Some fun summertime fishing is in store for Baja Anglers literally from the border to the tip. Offshore outside, boats have caught yellow and bluefin tuna scattered about under kelp paddies, along with yellowtail, and yes, even a few smaller dorado. While it’s a click early, anglers are releasing a few striped marlin as well.
At the Coronados, there are small bluefin in the 5 Minute Kelp area below South Island feeding on tiny anchovy found there, but they do respond to sardine chum. The bluefin are hard to get to bite, but those fishing 15-pound and a small circle hook are getting a few.
There are reports of yellowtail on the weather side of North Island. Slow trolling sardines are the hot ticket for them. There are still plenty of barracuda in the Middle Grounds, Ribbon Kelp, and other spots below South Island.
Ensenada offshore action for tuna has continued despite the fact most of the larger schools seem to be on the backside of San Clemente. With all the tuna, few boats are fishing close to shore.
At Ejido Eréndira (60-miles south of Ensenada), fishing is good with legal-size white seabass showing, along with lots of bait on the beach. Cod fishing is always good as well. So it looks like it’s going to be a good season!
While San Quintín seems slow getting started, its summer surface action began as some regulars have been sidetracked by tuna action closer to the border. However, the bottom fishing has been very productive.
The summer fishing season at Cedros Island had a soft opening with the number of visitors limited by COVID protocols by all accounts. However, the local fishing seems to have thrived on the lack of fishing pressure and is better than ever. But consider the Island off-limits until protocols are lifted or modified.
Bahía Asunción is also in a holding pattern as locals and visitors alike fidget while they await the arrival of warmer sea temps and the pelagics that follow. Meanwhile, a halibut here and a corvina there, spiced up by occasional yellowtail, sums up the current conditions, which should improve in August.
It shouldn’t be long as Magdalena Bay is already stirring. Anglers are mainly catching white sea bass and roosterfish outside the bay and inside the bay, pargo, and grouper. It is still too early for pelagics, though the sea temps are going up.
Bahía de Los Ángeles is HOT! (in both categories). Yellowtail, grouper, cabrilla, and pargo are all present and accounted for, and there are limits all around; however, the weather is brutally hot!
Gonzaga Bay is more of the same in both categories, and for the record, the weather side is hot all the way south to Cabo San Lucas.
After a shaky start with last month’s “Bulls Only” tournament at Punta Chivato, both sailfish and striped marlin have arrived in the area. The only problem is that there are not many summer Gringo holdouts left to play with them.
The Loreto early summer season, after several disappointing years, came alive this year, according to avid fly angler Carl Blackledge. “This year turned out to be awesome for big dorado and most of the local fish because of a unique set of circumstances that all came together this season. First, the pandemic probably reduced the fishing pressure to a certain extent. Then, combined with the unprecedented amount of bait (the most I’ve ever seen in 22 years), we had opportunities galore with billfish, dorado, and roosterfish.
While he headed for home, he left the excellent fishing conditions in good hands, and it continues.
Recently in La Paz, roosterfish, marlin, and dorado have been the predominant species. But good rod-bending jack crevalle, along with bonito, triggerfish, cabrilla, pargo, and snapper, rounded out the action. But, again, bait was not an issue.
As predicted, last month at East Cape was a barn burner. And there is no reason to expect any less in August. This year, there are more large dorado, giant tuna, a volume of billfish, and huge roosterfish (close to shore and even from the beach). The Dorado Shootout held at Palmas de Cortez had 134 teams, and the winning team’s 46.6-pounder earned them $142,205!
Mostly scattered small-size striped marlin, a few sailfish, and occasional dorado have dominated Gordo Bank’s action.
Closer to the shore and off the bottom rocky reefs, there have been better chances at more variety and more significant numbers of fish. Although there have been good chances of hooking into roosters of 40-pounds or larger, trolling mullet or caballito proved to be most effective.
Off the rock structure, anglers found more triggerfish and yellow snapper than anything else. Also, boats caught Almaco jack, cabrilla, dogtooth snapper, yellowtail, bluefin trevally, pompano, barred pargo, and other species.
Chances for tuna near Vinorama were good, though this week, the action dropped off. On Gordo Banks, the larger-sized black skipjack are dominating.
Cabo San Lucas billfish action continues, with the bonus of some bull dorado up to 50-pounds and yellowfin tuna from football-sized to near 200-pounds.
Inshore, anglers released many 50+pound roosterfish from both boats and shore. The big news: Wesley Brough – aka Cabosurfcaster – shares his story of the recent catch of a potential IGFA All-Tackle World Record White Snook on the Pacific side of a Cabo San Lucas beach.
Gary Graham – That Baja Guy
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.