Sparetimewanted - 3-10-2009 at 08:45 PM
Planning a trip to explore and fish around Mag Bay in late June. Anyone have any suggestions? Not sure whether we should go to San Carlos or to
Lopez Mateos, or some other town in the area. Any suggestions are appreciated. We will probably stay in a motel, and hire a panga to take us out of
the bay.
Muchas Gracias Amigos
ZThomas - 3-11-2009 at 06:20 AM
A few things to consider:
There will likely be some offshore stuff going on by June--probably little tuna and some dorado, probably not marlin or wahoo. If that's what you're
interested in (I notice you said "out of the bay"), both towns are good starting points.
From San Carlos, the run out to the blue water is quite a bit longer--it's 15 miles just to the entrada and then probably another 5 to 15 to fishing.
From Lopez Mateos, it's only about 6 miles to the boca that leads out the Pacific, and you can often find schoolie tuna within 8 to 12 miles.
There are no America-style charters out of San Carlos, only pangas. I've always enjoyed fishing with Enrique Soto. He speaks heavily accented but good
English, catches a lot of fish, and knows a huge amount about the natural history of the area. I think his current number is (613) 136-0030. If not,
Hotel Brennan should have it.
Out of Lopez Mateos, you have the option of fishing on a bigger, more comfortable boat. Mag Bay Outfitters runs a 26-foot Twin Vee cat and 25-foot
Whaler. Or you can panga fish. I'd recommend Ruben Duran. Unfortunately, I don't have a current number. MBO also has other cool stuff to do. They
ferry ATVs across the channel to the barrier island on an old pontoon boat, for example, and you can ride all the way down the beach to San Lazaro.
Also, they book for a guy named Harvey Tucker, who specializes in fishing th esteros with light tackle. Harvey's number is (760) 214-5842.
Inshore fishing is similar from both towns. Again, you've got a better selection of charters out of Lopez, particularly Harvey, but Enrique Soto is
good in the esteros too. The esteros north of Lopez get less pressure than those closer to San Carlos and seem to have more baby grouper, spotties,
etc., but if you're after snook, you'll probably end up at Devil's Curve, which is just about midway between the two towns.
San Carlos definitely has better accommodations and food. The Hotel Alcatraz is overpriced, but really pretty nice and there's some decent food. In
Lopez, your options are pretty limited outside whale season. You can probably rent a house through Mag Bay Outfitters, or there's a very "rustic"--but
very friendly--little motel. At best, there might be one restaurant, a taco stand and a burrito cart open.
Good luck and have fun. Mag is one of my favorite places in Baja.
bill erhardt - 3-11-2009 at 06:56 AM
Sparetime.......Your best bet for fishing in and out of Mag Bay, if not for creature comforts while ashore, is Puerto Lopez Mateos over San Carlos.
And for fishing either offshore out of Boca de Soledad or in the estero, Ruben Duran is PLM's best fishing guide. Ruben's landline telephone is 613
131 5263, his cell number is 613 113 7303.
Sparetimewanted - 3-11-2009 at 08:39 PM
ZT and Bill, Thank you for the info. This is perfect. I really appreciate it-exactly what i was hoping for.
Gracias