Pompano Fish Report - FREE FISH!

I was pumping and cranking big yellowtail..one so huge I was sure the boat was going to be pulled under..they were thrashing white froth all around me...acres and acres of giant yellowtail!...gulping down 8-pound skipjacks as snacks....


...and then suddenly ..I awoke.

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"Ah..Nice fish-dream" I thought, still half-asleep. "And now I'm going fishing for real."

But..shhhh..quiet down, boy...quietly, quietly..don't wake her..

Smart Fishermen know the trick to getting out of any honey-do work is to silently get out of the house before she wakes up.
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So, without turning on the light .. (never, never turn on that light..if you value your life).. I quietly and gently rolled slowly out of bed, gathered up my pants, T-shirt, and sneakers I had left on the floor last night...and silently tip-toed to the door..

.. opened it ever so cautiously, and silenty close it behind me...shhhh.

Ah-ha...so far,so good...got it made now.

Round the corner of the veranda...and... Open the door to the kitchen to make some coffee and sandwi......

Wha?! The lights are on!..


Hey!.. Co-pilot's already in the kitchen..what the heck?..


"Buongiorgno, tesoro.. I have your coffee and pastrami sandwiches ready for you.
And dear.. I don't want yellowtail with this chicken for the dinner party tonight. Can you catch some nice pinto fillets today? And pick up some extra virgin olive oil and more of this sauce at the market? Grazie, tesoro. Tesoro, did you hear me?..tesoro?"




Yeah, yeah..I heard you....mumble..mumble..mumble..

My normal whistling ride to the ramp was dulled by the thought that somehow I felt the events of this morning were the opening moves of a chess game. The Queen had moved, and I was a lowly pawn with a fishing rod ..and a shopping list...sigh..

I perked myself up with the thought that I will just take it upon myself to CHANGE my direction and head to a secret far-away pinto hole I knew about. And...these pintos would be special! No..not just your ordinary puny pinto, by gar...No, sirree..I would catch only lunkers! Monsters.

Hah..give ME a grocery list, would ya?


Well.. okay, Co-pilot did give me the grocery list.. and I am more than happy to comply with her request to supply a scrumptuous pinto or two. This kitchen is blessed with a great cook and it's the least I can do...even though going to sea is frought with dangers and is not something to be taken lightly. But hey!.. it's a gamble I'm willing to take.

I start to feel a little better...not quite macho, but getting there...


Herein follows My shopping day... with detours down certain aisles:

Sunrise at sea...what could be better?
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Heading out of Mulege. That's the entrance to Conception Bay over there.
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Well...making yellowtail bait was not my chief concern this morning....

BUT.. I goofed around anyway just to prove WHO was skippering this boat.

Sometimes you catch quite a variety of fishes with those little Sabiki rigs.
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Off I go to the 'pinto hole.' Being the skipper of this fishing trip and able to do what I please..I gunned to top rpms and trimmed to see what my top speed would be today..about 35mph..okay, that checks out.
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Like always, you never fail to see some sights at sea. Here a seal sunning and sailing at the same time..a real Baja character.
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I pass by Wilbur's Hole. Everyone was pumping and cranking up tails...grrrr.
"I don't want yellowtail for the dinner" echoes in my head.
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A cloud of weird_____? passes under the boat. One of those omens, perhaps? Strange things happen out here...brrrr
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The tackle box voices remind me that I have not filled the damn shopping list yet..so I grudgingly chuck a heavy dart down on my rockpile and pull up 3 nice pintos in short order. Okay..that's done. I glance at my watch and see it's noon already...Aha!..almost c-cktail time at the Jungla. Time for shore...
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Mulege Harbor dead ahead....
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I let Alex, a guide working out of the Serinadad, lead the way into the river...and check for low-tide rocks.
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..and to the ramp, which is crowded with panga fishermen gathering after a good morning's catch.
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Alex gets his boat out with nary a mishap..except for a little trailer bed alignment problem...
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Well, I got the boat trailered and head into the village...after a short stop at the Jungla of course

and then...

..to the store of mi amigo, Manuel.



...ahem, to get Co-pilot's seasonings...hah, and you thought I'd forget those, right?!

Not me..my memory is excellen.

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Heading south into the bay..I always like this first sighting of Santispac's anchorage.

And the little lagoon.
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Then around the corner..passing Burros Beach anchorage..

..heading home with the shopping list filled. Mission Accomplished!

I pull into the drive and park the rig. I grab the cooler of fillets, the bag of seasonings and sauce.. and walk into the kitchen to present my prizes. A deep feeling of satisfaction of 'bringing home the bacon.'

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Ah, there she is...."Co-pilot, I'm back!" grinning and standing there with my.. shopping list

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"Ciao tesoro...I changed my mind. We are having lobster tonight. Did you catch the yellowtail again today? What is that you are carrying? I smell beer on you. Quit shouting. You smell like a saloon."


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Things start to blur...(Okay...okay, settle down... don't lose your cool..keep your head..go take it easy on the patio with a cool one...ahhh that's better.)

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Wha..?





Arrghhh...CO-PILOT!!! Where'd you hide my damn pellet rifle!??!




[Edited on 3-28-2010 by Pompano]

Hi Howard,

I sure will. Been to Augie's once or twice before. Met Don Alley and Paula there a couple years back..a very nice couple.

The last time was about 5-6 weeks ago with Co-pilot:






As for those 'sometime-cement' streets down there..I recall some pretty big potholes a couple decades ago...and found a salvageable VW in one.

I'll let you know when the next big city adventure happens. Hasta la vista.

[Edited on 3-28-2010 by Pompano]

Let's see - coffee served by bikini clad co-pilot, a scenic drive, a choice of feasts and I'll bet a great cook! Yeah, life is tough down there.
Hope you enjoy this graphic, I used your photo as a reference and your tales for inspiration. ( larger pic and vector format available)




[Edited on 3-28-2010 by willyAirstream]