Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for July, 2016

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of July 16-24, 2016

EXPRESS  VIDEO FISHING REPORT 

Sorry this is such a rough video this week.  Only had time to do it in one take before the internet quit on me!

WEEK AT A GLANCE (Scale of 1-10)

Conditions:   6 – Better than it’s been

Fish Quality:  8 – Big fish with marlin in the spotlight

Fish Quantity:  2.5  Not many fish.  Just big fish!  Marlin or  smaller triggerfish.  More quality than quantity.

Water:  6 – Getting bluer and warmer finally

Weather:  8-  Hot and muggy.  Bits of rain at times.  Just enough to mess up my just-washed-car. 😦

Storm:  2 – One to the south that went to Hawaii generated some waves to south facing beaches like Muertos Bay.  Got bouncy.

Live Bait:  3 – Still tough.  Gotta work for it. Some days better than others.  We use whatever shows up.

Overall:  4-5

Jonathan’s Disposition:  Much better than the week before.  Saw lots of smiles this week.

Applause:  To all the anglers who resisted the urge to kill their billfish and released them and to those that donated so much to others who needed the food!  Cheers!

 

THE BIG PICTURE

Henke Marlin tags 7-16

Wow! What can you say, Robert “Pops” Henke from Montebello CA comes to see us every year. He’s 89-years-old and his first marlin turns out to be 370 pounds! With the help of son, Bo, they fought the fish for almost 3 hours. Captain Chito “ten more minutes” Martinez from the Tailhunter Fleet handled the boat. They also got a sailfish. There were some larger blue marlin hooked and lost this week as well!  Additionally, bravo to Pops and Bo who only kept about 50-pounds of meat (to divide among a group of 14 anglers)  and made sure that anyone of the locals  who wanted or needed fish received some to eat.  It fed many families!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The laughs are non-stop for anyone around Jerry Acosta from Phoenix whenever he visits us! There were so many billfish hooked this week, it’s hard to tell if Jerry has a striped marlin or a small blue there in the water. I think it’s a small blue.

Craig and Cathy Corda pargo tags Pancho 7-16

Captain Pancho wit Craig and Cathy Corda from Calexico, our amigos, who had a great few days of fishing and kicked it off with a bookend pair of big mean dog-tooth snapper (pargo perros).

Thomas marlin tags 7-16

Thomas only had 1 day to fish with us and got his first marlin too. It looks like a striper or even a small (dare-I-say) swordfish! I would tend to say a striped marlin but the captains called this a “white marlin” and indeed, the meat was white, not orange like a striped marlin and very meaty!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Luis Arandia finally got his first marlin…a striper. He also hooked a blue and a sailfish over two days!

Pargo tags 7-16 dog tooth

And yet another big big dog-tooth snapper hits the beach. Usually, we get these big pargo in the fall and later fall. Mean fish. Big teeth too!

craig tags 7-16 pancho wahoo

Craig Corda is all smiles with a nice wahoo. Craig has gotten a wahoo the last few times he’s fished with us…which is every year!

Marco holguin tags 7-16 rooster

He has to head back in a few weeks for his 2nd year of law school in New York, but Marco Holguin did get this nice roosterfish before he released it!

DSCN0331

Monster Jack Crevalle for Africa outfitter, out friend, Ken Khaplin who also got big roosterfish and marlin last week.

Cathy tags pancho marlin 7-16

And here’s Cathy Corda with her first marlin too! Another one of the billfish I would call a striped marlin, but was told it was a “white marlin” even tho’ supposedly white marlin are only found in the Atlantic. The meat was indeed white when we packed it and striped marlin has dark reddish/orange flesh.

Jonathan Manny pargo 7-16 tags

Yes, even I got out for just a few hours at sunset thanks to Gary Wagner and his great family for hosting us for the evening at Rancho Costa in Bahia de los Muertos. Out with his captain Manuel, we got bit off by a big wahoo; got some fat bonito; then ended the evening with a barred pargo headed to the dinner table at the lodge!  It ate a purple Rapala XRap 30.

Marco Marlin tags 7-16

Marco Holguin again with his first striped marlin and Captain Jorge. Over 3 days he and his dad, Steve, got 4 striped marlin!

BIG OR GO HOME! MARLIN GO CRAZY!

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July  16-24, 2016

We just had maybe the best week of billfish I have ever seen here in the 20 years, we’ve had Tailhunters here in La Paz.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen billfish all over, but with the colder waters, they just weren’t interested in much of anything.  They were sitting on the surface and completely lethargic.

