Reporting from San Luis Gonzaga, B.C. The second of the Sport fishing State Championship “PESCA LA BAJA” 2015 edition series was held June 25-27, 2015 according to Chris Wheaton, IGFA Representative. Although complete results are sketchy, he provided the following update:
They hooked and broke off many large fish, but were able to get this black sea bass, caught by Chris Wheaton, in the boat from about 400 feet down.
Turns out that Wheaton’s 31-pound black sea bass was the largest fish caught in the Gonzaga Bay tournament and he was awarded a rod and reel plus 25 points towards the ?#?pescalabaja series, in addition to 25,000 pesos.
They caught a lot of good eating fish too!
The three remaining events in the Sport fishing State Championship “PESCA LA BAJA” 2015, including the Finale in Ensenada, are always fun, grass-roots-style events held in Baja Norte. The link is in English if you are interested in more information.
http://www.pescalabaja.com/p-pescalabaja2015english.php
3. Tournament Bahía de los Ángeles, B.C. July 24 and 25
4. Tournament San Quintín, B.C. August 21 and 22
5. Tournament Ensenada, B.C. GRAND FINALE September 18 and 19
Baja peninsula is settling into its summer mode as sea and air temperatures climb, with the weather being similar to Southern California.
Although the fishing has been extraordinary and early, the ever-popular Coronado Islands have lost their glitter. Not because the fish aren’t there, but because other factors have tarnished the Island experience. The sea lion population is competing for enough to eat and they steal bait and hooked fish with reckless abandon. Plus the Mexican government’s recent edict requires every angler to have a passport which has created an uproar with many anglers.
Meanwhile along the coastline, from Rosarito Flats down to Descanso, there is a big spread of yellowtail, log barracuda, with an occasional white seabass mixed in with the barracuda. Similar conditions seem to exist at Salsipuedes, San Miguel Point and the Reef, all around Todos Santos and at Punta Banda and around the corner to the south of the Santo Tomas area off of Ensenada and down the line to San Quintin. There has been good inshore action for lings and flat things.
While offshore in the same zone, the news is equally encouraging as the yellowfin tuna have moved well within range of local fleets with reports of wahoo catches as well.
Inexplicably, farther down at Cedros Island and most of the Viscaino Peninsula, it has been strangely silent …
with the exception of La Bocana, where estero and inshore fishing has been good for grouper and calicos.
It’s fish on at Bahia Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortez side for yellowtail and a few white seabass with heightened expectations that the dorado aren’t far behind.
So far the dorado action is not up to the usual summer levels as Punta Chivato — “Bulls Only” — results reflect:
Total of 13 boats entered this year.
(Alejandro Bukovecs on the boat Alex took out Diorios and friend and won First Place and Third Place.)
First Place, Boat: Alex, Angler: Mike Diorio, 24.00 Pounds
2nd cheap xanax 2mg Place, Boat: El Charro, Angler: Rick Rhodes, 13.93 Pounds
3rd Place, Boat: Alex, Angler: David Kaminsky, 12.85 Pounds
Farther down the coast at Loreto, the reports indicate that yellowtail, dorado and billfish are in the mix plus a few roosterfish. Not exactly the report one would hope for.
According to Jonathan Roldan, Tailhunter International, La Paz is seeing more small- to medium-sized dorado in schools providing limits for most. They have caught a few in the 20- to 30-pound range with larger fish lost.
Los Arenas, below La Paz, offers fewer but larger roosterfish, wahoo and billfish shots which can be great for the angler who is in on their game but disaster for the angler who is not.
Some nice rooster fish, along with a couple of blue marlin, stole the scene during filming of an episode with Bill Boyce and his crew’s “Destination Baja Sur” series which will air beginning in January, 2016.
The offshore billfish action from East Cape stretching to the tip has been epic with many boats recording double-digit releases. The Stars and Stripes Tournament, fishing out of Chileno Bay, had 43 boats racking up 160 billfish releases, and bringing 1 blue marlin, 24 tuna, 6 dorado and 1 wahoo to the scale. Three of the tuna weighed in at 185-pounds, 165-pounds and 75-pounds.
The most successful lure for the big boys has been the Yummee Flying Fish– that skips and splashes along the surface like a real flying fish, provoking spectacular surface strikes. This top water action brings excitement that few lures can match as huge yellowfin explode on the lure on the water’s surface or in mid-air.
Minerva’s in Cabo can hardly keep them stocked according to Pat McDonell, Editor of WON. Used with kites that are 3- and 4-foot foot parafoils, without long sticks, packed smaller than kites, into a 13-inch bag that stays up in less wind, making it possible to fish on the downwind troll without the use of helium balloons. Kite shops sell them in retail and online.
“It’s summer time and the livin’ is easy,” so goes the song. It may not be easy but it is summer time and the fishin’ is mighty good right now in Baja!
Questions or comments are welcome. garyg@garycgraham.com
With more than five decades of fishing experience – from light tackle and fly to offshore billfish – Gary Graham has experienced all aspects of fishing in the Southern California and Baja waters. His observations of species behavior, tackle and techniques are always from his unique perspective, earning him the respect of his peers as well as anglers who eagerly follow his Baja reports and features.
Gary maintained a home at East Cape in Baja Sur for more than 18 years and still spends nearly half of each year exploring the entire peninsula in his self-contained Roadtrek van. He observes everything Baja, from the mysteries of a tide pool on a deserted Baja beach filled with tiny sea creatures to the largest billfish in the sea.
Contact Gary at garyg@garycgraham.com