BajaNomad

Bait Ball!!!!

woody with a view - 12-13-2013 at 04:29 PM

If this don't get your knickers in a bunch, nothing will....

55steve - 12-13-2013 at 04:35 PM

Reachable from shore - doesn't get any better! I would to love sling a Crocodile or Kastmaster into that melee!

[Edited on 12-14-2013 by 55steve]

Russ - 12-13-2013 at 04:51 PM

We get those boils too from time to time. Mostly there are a lot of cormorants pushing the bait like a wolf pack. Sometimes 100's of cormorants. I don't know why put I seldom catch fish when it is really crazy like that.

Pompano - 12-13-2013 at 05:23 PM

Great action shot, Woody. Yup, time to grab the spinning gear and toss a Kroc or anything shiny! Usually get a hit. And sometimes surprised at what species. Sometimes a pargo, sometimes a rooster...always fun.

Have had many fun times doing that from the patio at Coyote, and always have a casting rod rigged and ready. It's mighty nice when the birds ring the dinner bell!




woody with a view - 12-13-2013 at 05:23 PM

about 5 years ago, in that exact same corner we were chucking crocs at the boil and getting sawed off for 1/2 an hour. 3 days later a guy went in with a snorkel and spear gun and pulled out a 25# yellowtail. he said his head was spinning at all of the big fish that were schooling around him.

that was in 8 feet of water. this foto was a remembrance of that day but only 3 years ago.

edit: i'll try to find that foto!

[Edited on 12-14-2013 by woody with a view]

Russ - 12-13-2013 at 05:50 PM

Pompano, That size is what I look for too. But when there are a thousand birds or more it's just insane.

bajadock - 12-13-2013 at 05:54 PM

Nice photos Woody and Pompano, thanks. The idea is making me hungry. And that makes me thirsty. CHEERS!

Floatflyer - 12-13-2013 at 06:49 PM

That brings back fond memories!! In our area, sights like that are very rare these days if at all. We are somewhat lucky to see pelicans around here AND we are located in the Marine Park!!! Poor mother ocean!

Pompano - 12-13-2013 at 08:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Floatflyer
That brings back fond memories!! In our area, sights like that are very rare these days if at all. We are somewhat lucky to see pelicans around here AND we are located in the Marine Park!!! Poor mother ocean!


Indeed, Floatflyer,

Over the last few decades in Baja, Mother Nature has gone to hell in a hand-basket. More's the pity, because newcomers who, while still falling in love with this place, will never know how magnificent Nature once was here...it was simply outstanding!

On a more cheerful note, hopefully, how's the Dungeness crab fishing off Whidbey Island these days? We visit an old friend there from time to time. Celebrated her 90th birthday with many Seattle amigos there a while back. Got lots of crabs from the pots...and dug lots of clams, too.

Like Woody's pic, would love to see something in the way of a Dungee Boil!

Casa-rhea - 12-13-2013 at 10:03 PM

http://s939.photobucket.com/user/rheaboop/media/IMG_0221_zps... Small bait ball,lingered for hours circling in the water..Nov 2013....Dead dog island(coyote)posting pic was a challege!
:o

Pacifico - 12-13-2013 at 11:24 PM

Nice boil Woody! Sometimes when the birds are that thick, it's hard to get the lure into the water without hooking a bird!

Here's one out in deeper water that had big YT's on it:

Whale-ista - 12-13-2013 at 11:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
If this don't get your knickers in a bunch, nothing will....


Wow! This brings back memories.

We paddled kayaks into the middle of one of these in BOLA once and were not only dive bombed from above by all the birds, but nearly capsized by a feasting whale. We put our poles aside and just enjoyed the show.

Good times...

Skipjack Joe - 12-14-2013 at 01:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pacifico
Nice boil Woody! Sometimes when the birds are that thick, it's hard to get the lure into the water without hooking a bird!

Here's one out in deeper water that had big YT's on it:



We trolled around the edges of a school in your area and kept hooking nothing but booby birds. It was only after moving away from the melee that we starting getting hookups on skipjacks.

Pacifico - 12-14-2013 at 07:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Quote:
Originally posted by Pacifico
Nice boil Woody! Sometimes when the birds are that thick, it's hard to get the lure into the water without hooking a bird!

Here's one out in deeper water that had big YT's on it:



We trolled around the edges of a school in your area and kept hooking nothing but booby birds. It was only after moving away from the melee that we starting getting hookups on skipjacks.


Ya, sometimes the birds are THICK and the skippies can really get in the way when you are after the yellows! Here's another pic (lots of YT under there!):

Frank - 12-14-2013 at 08:06 AM

Here is one offshore next to a kelp paddie. If I remember correctly, yellowfin tuna.


monoloco - 12-14-2013 at 08:14 AM

We encountered a bait ball like that near Isla San Jose once. We were looking down at the action about 6 feet below the surface, when a fin whale came up from the depths, swallowed the whole bait ball, and rolled just a couple of feet from my boat. Looking down the throat of that whale is something that I'll never forget.

leave it to the professionals...

Whale-ista - 12-14-2013 at 01:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
We encountered a bait ball like that near Isla San Jose once. We were looking down at the action about 6 feet below the surface, when a fin whale came up from the depths, swallowed the whole bait ball, and rolled just a couple of feet from my boat. Looking down the throat of that whale is something that I'll never forget.


Great story!

