Pompano - 1-25-2005 at 03:46 PM
How about some Baja fish trivia?
Can you identify this deep water fish?
Rate it as a tablefish?
Know it's local and fishbook name?
I think
baitcast - 1-25-2005 at 04:12 PM
Except for that thing hanging out its mouth I,d say thats a whitefish and they are fine eating 
BAITCAST
Not Fair !
baitcast - 1-25-2005 at 04:54 PM
Pompano thats not fair there,s a ton that looks just like him,But I think he looks like a vermillion rockfish
When my time comes I hope the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear
baitcast - 1-25-2005 at 05:06 PM
I like your stuff pompano,I do most my posting over on baja.net,I come over here when things are a little slow,try it you might like it.
BAITCAST
Pacific whitefish
mrchuck - 1-26-2005 at 06:49 AM
The Mexicans call it a
"mulahino".
Easy to catch with bait directly on the bottom
White fillets that cook up fine.
The children catch the most of them, when fishing with their families.
Saludos,,,,mc
Pompano - 1-26-2005 at 08:34 AM
good guess, Baitcast...but wrongo! The big-eyed red fish is a 'Popeye catalufa' or ojoton down here. No bueno on the table and a deep water reef
fish...mostly a night feeder.
Hi Mrchuck. right on on the slang for the mulahino in your area south of La Paz, but as is true all over Baja, fish are called different things in
different areas...up here they are called other names..the most common is blanquillo. Some gringo buddies call them ocean grayling. Whatever you
call 'em, they're welcome on my grill and makes for a fun day with my grandkids on a calm day.
In Mag Bay the goldspotted sand bass are called cabrilla...go figure.
Now here's another guesser for you....the angle at which this photo was taken kinda blocks out the fish's ID..which is good for this thread. Hint:
This one is served with eggs a lot..but not really good eating by itself.
Bob H - 1-26-2005 at 09:00 AM
Found this on the internet and thought it was interesting... Bob H
-----------------
"Caught with Captain Pata in Panga Salome, La Playita, mid-morning in May 2003 in 77 degree 100 to 150 foot water utilizing a 30 pound test with a 40
pound two dropper loop rig (with swivel), 6 oz bank sinker, and Mustad 92553 hooks, size 2/0 on cut bonito 25 miles north of La Playita, San Jose.
Size approximately 12 inches and 1.5 pounds and gave an above average fight. Viewed by locals as good table fare. I immediately caught three or four
when I switched from cut squid to cut bonito." Description and photo by John Snow.
[Edited on 1-26-2005 by Bob H]
Pompano - 1-26-2005 at 09:09 AM
Bob H...good and funny info on using all that heavy tackle to fight this 'monster of the deep'...I think a 14 incher would be a world's record!
Can't say about the culinary attributes of these guys, myself. I offered this one to a Mexican fishing buddy, Manuel, and he laughed. Maybe he is
just spoiled, though..hanging out with me he gets some real nice fish!!
Here is
Manuel with a nice catch...about 30 years ago. Truly one of the best divers ever to hit the water.
Info on the internet on Yellowtail/Jack family?
El Almirante - 1-26-2005 at 12:05 PM
Can anyone give me info on an internet site where I can find information on the Jack family of fishes, which includes Yellowtail? Thanks
David K - 1-26-2005 at 12:40 PM
Try Gene Kira's web site: http://bajadestinations.com
Here is his fish ID chart index: http://bajadestinations.com/fishid/fishidphotos.htm
[Edited on 1-26-2005 by David K]
Lost
baitcast - 1-26-2005 at 03:26 PM
My reply got lost somewhere?
I was hopeing you would forget and go to another ID.
The telltail dorsal fin is hid,likewise the head and I can,t see bars,but I,ll guess a Pez gallo.
BAITCAST
Skipjack Joe - 1-26-2005 at 03:42 PM
The top image sure looks like an opaleye to me.
