I was in La Paz in the middle of August this year fishing very close to the shore in Bajia de los Muertos. Did really well that day, caught two 15 lb
Yellowfin, two 12 lb Dorado, a beautiful brown striped 10 lb Pargo, a 4 lb cabrilla and one 12 lb Yellowtail. Before I caught this Yellowtail, I lost
two much larger ones that made it to the rocks before I could stop them. If I hadn't moved on, I am sure that I could have caught one more (and
bigger) Yellowtail had I stayed around that spot. Many other pangas close to us were hooking up to Yellowtail (and losing them) as well.
By the way, as I like to only fish for fish that I like to eat, to my surprise, the most delicious of the fish that I caught are in this order:
Cabrilla, Pargo, Dorado, Yellowtail, Tuna, with the Cabrilla and Pargo a real stand-out in flavor and texture.
I have been told for decades that Yellowtail season in Baja is limited to spring. I no longer believe that at all. What's up with this Yellowtail
spring thing?
[Edited on 9-20-2009 by MitchMan]Pescador - 9-20-2009 at 06:02 PM
It all depends on the migrations and what the bait fish are doing. Because yellowtail normally swim deeper, they are less succeptible to the changes
in water surface temp, and while August is very rare for La Paz, we get them a lot in August around San Marcos Island and up further north.
The temps are merely a guideline. Last year we got into a big school of dorado in 56 degree water just off of Isla San Marcos and no one could
believe they were there in those water temps, but he cooler told another story.
Guess the Tuna was not prepared properly, very easy to overcook, but it is superb is done properly.Skipjack Joe - 9-20-2009 at 06:19 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by MitchMan
the most delicious of the fish that I caught are in this order: Cabrilla, Pargo, Dorado, Yellowtail, Tuna, with the Cabrilla and Pargo a real
stand-out in flavor and texture.
If you fried your fish then that is the correct order.
If you eat them as sashimi then the order would be backwards (except that dorado are better than yellowtail).shari - 9-20-2009 at 06:53 PM
Man oh man....I just downed a whole Boca dulce...or yellowfin croaker that Juan caught a few hours ago and we just gutted it and tossed it on a
manzanito wood fire.....hands down the most delicious fish with no trimmings....barely grilled....sweet like candy..texture like butter!!!
Juan caught his limit in under an hour at our secret beach at high tide....we so enjoyed watching the dolphins surf and caught some good waves
ourselves...great day and even greater dinner!woody with a view - 9-20-2009 at 06:55 PM
show off!bigmike - 9-20-2009 at 07:01 PM
Just returned from a 6 day trip in the Sea of Cortez aboard the Mothership the Tony Reyes out of San Felipe, we fished as far south as San
Francisquito with 25 guys aboard fishing 3 to a Pango and we caught 470 Yellowtail in 4 days of fishing, so I think the Yellowtail are there in the
Summer.
It was a fantastic trip, the Yellowtail were 10 to 28lbs, 41 Cabrilla 4 to 12lbs, 41 Dorado 15 to 28lbs, 2 Grouper 75 to 110 lbs, plus many7 other
misc fish.Don Alley - 9-20-2009 at 08:43 PM
This summer we had a really good Loreto area yellowtail bite in mid August. Fish ran 30+ lbs.
I've yet to target yellowtail in September but have caught them in the Loreto area in every other month. I believe there are some somewhere in the
area year round.
Even "in season" they can be tough to find with everyone looking for them. In the summer, with the boats concentrating on dorado, you hear little
about yellowtail and it's harder to pinpoint where some are.
But sometimes when the dorado are playing hard to get, someone prospects and finds the yellowtail. This summer they were at Almejas, north of Loreto.
Tuna are rare here, but when we bring some back from the other side the locals just LOVE it. Can't say myself 'cause I don't eat fish.Skeet/Loreto - 9-21-2009 at 06:11 AM
Don; Yes the Yellowtail are in the loreto Area all year long. Just have to know the spot.
Next time you see Alvaro you might ask him about a couple of the Spots.
SkeetDon Alley - 9-21-2009 at 07:32 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Skeet/Loreto
Don; Yes the Yellowtail are in the loreto Area all year long. Just have to know the spot.
Next time you see Alvaro you might ask him about a couple of the Spots.
Skeet
I know a bunch of spots. But the problem, regardless of the time of year, is that the fish are never at all the spots, just a few. And those "hot"
locations change. So as soon as the current, known "hot spot" cools off it's back to guesswork. And in the traditional yellowtail season, it has not
been unusual for weeks to go by without a good spot, despite everyone looking.
