Roosters…Yellows…Dorado!

Endless Season Update 03/26/2009
REPORT #1159 "Below the Border" Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996

East Cape


La Ventana mossback yellowtail photoTim Hatler

Inshore action dominated this week. Sierra and a few good quality yellowtail were found from Cardonal to Punta Arena,

with the largest concentration of sierra from Punta Pescadero to El Cardonal. Warmer water produced a few jacks and

roosters as well.

Rumors of offshore dorado some distance from the beach failed to entice many out there. There didn’t seem to be much

concentration, so it made for a long boat ride.

The recent nice weather has been favorable for fishing from the beach and the few that tried it reported good signs of

bait, particularly from La Ribera to Punta Pescadero.

Palapas Ventana (Las Arenas area) report: “Mackerel are gone locally - but there are plenty of sardina that will do the job

to get those yellowtail for those using live bait. Just keep them out of the rocks please --no slack line ever -- I just bent a

spear shaft up good by playing with a 30 pounder too long -- now imagine what a 50 pounder will do to you and your

gear!

Now the weird thing is that dorado just showed up and they are good size. Why? Sea surface temps have spiked a little

outside towards 88 - I guess that’s why... but under the backside buoys, the dorado are congregating…waiting for flies

and baits!! Too much fun!!
Winds are up and down this time of year but the lulls are lengthening and the weather is warming up fast!!” Tim Hatler



Water temperature 67-73
Air temperature 56-86
Humidity 75%
Wind: ESE 6 to 8 knots
Conditions: Mostly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:32 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

As early as it is the dorado and football sized tuna are showing around the shark buoys according the commercial

fishermen. Inside was pretty much the same story with little sportfishing activity. The Entrada is still providing some

decent action for small yellows and sierra. Most of the sandy beaches have small halibut in shallow water.

Up in the Esteros, surface action for corvina was widespread from Puerto San Carlos to above Lopez Mateos. Down

deeper it was a slow pick for both grouper and mangrove snapper.

Water temperature 67 - 73
Air temperature 51 -83
Humidity 77 %
Wind: WNW 10 to 13 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:37 p.m. MST

Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico

The 80º blue water has moved out to about the 12 mile mark, with the offshore action slowing down a bit. The boats are

only averaging 1 to 2 sailfish a day each. Few dorado are being caught, and the blue marlin bite has even slowed. No tuna

were reported.

The one highlight is the jack crevalle action has really turned on big time. Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, reported

the big jacks are running between 20 and 25 pounds. He is getting them as they crash on bait about a 1/2 mile off the surf

line. These are very hard fighting fish and excellent on light gear or the fly rod. He also reports a lot of sierra.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 83
Air temperature 72-90
Humidity 60%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:45 a.m. CST
Sunset 7:58 p.m. CST

Cabo San Lucas

The wide open billfish bite on the Golden Gate that began last November seems to have finally come to a close. Now we

are most likely going to be doing the normal fishing, casting live bait in front of tailing fish as they move through the area.

With the water cooling down and turning a bit green, we might expect to see a few swordfish in the next few weeks.

There has been very little yellowfin tuna action with only a few fish being reported for the entire fleet. Most of the dorado

action is in the warmer waters on the Cortez side and inshore most of the fish taken were in the 12 to 15 pound class with

a few larger ones up to 40 pounds occasionally found offshore.

Sierra and yellowtail continued to dominate the inshore action. While not large, the sierra were in great numbers once

the schools were located. Though not in great numbers, a few yellowtail have been showing up in the fish boxes of the

pangas. Most of them were firecracker-sized fish in the 8 to 10 pound class, but there were a few to 25 pounds and an

occasional large fish that could not be stopped. Added to the mix of fish caught were the occasional pargo and amberjack

as well as some small roosterfish. The fishing action has mostly been inshore, but there were some days when the bonito

averaged 15 pounds and provided a good fight on the right gear when fishing offshore.

George & Mary Landrum

Water temperature 75 – 78
Air temperature 56 – 86
Humidity 67%
Wind: WNW 11 to 14 knots
Conditions: Partly Sunny
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:33 p.m. MST

Rooster, Yellows, Dorados .. Oh My!