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View Full Version : Mexico gear tips and advice needed.....



fishbonz
01-19-2006, 12:49 PM
I will be doing a trip to La Paz this summer with Jay Murakoshi. I have a 10 weight and hope to borrow or buy a 12 weight too. What size and type of backing do you recommend for this type of fishing? And how much do you put on? If a fish breaks me off, I'd prefer him to break off at the tippet, not at the backing!! it is my hope to have info before this weekend's ISE in Sacramento so I may look for "deals".

for those of you who have been there before, what line do you recommend? floating vs. intermediate vs. (which) sink tip or sinking line? I have a float and 625 grain 10 weight line now, but will load it after I hear about the backing. (I was debating about PowerPro braid, but am afraid one fish run will cause the line to cut me.)

Hopefully our group will meet with Jay for more pointed questions and advice too (or maybe he'll see this too).

thanks in advance.

p.s. anyone willing to rent out a 12 weight rod for a poor slob who is tight on money?

jbird
01-19-2006, 06:48 PM
If your in a boat you can get away with 300yrds of backing, minimum. from the beach, I wouldnt have less than 400 yrds. I have 450yrds of 50# XP tufline on my 12 wt and 500yrds of the same stuff in 30# on my 10wt. Power pro is an excellent choice for backing and I recommend it right along with the XP Tufline by western filament. They are both very small diameter/very high breakstrength spectra lines. Anything small diameter can cut you, thats just a sacrifice for packing on a lot of backing.
As for flylines, you wont have much use for a floater. An intermediate can do surface to a few feet down. A 400 grain head would be very useful in a boat and on the beach. Your 650 will work too, but it seems like a lot of head for a 10wt. A good way to be prepared on your first trip down would be shooting heads. Get a couple running lines and heads in intermediate thru type 6 and a T14 can come in handy. That way you can have a whole arsenal of lines on a tight budget(you wont need extra spools for your reels) Shooting heads are around $30 and running lines are anywhere from under $10 to around $30. take an extra head in the most used sizes, like clear intermediate and type 6. Big fish can and will make you pay for a poorly tied knot or loop connection. Fish down there can be pretty agressive, so you can entice fish with most line choices. Its not like flats fishing where the water column is very thin and presentation is everything. I know Gary Graham does most of his fishing with a 350 grain integrated line.
I'd say if you were going to splurge on one piece of equipment, it should be your reel. A good quality drag system is worth its weight in gold. Also a reel that can be taken apart and cleaned easily...sand gets in everything.

As you know, Gary Graham and Jay M. frequent this site and they will hopefully chime in.

I'll be in la paz in June as well. :wink:

Jay

Tony Buzolich
01-19-2006, 09:44 PM
If you're going June 2nd, we'll be going down together.

As for backing, I've been using 50# braid in bright yellow made by Calcutta. All of the braids are good but I like to see the lines direction when a fish is running, and so do most captains when they have to chase a fish or adjust the boats direction.

I agree a 100% about having a good reel, with a disc drag, and plenty of backing.

By using 50# backing in braid you will accomodate more line, and it almost assures you will break your leader before the backing does.

Learn to tie a few knots too. Bimini's and Albrights are used a lot.

Any chance we can call you by your real name?
TONY

jbird
01-19-2006, 10:59 PM
Another thing to add here is. If this is a guided package, You will likely have access to some of the guides equipment. ie. rod, reel, line. That is the beauty of having a guide your first time down. Next time youll be fine DIY and youll know what to bring.

Tony, good point on the bright backing, I also use neon yellow.

J

fishbonz
01-23-2006, 10:09 AM
Thanks for all your input. I appreciate it. I did a little research on the shooting tips, and found that Orvis is having a sale on theirs: 4 shooting tips, or a kit with all 4 plus the shooting line. sounds like a good idea....for there or for stripers in the Delta!!

for you going there in June, how likely are you to see sailfish? I am debating the "necessity" of a 12 weight, mainly due to cost, especially since I won't use this rod often enough to justify the cost. AS someone else mentioned, even if you hook up, you will probably lose it. aS such, why not just use a 10 weight? If you lose it, that was expected. If you land it, what a heck of a story!!!

I may have to ask my club if anyone has one I can borrow or rent. The group running the trip (Fishabout) does not have rods or gear to rent down there.....

Cedric.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
01-23-2006, 10:40 AM
Off the beach most use anthing from a 7 to a 10 weight depending mostly on the size of the flies you are throwing.