Considering that relatively few boats prospect for yellowtail in the summer, and considering that I've gotten in on some good summer bites anyway,
maybe the summer yellowtail fishery is better than we think? Except I've not see a summer surface bite.
Another tip: check the commercial hook and line fishermen. Earlier this month they were bringing in some yellowtail caught fairly close to Loreto.
[Edited on 9-21-2009 by Don Alley]durrelllrobert - 9-21-2009 at 09:44 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by bigmike
2 Grouper 75 to 110 lb
what
were the weights of the two grouperbigmike - 9-21-2009 at 04:15 PM
Jeez Bob I don't know, kinda hard to figure it out!!DENNIS - 9-21-2009 at 04:24 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bigmike
Jeez Bob I don't know, kinda hard to figure it out!!
Don't pay any attention to Bob's BS. That's Before Sharky's. MitchMan - 9-22-2009 at 10:18 AM
Analysis: It seems to me that the yellow tail are not migratory and that they are always to be found year round in the same general area. To me,
this means that their is no real specific "yellow tail season" usually confined to spring time. Since they can be found and caught year round
(according to my own experience and those posting to this thread) in big numbers in the same general areas, it's just a matter of actually fishing for
them.
I get the impression from fishing from hired pangas that the skippers take you to fish for the fish that the general popular concensus thinks should
be fished for in that area at that time of year. Since Dorado and Tuna are in fact migratorial and therefore actually seasonal, the general popular
consensus is to fish for those fish when they are in season and therefore to stay away from fishing yellow tail during what is considered to be tuna
and dorado season. The apparent reality is that yellow tail are always in season and available, you just have to decide to fish for them.
By the way, I find tuna barbecued slowly on the cool side of a grill seasoned only with alot of salt and pepper and brushed with melted butter will
taste exactly liked smoked tuna without having to smoke it for hours, but it will have a great soft and moist texture (like lightly sauteed salmon).
If you don't overcook it (I do this by pulling the tuna off the barbecue when I think its not quite cooked through, then it cooks itself the rest of
the way with its own residual heat), it is fantastic cold the next day. Every time I prepare it this way, I wind up trying to eat it as an hors
d'oeuvre, but end up eating the whole stash at one time. Unbelievably good! Don't like it pan sauteed.Don Alley - 9-22-2009 at 06:56 PM
I suspect that SOME yellowtail are not migratory, but many are.
This would be similar to the California fishery, made up of migrants, as well as resident "homeguard" yellowtail.Alan - 9-22-2009 at 09:44 PM
I have to agree with Pescador (not that I don't usually). I feel there are nearly always some homeguard YT around whether in BCS when the water warms
or off Ca when the water cools but with that said I still believe most YT are migratory.
A friend experimented with raising YT in La Paz but started losing them when the water got too warm. Obviously with pens only 40' deep the fish
couldn't get down to cooler water.Skipjack Joe - 9-22-2009 at 10:47 PM
The 'Baja Catch' has what they call Neil Kelly's fishing thermometer. It's a thermometer that has temperature markings on it's side like any other.
But next to the numbers are the names of fish species.
The idea is that you find the marker for the fish you are interested and look for the appropriate water temperature. In reality you wait for currents
of a certain temperature to reach your area of interest and then go there and fish.
It's an interesting idea to me because it summarizes almost all you need to know about finding fish (pelagic) in baja in the form of a simple picture.Pescador - 9-24-2009 at 10:07 AM
Skipjack is right on with the temps but it gets a bit more complicated than that. Yellowtail have a preference for certain oxygen levels, certain
temp. range, and prefer certain fish to feed upon. So if the baitfish is highly concentrated in an area that is marginal for the yellowtail, they
will make small excursions into warmer water for a very short time to feed but will go immediately back to the area that is more balanced for them. I
have found yellowtail as deep as 500 ft and all the way to the surface in the same way that I find green mackeral, caballito (big eye scad), spanish
mackeral, and other preferred bait fish. Because the ocean is constantly moving you will find areas of concentration where the bait fish are doing
well and most times the attending yellowtail are usually close by.
The idea of "homeguard" yellowtail works well as long as they have sufficient food available, but when the baitfish get hammered by the seiners or
whatever, I have seen the "homeguards" actually move out and go elsewhere.MitchMan - 9-24-2009 at 11:11 AM
Last two posts = great stuff.
I am constantly impressed by the knowledgeable people on this forum.
