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Pete Thomas, L.A. Times
3/14/03
Gary Graham of Baja on the Fly, the only major fly-fishing outfit in the East Cape region of southern Baja, gives an honest and informative -- and sometimes even entertaining -- report. This week he was in rare form.
"Dorado, tuna and marlin continue to make this what may be one of the best winter bites in quite a while. El Nino? Who knows? Who cares?" Graham wrote. "The water is definitely warmer, earlier. We are not talking rat dorado, either. Some of these critters are tipping the scale at 25-pounds-plus and look like some kind of psychedelic vacuum cleaners as they sweep in behind the boat eating [sardines].
"And, oh yes, they are even being suckered into eating a hook with only fur and feathers on it. Back inshore, the sierra are also getting pretty stupid, regularly taking flies from both the beach and from boats fishing close to shore.... The ladyfish bite both early and late has been spectacular. Cast a Clouser; let it sink, wham and you come tight to a fish with the attitude of a small tarpon."
*
Then there's Jonathan Roldan, a man who obviously has spent too much time in the sun, filing this report from La Paz on behalf of Tail Hunters International in Hacienda Heights, which books trips to the southern Baja region:
"Tell ya what, pescadores ... I think Father Winter just blew on past us this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed and my bananas tucked away [he considers them bad luck, as many fishermen do] cuz that's just fine with me!
"I think the jury is in that this is the finest winter fishing we've ever had as long as I've been soaking baits out in the La Paz environs! Yes ... we are still getting some northern chilly-willy winds, but with increasing frequency they seem to be coming from the warmer south and with it ... well ... the critters are coming too!
"The Las Arenas side of the peninsula from Muertos Bay to the lighthouse is still the battle zone for any number of species from cabrilla to pargo, but most notably the dorado. Doggone if we didn't have some kickers jam the boxes these last few days with some big-headed bull dorado on the chew. Some of these dorado were stud fish too ... like 30-40 pound toads! Seriously, that's not supposed to be happening now!"
*
Finally, a gentler tone from the office of Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, where a marlin bite that had been sizzling at an unseasonably feverish pace off Cabo San Lucas settled into something more typical. But only briefly.
"We started to see a gradual slowdown on March 9 and by March 11, no marlin were caught," fleet owner Tracy Ehrenberg said. "Boats had headed up to Punta Gorda and Destiladeres as they have daily for the fabulous catches, but all drew a blank. [Wednesday] they decided to go the other way [into the Pacific], which was a good choice as pretty much everybody out had tuna, up to 15, but the norm being around five in the 20- to 25-pound class, plus a few dorado here and there. Also three mako sharks caught this week."
On Thursday, however, the bite began to sizzle again in the Pacific where one boat registered a catch of nine striped marlin and the average climbed back to two-three per boat.
3/14/03
Gary Graham of Baja on the Fly, the only major fly-fishing outfit in the East Cape region of southern Baja, gives an honest and informative -- and sometimes even entertaining -- report. This week he was in rare form.
"Dorado, tuna and marlin continue to make this what may be one of the best winter bites in quite a while. El Nino? Who knows? Who cares?" Graham wrote. "The water is definitely warmer, earlier. We are not talking rat dorado, either. Some of these critters are tipping the scale at 25-pounds-plus and look like some kind of psychedelic vacuum cleaners as they sweep in behind the boat eating [sardines].
"And, oh yes, they are even being suckered into eating a hook with only fur and feathers on it. Back inshore, the sierra are also getting pretty stupid, regularly taking flies from both the beach and from boats fishing close to shore.... The ladyfish bite both early and late has been spectacular. Cast a Clouser; let it sink, wham and you come tight to a fish with the attitude of a small tarpon."
*
Then there's Jonathan Roldan, a man who obviously has spent too much time in the sun, filing this report from La Paz on behalf of Tail Hunters International in Hacienda Heights, which books trips to the southern Baja region:
"Tell ya what, pescadores ... I think Father Winter just blew on past us this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed and my bananas tucked away [he considers them bad luck, as many fishermen do] cuz that's just fine with me!
"I think the jury is in that this is the finest winter fishing we've ever had as long as I've been soaking baits out in the La Paz environs! Yes ... we are still getting some northern chilly-willy winds, but with increasing frequency they seem to be coming from the warmer south and with it ... well ... the critters are coming too!
"The Las Arenas side of the peninsula from Muertos Bay to the lighthouse is still the battle zone for any number of species from cabrilla to pargo, but most notably the dorado. Doggone if we didn't have some kickers jam the boxes these last few days with some big-headed bull dorado on the chew. Some of these dorado were stud fish too ... like 30-40 pound toads! Seriously, that's not supposed to be happening now!"
*
Finally, a gentler tone from the office of Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, where a marlin bite that had been sizzling at an unseasonably feverish pace off Cabo San Lucas settled into something more typical. But only briefly.
"We started to see a gradual slowdown on March 9 and by March 11, no marlin were caught," fleet owner Tracy Ehrenberg said. "Boats had headed up to Punta Gorda and Destiladeres as they have daily for the fabulous catches, but all drew a blank. [Wednesday] they decided to go the other way [into the Pacific], which was a good choice as pretty much everybody out had tuna, up to 15, but the norm being around five in the 20- to 25-pound class, plus a few dorado here and there. Also three mako sharks caught this week."
On Thursday, however, the bite began to sizzle again in the Pacific where one boat registered a catch of nine striped marlin and the average climbed back to two-three per boat.
