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David Lee
07-20-2005, 11:34 PM
Hello all - :D

Looks like this time around , things are falling into place . 8)

Candida and I are going to Punta Colorada from Xmas thru New Years day this year - the passport paperwork is up and running and the trip $$$$ is secured . I will be fishing from the beach (the 'human chum-slick' won't be on a Panga :roll: ) and could use any useful tips ....other than staying out of Mexican jail and not drinking the water ....

Questions -

#1 - Anyone fish the beach/inshore in winter ?? What did you see/catch ?

#2 - What were the common baitfish encountered ?? Sizes , shapes , colors ....??

#3 - Anyone try night fishing ??

#4 - What is the best footwear for running on the beach ?? I've heard Teva-type sandals will allow sand between your feet and the insoles and GRIND your dogs bloody ..... what REALLY works ??

#5 - luggage ..... will my 3-piece rods be OK if I check them ? Should I ask for TSA inspections before checking the gear ??

I have 8 or 10 books on this subject , but there's nothing quite like first-hand reports/experence . I am hoping for Ladyfish , Sierra Macks , Pompano , and maybe Roosterfish ... but I'm open to WHATEVER - :idea:

I'd like to say I'll miss Sacramento , but I won't - This will be my first trip abroad , and the prospect of Baja surf fish just pees all over the dead fishing I've had in the American in December . All suggestions are welcome , along w/ experimental flies , leaders , places to avoid , foods to stay away from , average Beer prices , things that BITE while in the water .....

Thanks for all posts on this one - I owe you guys :arrow:

David

Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-21-2005, 08:19 AM
Hi David,

We have had a couple of shop trips there in the past. Jim Christensen and Andy Guibord at the shop have hosted trips there in the recent past. Also Darian has fished in that area plus Jay Murakoshi and Ken Hanley too so you should get tons of help with this.

The prime time is May through November with the warmer months being better for fishing.

Gary Graham who post weekly on our BB, Baja on the Fly, is a real expert and is down there most of the year. He has lots of helpful info on his web site.

http://www.bajafly.com/

Baja on the Fly

http://www.fliesunlimited.com/

Jay's web site

http://www.pacificextremes.com/

Ken Hanley's site

The first report I heard from a friend who went on one of our shop trips said it was beautiful there and we should be taking the wives too. I hear the snorkeling is great right there.

SullyTM
07-21-2005, 08:21 AM
David...My advice is: 1.) Don't drink the H2O, just the Cervesa 2.) Bring sunscreen 3.) Use my Sparkling Bendback fly 4.) Brush up on your Spanish and last but not least 5.) Don't drink the H2O, just the Cervesa

Also, do some wandering...Mexico has alot to offer. Enjoy. SullyTM

k.hanley
07-21-2005, 09:18 AM
Say hey Dave,
First let me say "enjoy your time in Mexico with Candida." As for the fly fishing during late December/early Jan... unfortunately not a very good prospect on most days where you're heading. However you can ceratinly catch fish anytime you make a cast into the Sea of Cortez.

Offshore in winter it's all about marlin and sailfish mostly. With some dorado and some skippies in the mix.

Beach anglers can enjoy a mixed bag as well. Sierra are indeed a winter staple in the area. Shots at small roosters are possible (but not usually plentiful). Reef species such as pargo and cabrilla are ceratinly worth your efforts. The beaches will offer you many species including grunts, porgy, goatfish, and more wild stuff.

I don't go barefoot on the beach. Sandals are fine. If I were to do some hardcore surf adventures I'd opt for fully protected feet (ie: neo booties).

