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Lobsterman
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Fishing Gonzaga Bay May 22-24
The ride down to Gonzaga Bay with our party of 3 boats and 6 people was uneventful. We traveled from San Diego via the 8 freeway until taking the 7 to
Mexicali. No wait at the border at 8am with only a short wait to find someone to stamp our visas.
The ride from the border to GB was also smooth with a few pot holes before the new road started just south of Puertocitos. Arrived at Alfonsina's
Hotel around 3pm. We were able to get 3 rooms adjacent to each other and away from the rest of the hotel, rooms 10, 11 and 12. The only problem was
that their engine generator for the A/C units in the rooms was broken. This was a big problem for some of the old farts cuz of the impressive heat,
plastic under sheet covers, brown pillow cases and flies (no screens). Extended sleep was nearly impossible.
Day 1: The next day we got a late start waiting for the tides to change so we could launch the boats in the back estuary. Finally around 1pm we are
off to Punta Final to start our search for cabrilla. I was along for the ride with Bill on his boat. Bill is a mutual friend and my 1st time fishing
with him. He is exclusively a master jig fisherman while I'm a bait fisherman. He finds an interesting sea mount with his FF inside the tip of PF.
Bill manages to pull 2 cabrilla and the other guys a couple more between 6-10 pounds. I'm zero on bait there except triggerfish. Then we went out to
the reef off PF where there were 5 commercial boats pulling in their drift nets. Out there I caught a red snapper and a couple of species of bass on
squid. Bill does the same on Ed's jigs.
The boat owners decided to moor their boats in front of the hotel instead of pulling them out each night. There were other boats owned by locals that
did the same. We anchored the boats (lashed together) so that in the morning we could just walk onto the boats at the expected low tide
Day 2: Got an early start and headed to Island San Luis north of the Bay. We trolled around the island for naught and joined the other two boats
fishing on the north side of Luis. One guy already caught a 19 lb dog-toothed snapper and a cabrilla there. While working that reef area we finally
found a bunch of yellowtail and many sierra. However, pesky sea lions took my one YT as well a few from Bill. Bill did manager to get in a huge
sierra for the pic before releasing it. He also landed a cabrilla.
Bill's Sierra.
The afternoon fishing after a short break for lunch was back to PF to get away from the sea lions. There Bill catches more cabrilla and many sierra
while I did mange to catch a few more bass and snapper on bait. All the cabrilla were in the 6-10 lb range.
Day 3: Turned out to be our last morning of fishing due to a westerly coming up in the early afternoon and continuing thoughout our last scheduled day
of fishing. We again went to PF and fished the productive cabrilla area. We got the morning bite to about 9am with me finally catching my 1st
cabrilla using one of Bills chrome-type jigs. I just got tired of watching Bill catching quality fish after fish while I catch bass, snapper,
goatfish and a gazillion triggerfish to 5 lbs. We did eat the triggers one night prepared by the hotel's restaurant in a garlic and butter sauce.
Bill also caught an 18 lb broom tailed grouper just missing the JP by a pound. All the big fish were weighted. The Big snapper won the bet.
Afternoon fishing was blown out due to the stated westerly winds.
Day 4: Winds continued in the morning so we packed it up and headed home at 1 pm. Getting back to SD around 10pm.
Picking Up Our Boats
30 Minutes later
The border wait would have been over an hour if they did not send us to another entrance for trailers, rvs and busses. The wait was only about 15
minutes for us. There are many more pics from the other guys that I'll add at a later date.
Observations:
Hotel:
Only one in town. If the a/c would have worked would have been nice but the food was excellent on the few available items on the menu. The best
dinners were the triggerfish and the fried calamari (my bait) they prepared for us. Their fish and shrimp dishes were excellent. However, they need
new bedding, fans, and screens on windows. Maid service was only weeping out sand from room. All-in-all sleeping was difficult. They are building a
new wing 3-stories high. I'm sure it's for the expected increase in road traffic due to the new extension of the Hwy 5 to meet Hwy 1 later this year.
Restaurant View: Whale sharks fed inside buoy and the beach
Tide Drop: New construction on the left our 3 rooms on the right.
Boat Launching:
was easy once we figured out how to do it. Tide dependent.
Whales:
We saw many whale sharks. A couple of juveniles were feeding daily just off the beach in front of the hotel. Perhaps 10-15 ' each. I took a pic of a
30 plus footer further out while we were returning one afternoon. It looked like submarine while it made a 90- degree turn and swam under our boat.
It's mouth was over 6 feet wide. Also ran across a pod of backfin black whales out by San Luis (in background).
Giant Whale Shark
[Edited on 6-12-2017 by Lobsterman]
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BornFisher
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Great report, thanks!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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willardguy
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sounds like a fun productive trip!
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ljprusko
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Excellent report. So jealous!
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willardguy
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so are you gents so stoked on Gbay that you're ready to buy????(its on sale) 
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fishbuck
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Nice. Would love to visit.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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basautter
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Great trip report! My turn is in October 
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mtgoat666
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Quote: Originally posted by Lobsterman  | Arrived at Alfonsina's Hotel around 3pm. We were able to get 3 rooms adjacent to each other and away from the rest of the hotel, rooms 10, 11 and 12.
