BajaNomad

May 14 - Fishing & Oyster Report - Mulege Area

Pompano - 5-15-2010 at 07:52 AM

Pretty lousy.

I am speechless..almost. :rolleyes:



Launched at dawn..went 30 miles on 30 degree heading..then 30 miles south..etc, etc..
Water temps 70.5 to 74.5
Trip miles..125
Fish caught...one wandering skipjack.





Event of the day...first time to run out of gas. (5 miles from home) Radioed for vessel assist and obtained fuel from Puddle Duck. Muchas Gracias, amigos!


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Our sister boat for today was Alejendro (Alex), local Mulege fishing guide. We trolled various feathers parallel all day for over 50 miles with nothing happening on 5 lines... so we passed the time photoing each other. Hola Alex! I sure hope you did better after we parted company?

Indeed, we were not the only ones fishless this fine day on the water. I talked to several boats that went east from the mine area and nobody was hooking up on dorado. At the daily captain's meeting (Bart's) nary a soul had a dorado story to tell. Well, it was just one of those days...and there will be more in the future. Accept it and move on. We saw whales, porpoise, manta rays, and one thrashing school of skipjack. There were lots of marlin all over the ocean..and some sails. Co-Pilot has fallen in love with the large, almost docile billfish we see out there..and is loathe to see me hook one, so I leave them alone and just take closeup photos. Which is pretty fine with me, too. More and more as I get older I find myself using the camera more than the rod. Going soft in my dotage, I expect...Oh well, I digress...Yellowtail are still biting very well south at Mateo's Hole near Pta. Rosa. Tons of cabrilla are on the flats and also points near Pta. Teresa. Live bait for jurel is still the easiest way to catch the bruiser-types. (Unfortunately, like so many others, Co-Pilot would rather eat mahi-mahi or cabrilla.) Capt. Nino of the panga, 'Veronica' took out 3 customers and they limited out on large tails on The Acres near Pta. Rosa. Live macks & big-eyes. Cabrilla are readily taking Mirrolures trolled fast..to 8mph. Changing course and speed often will always trigger a hit...run a zig-zag pattern...biting the bottom at times. Pintos are everywhere...take the grandkids out and have a ball with some 3-4 oz darts. P ez gallo (roosterfish) are on the reef at Roca Frijoles, along with giant red snapper. Chuck a silver kroc at 'em. Catch and release the roosters. Catch and release the snappers, too...right onto the grill.

So some days will be fishless...like today...we didn't hook any dorado. Being rather new to this type of boating endeavor, Co-Pilot asks me why we didn't catch any fish? So I reply, " Co-pilot, this is 'sport' fishing..you know, the thing you do for FUN? Enjoy life...smell the sargasso." She smiled. She does that a lot. I told her I got my fill of workaday fishing in Bristol Bay, Alaska years ago. Now I can relax and choose my days to suit my needs. The day my Baja fishing becomes too intense is the day I stay ashore. No more fish numbers for me. Also told her about what my Dad got across me on our first wilderness fishing trip... It's not about the 'catching'....it's about the 'fishing.' Isn't it amazing? The older we get, the smarter our fathers & mothers get...;)

Me..I'm gonna 'fish' dorado, tails, marlin, sails, roosters, cabrilla, snappers and pintos till June..then head for some fine salmon, halibut, char, grayling, lakers, giant pike, and walleyes Up North. Who knows?..I might even catch one or two! Then what...??! ;D



Note to vandenburg: "The day was a perfect time to try out my new deluxe bimini." :rolleyes:




End of report. To heck with it..I'm gonna play poker today.
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[Edited on 5-18-2010 by Pompano]

vandenberg - 5-15-2010 at 07:58 AM

Well Roger, That's exactly what I've been using for years. Got rid of the bimini. Stupid thing is always in the way, no matter what you try. Umbrella works, but looks very unprofessional.:no::no: Therefore, my PVC T top attempt.:biggrin:

Pompano - 5-15-2010 at 08:08 AM

I know what you mean, Ed. Being a tiller operator, I always had the bimini problem, but found that a gunnel-mounted folding top works best. Just unsnap 2 buckles and it's down and out of the way. Lay it aft or forward...either way gives one a lot of fighting room. Laying mine on the transom was my best choice. Good luck with the project.

