March, a month of transition from Winter to Spring, brings unique fishing experiences to Baja California. The arrival of Spring in 2025 has set the stage for some exciting fishing adventures.
Baja California Sportfishing Tournament Calendar
MARCH 29-30
2ND STAGE OF THE STATE SELECTIVE BASS CHALLENGE
Carrizo Dam, Tecate, BC
MARCH 30th
BEACH TOURNAMENT, BEACH EL BEBÉ, STATE SELECTIVE – STAGE 1
Baby Beach, Rosarito BC
Coronado Islands
Current Yellowtail Conditions: The water temperature is 58 degrees outside the Island, with clean water. There are no Yellowtail around the Islands now. Their possible locations would be the Flats off Rosarito, the Rockpile (125-300 feet deep), and south towards the Upper Finger Bank.
Recommended Technique: There are likely sonar fish in the lower third of the water column. The Best Bet is to use a full-size, yoyo iron fish on a 40 to 50-pound test line.
Ensenada
This area boasts some of Baja’s most consistent year-round action for Yellowtail, usually deep this time of year. Other species on the catch list, known for their strength and considered a prize and a tasty catch, are Calico Bass, Barracuda, Bonito, White Seabass, and Halibut.
San Quintín
Recent reports indicate that the Yellowtail action has slowed. However, according to Captain Juan Cook, Vermillion Reds, California Whitefish, and Lingcod were wide open.
San Felipe
Another great day, we were nailing Sierra (Spanish Mackerel) with our customers. …Meza’s Sport Fishing
Gonzaga Bay
Gonzaga Bay is an angler’s paradise with its rich diversity of inshore sports fish and stunning scenery. You can expect to catch:
Cabrilla: A favorite among anglers, prized for its delicious taste.
Yellowtail: Fast and strong, making them exciting to catch.
Mackerel: Abundant, excellent as bait fish, and fun to catch.
Rock Cod: Perfect for those who enjoy bottom fishing.
Red Snapper: Delicious, often found near rocky structures.
Whitefish: Mild-flavored and a joy to catch.
Bonito: Fast and challenging, great for experienced anglers.
Shoreline Fishing: Ideal for both experienced and beginner anglers.
Gonzaga Bay’s calm waters and diverse marine life ensure a fantastic fishing experience.
Guerrero Negro
Whale Magic Tours offers immersive and educational adventures in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. With Shari and Sirena Bondy’s extensive knowledge and passion for Gray Whales, participants are sure to learn a lot and be captivated by their fascinating stories.
Whether you prefer a fly-in or drive-in option, if you enjoy staying in a hotel or camping by the lagoon, there are packages to suit your preference. It sounds like a perfect way to connect with nature and appreciate the beauty of these magnificent creatures. Plus, the added activities like birdwatching, exploring the interpretive center, and visiting the salt works make it an even more well-rounded adventure. Shari Bondy is at Whale Magic Tours.
Bahía Asunción
The winter Yellowtail bite continues for the second month! …Juan Cook
La Bocana
La Bocana offers Inshore, Offshore, and Estuary fishing. In this area are Grouper, Calico Bass, Spotted Bay Bass, Sand Bass, Halibut, Snook, Triggerfish, Yellowtail, Sheepshead, White Sea Bass, Black Sea Bass, Tuna, Wahoo, Dorado, Marlin, Sailfish, Rock Cod, Lingcod, Whitefish, and Sierra Macs.
Loreto
Beautiful day on the water!! We fished for 2.5 hours and had six Yellowtail bites. We caught four nice ones!! The biggest was around 30 pounds. …German Martinez Davis
Lopez Mateos
Scale shot…Cheri King Lopez Mateos Sportfishing
La Paz
WATER: Kinda crazy. There’s warm water and cold water spots all over the ocean. Water down deep is cooler. If it’s windy, it can be pretty rough. But there have been a few really nice flat days.
WEATHER: Variable. Some days sunny. Some days hazy. Some days cloudy. Temperatures rising but a big thermometer with daytime temps in the low-to-mid-80’s but night time dropping all the way to the high 50’s. Winds can be variable as well. Some days not a whisper but others blowing up to 20 mph.
SPECIES HOOKED THIS WEEK: Yellowtail, amberjack, pargo, cabrilla, sierra, bonito, jack crevalle, dorado.
East Cape
The windy weather and the presence of shrimp boats have influenced the Yellowtail action. While the deep-water fishing for Yellowtail off La Ribera has slowed, it is good to hear that the White Bonito still provides fair action. Inshore, the early morning, calm days provide the best opportunity to catch small Jacks, Sierra, and the occasional Roosterfish.