The only problem was that their engine generator for the A/C units in the rooms was broken. This was a big problem for some of the old farts cuz of
the impressive heat, plastic under sheet covers, brown pillow cases and flies (no screens).
Maid service was only weeping out sand from room. All-in-all sleeping was difficult. They are building a new wing 3-stories high.
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Hotel sounds miserable. Thank you for the review.
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woody with a view
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what dates were you there?
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Lobsterman
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We arrived at Alfonsina's on Sunday May 21 and left the following Thursday. I always call it as I see it or experience it. The sleeping was difficult
for the seasoned guys because the air just did not work this time. So what, it's Baja. They all traveled here many times in the past 40 years over
Little Sisters and slept on the beaches. It was real interesting listening to them talk about their past experiences in this area while they pointed
out the old road they use to take. WOW that was one bad-ass difficult road to drive on. Anyone who would do that would have to really, really love
the area.
What's with this goat666 guy anyway. Does he live under a dark cloud or what?
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woody with a view
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he's a hermaphroditic goat, not that's there's anything wrong with it!
we stayed there in Aug a few years ago and the AC didn't come on until 8pm. whatcha gonna do? this year we were in LA Bay the week following you and
the temps never got above 89 per my thermometer in camp. actually needed a blanket at 3am most nights. each trip is special, enjoy them.
[Edited on 6-10-2017 by woody with a view]
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Paco Facullo
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Thanks LobsterMan for a fine fish trip report !
I very much enjoyed i .
That was one nice sierra, I would have kept it to make ceviche as sierra is # 1
oh , sum us us like Goats stuff, me included.
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beachbum1A
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Curious if Alfonsina's Motel is still charging what seemed to be a much higher rate that most Baja (fisherman) hotels?
Just do it!
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Hook
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Good numbers of 6-10 lb cabrilla is good fishing, in my book!
Got any pics of the cabrilla? Not for size justification. It's just that so many fish are called "cabrilla" in Mexico; I was wonder which fish you
were catching. At various times, spotted sand bass, leopard grouper, barred sand bass, flag cabrilla, goldspotted bass, various other small groupers
and the spotted cabrilla (often called TRUE cabrilla, though who can say what is TRUE) are all called cabrilla.
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Lobsterman
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| Quote: Originally posted by Hook | Good numbers of 6-10 lb cabrilla is good fishing, in my book!
Got any pics of the cabrilla? Not for size justification. It's just that so many fish are called "cabrilla" in Mexico; I was wonder which fish you
were catching. At various times, spotted sand bass, leopard grouper, barred sand bass, flag cabrilla, goldspotted bass, various other small groupers
and the spotted cabrilla (often called TRUE cabrilla, though who can say what is TRUE) are all called cabrilla. |
Here's the only pic we had of the cabrilla. According to bill the one on the left is a cabrilla and the one on the right is an 18 lb broomtail
grouper. All caught on chrome-type jigs retrieved at warp speed. Bill has very fast and consistent hands allowing the jigs to track in a bullet
straight-line. I was never able to master his technique but I was finally able to catch a smaller cabrilla than the pic using one of his jigs.
We left them biting after finally figuring out where they were hanging due to westerly winds shutting down our trip. I can just imagine turning right
at Punta Final and fishing south along the coastline towards La Guardia. Maybe next time in my boat.
Our 3 rooms are in the background. Alfonsina's is just a perfect place for a fishing adventure, i.e. great food, great fishing, spectacular wildlife,
clean waters, and so so sleeping quarters but with a gorgeous view of the bay.
From the Room
Final Night Appetizer from the Restaurant (my squid bait).
Getting Started in the Morning.
[Edited on 6-11-2017 by Lobsterman]
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Barry A.
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Really great trip report, Lobsterman! Loved all of it.
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Lobsterman
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Hook,
Is the fish on the left a cabrilla and the right a broomtail grouper (18lbs)?
| Quote: Originally posted by Hook | Good numbers of 6-10 lb cabrilla is good fishing, in my book!
Got any pics of the cabrilla? Not for size justification. It's just that so many fish are called "cabrilla" in Mexico; I was wonder which fish you
were catching. At various times, spotted sand bass, leopard grouper, barred sand bass, flag cabrilla, goldspotted bass, various other small groupers
and the spotted cabrilla (often called TRUE cabrilla, though who can say what is TRUE) are all called cabrilla. |
[Edited on 6-17-2017 by Lobsterman]
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basautter
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Great report, thanks for sharing!
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dizzyspots
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Mood: rather be on the beach at Gonzaga
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New upgrades at Rancho Grande
Rumor has it: old restaurant has been converted to apts....diesel generator for power...beginning to add 8x20 mini condos with kitchen/bedroom and
large palapa...1st one is in , just south of the old restaurant...more to come south at the daily rental palapas....hmmm???
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willardguy
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| Quote: Originally posted by dizzyspots | Rumor has it: old restaurant has been converted to apts....diesel generator for power...beginning to add 8x20 mini condos with kitchen/bedroom and
large palapa...1st one is in , just south of the old restaurant...more to come south at the daily rental palapas....hmmm???
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yup.....sure would rather have had the restaurant!
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