Russ - 5-15-2010 at 08:15 AM

Similar report from the Chivato boats. SST shows some cooler water coming down from the North. But .... of course, one expert fishing Tortuga got Yellows, Marlin & Cabrilla yesterday.

Alan - 5-15-2010 at 09:58 AM

That is almost blasphemy to use a rod holder in such a manner but I know many days on the SOC requires one to flaunt the fish gods.

monoloco - 5-15-2010 at 11:52 AM

Don't feel bad, we fished 2 days at Cerralvo/ Los Muertos this week and the only fish we caught worth eating was 1 snapper. Every time that we put bait in the water it would be attacked by ravenous needle fish and trumpet fish. We could see wahoo swimming under the boat but couldn't get them to hit anything.

toneart - 5-15-2010 at 01:02 PM

That is a brand new Suzuki outboard on Alex' panga. He'd better spend his time going searching for Oysters for his Manzanita Bar. Well...perhaps he would have to go over to the Pacific for that. Are there Oysters in the SOC?

Cypress - 5-15-2010 at 01:16 PM

No fish? Might be one of those barometric/tidal things? They'll be hungry tomorrow.:D Good luck. Ran out of gas? It does an outboard good to run it dry.:lol: Gets rid of that gunk.

Pescador - 5-15-2010 at 05:37 PM

I have no idea who the expert is that Russ is referring to but the fishing is beyond fantastic right now. I pinch myself every morning and wonder how I am so lucky as to live in a place like this. Bait is plentiful and for the last 4 or 5 days we have loaded a very good mix of bigeye and Greenies or green mackeral. The Bajos on the north side of San Marcos have been pretty slow, but the bite is pretty strong for Cabrilla, Yellowtail, and grouper out at Tortuga Island. To top it all off I am getting at least 6 or 7 shots a day at Marlin (both striped and Blue) So, good numbers of Yellowtail, much better than normal on good sized Cabrilla, and some really nice releases on Marlin. Most have been fishing off of the tides since the swing comes right after 12:00 and that is when the yellows are chewing a little more actively.
I hear the dorado are not far behind, but that is not one of my favorite fish to catch anyway and usually they come as a nuisance when I am working billfish, but for those who like them, they are moving up the coast and last report has them doing pretty well out in the warmer water about 12 miles out from Punta Concepcion.

[Edited on 5-16-2010 by Pescador]

Cypress - 5-16-2010 at 05:09 AM

Read somewhere that 10% of the fishermen account for 90% of the catch.:)

bajabass - 5-16-2010 at 06:04 AM

I am sitting here in O.C. at 6am on a Sunday getting ready to go to work. I can't wait until dorado become a nuisance! :yes:

Pescador - 5-16-2010 at 06:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
That is a brand new Suzuki outboard on Alex' panga. He'd better spend his time going searching for Oysters for his Manzanita Bar. Well...perhaps he would have to go over to the Pacific for that. Are there Oysters in the SOC?


There is a guy in San Lucas Cove that gets rock oysters and they usually have them at the Super Lilly (Carmelita's) store in San Lucas. They are the small ones and he puts them in jars and they sell them at the store. You usually need to ask for them. They are even sweeter than the big ones that I get in Abreojos so if you head to Santa Rosalia, you might want to give them a try.

Pompano - 5-16-2010 at 07:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
That is a brand new Suzuki outboard on Alex' panga. He'd better spend his time going searching for Oysters for his Manzanita Bar. Well...perhaps he would have to go over to the Pacific for that. Are there Oysters in the SOC?


Tony...have you never eaten the mangrove oysters? Those clumps of teeny oysters on the roots of the trees in the tidal areas. We used to place a clump of them onto a campfire grate for a couple minutes.. wait a few seconds for them to pop open....then eat the tasty little guys with toothpicks. Great stuff!


