All Signs of Spring Say GO!

[Gary Graham]

For additional information: [e-mail]
USA toll-free [phone] or 760/746-7260; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373
East Cape
Fishing here has turned on. A Spa boat went out two days ago (2/16) and found a dead whale. They landed 26 dorado from under and around it. Skipjack are biting well and some sierra early. The shore fishing has been good. I can catch ladyfish every time I go out. I landed four jacks and one rooster yesterday (2/17). The wind is still blowing out of the north, creating large waves. The afternoon fly-fishing from shore is tough. Most of my fish have come from casting a baitcaster and surface lures a long way out. A white jumping minnow is by far the best lure. The ladyfish are in close early and will hit a variety of flies. White and olive Clousers with lots of flash work best. Pink and purple still the best colors for the skipjack.
Report by Baja on the Fly guide Tim Selzer.
Water temperature 70-74
Air temperature 68-71
Humidity 58%
Wind: North 8 mph
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 6:48 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:17 p.m. MST


Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Nice weather most of the week brought out the whale-watchers in full force. The entrada produced a few small yellows, sierra and a full-on barracuda bite. Up at Devil’s Curve, the snook still continued their elusive ways with only a few small ones caught. Up at Lopez Mateos, the Whale Festival is history and it is back to business as usual. Not much action on the outside where lumpy conditions persisted. Corvina, sierra and a few leopard grouper were all that could be found in the esteros this week
Water temperature 69-75
Air temperature 66-71
Humidity 25%
Wind: WNW 13 mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 3 miles
Sunrise 6:57 a.m. MST
Sunset 6:23 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
We are certainly having one of our best Februarys for the last couple of years. Historically, February is one of the best months of the year, and this year is proving it so.

The 80 degree blue water is still only a couple of miles off the beach and no boat is traveling further than 20 miles to find fish. Most of the sailfish are being taken between the 8 and 12 mile mark.

I was talking with the captains this morning (Saturday) on the municipal pier, and we were recounting the number of fish they have released this week. Everybody was running out of fingers and toes. Adolpho, on the panga Dos Hermanos had the best week. He fished the blue water four days and never released less than eight sails, with two days of 13 releases. Adolpho also fished for roosters three days and tallied numbers of 9, 5, and 4 roosters each day. They averaged about 30 pounds, with a few fish well over 50 pounds. He also averaged between 8 and 10 jack crevalle on those days. The big jacks were about 15- to 20-pounds.

Santiago, on the panga Gitana, released 38 sailfish in the last seven days. And, Cheva, the captain of the Dos Hermanos II, released 30 sailfish for his four days in the blue water.

Scott McKane of New Jersey, fishing with Orlando on the panga Tequila, averaged four sailfish a day, while looking for the yellowfin tuna. They never found the tuna, but with the sails and a few dorado, he was really excited about the quality of fishing he has had.


Baja on the Fly report by Ed Kunze

Water temperature 80 - 84
Air temperature 75 - 89
Humidity 83%
Wind: Calm
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 10 miles
Sunrise 7:10 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:49 p.m. CST

San Jose, Guatemala
The conditions this past week have been very nice, with the run to the fishing getting longer during the week. Early in the week, the run was 2-5 miles and it grew to 20 miles later in the week. The early part of the week started off with some lower production and tough times for the anglers, but the later parts of the week came on strong, and for the sails the boats hooked 243 sails and released 149 of them on the conventional side, and hooked 46 and released 21 on the fly side. Dorado again made a consistent showing, and a few boats even got in to some grouper action during slow sailfishing times. Roosters were also present with most of the action occurring on live bait on outgoing tides.
San Jose, Guatemala report by Brian Barragy and Lissa McFarlin
Water temperature 72 - 82
Air temperature 78 - 82
Humidity 100%
Wind: SE 11mph
Conditions: Scattered Clouds
Visibility 6 miles
Sunrise 6:24 a.m. CST
Sunset 6:09 p.m. CST

For additional information: [e-mail]
USA toll-free [phone] or 760/746-7260; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373