," Graham said.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Chris Moyers of East Cape Smoke House reported on 235 charter boats from combined fleets including Hotels Palmas de Cortez, Playa del Sol, Buena Vista Beach Resort, Rancho Leonero, and Martin Verdugo's Beach Resort, with 671 anglers and a catch including released fish of: 6 blue marlin, 83 striped marlin, 1 black marlin, 5 sailfish, 1,027 dorado of mostly 15 to 20 pounds, 1,139 mostly school-sized yellowfin tuna, 24 mixed pargos, 5 wahoo, and 5 roosterfish. East Cape fishing area weather was mostly calm in the low-90s, with some afternoon winds and the water temperature at 81 to 87 degrees. "We've probably just enjoyed the best week of fishing at East Cape in quite some time," Moyers said. "Anglers have been having great success fishing the scum lines close in where the arroyos dumped tons of debris from storm Henriette." East Cape sportfishing boats found their best action close by at La Ribera as good counts also came in from Los Cerritos, Punta Colorada, and Punta Arena. Billfish action was slightly slower, but Moyers said, "With all the ahi and dorado fillets, nobody seemed to mind." Tropical Depression Ivo was expected to weaken and begin dissipating prior to making landfall on the Baja peninsula late Sunday night.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: East Cape tin boat angler Torrance Eddy of Buena Vista reported 2 dorado of 6 to 8 pounds caught about 5 miles northeast of the Pemex station on trolled jointed Rebel Fastrac lures, another dorado lost to a broken wire leader, a giant Mexican needlefish unbuttoned, and a 20-pound black skipjack landed. East Cape fishing area weather was calm during 4 hours of fishing beginning about 7:30 a.m. "My trolling route took me straight east from the beach near the Pemex station, 3 miles out, north about 5 miles, perhaps 2 miles southeast of Punta Pescadero, southwest to the San Bartolo canyon, and then south to the beach again," Eddy said. "This was all done at 6 m.p.h. pulling two 4.5-inch jointed Rebel Fastracs."

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Simon Cazaly of East Cape's Vista Sea Sport diving service said sea life sightings during the week at a site called Esperanza included an encounter with a tiger shark about 8 to 10 feet long. "I turned and saw this big tiger shark come in," Cazaly said. "He cruised past so we could clearly see his markings. The next day we spotted the tiger shark within 4 minutes of getting down. It was definitely exhilarating. Everyone was buzzing. None of us had ever seen a tiger shark that clearly or that close before." Other sea life sightings at the Cabo Pulmo coral reef included guitarfish, green moray eel, bumphead parrotfish, diamond stingray, pinto lobster, schools of bigeye jack, yellow snapper, burrito grunt, graybar grunt, several octopus, and other species. Visibility at depth averaged over 50 feet.

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International said fishing was steady in the La Paz area during the week as everyone waited to see what weather effect distant storm Ivo might bring in a few days. "Most of us have been on pins and needles wondering if Ivo will hit us," Roldan said. "So far, it looks like just a bit of rain." Yellowfin tuna of 10 to 20 pounds continued to lead fish counts for boats on the Las Arenas side, plus some flurries of roosterfish and dorado in the mix. On the La Paz side good dorado action was found off Las Cruces and the north end of Isla Cerralvo, and also at the northern El Bajo seamount.

LA PAZ, MEXICO: Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing said his pangas fishing the Las Arenas side of La Paz had good action during the week for yellowfin tuna of 15 to 25 pounds plus dorado off the Los Sanjuanes area of Isla Cerralvo. Tuna were also caught farther off the south tip of the island. Dorado of 20 to 25 pounds were concentrated at the buoys off El Cardonal and Boca del Alamo. Sardina bait was available south along the Baja coast at El Cardonal and also at Las Arenas and Isla Cerralvo. "There is a lot of bait in all these locations and we're converting it to good dorado fishing," Hernandez said. The La Paz fishing area had some brief rain on Saturday as the approach of storm Ivo was anticipated.