I kept saying that if the water temperatures came up just a few degrees, these fish will go.  Well, the water temps came up and the fish suddenly got hungry.   Every day, maybe 80% of our pangas hooked at least 1 billfish a day.  For every one brought to the boat, maybe 2-3 others were lost or released.  About 70% were released (way-to-go-guys!) and for those that came in or couldn’t be released, alot of the anglers donated the meat (double way-to-go!).   But, alot of fun and for alot of our folks, it was their first billfish. In some cases, their 2nd and 3rd as well.

These fish ranged from smaller 50-80 pound stripers to our largest of the week which was a 370-pound blue marlin.  There were also some sailfish as well.  Plus there were 1 or 2 other billfish that would have been larger than 400 pounds, but we’ll never know as they broke off after long battles.

Several items…we’re getting marlin that sure look like striped marlin to me.  Same shape and size.  But our captains are calling them “white marlin.”   But, white marlin are only found (supposedly) on the Atlantic.  I was dubious and still am.  They sure look like striped marlin!  But, maybe a little slimmer. But white marlin generally are smaller and slimmer than striped marlin.

However, when I was packing fish, the meat of the “white marlin” was WHITE!  Almost creamy white like the flesh of the delicious blue marlin.  The striper flesh that I was vacuum sealing was the normal orange color and very fibrous like I expected!

The other thing…I think we would have been able to release more of these fish except that alot of these fish are really deep-hooked.  Most of the guys are NOT trying to hook billfish.  We don’t troll big lures like many areas.  We fish live and dead bait.  We’re fishing for dorado or even rooster fish and  other species.

But, these billfish are just hungry.  They come up…even in the shallow areas…and they are HUNGRY.  They grab a bait and then swallow it!  Hook goes deep.  Some we can release.  Others…well…not so easy.  When you have a bait in the water, it’s not like you can pick-and-choose what bites the hook down under the surface.  A number of guys did try really hard to revive their fish!

Let me also just add one more thing…for anyone who’s doesn’t like seeing photos of the billfish…

  • Mexican regulations allow a fisherman to keep one per day
  • For every photo you see, 5 or 6 billfish were either lost or released
  • Normally, about 90% of all billfish we catch are voluntarily released
  • Many times when anglers are unable to revive a fish, they donate the meat to folks who need food
  • Even when a fish is purposely taken, many times, the anglers still donate a good chunk anyway
  • Alot of the anglers that are catching the marlin aren’t really trying to catch the billfish and are trying to catch other fish but the ocean being what it is, if there’s a bait in the water, the billfish are eating it…even in shallow water.  There’s no control of what decides to grab your bait under the water.  And, unlike a lure, a small bait goes right down the throat with the hook and makes it harder to release although we are still able to release many and lots of guys spend alot of energy reviving their fish.

TAILHUNTER LAS ARENAS/ MUERTOS BAY FLEET

After several weeks of green cold water, the waters have improved dramatically!  Our captains have commented that there are many more patches of clean blue water now although still some colder areas.  Jill and I were out there mid-week and visibility and conditions looked extremely good.

There wasn’t alot of variety this week, but as stated above, we got billfish.  There are stripers, sailfish, “white marlin” and smaller blue marlin (150 pounders) hooked.

As well, we’re seeing a little tick again of wahoo.  I was out with Gary Wagner from Rancho La Costa only for about an hour or so at sunset and the first big caballito we had in the water got torn in half like a Ginzu knife got it.  Too bad, we didn’t have a double-trap-hook set up on it because it was a huge 3 pound bait and it got cleanly severed.  Several other guys during the week also hooked and lost fish.

Additionally, some of the big dog-tooth snapper got caught this week as well.   Big fat doggies with the fangs!

TAILHUNTER LA PAZ FLEET

There were two kinds of fish.  No in-between fish.  They were either big.  Or they were small.

There were only two kinds of fish.  Rock fish (lots of triggers…smaller cabrilla and pargo…snapper).  Or, they were big marlin 80-400 pounds!

That was it in a nutshell.  No variation!  A few dorado thrown in, but that was the whole enchilada.  Guys either went inshore to the islands and rocks and knocked the heck out’ve triggerfish and rockfish.  Or they went deeper and got billfish.

For sure the larger billfish were on this side as waters tend to be deeper and there’s more current and feed north of La Paz than Las Arenas.  There were more sailfish on this side too.

TAILHUNTER DONATION NATION

Thanks to all of those who donated to our charities this week with school supplies and clothes!

