BajaNomad - Wahoo between the storms outside Mag Bay, Sept. 7-2013

Wahoo between the storms outside Mag Bay, Sept. 7-2013

bill erhardt - 9-7-2013 at 07:41 AM

Wahoo arrived early on the banks outside Mag Bay this year, but with storms keeping the water roiled it has been hard to find good days to get out to meet them. A few days before Ivo I launched in Lopez Mateos and fished around Thetis Bank in unseasonably warm water for an easy limit of early hoos. Yesterday as the most recent storm approached I made the trip again and again found hungry fish. Al Jordan fishing on his boat $eanote with Mike Culver and Lopez Captain Sergio Garcia also fished yesterday and also caught limits well before noon. I stuck around to play catch and release after putting five in the box.

Yesterday had a little bit of everything with early morning calm followed by a brisk north wind around noon that made for a long, wet 40 mile trip back to a bumpy Boca de Soledad, and then a downpour of rain in the estero to wash off the salt water. The streets in Lopez Mateos were running full of rain water when I retrieved over a muddy river bank in mid afternoon.

Here are some photos of some of the wahoo at, and in, the boat showing some of the lures that have been successful, and one of Al, Mike, and Sergio showing off three fish yesterday.

My first wahoo of the season were an early morning double hook-up.

The first fish yesterday hit a white lure before sun-up.

Captain Sergio Garcia, Mike Culver and Al Jordan showing off three of their catch yesterday morning.

[Edited on 9-7-2013 by bill erhardt]

woody with a view - 9-7-2013 at 07:44 AM

awesome !!!

BornFisher - 9-7-2013 at 08:02 AM

That`s some fine fishing, and some fine pics, thanks for the report! WTG and CONGRATS!!!!

Santiago - 9-7-2013 at 08:18 AM

Bill; nice trip and pix. I'm curious what's your technique for going out and coming in at the Boca? Do you match your speed with the swells and surf in? Going out to you watch the set and then punch it at the low swell?
I've never done it before and would hate to have my last thought on earth, "Well, that was the wrong way".

durrelllrobert - 9-7-2013 at 08:33 AM

Looks like the one in the third picture decided to get a closer look at the lure before taking it. :lol:

tripledigitken - 9-7-2013 at 08:37 AM

Bill,

Those are some purdy hoos! Excellent shots as always.

I love to smoke those.

Ken

bill erhardt - 9-7-2013 at 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Santiago
Bill; nice trip and pix. I'm curious what's your technique for going out and coming in at the Boca? Do you match your speed with the swells and surf in? Going out to you watch the set and then punch it at the low swell?
I've never done it before and would hate to have my last thought on earth, "Well, that was the wrong way".

Those things and more. Taking time and reading the waves, avoiding waves breaking over the boat on the way out, or falling off big waves, keeping in mind that white water means air and your propeller can get no traction in air, avoiding being overtaken by waves on the way back in.....
For the third year now there is a relatively wide channel out the boca through the shoals which provides room to maneuver.
I pick my days and still occasionally get thrown a curve. After hundreds of trips in and out there is an adrenalin rush every time. Because, in spite of your best efforts the boca will occasionally rise up and smite you.

vgabndo - 9-7-2013 at 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bill erhardt

Quote:

Like I always say: You can't call it an adventure if there is no uncertainty! Beach landing in the wind at San Nicolas was plenty for me! Ocean bars have their own panache, don't they?

I've just read history of the loss of a whole surveying crew in the 1800's on the Oregon coast when "sounding" a bar for charts, they were capsized and had the misfortune of have two good anchors fall overboard. They took hold, and each passing wave washed over the stationary longboat, washing one or more men at a time to their deaths. I can find the link if you are curious. U S Coast Survey, 1870's annual reports.

BEAUTIFUL FISH!

[Edited on 9-7-2013 by vgabndo]

chippy - 9-7-2013 at 12:55 PM

Good job and great photos of my favorite makerel.

[Edited on 9-7-2013 by chippy]

basautter - 9-7-2013 at 06:22 PM

Awsome! I will be fishing down there in a month, can't wait!

Bajaboy - 9-7-2013 at 06:32 PM

love it....wish I have some to grill right now!

mulegemichael - 9-7-2013 at 07:41 PM

bundo....many years as a marine ranger at the mouth of the columbia; folks still dying there every year STILL!!...some things never change!

vgabndo - 9-8-2013 at 11:23 AM

Michael

I'll bet that a lot of those 'statistics' don't have Bill's experience and boat handling skills!

http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cgs/data_rescue_cgs_annual_r...

Here is the link to the index for the USCS annual reports. They've only recently been digitized, and as I've learned how to pick through them, the stories of extreme outdoorsmanship and seamanship abound! The men who triangulated the west, and plumbed the depths, were some hard dudes!

[Edited on 9-8-2013 by vgabndo]

BajaBruno - 9-9-2013 at 10:27 AM

That black bonita seems to be working well for you, Bill. I don't think I have ever seen you use that color.

bill erhardt - 9-10-2013 at 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruno
That black bonita seems to be working well for you, Bill. I don't think I have ever seen you use that color.

Chris.....I think I first bought black when the more popular purple/black was out of stock, and it has stayed in the lineup. At the other end of the spectrum, white is good in the early morning. The fish below came aboard yesterday so early a flash was required for the photo.

Cardon Man - 9-10-2013 at 08:30 AM

You'd be hard pressed to find a better fisherman and captain than Sergio Garcia. Great to see him out there with you guys!

Gaucho - 9-10-2013 at 08:52 AM

Congratulations. Those are some nice fish. Great pics too. Thanks for posting!