BajaNomad

THETIS BANK FISHING REPORT - 8/29 & 30

bill erhardt - 9-3-2007 at 05:56 AM

Tuesday I trailered my boat to Puerto Lopez Mateos. Barry Wilkerson also trailered his boat "Rocket" from Loreto and we both launched over the beach, entered the Pacific through Boca de Soledad, and fished solo on the ridge Wednesday and Thursday. Air temperature in the low 80's was a welcome break from the high 90's in Loreto.
Wednesday I ran 45 miles west through a 3' - 4' chop on the nose to the 23's in search of early wahoo or marlin. A long bumpy ride yielded nothing and I joined up with Barry mid-morning near Thetis Bank. Barry had caught a few small dorado before I joined him. Action continued slow around Thetis with only a few dorado and barrilete until we headed back to the boca in the late afternoon. Outside the boca I caught several small barrilete, yellowtail, dorado and one sierra mackerel.
Thursday we went directly to Thetis Bank. Action was about the same as the day before with occasional small dorado and barrilete until late morning when Barry scored a double hook-up on football yellowfin. About the same time a seiner appeared on the scene with a helicopter spotter. I joined the growing crowd which soon included 3 more seiners and another chopper. For the next three hours or so until the threat of wind sent us back to the boca it was nonstop action as the seiners prepared to set their nets and the choppers circled overhead keeping tabs on the huge school of yellowfin. Hook-up followed hook-up without time between to get the rod in the rod-holder. The threat of wind got us back into Puerto Lopez Mateos in time to make it back to Loreto before nightfall. I'm sure that by now a large part of the tuna school is packed on ice or already in tin cans.
Over the two days we caught many dozens of fish including yellowfin tuna, dorado, barrilete, yellowtail and sierra mackerel. The largest fish were 3 dorado around 20 pounds and the yellowfin were all under 12, or so, but there was enough action to make it a real good trip. The water temperature ranged from 75 degrees on the 23's to 80+ outside the boca and around Thetis. The water was clean and blue, a short distance offshore, and there were scattered kelp paddies, the larger ones holding dorado.

[Edited on 9-3-2007 by bill erhardt]

Minnow - 9-3-2007 at 06:59 AM

How was it going out and returning through the Boca?

bill erhardt - 9-3-2007 at 07:07 AM

The waves were not real big at the boca, but they were close together and it was very tricky both ways.

BajaBruno - 9-3-2007 at 07:35 AM

Nice report, thanks.

I assume you were trolling lures of some kind for most of those fish, but what were you using to catch the tuna, Bill?

bill erhardt - 9-3-2007 at 08:36 AM

Chris...... I was using natural cedar plugs, 6" and 8". In the YF school it was just one rod and they would have hit just about anything.

Minnow - 9-4-2007 at 10:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Don Jorge
for the report Bill. Nice to see someone is fishing and posting reports. Sounds like down there is the same way we have been fishing up here this season. Find the spotters and the sieners and you find the fish. The new "sign".


That is sad. Thank you shark norma. NOT!

Great report Bill.

bajabird - 9-5-2007 at 09:30 AM

Bill, a late thank you. Also, Augie shared some of the tuna you brought him with us..... A SUPER HUGE THANK YOU

tom

fishwhenican - 9-8-2007 at 12:14 PM

Thanks for the report Bill