Steve and Marco Holguin

Luis Arandia and Mario Salazar

Monte and Marlene Aldridge

MONTE MARLENE ALDRIDGE 7-16

Big smiles and thank you to Monte and Marlene Adridge from Utah on their first trip to La Paz managed to stuff a bunch of great school supplies into an ice chest for our kids!

That’s our story!

combo-signature-black letters

Jonathan and Jill

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: 

http://www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

La Paz – Las Arenas/Muertos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of July 10-17, 2016

THE EXPRESS TAILHUNTER FISHING REPORT WEEKLY VIDEO!

For those who don’t have the time to read, take a look and listen to our express weekly fishing report version above!

RATING THE WEEK:  (Scale of 1-10)

Variety:  7  Good (never knew what you’d hook up)

Action:  3-5 (Poor to OK on the number of hook-ups)

Quantity of Fish:  3 (Not so great)

Quality of Fish:  7 (some big fish out there which also had an effect on the Quantity of fish…lots of fish lost)

Weather:  Hot  (90’s)

Water:  Cooler than normal, but getting warmer high 70’s-low 80’s

Beer:  Icy

Overall:  3  (sad face waaaa…)

Jonathan’s Tempermant:  Hopefully Anxious

Quote of the Week:  “The best fisherman is the person having the most fun even if he has no fish”

 

THE FULL STORY

ROOSTERS STILL CHARGING BUT MARLIN WAKE UP

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July 10-17, 2016

Becky roosterfish tags 7-16 pancho 2

The big smile says it all! Becky Csutoras from Elk Grove CA never has a bad week of fishing with us. She hoists up a huge slab roosterfish south of Bahia de los Muertos with Captain Pancho. The fish was released!

Craig and Cathy Corda hit the home runs with a paid of magnificent dog-tooth snapper!

Craig and Cathy Corda hit the home runs with a paid of magnificent dog-tooth snapper! Wow!

Ken striped marlin pancho tags 7-16

It was a good week to check of fish from the bucket list. Our good amigo, Ken Chaplin, is a hunting guide and this is his 2nd trip to visit us and he finally got the marlin off his list. He caught and released this striped marlin near Las Arenas and released it. He also caught a blue marlin and a huge roosterfish. See below.

terry biggs chito tags dorado 7-16

Captain Chito and Terry Biggs with one of the only dorado we’ve seen all week. Hopefully, more on the way!

Ben Larkin rooster 7-16 tags

From Denver somewhere behind that dorsal fin is Ben Larkin who hefted this huge roosterfish near Boca de Alamo with Captain Adolfo. The fish was released.

McKenzie and Josh 7-16 marlin tags

McKenzie Pitts had some kind of week. Not only did boyfriend Josh propose to the Oregon gal, but her first day she gets a marlin right off the bat at Bahia de los Suenos/ Muertos. She got another one a few days later. They could not be released and meat was donated.

Rich Keogh tags cabrilla 7-16

Rich Keogh has been fishing with us for many years and he had a tough week like so many other amigos. However, Captain Raul with our La Paz fleet put Rich over this big cabrilla north of La Paz.

Buzzy Cook rooster tags pancho 7-16

Birthday fish for Buzzy Cook on his first trip with us and celebrated with this big roosterfish north of Boca de Alamo with Captain Pancho. The fish was released.

Rusty Cain Jeff Hampton marlin tags 7-16

Another guy who checked it off the bucket list…Rusy Cain with buddy, Jeff Hampton. Rusty got his first marlin and went home and booked to come back to fish with us at the end of October! He was with Captain Armando.

Oscar Castro Guy Petree tags 7-16

Shaka Brah! From buddy Guy Petree and Oscar Castro who cradles another roosterfish that got put back in the water right after the photo!

Terry Biggs chito tags cabrilla pargo 7-16

Terry Biggs with Captain Chito and some hefty good-eating rock fish including a barred pargo, dog-tooth snapper and a big trophy cabrilla (seabass).

Guy Petree tags jack crevalle 7-16

Pretty good week for jack crevalle. Just think roosterfish without all the adornment on the back! Tough tough fish to battle. Guy Petree again with the pose.

Marlin tags scott brown 7-16

Scott Brown of Santa Barbara with another striped marlin caught north of La Paz near Espirito Santo Island. The fish could not be released.

Ken rooster tags 7-16

Amigo, Ken Chaplin fished hard all week. And, although the fishing was tough, he did get a striped marlin…blue marlin and this nice big roosterfish that he released. He also realeased some of the largest jack crevalle of the week also.