The bottom image is probably a roosterfish as noted.
Pompano - 1-26-2005 at 05:24 PM
Baitcast & Skipjack Joe....you are so right. Thought that might be harder as I was covering a lot of features. Caught that one casting a crocodile
to a reef just 10 minutes from the house.
Joe...opaleyes have the same body shape and size, but are silver or greenish in color...also a lot better eating than these popeyes. Good guessing,
though.
Now an easy one....but not so easy to land on 12lb. test.
Pompano - 1-26-2005 at 05:25 PM
Nice
baitcast - 1-27-2005 at 01:18 PM
Nice fish must not been to many rocks in the area huh?....10 min,s from the house that must be hard to take......good to see your handle over at
baja.net,a lot of good old boys hang out there.
BAITCAST
Next to Skeet I think I,m the oldest around here.
Help?
baitcast - 1-27-2005 at 04:11 PM
Help! that will be a cold day in hell They use to call me El pescador
grande with a small smirk on their faces and I don,t think things have changed to much I hope,got a lots of fishing trips left in me.....Hopefuly be
heading down your way in june or before.
BAITCAST
mrchuck - 1-27-2005 at 04:34 PM
Garropa, aka bay grouper. and not a broomtail.
Your size at 26# is sometimes called by the local mexicans, an estacudo.
Definitely not a "cabrilla".
I have also caught them like you, on the South end of San Marcos island when casting into a boil of fish with birds diving.
I first thought YT, but you can see the big groupers feeding and chasing small bait up on the surface.
The biggets grouper I have caught around the Punta Chivato area was in the mid-Seventies, next to Santa Inez island in 50 feet of water. I got broken
off so many times, that I rigged up a 5 gallon gas can with 200 lb leader 40 ' long, with an 8oz lead dropper weight, and tied a tow ski rope to the
bouy.
The current floated the bouy over the shallow water, a huge hook up took place as the big grouper swam up to the bait just dangling there drifting by
his hole. The fish could only pull the air filled gas can under 5 or so feet. I towed slowly out to the deeper water, then slowly pulled the ski rope
in using gloves and a belaying pin in my rod holder to take wraps on the ski rope.
Slowly the big fish tired out.
I gaffed it carefully in the mouth, and had a time sliding it into my gregor boat.
The fish was a huge grouper, about 150 lbs. After laying there for 5 minutes, the fish then "woke up"!
It banged loose the middle seat which was welded into each side. After 10 minutes, it expired.
The beach camp all got some for the evening meal. We kept fillets on ice for a week, till it was all gone.
There are photos floating around somewhere of it.
Saludos, mc
Bull session
baitcast - 1-27-2005 at 05:02 PM
Nothing I enjoy more than a fish catching bull session....Your turn pompano.
I,ve been out of comission for a long time but I moved to az. last summer so I won,t have the long trips to put up with anymore.
BAITCAST
Okay, I have a fishing trivia question for you....
Pompano - 1-27-2005 at 08:11 PM
We catch a lot of these flat guys down here in the Bay...mostly on the sandy flats on an outgoing tide with a jig and bait...about 1 1/2 miles out in
front of my house. What do we call them...? and how big is the biggest you have got? I love these guys tempura style!
Kinda the same fish...kinda, but this one is a ___??
Pompano - 1-27-2005 at 08:15 PM
Sorry, this is not a Baja fish...it's from Cook Inlet near Homer, Alaska. Caught in 200 ft. on the slack tide...because the tides are too strong to
let you fish without using 5-8 lbs weight. Now my question to you is...what do they call these smaller halibut...say up to 40 lbs??
mrchuck - 1-28-2005 at 06:15 AM
Halibut, flounder are called "linguado" here.
A few caught on the bottom drifting over sandy shoals. But over in Lopez Mateos(Pacific Ocean side), this fish is a food staple, and targeted
comercially.
