Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Pompano Boat Trip Report - March 23, 2010
Yellowtail Day
Today was a day to just 'get out on the water' again.
We've had way too many windy days. It's been weird for wind this year. That many consecutive days of wind usually happens in this stretch of the SOC
in February, (the Loco Month).. not March.
There's gotta be a good reason for this, so I'm blaming it on the Swedes gorging on frijoles.
.
One thing I'm doing different today.
I'm up early, but not in such a hurry to get on the water. The early bird reasoning (for me anyway)... was making bait. The common
belief is that bait is only available in the wee hours before...yawn... dawn. Well, I knew better years ago, but lately I have somehow
fallen into the habit of making pre-dawn bait...seriously cutting into my snoring time.
Sure, there are countless other reasons to get on the water in pitch blackness...but making bait ain't one of them!
Of course, it could be that I am getting lazy.
Okay, okay..enough excuses...so I finally make it to the baithole off Party Beach at Punta Prieta, Mulege. Well, even as late as I am, the place is
still busy with baitmakers.
I see my usual spot for bigeyes is pretty crowded up ahead there.. so I stop where I am, turn on the baitfinder and..Presto!..there
they are right below me. I drop my 2 Sabiki rigs down to the bottom, crank up about 2 feet..and rat-tat-tat-tat...get 4 mackerel on each one
on the first drop. Got to be some kind of personal record there. Quickly shedding the baits into the livewell and setting a 3-minute timer
on the aereator, I drop the sabikis down again. This time I get a couple bigeyes, a smallish mack that I liked, and some weird UFO (unidentified
finny object).
Well, I had enough baits and I had only been at the baithole for 10 minutes...now what? The wind had come up NNE at 9-12 knots and it looked to be
damn bumpy for the long trip north to San Marcos. I stared at the dark blue water forming on the horizon and my back started aching. Well, shoot..
Goddang Swede Syndrome again...for sure I can't go that way. It's a 17 mile run to Seal Rock and Jorge's Reef.
.
.
Then I look east and south...and receive an omen from Neptune. A shaft of bright sunlight beckons me to Wilbur's Hole and beyond. Great..Wilbur's is
only about 6 1/2 miles away on a tangent to the wind...I'll start there. I'm a great believer in following omens.
.
.
Underway, I come upon our first ocean sighting of the day. Shrimpers are always worth a photo or three.
.
.
I arrive at Wilbur's Hole after a short run and drop a mackerel down to about 220 ft over the rock piles at 238ft.
I had barely set the clicker and poured myself a cup of coffee when I heard the first zzzzzz of the day...
...and brought to the box this nice yellowtail. A nice fight and I almost lost him on a final thrust under the stern. I put that size-12 watershoe
in there for a judging gauge.
.
.
I put down my rod and just sat there, drifting and daydreaming...not doing a damn thing...just being lazy...and more than a little sleepy...
I was almost asleep when I heard something..and looked up.
I saw a small pod of porpoise swimming around the boat. They said, "Hey!..Got some time?... follow us!"
Well, talking porpoise was clearly another omen, so naturally I had to go with them...
.
.
They took me to the old mine at Point Conception. I had not been so close to this place in ...oh, 20-30 years or so I suppose. Wow, good to see it
again..and the place has not changed much. Now how the heck did those porpoise know I would like seeing this familar old site again?
What's left of the ore-ship loading pier.
.
.
Some pelicans fly by and this sound comes down, "Hola, Pompano...remember Osprey Rock?"
..sigh..I sure do, guys. I camped/fished/snorkled by that rock so long ago...
.
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I follow the porpoise south as the pelicans join their buddies for a bull-session on the rocks.
.
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Now the porpoise ask me if I have any bait left...and if so, how about tossing them one or two by way of gratitude?
Sure thing I said...how's this one look?!
"Looks delicious to us, amigo..toss it here...just try to keep it away from those pesky gulls."
No problemo, guys...Here, Catch!
..Opps..gee, those gulls are FAST.
.
.
The porpoise are gone..disappeared into the waves. "Hey, sorry about that, guys...I tried, really I did.