GENERALLY SPEAKING

Waters are still cooler than normal, but improving.  Big rooster fish are still keeping anglers bent, but the marlin finally woke up after weeks of dis-interest.  Things are encouraging although it’s summer and there’s still no dorado around!  There was a big dorado tournament to the south of us and the winning fish was FIVE POUNDS!  (He still won a big check so that’s awesome as long as it’s bigger than 2nd place!)

But…Either way, another real “iffy” erratically frustrating week of fishing.

It was also REALLY hot this week with some big temperature spikes for a day or two that went into the 100’s then dropped back down after a day.  It produced some big afternoon winds on the backside low pressure and also gave us our first thunderheads and afternoon showers and bluster late in the day.

LAS ARENAS/ BAHIA de LOS MUERTOS

It was another week of hit-or-miss on the water.  Like everywhere else, there’s no dorado to speak of other than the occasional 5-10 pounder when dorado should be 90% of our catch.  Waters are still cooler than normal although warming a bit and getting bluer finally after 3 weeks of cold green waters.  We are actually seeing some spots of 80-83 degree water although there’s still obvious patches of green, dirty colder water mixed in or down below the thermocline.  I know this because it’s July and we’re still hooking some yellowtail and sierra…both cold water fish that we normally get in March and April or the wintertime and definitely not in the summer.  This is the latests I have seen them.

No wahoo.  No tuna.  Had some guys out looking but got shut out.

Our best bet in the area is the rooster fish and again, they are hogs.  The smaller ones are 25 pounders.  The larger ones rolled up around 60-70 pounds and some possibly bigger as almost all the fish are getting released and we don’t always have photos of all the fish.  Which is fine.  I’m glad folks are releasing them and getting them back in the water as soon as possible.  Given having a great photo or releasing a healthy fish, I’d rather have the fish swim away to go again another day and make more babies!

Other stuff around included some big horse jack crevalle, some white bonito and some pargo and cabrilla. And a small flurry of some really big dog-tooth snapper (again usually a cooler water fish!)

Still some sharks around too after that flurry for about 2 weeks when every boat seemed to hook up a shark.  Bait has been an issue (again) until late in the week when the waters were filled with mackerel everywhere which might account for the lack of fish.  They were too full!  But, maybe this will also bring the sharks back following food source.

The other item of big interest are the marlin.  They woke up!  See below…

LA PAZ

Just like our fleet at Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay, there no dorado. No tuna.  Not much of any pelagic species.  Waters have been colder than normal the last few weeks.  But…hold on…

They’re getting better!  Patches of blue showing up and water is getting clearer.  Also, one other indication is the marlin and sailfish finally started biting!

We’ve been seeing the billfish for several weeks.  They have been totally lethargic and uninterested in much.  Just finning and sitting on the surface.  This is the kind of behavior we normally see in the early spring when waters are cooler.

I kept telling folks that if the water temps kick up just a degree or two, the fish will get active!

Well, sure enough the temps rose and the fish started to bite.  We hooked more billfish this week than we have in the entire year.  Every day there were 2, 3..5 billfish hooked.  Many were lost after battles on relatively light tackle.  Most of the ones brought to the boat were released.  We had sailfish up to about 70 pounds.  Striped marlin in the 100-120 pound class or larger.  We even had a few smaller blue marlin to about 180 pounds.  Fish that were kept and unable to release, a good portion of the meat was donated.  But, for all the photos you see here, probably 95% were released.

The other indication of warming water is the algae bloom.  Normally, again, this is a phenomenon that takes place in the early spring.  As the waters warm algae starts busting out.  Moss like stuff appears and starts clogging up the beaches.  Waters can get cloudy.  Then, as the waters warm the algae dies off and we come out on the other side with clean, blue fish-laden waters!  So, this is a good sign.  Plus, we’re seeing sargasso patches form up in the outer waters that are usually another good harbinger of warm waters and more dorado.

Other than the dorado, the inshore fishing has been surprisingly good.  Big pargo.  Big cabrilla.  Big snapper.  Regretfully, these are mean big fish.  I’d say for every 1 fish put in the boat, 3-6 fish bust off in the rocks!  For every 5 or 10 pound fish, 20-40 pounders just shred the anglers.  They are alot for fun, however…and frustrating, but great action and good eating!

 TAILHUNTER DONATION NATION

WP_20160710_001

Ken Chaplin and John “Buzzy” Cook live way up by the Canadian border and spent the week with us, but still jammed several ice chests with a table full of school supplies, clothes and sports equipment.

