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Wintertime rockfish in Mexico – Long range trips hammering yellowfin and wahoo
Barred surf perch biting around the outer break
(left): Another solid yellowfin tuna comes over the rail of the Independence while fishing the lower banks off Baja Sur.
(right): This quality vermillion rockfish from outside of San Quintin will make several tasty fish tacos.
(right): This quality vermillion rockfish from outside of San Quintin will make several tasty fish tacos.
Dock Totals 1/19 – 1/25: 449 anglers aboard 21 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 9 blacksmith perch, 25 bonito, 3 halibut (9 released), 50 lingcod, 14 rock crab, 320 rockfish, 42 sand bass, 146 sanddab, 530 sculpin, 12 spiny lobster (26 released), and 841 whitefish.
Saltwater: Managed to get myself out on the water after a long break from boat fishing and mostly shore-pounding down in San Quintin. My good friend Captain Juan Cook is back in town after working most of last year in Bahia de Los Angeles and Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga in Baja Norte on the Sea of Cortez side, and La Bocana and Lopez Mateos down on the Pacific side of the lower Baja Peninsula.
Juan is a long time San Quintin resident who has run trips out to Isla San Martin and the local offshore banks for decades. In doing so, Juan has become very well-versed on the local marine biosphere and is also a great source of local history on many topics concerning San Quintin. He ran a Parker for years in a partnership that was recently dissolved, so he has a new ride, a nice 24-foot Grady White well equipped for fishing.
Along with friends Russ and Woody, we headed out on what looked to be a promising day as yellowtail had been biting very well for the previous couple weeks for the operations fishing the 15-spot and the 240-Bank just south of Isla San Martin. Weather predictions were good, with sunshine and low winds forecasted for the day. That said, the yellowtail bite had shut down the day before, and the tide was flat all day, so no current to stir up activity. After seeing no boilers on either bank and metering a few reluctant fish that wouldn’t react to jigs dropped or trolled XRap lures, we decided to focus on whitefish, vermilions, and bocaccio in 180 to 250-feet of water.
Fishing was a slow, steady pick with bait and deep-drop jigs, but we loaded up with limits after a few hours of cranking big vermillions and sturdy whitefish up from the depths. Of all the recreational boats out on Tuesday, maybe 8 or so, we heard of only one yellowtail boated that day on the yo-yo iron. The current picked up and the yellows were back at it within two days of our run, but we were rewarded with about 40-pounds of filets for the three of us. Juan is charging a reasonable $400-dollars per trip and plans to be here for another two months before heading back to Gonzaga in March. So, given it was a slow day, we still scored enough meat to cover the trip, and fresh caught is always better than buying at the market. As always, it was a good day on the water with Juan and a fun fishing day for Woody, Russ, and myself.
As rockfish is closed in California waters until April 1, heading south is the only option right now. On that note, the Malihini will be running ¾-day trips to the Coronado Islands or nearby banks in Mexican water every weekend beginning in the first week of February, and will be fishing everything from 60 to 600-feet deep. Recommended tackle for these trips include 40-pound setups for yellowtail, lingcod, and deep rockfish, 4 to 20-ounce sinkers, yo-yo jigs, and plenty of J-hooks from size 1 to 4/0. Those 2/4-day trips to Mexican waters run $190 per angler, and include Mexican fishing permit and visa. Be sure to have your passport on hand.
For those who want to run a little further down the coast, the Tribute has been slaying bottomfish with a few yellowtail and bonito tossed in on their 1.5-day Colonet trips departing each Friday out of Seaforth Landing. Those Colinet trips run $475 per angler, and be sure to have your passport handy. Mexican travel visa, bunk and bait are included. Mexican fishing permits are additional. On their most recent outing, the Tribute returned to the dock with 40 lingcod, 110 rockfish, 25 bonito, and 35 whitefish for the 21 anglers aboard.
Still awaiting word on the reported bluefin bite off Ensenada. Other than a couple caught around 100-pounds by private boaters over the weekend, I have heard nothing from contacts in the fleet verifying that news. It wouldn’t be a big surprise, as those fish are always off our coast somewhere. They are still getting some big yellowtail along the northern Baja coast, and the yellowtail and yellowfin tuna bite is still on along the Vizcaino Peninsula halfway down Baja. A few larger bluefin to 120-pounds were caught out of Bahia Asunciٕón, while large yellowfin, wahoo, and even a few striped marlin have been showing for the long range fleet working outside of Bahia Magdalena off Baja Sur.
The surf has been producing a steady bite on barred surf perch for those tossing grubs on a Carolina rig, stick baits, and baited hooks with clam, squid, or sand crabs when found. The best times seem to be on the dropping tide, with the fish biting around where the outer break stirs up the bottom. Working a bait or lure in with slow twitching movements seems to inspire bites when the wave action is not too strong. I managed a couple dozen fish yesterday, but had to look for the rips and anywhere there were signs of sand crab to find action. Most of the fish were on the small side, from the size of my hand to maybe 10 inches. Still, it is always good to get out there and try. Whether the beach, bay, lake, or offshore, they’re out there so go out and get ‘em!
Here's something you might be interested in.