Best wishes my friend.
Cheers, Ken

Darian
07-21-2005, 09:47 AM
Actually,.... The water there is probably better than you get here. It was explained to me that this is an inadvertant side affect of tropical storms that hit that area in the late summer and fall. The rainwater percolates into the ground and pumped from wells in that area. It comes out sweet and cool. :D :D I took a bunch of Imodium but didn't need/use it. Stay away from surface water (arroyo's) tho. :(

I found walking on the beaches to be really interesting and safe, for the most part. Aside from an encounter with the "Federales" marching down the beach one day (fully armed), the only people we saw were fisherman on ATV's. 8) The surface of the sea was calm until the afternoon with gentle swells, most days. Surf was very small. 8) There're afternoon breezes everyday in June. The sand between Rancho Leonero and just above La Ribera a course type. It feels good on bare feet but it wasn't fun with sandals..... Watch where you put your feet tho :shock: . There're dead jellies/puffer fish and other hazards on the sand :shock: :shock: (most can be seen). So, take a first-aid kit and lots of sunblock (SPF 36 minimum). 8) I saw a couple of guys on their first trip get a really bad sunburn after a day fishing. They were in pain for the rest of the trip. You might consider taking a product called "Banana Boat" (green or blue) in case you get a sunburn. It will provide some relief. 8)

Judging from what I've read about December in that area, you could encounter some heavier winds and surf. Of course the air is much more temperate then. 8) Take a jacket, it gets cool at night and during windy days at that time. Not sure if they're around in December but jelly fish can be a porblem at certain times of the year right up into the surf. Check before wading barelegged. :?

Not sure what fish you'll encounter at that time of year as bait fish become scarcer and they're already scarce, this year..... The beach in the area around Punta Colorado is deeper than that around Rancho Leonero. Thus, you get more wash and there're some reefs/rocks around there, as well. There's almost always rock fish available. In addition to the usual Sardina patterns, I'd take some squid patterns. Pay attention to the length of your flies. When I was there, I was told by a local that my flies (approx 3" - 3 1/2" long) were too long. After returning, Ken/Jay confirmed that Ineeded to get down to 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" long. Bring some SoCal surf patterns, as well..... 8) 8)

Can't help you with 3 piece rod questions. All of the rods I took were four piece and packed into my check in luggage. For surf fishing, I'd stick to weights from 8 to 10. I used floating or intermediate heads (no sink tips) but that was because the beaches were relatively shallow. Might be different down there..... 8) 8) I like to keep the leader situation simple as possible. No complicated knots, etc. I used a few leaders that I made and some that I bought. Kiene's has all of the leaders stuff already made up and that was good enough for me. leader length was 9' - 10'; 20 lbs test with bite tip, if I felt it necessary. Take some wire with you. 8) 8)

I'm running out of wind here.... :( More later. 8) 8) 8)

Jay Murakoshi
07-21-2005, 08:30 PM
Hey David,

Glad you're going to experince the baja fishing. My thoughts on December are as follows:

Usually will get alot more wind from Mid December up through April. The fishing can be a little tougher but there will be some thing out there will to give you a tug on the line. I have been down there in December but not at Christmas time. Like Darian mentioned without the presence of bait, it could be tough. I have caught some small rooster, but nothing to crow about. If you are staying at Punta Colorada, I would try some of the rocks that are north of the resort. On the south side, there is alot of real estate to cover. I don't know if the law applies in the area but ATV have been banned from the beaches. You might check if you plan on renting one. I think the person you would talk to is Alejandro. He is the person that arranges the panga's and ATV.... Now for panga's and the captains.
Don't expect a full blown fly fishing pangero, if you do, you'll be disappointed. I've been through the experience with these captains and let me tell you, I had to show my captain how to throw the bait. Once he caught on, he threw a couple hand fulls and the sat down to smoke a cigarette. Needless to say it was the lightess tip I ever handed out down there. I also really didn't like the way the boated you to your fishing boat in the morning. We had some real accidents and we also had two guys waiting for three hours for their captain who slept in.

Flies: I use alot of sea habit sardina's in 2" length. I also throw alot of hollow flies, surf candies and clouser's

One thing that wasn't mentioned was the fishing license. You don't need one from the beach but if you step foot in a boat, you need one, even a non fishing passenger.