WP_20160711_002

Our railroad guys…Terry Biggs, Rich Keogh, Mitch Embry (with Jilly) and Ed Bird filled about 100 pounds of bags with toiletries, hygiene products, toys and school supplies for our program. Thanks, Guys!

IMG_5973

If you ever wonder where your donations are going, check out Gary Wagner and his son. Gary’s the owner of the famous Giggling Marlin bar in Cabo, but does tons of charity work. He and his son came out to La Paz to pick up donations to distribute to the orphanage in Los Planes that you see stacked on the table. Thanks everyone. Thanks to the Wagners too!

Just this year alone so far, you folks have brought down over 1/2 a ton of donations for our Tailhunter Outreach Program benefitting kids and families of two outlying schools, the women’s shelter as well as the orphange in Los Planes.  Ever bit helps and your thoughtfulness makes a big difference.  Thank you sincerely for the big hearts!

That’s our story!

combo-signature-black letters

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of July 3-10, 2016

THE MINI-WEEKLY VIDEO REPORT –

This is our 2nd attempt at the weekly report in video.  We’re still working out the bugs.  I had to shoot it from inside our offices because it was too windy out on the beach and for lighting, I had to use some table lamps.  So, that’s why I came out orange!  I’ll get better!

THE FULL REPORT

rooster greg miller tags 7-16 one

What a week for Dr. Greg Miller from Oklahoma on his first visit to us in La Paz. He got FIVE big roosters (you’ll see other photos below…these are NOT the same fish!) and released them all. These were all 40-70 pound fish. As you can see he got his glasses knocked off and his hands full with the big fish trying to pose for the photo and release!

Reean Van Rooyen tags rooster archangel 7-16

Captain Arcangel gives Reean Van Rooyen a hand with this fat plug of a roosterfish. Reean is a big man so the fish is alot bigger than it looks in his arms. The fish was released. Reean is from S. Africa and now in Newport Beach CA

VAnessa Troost tags victor 7-16

Captain Victor had quite a week with the roosters with multiple fish per day like this one with Vanessa Roost from New Mexico visiting us for the first time. She and her husband, Phililp got 3 roosters that day. Check out the flat waters at Punta Arenas Beach.

Rooster tags Victor Alyssa 7-16

I love this photo of Captain Victor and 7-year-old Alyssa Stevens who was in on the roosterfish action this week!

Linda Joe Stevens Pancho rooster tags 7-16

More from the Stevens Family. Here’s Captain Pancho with the assist for Linda Stevens and 7-year-old son, Joe just off the rocks south of Muertos Bay with another big rooster that’s about to get released.

Rick pomeroy pargo tags 7-16

On the light tackle spinning rod! This is the way to do it with Rich Pomeroy from the Sacramento CA area and a great eating barred pargo off Espirito Santo Island.

Eric Delin pargo dog tooth tags 7-16

A beast! The fish…not laughing Eric Delin who put the wood to this big dog-tooth snapper (check out the teeth) in the boulders off Punta Perrico.

Greg Miller rooster 3 tags 7-16

OH my! Dr. Miller has another big rooster to try to hold for a photo!

Todd Stevens rooster tags 7-16

Gotta love the hat! Todd Stevens brought his family to fish with us this week and got himself a nice rooster here for the camera and a quick put-back into the water.

Pargo Rick Pope tags 7-16

Rick Pope can do this kind of fishing all day…and even into the night. After fishing and dinner, he would hang out on the docks behind La Concha hotel and keep fishing with his spinning rod and hooking all kinds of fish. This nice pargo is headed to the freezer off Espirito Santo Island north of La Paz.

DSC_0242

Seven-year-old Alyssa Stevens. You always remember that first fishing trip!

Phil Troost tags rooster 7-16

From New Mexico, this is Philip Troost who scored 4 roosterfish his first day out with his wife. All fish were released.

Cabrilla Brad Charboneau tags 7-16

Now THIS is alot of meat and a trophy cabrilla as well. Wow! Brad Charboneau was another of our first timers this past week and he sure scored with this slab of seabass!

Rooster Tommy 6-16 tags

A neglected to post this photo last week of Tommy Newman from Illinois and his big roosterfish! Sorry, Tommy! Tommy’s just 11-years-old and released the fish.

Rooster Vanessa Troost tags 7-16

Vanessa Troost had a great week of fishing as she shows off one of her several roosterfish taken and released off Bahia de los Muertos.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Our good amiga, Sandra Welborn poses at Bahia de los Muertos with a big chunk of barred pargo!