Wintertime rockfish in Mexico – Long range trips hammering yellowfin and wahoo
Barred surf perch biting around the outer break
Wintertime rockfish in Mexico – Long range trips hammering yellowfin and wahoo
Barred surf perch biting around the outer break
(left): Another solid yellowfin tuna comes over the rail of the Independence while fishing the lower banks off Baja Sur.
(right): This quality vermillion rockfish from outside of San Quintin will make several tasty fish tacos.
(right): This quality vermillion rockfish from outside of San Quintin will make several tasty fish tacos.
Dock Totals 1/19 – 1/25: 449 anglers aboard 21 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 9 blacksmith perch, 25 bonito, 3 halibut (9 released), 50 lingcod, 14 rock crab, 320 rockfish, 42 sand bass, 146 sanddab, 530 sculpin, 12 spiny lobster (26 released), and 841 whitefish.
Saltwater: Managed to get myself out on the water after a long break from boat fishing and mostly shore-pounding down in San Quintin. My good friend Captain Juan Cook is back in town after working most of last year in Bahia de Los Angeles and Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga in Baja Norte on the Sea of Cortez side, and La Bocana and Lopez Mateos down on the Pacific side of the lower Baja Peninsula.
Juan is a long time San Quintin resident who has run trips out to Isla San Martin and the local offshore banks for decades. In doing so, Juan has become very well-versed on the local marine biosphere and is also a great source of local history on many topics concerning San Quintin. He ran a Parker for years in a partnership that was recently dissolved, so he has a new ride, a nice 24-foot Grady White well equipped for fishing.
Along with friends Russ and Woody, we headed out on what looked to be a promising day as yellowtail had been biting very well for the previous couple weeks for the operations fishing the 15-spot and the 240-Bank just south of Isla San Martin. Weather predictions were good, with sunshine and low winds forecasted for the day. That said, the yellowtail bite had shut down the day before, and the tide was flat all day, so no current to stir up activity. After seeing no boilers on either bank and metering a few reluctant fish that wouldn’t react to jigs dropped or trolled XRap lures, we decided to focus on whitefish, vermilions, and bocaccio in 180 to 250-feet of water.
Fishing was a slow, steady pick with bait and deep-drop jigs, but we loaded up with limits after a few hours of cranking big vermillions and sturdy whitefish up from the depths. Of all the recreational boats out on Tuesday, maybe 8 or so, we heard of only one yellowtail boated that day on the yo-yo iron. The current picked up and the yellows were back at it within two days of our run, but we were rewarded with about 40-pounds of filets for the three of us. Juan is charging a reasonable $400-dollars per trip and plans to be here for another two months before heading back to Gonzaga in March. So, given it was a slow day, we still scored enough meat to cover the trip, and fresh caught is always better than buying at the market. As always, it was a good day on the water with Juan and a fun fishing day for Woody, Russ, and myself.
As rockfish is closed in California waters until April 1, heading south is the only option right now. On that note, the Malihini will be running ¾-day trips to the Coronado Islands or nearby banks in Mexican water every weekend beginning in the first week of February, and will be fishing everything from 60 to 600-feet deep. Recommended tackle for these trips include 40-pound setups for yellowtail, lingcod, and deep rockfish, 4 to 20-ounce sinkers, yo-yo jigs, and plenty of J-hooks from size 1 to 4/0. Those 2/4-day trips to Mexican waters run $190 per angler, and include Mexican fishing permit and visa. Be sure to have your passport on hand.
For those who want to run a little further down the coast, the Tribute has been slaying bottomfish with a few yellowtail and bonito tossed in on their 1.5-day Colonet trips departing each Friday out of Seaforth Landing. Those Colinet trips run $475 per angler, and be sure to have your passport handy. Mexican travel visa, bunk and bait are included. Mexican fishing permits are additional. On their most recent outing, the Tribute returned to the dock with 40 lingcod, 110 rockfish, 25 bonito, and 35 whitefish for the 21 anglers aboard.
Still awaiting word on the reported bluefin bite off Ensenada. Other than a couple caught around 100-pounds by private boaters over the weekend, I have heard nothing from contacts in the fleet verifying that news. It wouldn’t be a big surprise, as those fish are always off our coast somewhere. They are still getting some big yellowtail along the northern Baja coast, and the yellowtail and yellowfin tuna bite is still on along the Vizcaino Peninsula halfway down Baja. A few larger bluefin to 120-pounds were caught out of Bahia Asunciٕón, while large yellowfin, wahoo, and even a few striped marlin have been showing for the long range fleet working outside of Bahia Magdalena off Baja Sur.
The surf has been producing a steady bite on barred surf perch for those tossing grubs on a Carolina rig, stick baits, and baited hooks with clam, squid, or sand crabs when found. The best times seem to be on the dropping tide, with the fish biting around where the outer break stirs up the bottom. Working a bait or lure in with slow twitching movements seems to inspire bites when the wave action is not too strong. I managed a couple dozen fish yesterday, but had to look for the rips and anywhere there were signs of sand crab to find action. Most of the fish were on the small side, from the size of my hand to maybe 10 inches. Still, it is always good to get out there and try. Whether the beach, bay, lake, or offshore, they’re out there so go out and get ‘em!
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