BajaNomad - Baja kayak fishing trip suggestions please!

Baja kayak fishing trip suggestions please!

HeyMister - 8-29-2010 at 11:51 AM

Two high school teachers have a short window for one last summer adventure before school starts. I would love to hear some destination suggestions for an upcoming short road trip.
Here are the particulars:
2 male travelers, one Spanish speaker.
4 WD truck. Want to beach/tent camp.
Primary interest is kayak fishing.
Leaving Los Angeles September 2, return September 8. Would rather not drive at night.

My Baja experience has mostly been all on the Gulf side but I think it may be too hot! I’ve also done Punta Banda, La Bufadora and Puerto Santo Thomas. I would love to try Bahia Asunción but I’m afraid all our time would be spent on the road. Any other good ideas?

We both have well worn copies of "Baja Catch" but I'm thinking it may be a bit out of date for this trip.

Thanks!!! Dave

Mulegena - 8-29-2010 at 12:07 PM

Suggest you u2u Shari & Juan for first-hand, professional advice about Asuncion surf and fishing conditions. You can drive there from the border in one hard day, btw.

Whatever you decide, let us know, post pictures and story as you go along.

Happy Trails to you two.

shari - 8-29-2010 at 12:20 PM

Hey Mister....welcome to the forum. I just got off the phone with our local kayak fisher guy and he was happy to get nice calico and the bonita have moved in to the bay...tons of bait fish everywhere and the kelp paddies are huge out in front of the village.

I U2U'd you...check the top right corner of the page for your U2U mailbox.
Our pals from LA do drive it in a day switching drivers and leaving at 4:00 am. Have a great trip wherever you decide to go.

Also, Laguna Manuela is a fun place to kayak out too...not sure about the fishing there though...nice thing here are the islands & the big kelp beds.

maspacifico - 8-29-2010 at 12:44 PM

Too hot to camp at the East Cape and too far for length of trip. WAY too hot North of us on the SOC. Stay on the Pacific side.

Cypress - 8-29-2010 at 01:03 PM

Hey Mister, Go see Shari.

BAJABAILADOR - 8-29-2010 at 01:18 PM

Just spent a week in Asuncion at Shari's beach house.I am not a Yak guy but if I was I would head to her place.She has a great spot for tent camping,and the place is way safe.
EAT AT JUANITA'S

vandy - 8-29-2010 at 02:07 PM

As a serious kayak fisherman myself, I say you can't beat San Quintin.
I like to launch way out on the point up past Cielito Lindo to the right by the little lighthouse.
There's a fisherman's shack and a place to park and launch away from the surf.
A few pangas are there too.
In the bay where you launch it's easy to catch small mackerel for bait on a little shiny metal kastmaster or the like.

Then it's out to the ocean for huge white sea bass...which will also eat jigs.
Have fun!

sancho - 8-29-2010 at 02:18 PM

I kayak fish off a sit on top. With your experience
I'm suprised you don't have a trip mapped out.
Your time frame dictates how far you want to
drive south. For me, I might stay north of say
El Rosario, Ocean side, up towards Erendira area,
there is a place by El Roasrio called Punta Baja,
depending on surf conditions for a beach launch.
Puerticitos so. to Gonzaga looks like 95 plus temps

Mike99km - 8-29-2010 at 02:28 PM

How much of a adventure do you want? Think and look around for some places that are not in The Baja Catch. That book was done for 14'(or so) car topper boats,kayaks can be launched almost anywhere.
I have fished south of Punta Baja and not seen anybody but the rock farmers for days. It is very remote with no back-up. Didn't see many pangs ether. The diving is better than I remember when I was a kid in So. Cal.
Check out the beaches above Guerro Negro, some are flat sandy beaches with some rocks or points that can make up great fishing. That time of the year can have great fishing in some of the estuaries. The area from Punta Eugenia to Laguna San Ignacio has lots of fish and is fished by the locals very well for years. All of these places are 1 day drive from the boarder. San Ignacio is 14 hours. Go like a Boy Scout, BE PREPARED.
Make sure you're on the water early as the winds do come up. Check the weather reports for swells and wind models.
We have lots of options and most will follow the crowd.