LORETO FISHING REPORTS

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LORETO, MEXICO: Don Bear of Loreto reported good fishable weather daily but continued generally slow dorado action with very few schooling fish located. Capt. Paulino Martinez had 4 outings with anglers from the Hotel Oasis for a total catch of: 12 dorado, 1 blue marlin of 180 pounds released, and 1 sailfish released. Three outings by Capt. Victor Vialejo produced: 8 dorado, 1 striped marlin released, and a 400-pound class blue marlin released. "Almost all of the action has occurred in the general areas of the Mercenarios and Punta Lobos bajos," Bear said. "Paulino told me that on Friday his fish were located 39 miles from town." Most dorado were hooked on mackerel baits. Bear's boat fished all day on Wednesday with Capt. Martinez, but didn't produce a strike. We couldn’t even squeeze out a strike when we dumped our sardina and mackerel bait at the islita between Coronado and Punta Tierra Firma," Bear said. "Our trolling with bait and feathers covered the San Bruno buoy and inside and outside the Mercenarios bajo." On Saturday, Bear's boat scored on 11 dorado of 10 to 20 pounds while fishing around small debris located about 40 miles east of town with Capt. Andres Cota Arce and angler Lee Boyd of Loreto. Water temperatures in the area averaged 86 degrees. "The fish were taken on a cedar plug, sardinas, and mackerel from 2 schools around a 2-by-2 piece of plywood and a plastic grocery box within 2 miles of each other," Bear said.

LORETO, MEXICO: Pam Bolles of Baja Big Fish Company said some scattered dorado limits were expected daily on fish of 12 to 20 pounds found under weeds and flotsam created by recent storm Henriette about 10 to 20 miles offshore going northwards from San Bruno to Punta Pulpito. "Sardinas are the bait of choice, trolled and flylined," Bolles said. Black marlin, striped marlin, and sailfish were also caught. Offshore water temperatures were at 83 to 88 degrees. Inshore fishing was good in cooler water for larger roosterfish, several pargo species, needlefish, jack crevalle, and abundant cabrilla. Loreto fishing area weather was generally very hot. "There are few people here now because of the well-known heat in September," Bolles said. "It is very hot and it looks like we'll receive little if any precipitation from Ivo. Offshore sea water surface temperatures are getting too warm, so a storm would be nice to cool off the surface and increase the quality of the fishing. The season's not over yet! The large game fish are still well offshore and they will move in closer during their migration south."

LORETO, MEXICO: For the previous weekend, Kelly McEwen of San Luis Obispo, Calif., reported a day of wide-open dorado action on his trailer boat while fishing 3 days with Tim Koznek about 20 miles out. On their first day of fishing, about 25 dorado of 10 to 20 pounds were caught in release action around a floating bag in the water. "There were tons of them," McEwen said. "A dorado hit a trolled feather and we kept it in the water, releasing about 20." Six dorado were caught the second day, and none the third. Loreto fishing area weather was hot and humid, with the water temperature at about 85 degrees. "Loreto was a far drive but the fishing made it worth it," McEwen said. "We stayed at the Riviera del Mar RV Park and highly recommend it. Very nice and very nice people."

LORETO, MEXICO: Thomas Cox of Brawley, Calif., reported "too many fish to count" during a dorado session about 4 miles northeast of Isla Coronado that also produced 2 sailfish. "With calm seas after the hurricane, fishing was phenomenal," Cox said. "We found a few pieces of wood and a dead pelican with a huge school of dorado." Two other days of fishing on the private 25-foot boat Agua Lobo also found mixed dorado and sailfish close to town. "The dorado only wanted sardinas. They would not touch squid or mackerel," Cox said. "On Sunday a stiff breeze chopped up the water and we could not find any floating objects, but trolling sardines and mackerel was fruitful with a catch of 6 dodos and 3 sailfish." Also fishing on the Agua Lobo were anglers Larry Cox, Tyler Brandt, Ned Brandt, and Hal Brandt. Mexican Independence Day parties and several streets still torn up after storm Henriette made trailering a boat around town difficult, Cox said.

