BajaNomad

Santa Rosalia / Mulege fishing report

bajajurel - 4-20-2010 at 09:37 AM

Hello Nomads,

Can anyone give me and update on the Jurel fishing on the bajo out of Santa Rosalia / Mulege? We are headed down May 6th and would like to get an update. Thanks in advance.

Joelt - 4-20-2010 at 10:17 AM

I just got back from Punta Chivato and there were a lot of fish working the surface. We did best with irons in about 100 feet of water but as the days went by the fish seem to be more spread out and harder to get a strike. We spent a lot of time catching trigger fish with light tackle using cut barracuda. Good eats. I heard reports that Tortuga was very good but they are fishing in about 300+ feet of water. Didn't hear much about San Marcos except one report of no fish. Changes day by day. We did see a marlin south of Point Conception and there are reports of other sightings in the area. The weather is turning nice right now and you should be in for a nice trip. Good luck

bajabass - 4-20-2010 at 10:49 AM

Pescador lives there, and will probably pop in with the straight poop soon.

bajajurel - 4-21-2010 at 09:14 AM

Thanks for the reply Joelt.

Pompano - 4-21-2010 at 09:40 AM

bajajurel, I was just out yesterday boating in the Pta. Chivato and Sta. Inez areas. Lots of jurel action around the canyons lately with some nice big tails being taken on trolled Mirrolures off the islands.

A report of a nice 38lber the other day near Santa Inez on a mirrolure.

For more current info when you get there, check with some camper/anglers at San Lucas campground. Also the regular fishermen at San Bruno. I believe they are on top of things on a day-to-day basis.

From now on, most Mulege fishermen will be looking for warming waters bringing us the pelagics...with dorado at the top of the list.

Good luck out there.

bajajurel - 4-21-2010 at 10:24 AM

Hi Pompano,

Where are the "canyons" you refer to?

Pescador - 4-21-2010 at 07:46 PM

The most accurate report you have is that the fishing is good one day and spotty the next. The netters are working very hard on both the north and south side of San Marcos Island and most of the yellowtail have been coming from Tortuga and the yellows are relating to the deeper water right now and coming anywhere from 300 to 500 feet. Bait is pretty consistent at 250-300 feet north of a line from the Haystack to the north side of San Marcos Island and maybe a little north.
The fish are starting to get really heavy with eggs right now and the netters are starting to work them really hard which is why I think they are so scattered. Tides are a little slack on the 5-12th of May so it might slow down then, with stronger currents from the 12th to the 19th and again on the 25-31st. There have been some good catches this week but really spotty on the bajos north of San Marcos, and the most consistent bite is at Tortuga. But, if you hit the fish really well on one day, the next day they will be moved to a new spot, so you have to stay very flexible and mobile.
I know some people keep trying to catch yellowtail with lures, but that is my least favorite way to put fish in the boat this time of the year, since you need to find them relating to the surface or slightly below and they are feeding very close to the bottom right now, so the live bait option is a much better choice. The other thing that happens all too frequently is to get some body who does not know a whole lot and he drags his lures through where you are soaking a flylined bait a good distance from the boat and you end up with lines cut. Live bait will normally outproduce trolled plugs 10 to 1, so you decide.

bajajurel - 4-22-2010 at 08:58 AM

Thanks Pescador! I might ask you for an update before we leave. Are you living in Mulege? Whats your call sign on the radio. I will be on my friend's boat and he goes by Tan Alto.

[Edited on 4-22-2010 by bajajurel]

Pescador - 4-22-2010 at 04:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajurel
Thanks Pescador! I might ask you for an update before we leave. Are you living in Mulege? Whats your call sign on the radio. I will be on my friend's boat and he goes by Tan Alto.

[Edited on 4-22-2010 by bajajurel]


No, I live in San Bruno, which is south of San Lucas Cove. I use channel 74 and the boat is the Moosie Boat. We will be hitting it hard in the next few days so I should have a more updated report and we would be glad to share information about bait holes and current information. The San Lucas Guys are using channel 12 right now and Mulege uses another channel but I don't remember what that is. Punta Chivato mostly uses 74 for fishing and 72 for communication. Are you launching at Mulege and taking the long ride or putting the boat in closer here?

Udo - 4-22-2010 at 04:38 PM

Hola, Pescador!

Where does one obtain the tide and current tables for the SOC?

Also:

Soaking a flylined bait? Que es?
And what live bait do you use?

bajajurel - 4-22-2010 at 09:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
Quote:
Originally posted by bajajurel
Thanks Pescador! I might ask you for an update before we leave. Are you living in Mulege? Whats your call sign on the radio. I will be on my friend's boat and he goes by Tan Alto.