The water temperature has been around 68 degrees and slightly off-color, which might also affect the fishing conditions.
San José del Cabo
We had a busy schedule as many families were down in Cabo for President’s Week, and many anglers were also trying to get in on the Tuna action.
We had a good Tuna bite at Iman throughout that week. Most of the Tuna continued to be smaller, averaging 6 to 10 pounds. However, there is an excellent chance of hooking into a 100+ pound fish in the same area. Therefore, we try to go no lighter than 40# test. Most boats caught at least a couple of these small Tuna every day. Some boats were able to catch their Tuna limits. We catch White Bonito limits on the jigs and sardina almost daily. A few bait guys were able to come up with live sardina. However, it was not enough to supply all boats; only a handful got their hands on the live bait. We did have plenty of dead sardina. The bait guys must net sardina towards the East Cape in the afternoons. The bigger Tuna were caught on live and dead sardina (mostly dead), squid strips, and strips of skipjack. On our best day, we had five big Tuna at our fillet table. The biggest Tuna came in at 187 pounds; the rest were 95 to 125 pounds. A couple of additional big Tuna were lost after hour-long battles.
Later, at the end of February, boats from Cabo got word of this bite, making Iman crowded. On Friday, there were nearly 50 boats in the small area of Iman. This did not help much, as the bite slowed significantly throughout the weekend. Many boats were forced to head closer to shore to look for bottom fish, Sierra and Roosterfish. Throughout different rock structures of La Fortuna and Cardon and close to shore, we were able to catch good numbers and a variety of bottom fish. We had Grouper, Snapper, Pompano, Triggerfish, Amberjack, Sierra, and a few Yellowtail. Most of this mix was caught drifting dead sardina. A few bigger Sierra were caught casting jigs on the surface.
Throughout the shoreline of La Laguna and Zacaton, a few boats reported catching nice Roosterfish, some around 20 to 25 pounds. Big Jacks were also seen in the same area. These Roosters and Jacks were caught on live caballitos, some on live sardina, if available.
Not much activity was reported at the Inner or Outer Gordo’s, only a few Sharks and Striped Marlin.
Cabo San Lucas
Pisces Anglers enjoy another Mixed-Bag Week
Pisces Fleet Weekly update from February 14 to 20th of 2025. Catch success rate is 89%.
Billfish, 20.83%; Dorado, 1.39%; Tuna, 9.72%; Wahoo, 2.78%; Roosterfish, 29.17%; and Other, 62.50%.
The weather and the water temperatures dropped this week, but the variety of species available for fishing remained diverse and exciting. The water was around 67 to 68 degrees, and the air hovered around 68 to 75. Although it was cooler and windier than in previous weeks, which are key factors in successful fishing trips, most anglers didn’t leave empty-handed. Schools of Sierra were around and hungry, as were Bonito, Yellowfin Tuna, Jack Crevalle, Roosterfish, a few sizeable Wahoo, and some Striped Marlin. Despite the cooler temperatures and increased wind, the diversity and abundance of fish ensured the week was memorable for all who ventured out on the water.
Richard Kernion, Jr. opted to fish on the “RIPPER,” a 35-foot Cabo Flybridge, with Captain Abel and Mate Ninja running the boat, and he hit the jackpot! He caught and released One 120-pound Striped Marlin on a mackerel and ONE 53-pound WAHOO on a purple lure. Both fish were caught at the Herradura! Nice going to the angler, the captain, and the mate.
The “ADRIANA” is a 28-foot Uniflite run by Captain Frank and Mate Mario. When Amelia Headley, Bryant Headley, III, Bryant Headley, Jr., and Caitlin Headley came to Cabo, they selected the “ADRIANA” for their fishing trip. A standard cruiser has the best layout of a boat this size, with hard-top shade and plenty of outside seating, including TWO fighting chairs, a cabin, a bathroom, and places to lie down inside and outside the cabin. There is also a live bait well, ship-to-shore radio, and Tuna Tubes for use during tournaments; all boats have GPS. Equipped with Cal-star rods, matching Penn International reels, Shimano TLD 25 for casting, and a full selection of trolling lures. Line varies, depending on the time of year, from 30 to 80-pound test. They caught Four Sierra on cuchi at the Pozo Cota. They were comfortable on the boat, had a great time with their Captain and Mate, and enjoyed getting to know them. It was a memorable experience.
For more Cabo Fishing News, click here.
Tight lines and fair seas to all!
Gary Graham
That Baja Guy
thatbajaguy@gmail.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.