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Thread: Days 27, 28, 29, big wind, no fish!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Lodi, San Joaquin Delta
    Posts
    751

    Default Days 27, 28, 29, big wind, no fish!

    Wednesday night a Chubasco blew through Mulege. It didn't do a lot of damage but did fill the boat with a fine layer of sand. By mid-morning Thursday the seas were small enough for us to go out but the effort was pretty much wasted. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

    Friday we had some lumpy seas and we went out early. Nothing again.

    Saturday we decided to head north. We reached sixteen miles out in six foot seas, the biggest I've ever fished in while in Baja, trolled for an hour south although why we bothered was beyond us since it would have been tough fly fishing if we had hooked a Judas fish.

    We reeled in and went to the point. The seas were much calmer as we neared Pt. Concepcion. We ducked inside and I had some success rock fishing but the fish were small. The long liners seemed to have cleaned a good portion of the larger fish from the area.

    The day was a busy one for sport fishing with ten or so pangas out as well as ourselves. Not a single boat caught fish. Enrique went 23 miles out, Mateo 30 miles south. I'm sure the clients got a good bouncing around in the weather.

    Today. Sunday, is supposed to be calmer but still not the smooth seas of late June. My SO, "she who must be obeyed" and the boat's owner, is somewhat under the weather. We may just head inside Concepcion bay and picnic and maybe do a little rock fishing. I doubt that we'll go out for another roller coster ride. If not, I'll just play boat boy and scrub and polish.

    Maybe Monday, only ten days left!
    Capt. JerryInLodi
    www.DeltaStripers.Com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Default CHUBASCO's!!!!!.....

    Hey Jerry,.... Between the weather and the commercial boats the Sea of Cortez is getting mauled pretty good, lately. I sure hope the level of commercial fishing you've witnessed isn't going to become the norm down there. If I recall correctly, seems to me that there was an effort to limit commercial fishing in the gulf by the Mexican Government (of course, it was along time ago).... I guess that effort is slowed or ended.

    Two years ago, at East Cape, we only saw one commercial boat in a 10 day period and that one was headed outside....

    Anyway, here's hoping your SO and you enjoy calm seas and more good fishing during the next 10 days....
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Lodi, San Joaquin Delta
    Posts
    751

    Default

    Darian, the commercial stuff around here right now is just the panga fleet but they are persistent. Two main fish camps have been set up and they are both gill netting and long lining.

    I was told by the locals that the contracts with the Japanese are no longer in effect and the Japanese no longer work the Cortez waters. That still leaves the local purse seiners, shrimp trawlers, and the panga fleets. I just don't see how the government is going to be able to stop this level of fishing since it provides a bare existence for so many people.

    What will eventually stop the fishing is the lack of economic viability but in a poor country like Mexico that's a pretty low level. Highway # 1 is both a blessing in that it provides access for the whole peninsula but also a liability since it allows refrigerator trucks to haul the fisherman's catch up and down the road to the big markets in Ensenada, Tiajuana, La Paz, Cabo, etc as well as into San Diego and export overseas.

    Having fished here for close to 15 years, I'd say that, stepping back and looking at the big picture, the ecosystem is close to collapse. In one of my earlier posts I mentioned the lack of bird life. In years past the skies were full of birds, now I see only small groups.

    In years past, we would see whales every day, usually more than one, this year we see only one a week if that frequently. Their smaller cousins, the dolphins, are still here and seem to be in the same numbers as I remember.

    In my slide collection I have pictures of floating weed in patches over an acre in size and sometimes the trails would extend for miles. We have seen only one trail, about a quarter mile and the largest patch was about ten feet around. Under those patches we would catch juvenile yellow tail, and see many other species as well as Dorado almost under every one. The Dorado could actually be caught by going out no farther than five to six miles.

    We would see schools of billfish, mostly sails, sometimes in groups of 20 or more. This year I've seen less than five the entire time I've been here.

    Yesterday with about ten boats trying to make bait, I didn't see a single mackerel hauled in. Our efforts of about 45 minutes produced two juvenile yellow tail, two taco bass, one coronet fish and one juvenile snapper.

    I think what this means for the sport fisherman is that the fishing will not be as consistent as it was years ago. I've had some great days this year, some so-so days and some really hopeless days. In reading the posts of others up and down the coast it seems that similar results can be found, a week of absolutely fabulous fishing followed by two days to a week of nothing.

    Where will it all go? I have no clue. I look at our "managed" fisheries in El Norte and we certainly can't provide instruction or example. The striped bass fishery is barely hanging on, the salmon stocks are slowly disappearing even in Alaska and most people that fish the lakes and streams are catching fish raised on pellets.
    Capt. JerryInLodi
    www.DeltaStripers.Com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    2,934

    Default

    Jerry

    Very sobering words...but true. Thanks for your insight. My good friend that I fish baja with often says, "if you want to enjoy the fishery down there, ya better go now".


    Jay

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Default Commercial Fishing....

    You're absolutely right about the need to fish for the locals. It's one of the best and highest paying jobs down there. While in La Paz, I was told that the average wage is $4.30 per day. Hotel workers get around $7.00 per day. A panguero makes a share of the daily fee plus tips. That's a decent living for that area. However, fuel prices are going up and pangueros don't have clients every day. Subsistance fishing is a way of life in Baja.

    The Government hasn't yet invested in major infrastructure down there even tho they have created a good/paved highway.... I didn't see any sewage treatment facility in La Paz and the bay is subject to algae blooms as a result. Jay's friend is, also, correct. We should visit and fish in the Sea of Cortez as much as possible before it does collapse. Maybe the Mexican government will wake up to the potential for saving this fishery for tourist exploitation and limit further commercial fishing.... But I'm not going to hold my breath.....
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

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