Chris Mika Lara tags tuna 7-16

The lone tuna of the week went to our amigos from the lone star state of Texas, Chris and Mika Lara.

Rooster eric delin tags vertical 7-16

One of the funniest guys in a long time, Eric Delin with about a 30-pound roosterfish fishing with Captain Ramiro out’ve Bahia de los Muertos.

DIVING VIDEO – ISOLOTES

Alot of even our regulars don’t know that we also set up snorkeling and diving adventures here in La Paz.  We sent Dee Dee Pope out to the Isolaotes sea lion colony at Espirito Santo island and she got me some video footage that I produced into the following short video.  Hope you enjoy it.  Thanks, Dee Dee!  Turn up the sound!

SAVED BY THE R & R’s…ROOSTERFISH & ROCKFISH!

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July 3-10, 2016

Thankfully, we’ve got rooster fish here!  As one of the other outfitters in town told me, “Maybe we should start a marketing campaign to make triggerfish as popular as Chilean Seabass.”   It’s honestly been that kind of fishing the last several weeks.

Although the waters are clearing up from those winds that hit us about 2 weeks ago, in many spots the water is still cold, been and murky.  Although the air temps are nice and sunny, the water is 5-10 degrees below normal and that’s obviously going to affect the fishing.  Normally, during this time of year, we should be thick into the warm water species.  Dorado should be all over the place  Billfish should be willing.  Tuna and wahoo should be showing bending rods.

But, not right now.  The species were getting are cooler water species like what we should be catching in April and May.

LAS ARENAS

There’s a reason they call this the “rooster fish capital of the world” and it lived up to it this week.  Roosters really saved the day…they saved the whole week!  Our roosters this week averaged 25-60 pounds and we had some fish going into the 60-80 pound category too!  The best baits are the huge 12-18 inch ladyfish so, anything that can wrap it’s mouth around a bait that big is gonna be a big fish.  But…you have to be able to catch the ladyfish and that sometimes takes awhile to catch them one-by-one.  But, those are the hot ticket.

Other than the roosters, not much in the way of wahoo again.  We had so many two weeks ago.  There’s some marlin out there, but many of them just don’t seem very interested in chewing on anything other than sunning themselves.  We almost run over them with the pangas they’re so lethargic.  There’s an occasional tuna or dorado, some jack crevalle and white bonito and lots of triggerfish.  And that’s been about it this past week.

But, there’s been some pargo, but all of them are big it seems and hooking them and getting them into the boat are two different issues.  Bait is still an issue as well as it has been all season.  Some days it’s there.  Other days not.  Or you really have to work for it.  Or it changes from day-to-day as well.

LA PAZ

I won’t kid you.  It’s been like a desert out there.  We keep sending boats into the blue water looking for “what SHOULD be out there” and we’re coming back over and over to fish the rocks around the island and peninsula.  This has produced some wild wild action on big pargo and cabrilla with many many fish just too tough or too cagey to pull into the pangas.  We’ve had fish busting off 50, 60 and even 100 pound test line against the rocks and other impediments like sharp teeth, gill plates and scales.  When the lines come it’s it’s not just cut…it’s shredded.

There’s the occasional dorado and we know marlin are out there because we can see them.  But, not much interest this past week.

TAILHUNTER OUTREACH – GRACIAS!

WP_20160706_007

Big gracias to Eric McFarland, Mackenzie Morrison, Martin Seiler and Parker Reed-Seiler for all the stuff they brought down including toys and school supplies!

WP_20160706_006

Philip and Vanessa Troost brought down a load of toys and school supplies for the kids. They’re from New Mexico.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Our buddy from Arizona could not have a bigger heart. Every year he brings down a full chest of supplies for the kids, but also sponsors several of our kids through high school in our scholarship funds and took time to have lunch with the kids and their families this week at Tailhunter Restaurant to check on their school progress.

Chris Lara

Chris Lara had a soft ice chest of school supplies that will go a long way in the classroom where even a regular pencil is a prized commodity. Chris and his wife are from Texas.

Thanks to our awesome Tailhunter amigos for all the things they squeezed into ice chests and suitcases to help us continue our Tailhunter Outreach program to help underserved kids, their families in barrio schools as well as the women and their families at the battered women’s shelter.  God bless you all!

That’s our story!

combo-signature-black letters

Jonathan and Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: 

http://www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of June 26-July 3, 2016

OUR NEW TAILHUNTER “EXPRESS” VIDEO REPORT – Take a look! 

