CLOUDY MORNINGS AND SOME YELLOWTAIL AT THE 180 SPOT

May 29, 2005, Eddie Marquez, Don Eddie's Landing, San Quintin sportfishing, Baja California, Mexico:

Marine layers lingering until 11 p.m. in the San Quintin fishing area, giving way to low clouds up to midday, and opening the skies to sunshine the rest of the day. Winds were 10 knots, blowing from the northwest in the mornings and in the afternoons up to 14 knots. Swells from the northwest were pretty steady at 5 feet.

Water temperatures at San Quintin ranged to 59 degrees, with slightly murky waters at the San Martin Island, and ranging up to 63 degrees with clear waters 18 miles past San Martin Island due west.

Fishing in the bay of San Quintin, has been excellent this weekend with plenty of rockcod, lingcod, bocaccios, and whitefish. San Quintin anglers have caught several yellowtail ranging from 17 to 25 pounds. In some areas like the 180 spot, big schools of yellows have been seen but have been hard to catch. Don Eddie's scouting boats located some large schools of yellowtail 40 miles off shore, but only four or five were caught.

The fishing waters around San Quintin benefit from cold upwelling from the Japanese current that occurs here in the San Quintin area. Its sets up an ideal temperature for massive schools of bait fish. This event happens every year. With the bait fish around our area come the predator species, yellowtail, albacore, yellowfin tuna, and barracuda to name only a few.

In my opinion, we're in the mist of a massive invasion of bait fish. Therefore the game fish are not attracted so readily to the lures at this time.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from San Quintin and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for San Quintin may be found at Mexfish.com's main San Quintin page.