BajaNomad

Weather cools as fish take a breather

bajainfo - 8-17-2014 at 09:49 AM

Rancho Leonero Resort, East Cape BCS, Mexico
A report right from the source:

The week of August 9, 2014 - August 16, 2014

The Environment:

It almost seems like an early fall for the East Cape. The air temps have been a good ten to fifteen degrees cooler than they were in July. It has felt tropical with afternoon rains in the mountains and at the Ranch. Everything is very green and the weather has been pleasant!

Water – Cooler. 85 to 89 degrees. The water temperature has dropped as much as five degrees over the past couple of weeks.

Air – Much cooler; very pleasant with rain a couple of days this week. Highs in the low 90's, along with afternoon breezes.

The Bottom Line:

Boats targeting tuna outside are seeing and metering some big fish, but getting them to bite has been another story.

All-In-All: A 7.5 on the Rancho Leonero 1 to 10 scale.

Billfish – The billfishing has slowed drastically; only a few sailfish were released all week. With cooler water, the bite should snap back quickly.



Yellowfin Tuna – The tuna and dorado fishing has been consistent, biting closer to shore, mostly south of Frailes. That same very defined area one and one-half miles off Frailes is producing nice yellowfin from 20- to 50-pounds. Outside there are lots of schools of porpoise holding yellowfin.



Dorado – There were several larger dorado taken in with the tuna but throughout Palmas Bay it has been mostly schoolies.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch …



Inshore fishing? The runoff from the recent rain, coupled with afternoon breezes caused some wind waves which turned the water off-color slowing the beach bite down somewhat. Still some good bottom fishing around the rocky points and reefs for pargo, cabrilla and amberjack.

monoloco - 8-17-2014 at 10:48 AM

You really should shake those baby dorado so they have a chance to grow up.

Osprey - 8-17-2014 at 12:15 PM

Mono, there are great schools of doradito here now and normally I would be standing right with you but the warm water (and other marine food/current/conditions) may have attracted more pompano dorado up here to the SOC. Pompano dorado are smaller and skinnier than common dorado and have 2 more dorsal rays (or 2 less - I forget) but they don't grow nearly as big and as fast as commons. So it could be Gulfinos in those pix, not common females. I haven't checked but if I did it would prove little and nobody would care.

Russ - 8-17-2014 at 02:38 PM

I would prefer taking couple small schoolies rather than the larger spawners. And I think they are a better food fish. They are a real pain when you're looking for bigger fish but a plentiful when you're into them. Osprey, that's the first I've heard of Pompano dorado. I might guess that's what we call schoolies.
edit: After a quick search I found this
http://www.mexfish.com/fish/pompdor/pompdor.htm

[Edited on 8-17-2014 by Russ]

monoloco - 8-17-2014 at 02:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Russ
I would prefer taking couple small schoolies rather than the larger spawners. And I think they are a better food fish. They are a real pain when you're looking for bigger fish but a plentiful when you're into them. Osprey, that's the first I've heard of Pompano dorado. I might guess that's what we call schoolies.
I generally shake any female or juvenile if they're not bleeding. It's impossible to tell the sex of the small ones.

Osprey - 8-18-2014 at 05:40 AM

Bajainfo, thanks for all the local info and the great fish pix. Do you live at Rancho Leonero? Do you work there? That's a sure way to be at the dock just when the boats come in. Either way, great resort and you're a lucky guy.

bajainfo - 8-18-2014 at 05:52 AM

Osprey

I don't live there, nor work there. Just prepare the reports for Rancho Leonero and spend a great deal of time in Baja.

GCG