FULL VERSION REPORT

Hector Chacon amberjack 6-16 tags

Hector Chacon from Arcadia CA has been coming to fish in La Paz with Tailhunter Sportfishing for over a decade. This week he got his largest fish ever, this huge amberjack near Espirito Santo Island that took a live bait. Hector battled the fish for over 45 minutes on lighter tackle to get it to the panga.

Kennedy Nixon pargo tags 6-16

From Long Beach CA, Kennedy Nixon from Long Beach CA had only one day to fish in La Paz and made the most of it while fishing with the Tailhunter Fleet from Bahia de los Muertos and hooked and landed this huge dog-tooth snapper also called a “pargo perro” or “cubera snapper.”

Randy Trevor Madsen rooster 6-16 tags

Pretty photo of first-timers Randy Madson and is son, Trevor, from Utah fishing with Tailhunter Sportfishing when Randy caught and released this big rooster fish just off the Punta Perrico rocks.

Tommy Yellowtail 6-16 tags

This young man had quite a week. Tommy Newman from Illinois is just 11-years-old. He’s got several photos in this week’s fishing report. First day out, he put this big yellowtail in the boat all by himself off Espirito Santo Island.

Richard Pope rooster 7-16 tags

Rich Pope loves to fish. Just off the “fruit loop” housing complex at Punta Perrico near the end of his first day of fishing, he latched onto this nice roosterfish that he released. Just below this photo is underwater video of rich with his fish and Captain Gerardo.

Sam Sybesma tags yellowtail 7-16

School-teacher Sam Sybesma heads to La Paz when the school season finishes for some fishing every year! He had never caught a yellowtail which are usually not around because the waters are too warm in the summer. But, look what showed up! Captain Chito gives a thumbs up!

Cheryl Delin Ramiro rooster tags 7-16

Cheryl Delin was a last minute booking to come fishing with us. She was out with Captain Ramiro and is all smiles with this nice roosterfish she caught ad released. Great photo! She lives in California, but was raised in Japan and told me, “I don’t like to eat fish” so she would have released the fish anyway! Fun fun lady! Nice to have her visit.

Jack Crevalle Dee Dee tags 7-16

Dee Dee Pope is as game as they come! She fishes. She hunts. She rocks! And she definitely rocked this big jack crevalle on light tackle using a mini-Whopper Stopper rod custom built by Ed Robison and coupled with a tiny Avet SX reel and light line. She released the big jack, but check out her video below and the underwater shots. Note how shallow it is and the rocks that bust overyone off when pargo and cabrilla strike!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

As nice a young man as you’ll find. Chase Roberts from Washington with Captain Pancho was visiting for the first time and got a striped marlin. It could not be released. He did a nice job trying.

Cheryl Eric Delin tags snapper 7-16

There’s a reason it’s called a “dog-tooth snapper.” Mean and ferocious, the attack out’ve the rocks and it’s rare to get big ones like Eric Delin’s fish here with a hand from wife, Cheryl. On the beach at Muertos Bay, these two are some fun folks.

Dorado trevor madson 7-16

First trip to visit us, Trevor Madsen, from Utah got the biggest dorado of the week on his very first day. He got some roosterfish also! Great young man!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Chuck Rodriguez and his dad with some dorado on the beach at Bahia de los Muertos. We should be seeing alot more dorado than we’re seeing, but waters are cooler than normal.

Tommy marlin 6-16 tags

That’s a lot to try to lift up. But, 11-year-old Tommy Newman does his best on his first marlin with Captain Gerardo early last week. Check out the video below of the fish going off.

Jorge amberjack tags 6-16

Our very own fishing champ and everyone’s favorite Tailhunter van driver, Jorge Romero,  finally was able to take some time off and went out with Sam Sybesma and put the wood to a pair of 40-50 pound amberjack near Espirito Santo Island.

Brad Patti Charbonneau tags 7-16 rooster

Just south of Bahia de los Muertos, Brad and Patti Charbonneau from Sacramento CA got this nice rooster into the boat then released it after the photo.

Jessica Armando rooster tags 6-16

Captain Armando with Jessica Reeve from Wyoming with another big roosterfish caught and released. Estimated 40 pounder!

A LITTLE BETTER THAN LAST WEEK AS WINDS DIMINISH…FOR NOW! BUT STILL TOUGH FISHING

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay Fishing Report for Week of June 26-July 3, 2016

Happy 4th of July Weekend, everyone!  Hope it’s a safe and fun one for you all.  We miss being there so eat some fried chicken and potato salad for us and enjoy some fireworks with the family!

