Fishing Forum

Endless Season Update 02/04/2009
REPORT #1152 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape


When their cruise ship offered a lay afternoon in Cabo, Jim and Val Isaacson took the opportunity to fish a half-
day. Jim brought in a rooster fish and Val caught two red snappers, which they had prepared by Soloman’s
Restaurant at the Marina before catching their shore boat back to their ship for a late evening departure.
This time of year the quality of fishing is completely in the hands of the ‘wind gods’. A calm evening is no
guarantee of calm seas the next morning. Though many a night the windows rattling in their frames give audible
validation that the morning will bring grumpy seas.
Almost always the tin boat guys can be found in the early morning darkness with coffee cups in hand, their
shadowy silhouettes gathering on the damp sandy beach. They wait for the Baja morning to determine their work
for the day…fish or chores?
Occasionally there will be a morning when the sun rises up from a sea so calm that it appears to be an unbroken
sheet of glass where any feeding fish can be spotted instantly.
This week included a few of those days and the boys fishing inshore did well catching plenty of sierra as well as a
few small jacks. The few hotel boats that ventured farther offshore were rewarded with a few dorado and tuna.
Reports of marlin persisted, but few blue flags were spotted on the returning boats.
Lance Peterson reported, “Beach fishing has been hit or miss for me this week despite some calm mornings
and ample baitfish along the shore. Some days there is consistent action on pompano, jacks, and ladyfish; other
days have provided very little action. Roosterfish have been in short supply recently with only a few fish spotted
chasing bait. Farther off the beach, fleeing baitfish and swooping frigates point toward the presence of game fish.
However, I have not ventured out there to see what is biting. Reports from the local tin boat fleet have indicated a
decent dorado bite just a mile off the beach.”

Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 55-88
Humidity 68%
Wind: NE 5 to 7 knots
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:58 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:07 p.m. MST
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Copa Gobernador Tournaments part of the XVI Gray Whale Festival was a huge success with good sized tuna,
yellowtail and large groupers being the big winners. The winners all wore big s and the others vowed to do
better next year.
The whale watching continues in full force as tourists arrive by the bus loads. These giants of the sea are the
biggest hams in Baja, providing plenty of photo ops for those willing to get up close and personal.
Bob Hoyt

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 56 -79
Humidity 61 %
Wind: WSW 4 to 5 knots
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:08 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:13 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
Sailfish and dorado fishing has slowed down a bit; however all the captains are telling me "there are a lot of fish
out there…they are just not biting." The boats are averaging about five raised sailfish a day each, but they are only
hooking one or two.
Baja on the Fly client, Phil Barker of Pleasanton, CA, fished a day with me in the blue water down at Puerto
Vicente Guerrero. The fly line parted on the first sailfish he hooked. After the hook set, you have only a
nanosecond of time. You are up against a 75 pound fish that has been clocked at 68 miles an hour, and is the
fastest fish in the ocean. If you hold on to the fly line too long, things start to break down. Fortunately, the second
fish Phil hooked was tagged and released.
Inshore, we’re seeing lots of bait and birds, and there is even some decent jack crevalle action. The action
depends on whether the bait has moved to the inside or just outside of the surf line. It is dangerous to get in too
close to the surf line, so if they are inside the surf line, we just have to leave them for another day.
There are some large cero mackerel being taken on trolled rapalas by the White Rocks. Jacob Schougaard of
Denmark caught five with Marcos on the panga, Oceana. The ceros were between 8 and 11 pounds, and were the
largest Marcos had ever seen. Jacob also released two sailfish on the Oceana the next day.
Ed Kunze
Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 72-86
Humidity 58%
Wind: NE at 6 mph
Conditions: Mostly Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:42 p.m. CST
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