Tailhunter Fish Report

In a strange early season showing, striped marlin in abundance showed up in La Paz waters giving anglers an unexpected bonus, especially just north of La Paz where one angler said, "They were thick and pesty. It seemed like dozens of marlin were seen every day!" Normally, we don't see stuff like this for about another few weeks or next month.

Our La Ventana buddy, recently from Long Beach, Roger Thompson was at it again. He was out with Captain Chito and had one of those banner days with limits of big yellowtail, a striped marlin, and huge cabrilla (see photos below).

Not bad for a first-time trip for Paul McBeth to La Paz. One day fishing...two striped marlin...5 yellowtail including this nice forktail on the gaff.

Perhaps even more prized than other gamefish for it's great eating...this trophy cabrilla (Mexican seabass) was taken by Roger Thompson who scaled it at 18 pounds!

This is just too pretty a picture not to post up. This is about a 140 pound striped marlin still underwater. It's a fat one if you check out the shoulders on this guy. If you've ever had one on the line, you can feel the power. Great shot! Thanks Roger!

Many of our readers wanted some samples of the artificials that we're using right now on some of these yellowtail when we're not using live bait. Across the bottom are samples of "iron"...basically what we call candybar type lures. Many companies make them but favorites include Tady, Ironman, Sumo, Salas, Raider and others. All of these are "heavy lures" and across the bottom from left to right are colors: scrambled egg (white, yellow, brown); blue and white; blue/ white; and dorado color (green, white, yellow). Also, above is a CD-18 size Rapala Magnum in green mackeral pattern that has also worked well slow trolled across the high spots and reefs. (Note the scratch, teeth and dried blood...these lures have all caught fish!)

APRIL ROLLS IN WITH SOME UNUSUAL FISHING!

La Paz/ Las Arenas Fishing Report for Week of April 2-10, 2011

Except for some occasional strong winds that seem to diminish every week.  We’re into some great fishing weather with sunny skies and days in the mid-70’s.  Water temps, however, are really variable which might account for the really mixed fishing.  Not bad fishing…just “mixed fishing!”

How else to explain catching yellowtail (cold water fish) in the same spots as marlin and dorado (warm water fish)?  What we figure is that the surface temps are warming faster as we get to the spring time conditions.  The warmer water at the top has the blue water species while down deep, it’s still chilly which is where the yellowtail are hanging out.  In fact, I know for a fact it’s warmer on the top because the water vis has gone-to-poop.  It was great blue for a bit, but as is customary this time of year, when it hits a certain temperature, the algae bloom kicks in so the waters gets green and cloudy.  Not always the best for diving or fishing but it’s a temporary thing.  The water keeps getting warmer then WHAM…it hits a certain gradient and all of a sudden all the algae dies and disappears.  And the waters turn blue again.

As far as the fishing, it’s not been as great as it was a week or two ago, but certainly not bad.  The anglers who went-with-the-flow did pretty well.  Yellowtail still bit and we put some nice 20-40 pound fish in the boat mostly around the high spots and the island reefs but also the seamounts in deeper water.  Nice grades of moss-back fish!  In those same spots, the pargo are schooling up (if you can get through the schools of bonito) and we got some nice cabrilla as well.  But, the pargo are really frustrating…as many folks know.  If  the yellowtail aren’t biting then and the wind is blowing, you’re relegated to chasing the crazy pargo.  They bite, but they kick your butt too!  Most fish are lost and that makes for a long day!  Along the beaches, schools of small roosters and jacks kicked in which is great on a small spinning reel.

The real surprise are the marlin, especially north of town. As one angler said, “It felt like there were hundreds out there!”  Some fish are still pretty lethargic…so much so that one of our captains said he accidentally ran over two of them that were just sunning themselves.  He felt “bump bump” both times and saw the marlin skittering away.  Just not interested in baits, lure or anything 

Then, you run into another group of stripers and they almost fight each other to get to the bait.  We’re encouraging catch-and-release and most of the caught fish are getting let go.  But, for us to even be seeing marlin this early willing to bite is pretty great!  Normally, I would never suggest to anyone about coming in April to get a marlin!  But, that’s fishing!

That’s our story

Jonathan and Jill

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

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