BajaDanD - 8-29-2010 at 03:39 PM

Plenty of time to drive to Asuncion or La Bocana fish a few days and drive home.

HeyMister - 8-29-2010 at 04:14 PM

Thanks for the great responses! We’re up for the adventure and we’ll be well prepared. We’ve both been on several extended Baja trips. If I had two weeks on the gulf side I’d have my trip all mapped out in a jiffy, but I’m less experienced on the Pacific further down. Punta Baja sounds interesting and a fairly easy drive but the exposed surf launch may be an issue depending on the swell. For me it’s not so much the launch as the landing without local knowledge. It’s hard to relax and enjoy the fishing when you’re worrying about landing in an overhead shore pound! Just north of Guerrero Negro looks well worth checking out and easier to launch from. We may end up exploring around there but I believe my buddy would like to get further south. I’ve talked him out of Mag Bay as being too far. We may get as far as Laguna San Ignacio. We’re each going to research tonight and meet for coffee tomorrow to pick a destination. Any more suggestions are really appreciated.

PS Thanks Shari! I will U2U you

HeyMister - 8-29-2010 at 04:21 PM

Been staring at the map. Would it be at all reasonable to drive to Punta Abrejos, fish the mornings and work our way north towards Asunsion-Tortugas in the afternoons?

woody with a view - 8-29-2010 at 04:58 PM

yes. but only if you quit second guessing every move......

just do it!

edit: expect 12+ hours from the border to abreojos.... easy money, the best kind! :light:

[Edited on 8-29-2010 by woody with a view]

BajaBlanca - 8-29-2010 at 05:09 PM

yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do abreojos. one day drive. great ocean with waves.
come to la bocana and do our lagoon.
and definitely go to shari's in asuncion.
head home.

come have a beer with Les on the porch ANY afternoon (help him count the waves), hard work but someone has to do it .....

and be the boyscout - first aid kits, spare tires, bla bla bla. somewhere in the forum is a list that is HUGE ... go thru and see what sounds right to you. have a wonderful fantastic adventure.

monoloco - 8-29-2010 at 05:09 PM

Abreojos would be a good call for that time of year. If weather permits you can paddle out and fish the reefs or fish the protected waters of Estero Coyote from Campo Rene.

mcfez - 8-29-2010 at 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do abreojos. one day drive. great ocean with waves.
come to la bocana and do our lagoon.
and definitely go to shari's in asuncion.
head home.

come have a beer with Les on the porch ANY afternoon (help him count the waves), hard work but someone has to do it .....

and be the boyscout - first aid kits, spare tires, bla bla bla. somewhere in the forum is a list that is HUGE ... go thru and see what sounds right to you. have a wonderful fantastic adventure.

Hey....will you posts a few pictures of la bocana and the lagoon ? Thxz

HeyMister - 8-29-2010 at 06:08 PM

I feel a plan developing! :light:

thanks

Quote:

yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do abreojos. one day drive. great ocean with waves. come to la bocana and do our lagoon. and definitely go to shari's in asuncion. head home. come have a beer with Les on the porch ANY afternoon (help him count the waves), hard work but someone has to do it ..... and be the boyscout - first aid kits, spare tires, bla bla bla. somewhere in the forum is a list that is HUGE ... go thru and see what sounds right to you. have a wonderful fantastic adventure.

BajaDanD - 8-29-2010 at 07:58 PM

If your plan is for kayak fishing then San Ignacio is a waste of time. Good place for whale watching in Feb./Mar. but no good for fishing. Abreojos would be good for fishing. Stay at Campo Rene and fish Estero Coyote then head north and fish Estero La Bocana then head north and fish Asuncion or San Roque island.
If it were me I would go straight to La Bocana and fish the lagoon there. Absolutly fantastic kayak fishing there. Then I would head north to Asuncion and fish with Juan and/or kayak fish Asuncion island and San Roque island, then head home. I have driven from Asuncion to Prescott Az straight through. 17hours.
I will be doing exactly this in Oct. except for maybe the 17 hours drive straight through. We might stop on the way home this trip.