Pescador is right. That little store in San Lucas in a little house has been selling oysters for many years. You could either get them there or at a house further down the highway. I used to stop and pick a couple jars on my way down from the north. But for the last half-dozen years an amigo has been bringing them direct to the front door. Thank God for beach vendors like him...saves me some shoe leather and fuel. We just saw him last night at Ana's...he had crab this time...in time for our seafood combo party tonight!


At 60 pesos per jar it's a helluva bargain....and the oyster stews and chowders are out of this world.
Quote:
Originally posted by bajabass
I am sitting here in O.C. at 6am on a Sunday getting ready to go to work. I can't wait until dorado become a nuisance! :yes:


Yeah, bajabass..these goofy do-dos are a real pain, but they keep me entertained..and fed! :rolleyes:


Last Friday...ho hum...but OH SO TASTY!

mulegemichael - 5-16-2010 at 07:12 AM

ah yes, manuel the oyster man!...he usually hunts us down at jungla's in the afternoon with crab or oysters..such a deal!

toneart - 5-16-2010 at 10:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
That is a brand new Suzuki outboard on Alex' panga. He'd better spend his time going searching for Oysters for his Manzanita Bar. Well...perhaps he would have to go over to the Pacific for that. Are there Oysters in the SOC?


There is a guy in San Lucas Cove that gets rock oysters and they usually have them at the Super Lilly (Carmelita's) store in San Lucas. They are the small ones and he puts them in jars and they sell them at the store. You usually need to ask for them. They are even sweeter than the big ones that I get in Abreojos so if you head to Santa Rosalia, you might want to give them a try.


Thank you Pescador, Roger and Michael. Good information.Glad I asked! Roger- were those the ones that were served at your party a few weeks ago?
Mmmm!

I think the oysters Ray gets to make his Oysters Rockefeller (Mmmm!) are the larger ones from the Pacific.

mulegejim - 5-17-2010 at 06:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
That is a brand new Suzuki outboard on Alex' panga. He'd better spend his time going searching for Oysters for his Manzanita Bar. Well...perhaps he would have to go over to the Pacific for that. Are there Oysters in the SOC?


There is a guy in San Lucas Cove that gets rock oysters and they usually have them at the Super Lilly (Carmelita's) store in San Lucas. They are the small ones and he puts them in jars and they sell them at the store. You usually need to ask for them. They are even sweeter than the big ones that I get in Abreojos so if you head to Santa Rosalia, you might want to give them a try.


Thank you Pescador, Roger and Michael. Good information.Glad I asked! Roger- were those the ones that were served at your party a few weeks ago?
Mmmm!

I think the oysters Ray gets to make his Oysters Rockefeller (Mmmm!) are the larger ones from the Pacific.


Just bought some from Manuel - these are from the San Lucas cove area and very good. They come shucked in quart jars - Manuel stops by the Jungle several times a week. Jim

Pompano - 5-18-2010 at 03:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
....
Thank you Pescador, Roger and Michael. Good information.Glad I asked! Roger- were those the ones that were served at your party a few weeks ago?
Mmmm!
............



Hola Tony...yes, Manuel supplies us with all our oysters & we had them at that party....but whether at ..




..the Oceanside Pier


..The Green Flash beachfront cafe..


..camping at Reedsport, Oregon...

...tequila-flavored at my place...


...Ray's La Habana, Mulege..


...or that party you mentioned...

..The Oysters are always terrific!

.
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Hola Nomad Tony!
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Cypress - 5-18-2010 at 03:20 PM

Yea, those little oysters are tucked in there between the soda pops, the beer, and the misc. other stuff. Gotta know were to look for 'em. :tumble:

Pompano - 5-18-2010 at 03:35 PM

No, Cypress...you DO NOT have to go to San Lucas ejido anymore and look into the fridge (the one with the open door from the last customer..or that may have shut down last night...yuck..)

Merely buy from Manuel and save yourself a long trip.

Cypress - 5-18-2010 at 04:13 PM

A long trip?:lol:Manuel? Not my buddy on the north side of the Rio. Many miles from here to there.;)