These close interactions with Baja's wildlife create powerful memories. Reminds us that we are just along for the ride, often on vacation, and they are the experts when it comes to fishing, diving, swimming etc.

thank you for sharing!

Pompano - 12-14-2013 at 02:32 PM

Great photos, all! Nice to see lots of healthy sea stocks!

Not wanting to throw any cold water on anybody's enthusiasm with this. Just some thoughts about what is happening now v.s. back in the day.

Starting for me in the mid 60's, these fish/bird boils were a very common sight to see anywhere on the Sea of Cortez.

While flying over the SoC or fishing, we saw dozens of huge fish/bird boils showing white far below us...EVERY TIME... without fail. When fishing or just cruising, you eventually got used to the spectacular thrashing commotion and would count on the sight to guide you to the fish.

Spotting the tornado of birds from miles away became the norm after leaving the dock. You knew it was going to happen.

That tremendous fish activity lasted until the mid-80's or so...and has been diminishing each year until the present, when we marvel when one occurs.

Carumba! What a loss of nature. What a shame for the future. We must make the most of it while trying to improve it.

CaptGeo - 12-16-2013 at 10:23 AM

Seeing these photos and the comments makes me need to share one of my experiences. Four years ago the Striped Marlin bite was wide open at the Finger Banks. Bait balls everywhere with the Marlin just going nuts, all day long, for days at a time. On one of these days the water was flat calm, almost like a mirror. I was up in the tower and we had a double hook-up, one angler on the bow and one in the c-ckpit. The bait ball moved under the boat for cover, and as I looked down from 45 feet up and the sun at my back I could see the Marlin circling and many Dorado zipping in and out of the bait. After about five minutes of this, and my wishing I had a video camera, the bait ball moved out about 30 feet from the boat. Not 20 seconds later I was watching the bait ball and one of those Fin Whales came up with a wide open mouth and engulfed most of the ball! It scared the hell out of the guys in the c-ckpit! One of those days I will never forget, and we managed to release 27 Striped Marlin that day in three hours!

LancairDriver - 12-16-2013 at 12:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
Great photos, all! Nice to see lots of healthy sea stocks!

Not wanting to throw any cold water on anybody's enthusiasm with this. Just some thoughts about what is happening now v.s. back in the day.

Starting for me in the mid 60's, these fish/bird boils were a very common sight to see anywhere on the Sea of Cortez.

While flying over the SoC or fishing, we saw dozens of huge fish/bird boils showing white far below us...EVERY TIME... without fail. When fishing or just cruising, you eventually got used to the spectacular thrashing commotion and would count on the sight to guide you to the fish.

Spotting the tornado of birds from miles away became the norm after leaving the dock. You knew it was going to happen.

That tremendous fish activity lasted until the mid-80's or so...and has been diminishing each year until the present, when we marvel when one occurs.

Carumba! What a loss of nature. What a shame for the future. We must make the most of it while trying to improve it.



I hear you Roger. Flying down back then it was one bait ball after another the whole way, some of them unbelievably huge. Today you are lucky to see one. Back then there wasn't a boat around most of them and you wished you could be in the middle of it.

lose the delta, lose the nutrients, lose the fish....

Whale-ista - 12-17-2013 at 04:06 PM

I posted a related (long) description of what the Delta of the Colorado river was like 90 years ago, quoting from Aldo Leopold. He was a naturalist/ranger from Wisconsin, who canoed the delta with his brother in 1920s and described a fully functioning region full of life, because it had a full flow of water. No big dams/diversions upstream meant the full flow of water and nutrients made it into the northern Sea of Cortez unimpeded. The quantity and quality of wildlife he described has long since disappeared.

Today, a big reason for this declining fish productivity is the lack of fresh water coming in at the northern end of the gulf. Little fresh water, fewer nutrients, and more pollution in what little water does make it thru what's left of this estuary makes for a meager catch compared to what was there in the past.

Not sure how to change this, given the demand for water from the Colorado river in the western US and the drier weather cycles we have seen for the last 30 years.

So, yes: enjoy it while you can. Unless/until the river recovers, this won't improve.

redhilltown - 12-18-2013 at 12:43 AM

It's funny how pics of a guy holding a great fish or all the anglers lined up under the rack of trophies does little for me...but man, THESE PICS are the best!!!!!!!!

Skipjack Joe - 12-18-2013 at 01:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
I posted a related (long) description of what the Delta of the Colorado river was like 90 years ago, quoting from Aldo Leopold. He was a naturalist/ranger from Wisconsin, who canoed the delta with his brother in 1920s and described a fully functioning region full of life, because it had a full flow of water. No big dams/diversions upstream meant the full flow of water and nutrients made it into the northern Sea of Cortez unimpeded. The quantity and quality of wildlife he described has long since disappeared.

Today, a big reason for this declining fish productivity is the lack of fresh water coming in at the northern end of the gulf. Little fresh water, fewer nutrients, and more pollution in what little water does make it thru what's left of this estuary makes for a meager catch compared to what was there in the past.

Not sure how to change this, given the demand for water from the Colorado river in the western US and the drier weather cycles we have seen for the last 30 years.

So, yes: enjoy it while you can. Unless/until the river recovers, this won't improve.


The Colorado has the misfortune of running in one country and emptying out in another. One river and two nations. Neither cares about the affect one has on the other. If the US/Mexico border was just 100 miles further south the laws would not have permitted this to happen.