REPORT #1009. “Below the Border” Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
Endless Season Update 05/06/06
East Cape

Surface Squid
East Cape fishing conditions have been great over the last week. Warm water and ample supplies of bait have lead to good action both inshore and offshore. Early in the week, the offshore bite turned on big time with marlin, sailfish, and dorado on the feed in the vicinity of Ocho-Ocho (8. Gordon P. Henriksen made the trip across the planet from Denmark to sample the East Cape fishery. He and his buddy/camera man, Morten Svendsen, had plenty of action inshore with good catches of black skipjack and pargo. They moved offshore the next day and found wide open action on pelagic species including marlin, sails and huge skipjack. The fish had schools of squid balled up tight on the surface where they fed at will on the helpless cephalopods.

Inshore fishing has been good thanks to large schools of flat iron herring (sardina). Roosterfish, jack crevalle, black skipjack, pargo, and the occasional sierra have been on the prowl along the beach making for some outstanding action. Jim Schmitz of Tacoma, Wash. had an amazing day, hooking three large roosterfish from a dead stopped panga as the predators exploded in a feeding frenzy around the boat. It was Classic East Cape action!

Yesterday, JD and I went to the lighthouse for snorkeling and some casual fly-fishing. Got to cast to a few good fish. Turned a couple but no eats. Fun stuff. Great way to spend Cinco de Mayo. As we were leaving, a mega school of jacks appeared off the beach. Hundreds and hundreds packed in a tight ball.

By Lance Peterson and Josh Dickenson
Baja on the Fly Guides

Water temperature 68-79
Air temperature 62-89
Humidity 58%
Wind: WNW 2 mph
Conditions: Cloudy
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 6:42 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:48 p.m. MST

Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico

Cooler than normal conditions persisted again this week with a west wind that won't quit. Estero [estuary] action seemed to be confined to corvina and pompano along with an occasional grouper. Out at the entrada [entrance] action was fair under the bird schools for sierra, bonito and a few firecracker yellowtail. Offshore there was little to report with the continued rough sea conditions. Under the bridge at the entrance to San Carlos also produced a few corvina and even a pargo or two.



Water temperature 60 - 67
Air temperature 59-78
Humidity 94%
Wind: W 17 mph
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility 5 miles
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. MST
Sunset 7:55 p.m. MST
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The water has changed again this last week. Looking at the current Terrafin satellite photos, both the inshore and offshore waters have cooled down as much as four or five degrees this week.

This has slowed the fishing also. We are currently in the second day of our annual sailfish tournament, with about 120 boats fishing. They are averaging about one sailfish per day, per boat.

Talking this morning (Saturday) with Adolpho on the panga “Dos Hermanos,” the inshore action is seeing some sierras and a few jack crevalle, but no roosters.

Ed Kunze

Water temperature 78 - 84
Air temperature 72 - 86
Humidity 83%
Wind Calm
Conditions: Clear
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:17 a.m. CST
Sunset 8:08 p.m. CST