BajaNomad

Mag Bay Mangroves

thefishaholic - 2-21-2011 at 08:57 AM

We (3-4 amigos) are wanting to try fishing the Mangroves of either Lopez Mateos, Florida or San Carlos the first of June.
Need recommendations for which area, pangas/guides, cost, rod/reel sizes, lures etc. you would share with us. We can camp or hotel it.
Been to San Carlos many times but never fished the Mangroves. I have heard you fish it like bass and drift along plugging etc?
Also how's fishing in Aug/Sept? Would love to escape the heat/humidity (Cabo) for couple days anyway.
Thanks

bill erhardt - 2-21-2011 at 09:08 AM

Mag Bay mangrove fishing is much more accessible from Lopez Mateos than San Carlos, and far and away the best guide in Lopez is Ruben Duran. Here is a photo of Ruben with a 35# he caught in the mangroves last fall. Let me know if you want to contact Ruben.
Bajacalifornian on this board is also a veteran of MB mangrove fishing and has accommodations for traveling fishermen......

mbsnook.jpg - 46kB

BajaBruno - 2-21-2011 at 11:41 AM

That is a beauty of a snook.

questions for you mangrove fisherpersons

mtgoat666 - 2-21-2011 at 12:25 PM

I am curious about mangrove fishing with light tackle or fly rod.
When is best season? And what are target species? What kind of fly rod setups are you using? I have only done fly fishing in freshwater so know nothing about salt water fly rods/outfits for fly fishing.

I have heard mag bay mentioned as the mangrave fishing spot -- but wondering if mangrove fishing good in guerro negro and san ignacio area mangroves? Do I need to drive all the way to mag bay? Is GN far enough south for good mangrove fishing?

mtgoat666 - 2-21-2011 at 01:52 PM

what is this activity at mag bay?
on google earth at
24°26'8.62"N
111°34'30.71"W

looks like under construction, or newly constructed.

TheBajaKid - 2-21-2011 at 03:14 PM

Mangrove fishing takes some knowledge and there are some grate guides in Baja.. Tides and location as in any fishing are a big part. Live shrimp and some heavy line work best.
Ive only fished the mangroves in Lopes Mateos and was a blast.

[Edited on 2-21-2011 by TheBajaKid]

bajacalifornian - 2-21-2011 at 04:33 PM

Goat, getting way south of Lopez & mag bay at this point.

I absolutely do not know what this is, but huge high tech farming is showing up throughout the Baja. Kinda like Los Pinos metastasizing.

bajacalifornian - 2-21-2011 at 05:01 PM

Pto. Adolfo Lopez Mateos, 2 hours drive from Loreto, not a lot more from La Paz

The month of June:

In the Laguna (channel, mangroves etc.etc.)

Corvina, Garopa, Mantarraya & cabrilla (small) all with live Lisa for bait.

On the Pacific:

Garropa & Mero with chunks of black skipjack or macarela for bait.


Month of August:

Laguna - Garropa, pargo rojo, and small cabrilla . . . live Lisa for bait.

Pacific - Garropa, Mero, Verdillo (what the heck is that . . . table fish) and Huachinango . . .
With macarela and sardina.


Month of September:

Laguna - Whoa!!! Shrimp is legal ( & don't say legal smegal . . . they seriously watch it until the flood breaks a little ahead of schedule &, September may be mid September before it opens).
Laguna continued . . .
Garropa, Pargo rojo, Pargo Colmilludo (big teeth & my favorite), Pargo Calandria (quickest bite of many, small), Robalo (the elusive snook), Paleta & Roncacho (two other good eaters) and corvina (with unforgiving lips). Using baits of live shrimp.

Pacific - Garropa Huachinango, Jurel & cabrilla, same, with live shrimp.


Please look to Bill Erhardt for a finer look at the fish sportsman enjoy catching with rod and reels. I am a poor reference.

Flyfishing the mangroves

Skipjack Joe - 2-21-2011 at 06:56 PM

The GN lagoons and north don't have mangroves but have good fly fishing opportunities. The closest pacifc lagoon is La Bocana, near Pt Abreojos.

Use a 6-8wt rod with a floating line. These estuaries are real shallow and any sinking line will snag on the bottom.

The fish are very agressive so fly selection isn't very important. Any 4 inch clouser or lefty's deceiver will work fine. My experience is that white feathers work best for halibut. Corvina like flash.

Bring along bonefish flies to experiment with. Crazy Charlies work well but often catch smaller fish.

captkw - 2-21-2011 at 07:20 PM

dont forget the flattie's,, the halibut are up near the mangrove's also,,I dont think many folk's target them, but they were their in good number's, year's back. where the root's end the halibut begin's.. live pinhead's will work on just about anything round their....tight line's

bajacalifornian - 2-21-2011 at 07:51 PM

In Lopez, possible Lenguado in April, certain (as fishing gets) in May.

Atificials vs live bait

thefishaholic - 2-23-2011 at 10:56 AM

Thanks for all the info and the buddy's and I are looking forward to some eat'n fish and fun.

We have a mutual local (Mexicano) friend that has fished San Carlos and Florida and say's that artificials work well. He said use Rapalas, Kroc's etc. He's going with us.

When quized about lead heads w/scampi's etc and he said that he knew no one that tried but thought they may work? He did say that long fly's work well also but we don't flyfish.

Anyone have experience with artificials?

Thanks again and looking forward to getting back to the Baja.

captkw - 2-23-2011 at 02:03 PM

ya I had rebell's and got fish, but pinhead's was the best...bring a small throw net

Cardon Man - 2-23-2011 at 02:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by thefishaholic
Thanks for all the info and the buddy's and I are looking forward to some eat'n fish and fun.

We have a mutual local (Mexicano) friend that has fished San Carlos and Florida and say's that artificials work well. He said use Rapalas, Kroc's etc. He's going with us.

When quized about lead heads w/scampi's etc and he said that he knew no one that tried but thought they may work? He did say that long fly's work well also but we don't flyfish.

Anyone have experience with artificials?

Thanks again and looking forward to getting back to the Baja.

Cardon Man - 2-23-2011 at 02:17 PM

Oops..not sure what I did. But my reply went away.
Anyway...
Artificials will work for sure. Lead heads w/soft plastics are pretty effective if fished properly. Not sure if the scent had anything to do with it...but I did well at Mag with some of those "Gulp" plastics a few months back. That said, any scampi-type plastic should get some bites.

Skipjack Joe - 2-23-2011 at 02:31 PM

My friend caught 2 fish on a single hook with a plastic bait at a laguna. That's how well they work.

Fish them in the channels and you get halibut.

Try those soft plastic jerk baits with no leadhead. In shallow water, I think they outfish the leadheads. But that could have just been a 'fluke'.

fluke.jpg - 4kB

Pix of recent Mag Bay fishing trip

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 07:09 AM

Here's a couple pics of our recent Lopez Mateos fishing trip. Our guide Chico was excellent.

pics

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 07:12 AM

what a pain!

Getting Bait.JPG - 34kB

reduced enough

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 07:14 AM



Lopez Mateos Esteros.JPG - 46kB

one more

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 07:19 AM

here's another

Flyfishing the esteros.JPG - 30kB

monoloco - 2-24-2011 at 07:39 AM

Where's the fish pics Don?

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 07:53 AM

Greg
I said We were fishin' n not catchen. Actually the spoted bay bass we caught were small enough to fit into the Nomads requirement on photos.

bill erhardt - 2-24-2011 at 08:00 AM

dtukto......Looks like you had Gabriel aboard too.

dtutko1 - 2-24-2011 at 12:43 PM

Bill
We fished w/ Gabriel the second day. Have you seen his video on utube?

bill erhardt - 2-24-2011 at 01:32 PM

Don.....I saw a video that I think Jeff Peterson made, and may have posted on this forum, of Gabriel hand fishing in the mangroves. Is that you one you're talking about?