BajaNomad

Fishing Report out of Loreto - Pulpito

bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:43 AM

I've been amused at recent reports of poor yellowtail fishing out of Loreto. Granted, the fishing around Coronado and Carmen and between the islands has been sporadic, but there have consistently been fish both north and south of town within 30 miles from the marina. In the past month or so I've fished north at Pulpito four times for daily catches of 19, 11, 6, and 16. One might ask, with production that good at Pulpito why would you fish anyplace else? The answer to that question is that the fishing has often been just as good to the south (if bait could be found) and the fish farther south have generally been bigger, often ranging between 30 - 35 pounds as opposed to the 20 - 25 at Pulpito.
Here is a photo of Mike and Rosie Sheffer a month or so ago with one of the broad shouldered 'tails from the on again off again bite between the islands, and others from trips north to Pulpito last week and Saturday, the day before yesterday.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:46 AM

Bill and Todd Mullarkey in their boat Kingfisher making bait last week off Pulpito as the full moon was setting over Baja.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:48 AM

The other boats that were fishing the high spot on the 18th with Pulpito in the background.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:50 AM

Bill and Todd putting a nice 'tail in the boat.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:53 AM

Randy Hamman and friends with a double hook-up Saturday on Randy's boat Jig's Up.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:55 AM

One on the hook and one bleeding out on Jig's Up.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:56 AM

A fat 'tail trying to get its head down for one last run.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 09:59 AM

Francisco Davis on his panga El Pajaro smiling for the camera while coaxing a yellowtail to the boat.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 10:02 AM

Francisco and another panguero both on fish from the same school. None of the half dozen or so pangueros fishing Pulpito on Saturday had clients. All were loading up on yellowtail to sell commercially.

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bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 10:04 AM

Francisco boating a fish with Isla Ildefonso in the background.

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Cypress - 2-28-2011 at 10:51 AM

bill erhardt, Thanks for the report. Good to see somebody catching some fish.

Martyman - 2-28-2011 at 12:05 PM

My friends were camping just north of Pulpito last week. They did well kayak fishing. My buddy said he caught a 10 lb trigger! So what do you think?...4lbs maybe?
He also said the army visited their camp and asked for tourist papers and passports.
oh...and our old desolate camping beach has a new house on it owned by Carlos Slim.

durrelllrobert - 2-28-2011 at 12:08 PM

hey Bill, what's the projection for first week of April? plan to be thjere then.

flyfishinPam - 2-28-2011 at 12:20 PM

Me guilty of saying there's been poor fishing off Loreto lately? maybe. and me guilty of saying the fishing has been sporatic this february? definately. please understand that my reporting is written for people who will fly here and make this a vacation. I certainly understand the fact that people have to arrange for time off, save up for and take the vacation to here, and this is not an easy place or a cheap place to get to. I am guilty of persuading people to wait until we get more consistent fishing coupled with consistently good weather so that their expenditure of time and money has more value. Bill's report is based on his ability to fish any day he wishes because he lives here and that's fine, but the perspective of the traveler who has two to four or maybe more, days available on the water is something entirely different. They may hit the two to four blown out days or they may hit those calm and productive days like in the photos. I'd rather people who are intent on fishing exclusively to other activities, come when photos like the above and reports of these limits are not just possible but probable. (late March through early May)

bill erhardt - 2-28-2011 at 12:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
hey Bill, what's the projection for first week of April? plan to be thjere then.

Bob.....As Pam pointed out, the real wild card is the weather. There has been a lot of wind so far this year, it is windy right now, and the forecast is for more wind for the foreseeable future, including most of the first week in April. If the wind does lay down enough while you are here for you to venture out looking for fish and you want a current report, get in touch with me and I will let you know what, if anything, I know about where you might be able to bend a rod.

edit: Bob, when I wrote that response I was thinking your trip was planned for the first week in March, next week. April is much too far off for any weather forecast, but usually by that time the winds have subsided and there are a lot more fishable days. It should be prime time for yellowtail, but get in touch if you want a current report.....

[Edited on 2-28-2011 by bill erhardt]

[Edited on 2-28-2011 by bill erhardt]

Howard - 2-28-2011 at 09:49 PM

Thank you so much for the pictures as the memory helps me get through the work day. Be down on March 17th, so save a few forkies for me!

Lobsterman - 3-1-2011 at 07:05 AM

Great fishing report Bill. Is that a down rigger on the bow of your Bluewater? How do you use it on the bow and for what kinds of fish?

Dennis
"Today is my 1st Day of Retirement"

bill erhardt - 3-1-2011 at 07:44 AM

Dennis......That's Randy Hamman's Bluewater in the picture, not mine. Randy and crew were fishing that day with inline sinkers. I imagine he has a rodholder mount on his downrigger and just had it stashed in the forward rodholder to keep it out of the way of the action aft.
I do use a downrigger for yellowtail, however, and have for the past couple of years. I catch about twice as many 'tails with the DR as I did in the past fishing the traditional way. Here's a pic of mine deployed last fall on the tuna banks outside Mag Bay for yellowfin.

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durrelllrobert - 3-1-2011 at 11:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bill erhardt
.
I do use a downrigger for yellowtail, however, and have for the past couple of years. I catch about twice as many 'tails with the DR as I did in the past fishing the traditional way. Here's a pic of mine deployed last fall on the tuna banks outside Mag Bay for yellowfin.

how deep do you fish and what size weight do you use on the DR?
when I lived @ Half moon Bay and was fishing for big ling I needed to use 5 lbs at 300 ft because of the strong current.

bill erhardt - 3-1-2011 at 01:58 PM

Bob.....I use a 12# ball and try to put the bait at whatever depth the fish are holding.

BajaBruno - 3-1-2011 at 10:40 PM

You need a burly downrigger for a 12# weight.

How is it working out on the yellowfin, Bill? How deep do you run the ball, and are you trolling blind or just setting the rig when you see some activity? Can you pick up yellowfin on your fishfinder?

bill erhardt - 3-2-2011 at 08:16 AM

Chris......My Scotty 1101 has handled the abuse fine, and it has been considerable.
I've never marked yellowfin on a fish finder before sighting birds, porpoise, or fish breaking on the surface. When there is some action on top I use the downrigger to get down under the surface action in hope of finding some bigger fish.
Yellowtail, however, school around bajos or other areas where bait abounds, and can usually be picked up on sonar. If a lively mackerel is slowed trolled behind a ball through a school of fish often it is just too enticing to pass up although they might not be actively feeding.

BajaBruno - 3-3-2011 at 12:31 AM

Thanks for the info, Bill.