HeyMister - 8-30-2010 at 07:15 AM

Great info Dan! Any specific campsites, restaurants, sights. etc. you want to recommend?

Thanks again everyone! This forum has been really friendly and helpful. I Hope to meet some of you down there sometime.

I'm going to put together a slide show for my students. Although 97% of the students at my school are Latino, most have never been past TJ.

I'll post a trip report and pictures here as well.

wilderone - 8-30-2010 at 08:00 AM

If you go to estero coyote, be sure you have tide chart - big tide flucuation there.

DianaT - 8-30-2010 at 04:42 PM

If you are driving from La Bocana to Bahia Asuncion, just a miles from Bahia Asuncion is a small sign pointing out to Punta Chorros---the local surf spot. Off the road in that area are a number of really pretty isolated campsites---great place. You can also find many good camping areas between La Bocana and Asuncion.

Past Bahia Asuncion one can camp anywhere in the San Roque area---also a beautiful spot.

Have a great trip

HeyMister - 8-31-2010 at 10:59 AM

Quote:

As a serious kayak fisherman myself, I say you can't beat San Quintin. I like to launch way out on the point up past Cielito Lindo to the right by the little lighthouse. There's a fisherman's shack and a place to park and launch away from the surf. A few pangas are there too. In the bay where you launch it's easy to catch small mackerel for bait on a little shiny metal kastmaster or the like. Then it's out to the ocean for huge white sea bass...which will also eat jigs. Have fun!

This sounds cool. I had heard that San Quintin was not really a kayak fishing destination but this sounds like a good long weekend! I need a big WSB

Thanks

bajabass - 8-31-2010 at 12:26 PM

Look up Santa Rosalalita! Launch right from the uncompleted marina,
. I read some great reports of shore fishing and inshore stuff.

vandy - 8-31-2010 at 12:39 PM

Hey Dave, San Quintin is the first place I'll stop when heading south to enjoy some good kayak fishing. There's the easy launch near ocean access. There are whales in the bay.
I have never seen another kayak fisherman there, but I'm told they do exist.

Your 4-wheel drive will come in handy; the last time I was there four weeks ago the sand was deep and loose right near where you park. I had to leave my little Prizm in the road.

some good reports are on bloodydecks.com
Here's the baja link
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/baja-mexico-fishing-report...

BillP - 8-31-2010 at 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
If you go to estero coyote, be sure you have tide chart - big tide flucuation there.

Sage advise right there, currents in the channels of any of the esteros can reach 10 mph or more on the incoming or outgoing tides.

HeyMister - 8-31-2010 at 01:13 PM

OK, so I've printed out the tide charts for Bahia de ballenas and Guerrero Negro. What exactly are the implications of this for a kayak fisher in the estuaries? I will generally glance at tide charts to choose safe launches, i.e. try not to launch at low tide on the rocky shores etc. Also, I try to be on the water at high tide for fishing purposes, but generally I just fish when I can. What am I looking for here?
I'm going to re-post this Question over at the baja fishing and hunting forum here.

[Edited on 8-31-2010 by HeyMister]

BillP - 8-31-2010 at 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HeyMister
OK, so I've printed out the tide charts for Bahia de ballenas and Guerrero Negro. What exactly are the implications of this for a kayak fisher in the estuaries?

Current is the answer. The esteros fill and drain with the tides. The channels act like rivers, if you're camped at the mouth of an estero, go in with the incoming tide, come out with the outgoing tide. Doing otherwise may result in your paddling as hard as you can and going backwards due to current. Also, the narrower the channel, the faster the current.

BajaBlanca - 8-31-2010 at 03:40 PM

Dave ,

Les can fill you in for la bocana estero tides up to the minute each day. No worries from this end ....

shari - 8-31-2010 at 05:04 PM

here is one of the hefty calicos juan caught today on a fishing adventure with dtbushpilot. they limited out on bonita and calico and got a nice sheepshead for stew too...the big calicos were just off Asuncion Island...a 15 minute paddle from the beach.