[Edited on 4-22-2010 by bajajurel]


No, I live in San Bruno, which is south of San Lucas Cove. I use channel 74 and the boat is the Moosie Boat. We will be hitting it hard in the next few days so I should have a more updated report and we would be glad to share information about bait holes and current information. The San Lucas Guys are using channel 12 right now and Mulege uses another channel but I don't remember what that is. Punta Chivato mostly uses 74 for fishing and 72 for communication. Are you launching at Mulege and taking the long ride or putting the boat in closer here?


We'll be staying at the El Morro and keeping the boat at the old marina in Santa Rosalia. we usually make bait right outside the seawall and then head to the bajo. I'll be in touch with you before we come down and monitor your reports.

You must know Ricardo Mendoza. He lives in San Bruno and runs the marina in Santa Rosalia. If you see him, tell him were coming.

Thanks for the info mate!

[Edited on 4-23-2010 by bajajurel]

amirravon - 4-22-2010 at 10:36 PM

bajajurel have a good/safe trip, please post a report .

Maestro Pescador . Thanks for the info, I hope i will use it my next trip to SLC.

bajajurel - 4-23-2010 at 09:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
Hola, Pescador!

Where does one obtain the tide and current tables for the SOC?

Also:

Soaking a flylined bait? Que es?
And what live bait do you use?


-the art of hooking a live bait and letting him swim freely
-usually mackerel or cabaitos

bajajurel - 4-23-2010 at 10:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
Hola, Pescador!

Where does one obtain the tide and current tables for the SOC?

Also:

Soaking a flylined bait? Que es?
And what live bait do you use?


tides -
http://bajaquest.com/bajasports/tides.htm

http://www.bajainsider.com/weather/baja-weather108.htm

http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/5623.html

Pescador - 4-23-2010 at 12:44 PM

The bait in town has pretty much disappeared so I will be interested to see if there are any big eye outside of the sea wall. There are no squid being cleaned outside of the mouth,so probably nothing for them to feed on. The only big eye that we have found are closer to Mulege right now. So the best bait hole is off of the haystack or further north in about 250 feet of water. Lots of sardines but the good bait is down under the sardines. You can shake a sardine off by shaking your rod very hard and the mackeral (both green and Spanish) will not shake off. Yes, I know Ricardo well, he is related to Rigo Ojeda who is my fishing partner.

The best tide charts for the region are :http://oceanografia.cicese.mx/predmar/calmen.php
You can print out a month at a time and really see the tide swings very clearly so that you know what times of the month are best.

Udo: a flylined bait is a bait that is used with no weight and allowed to swim freely, hopefully a long ways from the boat, and attracts those fish feeding higher in the water column. They are extremely effective when the fish are relating to the surface or first 25 feet of water. Green Mackeral are usually the best because they stay higher in the water column, Big Eye usually go a little deeper and can be fished lower in the column, especially if you hook them in the anal fin, and finally Spanish will do OK, but they are a pretty lazy bait and do not swim with much enthusiasm, so it is my least favorite bait for flylining.

[Edited on 4-23-2010 by Pescador]

bajajurel - 4-24-2010 at 09:54 AM

Thank Pescador!!! Hopefully things will pick up. I'll be in touch.

Udo - 4-24-2010 at 10:12 AM

As always, you are extremely informative, Pescador.
And I also appreciate your input bajajurel.

Pescador - 4-24-2010 at 02:54 PM

Well, just a quick update. It is pretty wide open at Tortuga, we really nailed them today. It is a challenge as they are right on the bottom in anywhere from 300-500 feet of water (no fly line here) but there were some very nice class fish and we really loaded up on them today. They did show a marked preference for the Spanish Mackeral, but did eat the greenies as well, just not quite as fast. There were also a good mix of Cabrilla and Baqueta as well.

Russ - 4-24-2010 at 03:18 PM

Wow! That's great news. But wasn't it really windy? It sure has been blowing here.

Hook - 4-24-2010 at 03:47 PM

Probably 25 kts right now over here.

bajajurel - 4-25-2010 at 09:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
Well, just a quick update. It is pretty wide open at Tortuga, we really nailed them today. It is a challenge as they are right on the bottom in anywhere from 300-500 feet of water (no fly line here) but there were some very nice class fish and we really loaded up on them today. They did show a marked preference for the Spanish Mackeral, but did eat the greenies as well, just not quite as fast. There were also a good mix of Cabrilla and Baqueta as well.


Sounds great! What size weight were you using to get the bait down that deep? Did you use any jigs? If so, what color were they hitting?

Thanks again for the report Pescador!