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Author: Subject: Bait Ball!!!!
woody with a view
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[*] posted on 12-13-2013 at 04:29 PM
Bait Ball!!!!


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




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55steve
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[*] posted on 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]
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Russ
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[*] posted on 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.



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[*] posted on 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!








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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 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]




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Russ
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[*] posted on 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.



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[*] posted on 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!



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[*] posted on 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!
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[*] posted on 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!




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[*] posted on 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
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[*] posted on 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:





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[*] posted on 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...




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[*] posted on 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.
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[*] posted on 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!):





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[*] posted on 12-14-2013 at 08:06 AM


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


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[*] posted on 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.



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[*] posted on 12-14-2013 at 01:34 PM
leave it to the professionals...


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!




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[*] posted on 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.





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[*] posted on 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!
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[*] posted on 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.
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