P1012752.JPG - 48kB

BajaDanD - 8-31-2010 at 06:12 PM

No good kayak fishing in Estuarys near Guerro Negro, way,way too large of an area to nail down where the fish might be, Ive tried. You need to go south to La Bocana or Estero Coyote and fish along the mangroves. Some of the best kayak fishing you can find in calm shallow water. If you want to catch Calico bass or maybe Yellowtail go to Asuncion. I have kayak fished San Quintin many times, it's OK but not really a kayak fishing destination. San Quintin has some of the best bottom fishing on the west coast but you need to hire a panga to take you out to the fish. Its a good weekend fishing spot but if I have more time I head south.

irenemm - 8-31-2010 at 06:38 PM

Mister
welcome to the Baja Nomads
Have a great trip and adventure
drive careful and take your time

HeyMister - 8-31-2010 at 07:48 PM

Quote:

No good kayak fishing in estuaries near Guerrero Negro, way,way too large of an area to nail down where the fish might be, Ive tried. You need to go south to La Bocana or Estero Coyote and fish along the mangroves. Some of the best kayak fishing you can find in calm shallow water.

We're going to start at La Bocana and take it from there. Any advice on fishing the mangroves? How do I get the big grouper? I've still got time to hit the tackle shop.

Kayak fishing the mangroves...nice!!!

wilderone - 9-1-2010 at 07:49 AM

What exactly are the implications of this for a kayak fisher in the estuaries?

See the water waaaaay out there? We waited for an hour for the tide to come in, and then ended up slogging through mud up to our ankles. You want to fish an incoming tide, and in some places the water disappears, like those channels in the second pic. We hooked up often, however.

CONCEPTION BAY - THE BEST KAYAKING IN BAJA..BAR NONE!

Pompano - 9-1-2010 at 08:08 AM

The fish are smallish... :rolleyes:

but the scenery is unbeatable for kayaking. :yes:

Mike99km - 9-1-2010 at 08:13 AM

They will break your hart! When they get into the roots it's almost over. I use mostly Gulp, plastics and spoons (crocks, cast masters and such). I hope they aren't gill netting when your there.
Bring along some BIG white grubs for the halibut. They like a few more rocks than Estero La Bocana but you can figure it out. Paddle outside the fishing is killer. The locals don't fish inshore very hard, they fish the mounts and such. You can launch in the bay and follow the channel out or from in town.
Try heading north to the little point.

BajaBlanca - 9-3-2010 at 08:41 AM

The boys have arrived, albeit late late late last night. They are kayak fishing in the estero as I write .... let's see what they catch today !

BajaBlanca - 9-13-2010 at 06:46 PM

Time for the boys to post a TRIP REPORT here but until they do ....

The guys camped on the estero between abreojos and bocana for a couple nights and loved the estero fishing - they caught grouper and halibut and lots of sandbass, they cooked their own meals every night. The last days they spent on Bocanita and went ocean kayak fishing .... they caught cabrilla and bonito. They kayak fished ALL DAY LONG and some neighbors of ours went and met them and fished next to them, in their boat !! I have some pics but they are taken from the front porch, so the guys are pretty far away- not worth putting up. They did not make it to Asuncion as planned cause they were too busy fishing !!!!! Amazing.

Let me bug them into writing of their own experiences !!! :light:

HeyMister - 9-14-2010 at 06:17 AM

It was a great trip! I'll post a trip report when I come up for air. We're both high school teachers and our year started Monday so it's been a bit hectic since our return. While our colleagues were making photocopies, we were catching fish! I've still got camping gear and Baja dirt in my truck.

BajaBlanca - 9-14-2010 at 11:18 AM

good luck with the school year !!!! come up for air soon .... I start teaching English at the middle school this Monday coming up !! All the cash generated is to be donated to the bike club :spingrin:

and at great deal of paying only 30 pesos a month each, the kids are going to clean up La Bocana. To say that I am happy is an understatement