Guys?...yoo-hoo... guys?....sigh.."
.
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In the distance I see Mulege is burning, so I head back to town quickly.
False alarm, it's just Tim firing up his pipe at El Patron's.
.
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Heading for the floating dock on the Rio Mulege.
.
The late afternoon sun catches the white of the lighthouse and harbor captain's office.
.
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I trailer the boat, and head for the highway Pemex to top off the pickup's diesel and the boat's gas tank. Took a few pesos. 1820 more
into Mexico's economy... 
.
.
I head for home...but first stop at Ana's Santispac to barter for my bar bill and offset the fuel bill.
Gracias, Russ and Lupe. Now home to clean up the boat and gear.
.
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Highway view overlooking Posado anchorage on the way home to Coyote.
See you on the ocean next time..saludos.
[Edited on 3-25-2010 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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estebanis
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Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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Thanks Pompano!
Those photos helped me get through another work day in "Smell-A" dealing with engineers who don't know there Arse from a hole in the ground!!!
Esteban
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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
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Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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Nice photos, nice fish !
What happened to your fishing buddy / co-pilot ?
Passing through your neighborhood this weekend, headed to Loreto (me) and La Ventana (buddy Matt).
I've a hankerin for some sun, warm, salt air, and a little respite from the workaday world up north !
djh
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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BajaBruno
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Another adventure well worth the read, Pompano. Thanks, and keep up the fine living!
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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Cypress
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Location: on the bayou
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Pompano, Thanks sharing.
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Skeet/Loreto
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Thanks Pompamo!!
A report of "Just the way it is".
For so many years I had that same experience fishing out of Loreto and San Nicholas. Sure brings back a lot of memories.
My wife Virginia hooked on to a Huge Dorado one Day{ I would guess at 50 Lbs} and on its 4th jump, two big Sharks took it Away it one Gulp!!
Keep it up Pompano. It is good to hear that the fishing is still so good!!
Skeet
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tripledigitken
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Looks like another day in paradise. Thanks for taking us along!
Ken
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DonBaja
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Location: OC
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I Like The Way You Do Business !!!!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Thanks to all and, like myself, I'm glad you like the sea.
Here's an update on fishing and boating in my near future.
Thursday is a mite choppy here, but Friday looks good for another outing:
I use Buoyweather.com mostly...easy and dependable for me over the years.
Friday 3/26
Morning
Light winds with a slight chop. Small short period wind waves.
Winds: N 7 to 9 knots
Seas: WNW 0 feet at 3 sec.
Afternoon
Light winds with a slight chop. Small short period wind waves.
Winds: NNE 9 to 13 knots
Seas: N 1 feet at 0 sec.
Great! I'll bring the skis.
Now..where to go? Hey.. Listen..can you hear them, too?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Curt63
Super Nomad
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Location: San Diego, Ca.
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Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Real nice! I like the style and flow of your posts
No worries
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Gaucho
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Location: Laguna Beach/East Cape
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Mood: Bohemia por favor...
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Man!!! I can't wait to retire...in 20 years...
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Geo_Skip
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Location: Alta California and......../
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Pompano,
I love your logs and fish pics. Sadly, without the highest speed DSL your large pics take a long while to load. Would you consider downsizing just a
touch.....ON THE PICS....I am not suggesting a diet!
Looking forward to looking you up in Mulege in the next few seasons...Mulege...one of my favorite places sunce 1974! I should scan the pics and post
them. The scorpions among the beer bottles on on the beach the morning after, special memories.
Now after the pause to compose a comment, the pics will have finished loading.
Keep up the great posts and thanks.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Geo_Skip
Pompano,
I love your logs and fish pics. Sadly, without the highest speed DSL your large pics take a long while to load. Would you consider downsizing just a
touch.....
........ |
Sorry about that large photo problem. I thought I had solved that once, but will go back and try it once again. Hang in there, amigo.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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Darn, they sure look good on this 20" HP2009m monitor I got for Christmas! Now if this computer dummie could figure out how to downsize pics,  , I am
computer challenged Pomp, so I love your work. Hope to share a rock pile off San Bruno one day soon!
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