Out of the boats most will use 9 through 12 weights again depending on the fly size a little more than fish size.

I am sure Jay and Ken will have a complete tackle recommendation for you all. I would follow theirs more than anything else unless you know someone who has gone with them in the past.

Having the right flies will be very imortant especially if you want to catch a good size Roosterfish.

Jim Christensen and Andy Guibord at our fly shop have both fished with groups to the East Cape before too.

Darian
01-23-2006, 01:28 PM
Hey Cedric,..... Your post mentions an Orvis sale on "shooting tips". Haven't looked on their site yet but just wanted to caution you that a shooting tip may not be the same as a shooting head. :?

Your post makes it sound as tho what Orvis is offering is a line with four interchangeable tips. :? These tips may be shorter (10' to 15' in length) than a typical shooting head. That might not meet your needs for Baja. :? Heads are usually sold individually or made from other lines and may be anywhere from 25' to 33' in length (longer in the case of "overhead" rods). 8)

Jay Murakoshi
01-23-2006, 02:02 PM
Darian/Cedric/Tony

Here's what is recommended but not the bible....

For most first timers, I recommend bring 10, 11 or 12 wt rods. Once you learn how to get the fish under control, fight the fish and land it, things will be easier. Alot of guys in the past have used a 10wt to start off with but will change over to a 12 wt to help shorten the fighting time. Most of you have heard me mention that I use a 8 and 9 wt rod but with the experience, it can be done.

Reels:

Reels should have a good drag system to help slow down the fish. You will find that if you tighten your drag all the way down, most fish will still pull line off the reel. As for the backing, I use two types. Most of my reels are backed up with 30lb Cortland Teflon coated dacron, some of the reels have Spectra or a gel spun line similar in the 30 to 50lb range. I have found that the Australian bionic braid (pink line) is great but not necessary. As for the amount of backing, I personally don't think 400 yards in necessary. I'm using the Bauer's MX4 & MX5 and would guess that there's only 350 yards, maybe. I have yet to be spooled or close to being spooled. Even hooking into Wahoo, which is probably the fastest swimming thing out there. Marlin and sails will take you for a ride but they won't be running that great distance. Figure in out.... 400 yards is 4 football field lengths. Go to a field and stand there and imagine 4 lengths of that field - 1200 ft. Alot of things can go wrong in that distance, especially if a needle fish or some thing sees the yellow line cutting through the water, I don't know how many times I've been bitten off.
Your boat captain will also chase the fish if you want to. But it's your choice on the backing and capacity. In my 30 years of Baja fishing, I've only been close to being spooled once and that was a huge yellow fin tuna

Jay

Jay Murakoshi
01-23-2006, 02:21 PM
I have been following and reading the posts the past couple days. I just returned home from the Sacramento show. Meet a few of the guys who are doing the May trips and also meet a few who are with the Granite Bay clud who is going down in July

Like I mentioned at Kiene's on Wednesday afternoon, the rod I would purchase for a 10 or 12 wt would be an Echo. Around $169.00, plenty of lifting power in the butt section. This is the rod that I take down for spare rods in case one of my clients break a rod. In the 30 years that I have been visiting baja, I think I've only had 3 broken rods, one was last year -some one stepped on the tip

If any of you have questions, feel free to give me a call or email me.
My home phone number is (559) 449-0679. I don't want anyone going down unprepared.

Hopefully this post won't be too long but the following is what I use:

LC13 or T14 shooting heads
Air Flow Depth Finder lines - suited for a 9 or 10 wt outfit
SA Mastery series full lines.

Leader material:
Cabela's Florocarbon 15lb to 30lb.
I will rig up leaders with 15lb class material and attach 12 to 18" of 30lb or sometimes 40lb material.
I use a simple knot - the slim beauty knot, quick and easy

Reels:
Bauer MX4 and MX5
Tibor Reel
I do have the Loomis 11, 12, 13 reel but use only if targeting sails.

My main thing that I put pressure on the fish and don't let them run more than 150 to 200' if possible. I've landed skip jacket in the 15lb range in 5 minutes or less. But you have to know the limits of the rod.

Take extra lines because there are no persay fly fishing shop is La Paz. I can take you to tackle shop the sells florocarbon material and possibly backing but no fly lines, unless they brought some into the shop. They will soon be carrying a few of my patterns. There's also another shop in the marina area that will be carrying some of my patterns

Any question????? Post, email or call

Jay