LORETO, MEXICO: Lynn Hamman of Loreto said local officials were telling anglers to buy Mexican fishing licenses online but the federal website was proving difficult to use. "Getting a Mexican fishing license is not so easy anymore here in Loreto," Hamman said. "You can go to the marina and talk to the lady in the office. She will take down your information, take that information home with her, using her computer, and bring your application back the next day. Then you have to go to the bank and pay for it and then return everything to her. She charges 40 pesos for her service." For anglers wishing to try the Mexican federal website: www.conapesca.sagarpa.gob.mx.

MULEGE FISHING REPORTS

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MULEGE, MEXICO: Diana Johnson of the Hotel Serenidad said Mulege fishing area action was still producing dorado, sailfish, and marlin about 20 miles out, plus sierra and bonita, with weather expected to change during the next few days. Hotel owner Don Johnson was still in Tijuana and recovering well from his recent heart attack.

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: For the previous week, Mike Kanzler of Isla San Marcos reported hot and very humid weather in the Santa Rosalia fishing area with air temperatures at 90 degrees and water temperatures offshore at 80 to 82 degrees with 30 to 50 feet of visibility. Two days of double-session fishing in slow midsummer conditions at both Isla San Marcos and Isla Tortuga produced a catch of: 1 barred pargo of 12 pounds, 3 goldspotted bass, 1 black skipjack, 7 to 10 sierra, and some bonita and firecracker yellowtail. "Fishing is just tough with the water being hot for the last few months," Kanzler said. "There are no temperature breaks or much in the way of paddies, making offshore fishing very spotty. Reef fish are all at 200-foot plus on the bottom, and the strong breezes and currents make it hard to produce good catches. Other than decent inshore plug trolling, the Santa Rosalia fishing area is pretty much a bust until late September or into October."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 15 Aries Fleet offshore charter boats out of Mazatlan's Marina El Cid, with a catch including released fish of: 5 blue marlin, 16 sailfish, 18 yellowfin tuna including a few larger fish to 110 pounds, and 53 dorado. Four inshore super pangas had a catch of: 10 roosterfish, and unlimited release action on dorado. "The dorado bite continues at record pace," Edwards said. "The super pangas had limits of dorado and as many dorado releases as the angler wanted." Mazatla n fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the high-80s, with calm seas and water temperatures at 87 to 88 degrees. Fleet boats fished at the buoys for dorado and offshore 20 to 29 miles for billfish and tuna. Rigged dorado baits were used for blue marlin.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORTS

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IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Stan Lushinsky of Ixtapa Sportfishing Charters said fishing conditions improved during the week but few anglers were present. "Very little angling activity was reported," Lushinsky said. "Those few boats that went offshore reported a good dorado bite, with averages of 6 to 7 fish per day, and the size remains good at 25 to 40 pounds." Sailfish counts were variable. Inshore fishing was very slow as river runoff turned coastal waters brown. Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing area weather was humid in the 90s, with seas calm to moderate.

CANCUN FISHING REPORTS

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CANCUN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported continued light angler activity in the Cancu n fishing area. Twelve El Cid Caribe boats fishing out of Puerto Morelos reported a catch including released fish of: 2 sailfish, 6 barracuda, 4 wahoo to 45 pounds, 4 tuna, 3 king mackerel, and 2 snappers. Cancun fishing area weather was humid in the high-80s, with light easterly breezes and calm to moderate seas.

MEXICO COASTAL FISHING REPORTS

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MEXICO: Kelly Catian of K&M Offshore Sportfishing at San Quintin commented on a recent incident during which a Tito's Pangas sportfishing boat sank as it was being towed to Ensenada after a boarding and paperwork inspection by the Mexican Navy. "A boat was stopped for a routine inspection," Catian said. "The required permits for the boat and skipper were not on board. The navy allowed another boat to bring papers out. The papers were found in order, except for the skipper's license, and there were still identification issues. The navy decided to take the whole show to Ensenada and turn it over to the port captain. The boat being towed sank en route. Upon arrival, after routine physical exams and declarations, all were released. At this moment every skipper here in San Quintin, commercial and sport, who does not already have his permit and license is in Ensenada taking the proper courses for his 'ticket,' including 2 of my sons. I know everyone will be making sure all their papers are in order and up to par. No one here wants this to happen again. Just like in the U.S., there are rules and regulations for vessels at sea and I know that if your boat gets boarded by Homeland Security and you don't have your vessel permits or correct ID, you will probably get escorted too."

MEXICO: Julio Meza of San Quintin said, "I just want to remind everyone fishing in Mexican waters about having fishing licenses, making sure the boat has a valid fishing permit, and having IDs or passports, the same way we do when we fish in American waters. The authorities are also checking more often for fish limits. Make sure you know about Mexican fish limits and regulations, prohibited species, and restricted areas.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Fishing Photo 1

VALLARTA DOUBLE COWS--Steve Danziger's yellowfin tuna outing at Puerto Vallarta aboard the charter boat Conquistador with Capt. Josh Temple early in the week produced a nice 265 pounder, and then there was this one at 298.4 pounds. At right, a Puerto Vallarta flying cow inhales a kite-drifted skipjack offered by the Conquistador. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSH TEMPLE.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Fishing Photo 3

TUNA TAPING--Mike Borden's big cow yellowfin tuna, landed on standup tackle off Puerto Vallarta aboard his boat Fish Magnet, was taped at 80 inches by 60 inches for a cool 360 pounds. The fish was landed in 35 minutes at El Banco after it inhaled a bridled skipjack bait. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE BORDEN.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico Fishing Photo 5

VALLARTA BLACKIE--This big black marlin taped out at 575 pounds during a recent trip out of Puerto Vallarta aboard the Master Baiters Sportfishing and Tackle charter boat Magnifico with, from left, Capt. Alonso, angler Charles Faison of Jacksonville, Fla., and mate Charlie. PHOTO COURTESY OF STAN GABRUK.

Ensenada Mexico Fishing Photo 1

GUN CLUB ANGLERS--Campo La Grulla Gun Club members fished Saturday at Ensenada on a pair of Vonny's Fleet pangas for a catch of mixed bottom fish and fly tackle bonita for the Vonny's Fleet fish smoker. From left are: John Valestra, Vonny's Fleet Capt. Beto Zamora, Mark Latimer, Stephen Lohemer, Dave Drummond, and Vonny's Fleet Capt. Hector Zamora. PHOTO COURTESY OF IVAN VILLARINO.

San Quintin Mexico Fishing Photo 1

QUINTIN WHITE SEABASS--Mike May and Cecil Baker fished with Capt. Oscar Catian out of San Quintin's Don Eddie's Landing this week for a catch aboard the charter boat Panchita that included these 2 white seabass. At right, Capt. Oscar had 2 outings during the week for a total of 13 white seabass. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARITA MELVILLE.

Bahia Asuncion Mexico Fishing Photo 1

BAJA B&B FORKIES--Todd Verbeke and his wife Alicia fished in 75-degree water with Capt. Juan Arce out of Bahia Asuncion's Baja Bed & Breakfast for a catch of bonita and 5 of these yellowtail in less than an hour at Punta San Pablo. At right, Alicia enjoying a sea weed wrap on the beach at Baja Bed & Breakfast. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHARI BONDY.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fishing Photo 1

CABO TUNA GRANDE--Reinhold Gartner's recent Cabo San Lucas outing on the Pisces Fleet charter boat Andrea produced 3 yellowfin tuna of 70 to 80 pounds, 1 dorado, 1 black marlin, and this nice 210-pound tuna landed out of a school of porpoise after a fight lasting about 2 hours. At right, another biggie landed recently aboard the Pisces Fleet boat Bill Collector with Capt. Julio and deckhand Manuel. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRACY EHRENBERG.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fishing Photo 3

CHOYERA PANGA DORADO--Ismail Valladores fished out of Cabo San Lucas aboard the charter panga Choyera with Capt. Jose for a 2-day count of 7 dorado on trolled caballito baits. Also fishing aboard the Choyera was Donald Rubi of Duarte, Calif. PHOTO COURTESY OF DONALD RUBI.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fishing Photo 4

EIGHT-MARLIN BIRTHDAY--Greg Littlefield of Boyertown, Pa., fished at Cabo San Lucas last month on his 40th birthday aboard the Pisces Fleet boat Rebecca for his first-ever striped marlin release on a day that produced a total of 8 marlin, all released. The Rebecca fished with live bait on the Pacific side Golden Gate Bank. PHOTO COURTESY OF AUDREA LITTLEFIELD.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Fishing Photo 5

NICE PEZ FUERTE--Capt. Pata of the San Jose del Cabo charter panga Salome at La Playita Beach with a nice 65-pound amberjack or pez fuerte in Spanish caught last week during an outing with local species fishing specialist John Snow. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN SNOW.

Mexico Fishing Photo 1

CABO QUICK-TIME DORADO--A Baja Sur dorado comes aboard the Cabo San Lucas charter super panga Cheer's during a short outing up the Pacific side on Friday with Capt. Ramon Druck. The Cheer's landed 8 dorado in less than 2 hours while fishing with 2 anglers during a cruise ship stop. PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMON DRUCK.

La Paz Mexico Fishing Photo 1

LA PAZ DORADO--Robert Konishi got into a nice mixed bite of yellowfin tuna and these dorado during a fishing trip to the Las Arenas side of La Paz with Tortuga Sportfishing. Konishi and trip partner Dean Kitano fished on a panga with Tortuga's Capt. Rigo Lucero. PHOTO COURTESY OF GERARDO HERNANDEZ.

Loreto Mexico Fishing Photo 1

LORETO MUCHO DORADO--Thomas Cox, left, and his group got into "too many to count" dorado action plus some sailfish while fishing aboard a private boat at Loreto around debris washed into the water by recent storm Henriette that included small pieces of wood and a dead pelican. Also fishing were anglers Larry Cox, Tyler Brandt, Ned Brandt, and Hal Brandt. They are shown at the Loreto home of Jim Duggins and Mike Morgan. PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS COX.

Loreto Mexico Fishing Photo 2

LORETO DORADO BAGGING--Kelly McEwen, right, and Tim Koznek fished 3 days at Loreto aboard McEwen's trailer boat for action that included one session for about 25 dorado landed on a bag floating in the water. Most of the fish were released. PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY MCEWEN.

Santa Rosalia Mexico Fishing Photo 1

SCRATCHY SUMMER DOLDRUMS--High water temperature fishing in the Santa Rosalia area of the Sea of Cortez was going through the summer doldrums earlier in September as Sergio and Raul Moctezuma of Monterrey, Mexico, fished with Isla San Marcos' Mike Kanzler for a scratch bite of mixed species including this plug-trolled bonita. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE KANZLER.

La Paz Mexico Fishing Photo 2

WAITING FOR IVO--La Paz fishing conditions were still great last week as school-sized yellowfin tuna led fish counts and anglers waited to see what kind of weather distant storm Ivo would bring in few days. John and Steve Mussell of Santa Maria, Calif., got into this nice bunch of tuna while fishing just off the beach at Las Arenas with Tailhunter International. Said Tailhunter's Jonathan Roldan, "The fish can be literally only yards from the shore and will foam on chummed live bait and light tackle." PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN ROLDAN.

Baja California Mexico Fishing Photo 1

BAJA PACIFIC DORADO--Eduardo Villegas fished recently about 6 miles off the Baja Pacific coast at La Bocana for a catch of big yellowtail plus 15 of these dorado to 30 pounds. Dorado action went into a lull the following week. PHOTO COURTESY OF EDUARDO VILLEGAS.

Mexico Fishing Boat Boarding Photo 1

PAPERWORK INSPECTION--Mexican naval officials during a boarding and paperwork inspection. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOUIE PRIETO.

Tropical Storm Ivo Mexico Graphic

NOW COMES IVO--Tropical Depression Ivo was downgraded from hurricane status earlier in the week but was still expected to make a direct hit on the tip of Baja with some wind and rain. NOAA GRAPHIC.

BAJA MEXICO FISHING REPORT ARCHIVES AND FISH PICTURES