Well…

It was a better week than last week when waters were green and the winds blew.  This week with the winds diminished, waters started to settle down and blue patches returned and some of the turned-up cold water dissipated.  But, I gotta tell you, this is as strange a June as we’ve had.  Well, it’s now July, but we should be thick into our warm water fish like dorado, billfish, tuna and other species.

Instead, this is much more like April/ May fishing!  Waters are noticeably colder than normal.  It’s breezy.  The evenings and mornings are actually cool.  And the fishing is way different!

We’re not seeing much of any dorado.  Our catch has been winter/ springtime species like pargo, cabrilla, snapper, jack crevalle, rooster fish, amberjack and…(this is crazy)…YELLOWTAIL!  It’s 4th of July weekend and we’re hooking yellowtail.

They say El Nino is finally done and moving off.  After 18 months, a return to “normalcy”…whatever that is…would be pretty nice!

LAS ARENAS

Still our area with the most variety and the most action.  It’s not been spectacular by any stretch.  The fishing this week was a tad better than last week when it was like a desert out there some days.  However, our captains and anglers still had to keep at it and bring their best game to the water. Or sometimes, it was just dumb luck which can be alot better.  Hit or miss some days.  But there was still action to be had.

The catch has been some nice rooster fish with most of them running hefty 25-60 pounds.  Pretty much everything getting released.  The biggest issue is getting those big sabalo/ ladyfish baits to use on the big gallos.  Some days, it really takes a long time to get them and if you don’t have the bait, it’s gonna be tough to get the big roosters.  Also, some days the roosters where there and some days, they just didn’t come to play.  Alot of our rookie anglers seemed to do the best on the roosters which was nice to see, but some of our vets who know how to catch the big fish worked hard, but had a hard time.

Besides the roosters, the variety is pretty wide.  Like I said, it’s alot like April/ May fishing when you have warm and cold water fish all in the same area.  I think the fish are confused too.

We’re getting some big dog-tooth snapper (pargo),  big jack crevalle, white bonito, rainbow runners, cabrilla and the marlin and sailfish are getting more active too.

LA PAZ

Fishing north out’ve La Paz towards Espirito Santo Island has been a conundrum even moreso than fishing at Las Arenas.  I’ve never seen so many changes.

This past week, yellowtail popped up!  In 21 years here, I’ve not seen yellowtail this late in the season.  The fish are quality 20-30 pound forkies too!  The biggest issue has been our anglers have lost 2-4 fish for everyone they put in the boat.  But that’s why I mentioned that you gotta be on your game for alot of these fish.  If you lose fish, then yes…it’s gonna be a disappointing day and a big mistake I’m hearing from the captains is some of the lack of experience.  You can’t let these big fish “run.”  Like the pargo, cabrilla and amberjack that live around structure.  There is no place to “run.”  It’s not like hooking a marlin, tuna or wahoo in more open water with alot of deep water around you.

Here, the water can be literally only several feet deep so letting these fish run means you’re already behind the 8 ball because they’ll go right back to the rocks and BANG!  You’re snapped off .

We’re not seeing the open water dorado we normally encounter this time of year.  We’re having to work inshore where these big fish like the amberjack up to 100 pounds…tough yellowtail…toothy pargo and cabrilla will beat you up and spit you out!

When they hit, pull…lift and turn the handle of the reel so you can turn their heads.  Once they head down, you’re pretty much lost.

TAILHUNTER OUTREACH SAYS GRACIAS!

WP_20160624_001

Dylan Williams, Tommy Newman, Earl Lawson, Jilly and Jim Newman with some of the items they brought for our Tailhunter Outreach Program this week.

WP_20160630_010

Big gracias to the Rodriguez Family for bringing down two massive shipping chests of items that will be useful to the school kids and also the women and their families at the battered women’s shelter.

WP_20160630_012

Richard Pomeroy stuffed an ice chest down with school supplies for our kids! Thanks, Rich!

A big thanks to all our Tailhunter amigos who brought stuff down this past week for our Tailhunter Outreach program.  Each week, we’re sending off over 100-150 pounds of school supplies, clothes, hygiene items and sports equipment for our neglected kids and also the women’s shelter.  You’re all awesome!

That’s our story

combo-signature-black letters

Jonathan and Jilly

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website: 

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address:  Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA  91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:  https://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

Read Full Post »