Ok so I usally spend my fishing time further south, but I'm headed out to spend a few days with my brother and his family in San Felipe. So one of
those days i plan on surf fishing, ansd saw reference to B. santa Maria as a place to do that.
anyone have any recomendations as to specific spots? Typically i use the standard Castmasters and crocodiles, plus throw some swim baits every now
and again. I'm thinking I ought to put out a rod with chunk bait on it just for fun, squid or whatever I can come up with. and when I'm just
screwing around i wade among the rocks on the edge of the surf throwing trout flies with a light rod - catch all sorts of weird species, most tiny -
all fun on a 4 weight rod.
any and all knowledge, experience and opinions are welcome, thanks in advance! David K - 1-29-2019 at 03:11 PM
This was where my dad predicted would be a hot spot for corbina based on the sandy bottom and the calm water of this bay at high tide, allowing the
bottom feeders (corbina and croaker) to have an enjoyable meal-time. Our next trip down was with a bucket of bay mussels, which is what my dad used to
catch corbina in front of our Del Mar home.
When we found it, there was no name, no camp, nothing but a mile-wide, shallow bay that emptied at low tide... we called it 'The Lagoon' (like on
Gilligan's Island).
The mussels were great bait...
1967 photo... double hook-ups, always! My dad was kept busy just baiting my mom and my hooks and then taking the fish off, he didn't get to fish too
much!
By 1970, Campo Bahía Santa María was established there, on the opposite side of the point we fished at. We continued to camp at Nuevo Mazatlan,
about 2 miles south...
By the late 70s, the surf fishing was not nearly the same... some say because of all the noise the new campos had brought while I think gill netting
and even Mexican fishermen using dynamite in the bay (we were told by a resident there) had more to do with the decline.
Corvina (a totally different fish than the corbina) was also taken using lures and casting from shore... but the corbina and croaker takes bait (sand
crabs, mussels, grunion). We also caught white sea bass and have even seen catfish (from the Colorado?), totuava, and Roosterfish there or off the
beach in front of Nuevo Mazatlan.
Better fishing seems to be off boats now... away from the gill netting.
Daventec - 4-11-2019 at 06:44 AM
Quote:
"'The Lagoon' (like on Gilligan's Island)."
Seems like a catchy name. Well-recognized as well.David K - 4-11-2019 at 08:34 AM
Well, about 1969, Aniceto Madueña homesteaded the "lagoon" and named it Bahia Santa Maria. Perhaps because his daughter was Maria?bajapedro - 4-12-2019 at 06:50 AM
Try fishing the norther part of Shell Island (from about the cantina North)over the lava flow area at high tide. Can be productive for corvina and
trigger fish as well as sea bass. Fish the lagoon side with your fly rod. water will be flat even if the wind is blowing.