The fish sellers bring them over here to Los Barriles, selling the fresh caught fillets by the kilo.
Excellent table fare. Maybe the best tasting fish I have ever ate!
Saludos, mc
Best eating
baitcast - 1-28-2005 at 07:47 AM
HI AGAIN GUYS
I,ve caught a ton of these guys along the Calif.coast and the baja pacific side north,100 miles south of EL Rosario,Punta San Carlos to be
exact,the bottom was paved with these guys and white sea bass.
We use to wade the surf and throw white jigs for the wsb and krorks,kastmasters anything shiney for the halibut.......They would hang out
just inside the kelp line and the beach.
Never have done the Alaska thing but have caught a bunch of salmon.
I will guess shaker or maybe that was a small salmon.
Caught a few halibut in L.A.BAY.
BAITCAST
Bajalero - 1-28-2005 at 08:30 AM
If I can butt in with my 2cents on the small halibut , aren't they called pollitos?
If you are ever in need of a fishing partner Pompano, let me know. I love catching a variety of fish and am particular to bottom fish. I almost could
care less if I ever catch another dorado again in my life.
good guess...but wrong for the halibut..although right with salmon 'shakers'
Pompano - 1-28-2005 at 08:52 AM
Well guys, I better tell you the answer...those 'little' halibut up north...anything less than 40lbs...are called 'chickens'. Cuz they're so damn
good to eat!
I know what you mean about the surf catch...we used to fish/camp at Laguna Manuela, Long Beach-Playa Largo, near Jesus Maria and had a lot of fun
with the stripers and linguado there. Surf rigs and sand dabs, then crocodiles, kastmaster, daredevils, etc for something shinier. Good times. Got
caught once in an incoming tide and lost my dune buggy! 
A fellow fisherman is always welcome. Best fishing here right now is yellowtailing with live bait near San Marcos/Pta.Chivaot/Pta. Teresa/ Isle del
Fonso and rocky points and shoals for most everything else like snapper, cabrilla, grouper, bass, etc.
I too have caught my share of dorado...they do get old, don't they?
Favorite and mode
baitcast - 1-28-2005 at 10:22 AM
Nothing gets old when your fishing.........Having said that,whats your favorite fish and why?
Mine is the bluefin tuna,he,s a handsome fish,strong,very fast,and let us not forget huge,the stand-up gear record is a whopping 1015#
and the all tackle is nearly 1500#.......He does,nt waste his time jumping just hauling ass!!!!!!!
I,ve caught a few 50# class fish I can,t imagine what 500# plus must be like.
Best mode is as follows...Find some sandy beach which is loaded with big corvina...........Weapon of choice,light baitcasting or spinning and
this is a must...throw poppers or floating stickbaits,pitch it out there....pop...pop..pop.......wham!!!!!! watch the take,its a visual
thing.........water must be warm,breeze cool and you must be bearfoot
BAITCAST
Baitcast...My favorite fishing?...an easy question.
Pompano - 1-29-2005 at 07:35 AM
...and you know the answer. Today's...that's my favorite fishing! I've had the pleasure of fishing a lot of different species and I am still as
excited about landing a 8 oz. brook trout as a 12 ft. hammerhead. Do you freshwater fish too?
Let's see..I remember getting pretty excited about catching my first dorado and sail the same day in Acapulco, 1960. I was with my dad, an uncle and
his sons. The boat owner/skipper was a great guy and my father's buddy. I was 16 and a little like Huckleberry Finn, I suppose, because I'd
already had quite a few fishing/camping adventures. I was eager to fish and skipped a feather before we cleared the harbor and nailed a nice dorado!
I jumped off the boat when we were about 20 miles out and helped a boathand pull a huge turtle through the sterndoor. My dad made us release it and I
was a little sore until I found out that the boathand wanted to kill it and sell the meat at the docks. Guess it didn't matter too much, because lots
of other turtles were killed every day back then.
After that, we starting to troll and look for birds. I remember the boathand teaching me how to sew up a few more flying fish rigs. Then I hooked
a nice first-time sail and hooted a little I guess.. while pumping and cranking with mucho gusto. I managed to get the fish under control after some
good-natured ribbing from the rest of the crew about my vocal-style. That was a great day.
And I wish I was that thin today! Too many fish tacos?
TODAY
baitcast - 1-29-2005 at 01:01 PM
Today,s My favorvite........Well said.......wish I,d said that.
Fresh water you say...I was born in spokane wash.,some of my first
memories as a young boy was going creek fishing with my father in eastern wash.,northern Ida.,western Mont.
He would always say the more bush the better,he was the best poacher without peer in the state,limits meant nothing to him.
If it had fins it was fair game,keep in mind it was during the war,meat rationing and the like......In 1947 dad bought a place in northern
ida.,right on Lake pond-o-ray....spelling........If you know your freshwater up north you know of this lake.
World record rainbow 37#......Dolly varden32#....Lake trout over 40#...........you get the idea,I learned to troll,fly-fish,baitfish with
the equipment of the day,which was pretty sad compared to today.
After four years of navy I moved to Calif.,this is when I met my first fish with a forked tail and baja.
Spent 30 years inCalif. then moved back to wash.,had a nice place on a beautiful lake just outside spokane there I fished nearly everyday for
the last 15 years and making a run to baja once an a while.
But now I,m in az. and ready to go again.
I know thats a long way of saying "yes i have fished fresh water for many years"I,ve been fishing bass alot the 10 years or so both large
and small mouth but nothing compares to the salt.
BAITCAST
P.S. The eastern brook was my fathers favorite fish
Oso - 1-29-2005 at 06:25 PM
Back East, I recall that Flounder (same or a relative of Halibut?) were sometimes called "Sand Dabs" if very small - a pound or less, and "Tailgates"
if huge (relatively speaking). Surf fishing for them with a sliding egg sinker and single hook was enjoyable, but my second favorite night-time
activity was gigging them in the shallows of the NC sounds, along the Outer Banks or the flats of the Florida Keys. If you had a John boat and
propane lantern on a pole, you could haul in a lot. If not, then wading with a lantern was fun too.
mrchuck - 1-31-2005 at 06:51 AM
Horace and Helen Hart. From Sand Point, Idaho. Maybe that is(was) the name of your old friend. They were a legend here, and in '74 did live in their
trailer at "coyote bay". Later years, due to too many people camping close by, they moved to "rattlesnake beach" which is almost next to the Tripui
trailer park, actually a mile South, and this became their Baja place in 1988. At that time he was 78, and still active and even diving off the puerto
escondito pier(38' deep) to get fallen in fishing tackle that people dropped.
He would of been 95 by today.
Saludos,,,,,,,mc
MrChuck.....
Pompano - 1-31-2005 at 07:17 PM
It's great to reflect back on Baja people and the events that transpired around them. We sure had some great campfire talks back in those early
Coyote Bay days...no TV, no radio to speak of, certainly no Internet,...only books and good conversations around our evening campfires discussing the
explorations we had made that day. I met scores of early Baja adventurers...the first Baja Nomads I suppose.
Los Barriles....There was another character at Coyote Bay that I remember going from here to Los Barriles, I believe. His name was Cliff Dove and his
wife was Kathy. He was a good fisherman, but I never went out much with him because he smoked incessantly. Kind of a handyman. Don't recall ever
seeing him again, but heard that he was also a Idaho lake country person in the summers..somewhere near the Hart's, probably. Maybe he is still there
at Los Barriles?
Now to get back to some fish ID...
How about this one?
nice northern pike
cnelsoni - 1-31-2005 at 10:05 PM
Pompano is holding a northern pike. Lot's of those in Minnesota where I grew up. I also live in Concepcion bay at Posada. Are we neighbors?