Mentioned earlier, wear some kind of foot protection. Puffer stickers can be painful, I know I got stuck by one in the finger and in no time, it swelled 5 times the normal size. Also, if you get nailed by some "Jelly"
I usually take some Adolf Meat Tenderizer to kill the enzynes (sp) or one other way but the gross/crude method is to use urine :cry:

Well, with all this good news I hope your trip is great :lol:

Jay

Hairstacker
07-21-2005, 09:14 PM
Well, there you go David, if you step on something, just piss on your foot. :lol:

Darian
07-21-2005, 10:47 PM
Would you say that's similar to stepping in it :?: :?: :?:

SullyTM
07-22-2005, 07:12 AM
Jay...Adolf Meat Tenderizer :!: Will Lowry's Seasoning Salt work :lol: :?: Well, David does whip up a mean BBQ so I'm sure he has some condiments he can bring...

David...When I was last in Mexico, a lifetime ago, I made the mistake of eating some fish at a seaside restaurant that wasn't fully cooked...Make sure your food is properly cooked, or you could be hugging the porcelain. Bwup!

HC
07-25-2005, 12:11 AM
David, My one and only trip was to Cabo in March of '89. We had a blast and the memories still glow. I got really sick on the 4th day and didn't recover til the 7th and last day. So I never went back. First rule everything happens on "Mexico time" the pace can be much slower there, So adjust expectations accordingly. Offshore we had one really good boat crew, and one sort of below average pangero who was a nice guy, but was a last minute substitue who would not venture out to the far reefs. The wind blew hard in the afternoon everyday so 1/2 day trips we just right. It did cool off real nice in the evening so bring a sweatshirt or something. We were not bothered by too much by mosquitos, each morning I would count the dead ones in the netting. Bring some deet. I would say if it comes in a bottle its ok to drink, avoid fountain drinks and things that are prepared and eaten raw like salads. Fishing the beaches was tough and we saw no roving fish and we went to some private beaches too. Back then there was only one pangero doing flyfishing trips but He guided elsewhere during the winter months. We took only full lines in the wt class of the rods so casting from beaches was tough in the wind. Bring your heads. I walked and snorkled off the beaches with out problem except the sand was hot on the bare feet so a small back pack is handy for stowing you sandals and carrying some drinks. We found unrefrigerated milk at the mercado. Once cooled down we could not see or taste any difference. Rent a car, and travel around some and have a good time there with the locals. Watch out for the trucks! And take care about the Pemex station not to get ripped off. Its priced in pasos per liter so you might want a calculater on hand. They all had them. Hope this helps. Email me if you have any specific questions. HC

David Lee
07-26-2005, 10:08 PM
Thank you all for the advice -

Bill - I'm in touch w/ all the guys you mentioned , and I'll post the be-all , end-all report when I come back ( IF I come back ... :P ) . Photos and scars included, of course ....

Big Ken - Candida and I thank you for the warm wishes - you know me too well , 'small' game is THE game in my eyes .... and I shall follow your lead .... into the SURF ZONE :!:

Jay - thanks for the fly advice , I'll go short and see if I can't find something to play with - I'll be in touch shortly ....

Thom - 1.) O.K. 2.) I will . 3.) you are sending me another dozen w/ a slightly heavier wing .... right ?? (I'll make it worth your while :twisted: ) . 4.) Si , mi Amigo ....por que no ?? 5.) Mmmmmmm .... Beer !! Get your butt up here , fish are ON !!

Darian - my Surf Candies are 3 inches long ( on #1 and # 1/0 hooks ...), I can taper them shorter . Got a few spools of Surflon wire , shooting heads up the wazoo , a 2000 YARD spool of #30 Amnesia :shock: , knotted Dog leaders from Harro in OZ , 50 pack of #50 braided mono loops ...... I'll be set-up in case I get stranded for any amount of time . By the way ... I'll keep my eyes open for Bonita Nativas who dig older , leftist fly-guys 8)

'Stacker - Piss on my foot ??? Why not , since I'm crappin' my pants at the thought of going down there w/ my fly gear ... Speaking of which - Sure could use a dozen or so of your #2 cactus charlies (some pink and some tan , if you please) . I'll make sure to bring ya back a CLEVER gift !

HC - Thanks for the heads-up on the wind - I'll be using T-14 and LC-13 on mono to beat the nasty north wind ... Likely I'll be the first gringo to bring a Pendelton down there and actually wear it . Sorry you were sick , that's no way to spend your vacation .

Thanks again , Gentlemen .....

David and Candida Lee :mrgreen: