MAHI MADNESS KEEPS ROLLING

La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay Fishing Report for Week of July 21-28, 2023

SHORT ATTENTION SPAN FISHING REPORT

WEATHER – Hot and humid.  High 90’s to low 100’s.  Normal temps for this time of year, but just FEELS hotter for some reason.  Everyone talks about the heat.

WATER – Strangely although the air temps are hot…the water temps are maybe 3-5 degrees COOLER on the surface than normal.  Go figure!  But, at least the waters are blue which is conducive to fishing!

SPECIES CAUGHT THIS WEEK – Dorado (5-50 pounds); Roosterfish (2-15 pounds); Pargo/ Cabrilla/ Snapper / Triggerfish (2-8 pounds); Jack Crevalle and Bonito (3-17 pounds);  Wahoo (at least 5 hooked and lost of unknown size!); Marlin (2 hooked and lost of maybe 120 pounds each).

LAS ARENAS – Fewer fish than La Paz, but overall LARGER fish.  Maybe 2-4 fish per rod and largest fish overall consistently more 15-30 pound bulls.  Lots of releases.

LA PAZ – More fish than Las Arenas.  Most in the 5-10 pound size with LOTS of releases.  Not as many large fish as Las Arenas, but the chance for larger bulls up to 50 pounds is always there.

MEXICAN MINUTE LA PAZ VIDEO REPORT

THE BIG PICTURE and the REST of the STORY…

Just a great dawn shot with the sun coming up and a big dorado to kick off the day for Darrell Manginelli who has been visiting us for years. Darrell had an incredible 5 days of fishing with lots of huge bulls. He filled enough for his ice chest after two days! He released lots of fish.  Darrell visits us from Camarillo CA.

Big smiles as Jen Enright needs some help from Captain Joel to photo this big dorado. She battled the big fish and said afterwards her arms and hands were shaking too hard to hold the fish.  Jen is from San Diego.

What a way to end their fishing week that was full of good fishing days. Rick and his son Steve Fling capped it with 3 big bull dorado. The guys were visiting us from Denver.

It was great to have Frank and brother John Marshall hang out with us for a few days. Nice bull after fishing with our La Paz fleet.

What great colors on this photo of Mark Melnick and his beautiful bull. This is frameable. That’s El Sargento in the back.

Always fun having Roger McCracken and George Hatziayiannis visiting us from Portland. Roger has been with us over 20 years.

First time family visitors Laryn Keller and Dawson Enright taking a break after their first year of law school in Oregon had a banner few days fishing with us with dorado like these.

Hito Nishikawa and Mark Melnick have alot of meat in the table to start their 3 days of fishing. Good dorado bite!

I just think this is a funny photo. Shelton Donnell and Louie Mogabgab have been our friends over 20 years fishing with us. We love these guys, but this is just funny because it looks like Shelton is trying to take a selfie. Only problem is that last time I checked, you need a phone camera in your hand to take a selfie! Shelton doesn’t have a phone!

Kirk Paterno is 18-years-old and got this 3 days of fishing as a graduation present from high school before heading to the University of Iowa. This is a photo from the first of 3 days fishing and each day got better and better!

Darrell with another big bull! He was king of the bulls this week!

Whenever Captain Gerardo gives a thumbs-up, it’s a good fish and Toshi Nishikawa looks a tad disheveled after battling this nice bull.

Oh yea…Our cousin, Andy Enright holds up another big bull dorado to go with the big smile! It’s a big fish because Andy is pretty tall.

Len Weaverling and Tatsu Watanabe posing on the beach at Bahia Muertos after their first day.

Bryan Forward is just a kick every time he visits us. He brought Eddie Haynes with him this time and they knocked out the dorado and took him a nice load of fillets.

Captain Alfredo grimaces a bit as he gives Tatsu a hand with a dorado they estimated at 50 pounds that Tatsu battled north of La Paz.

Darrell is in alot of photos in the gallery this week! But, he caught alot of big dorado!

Captain Jorge with George and Louie and a table full of dorado headed into the ice chest.

It never fails. The biggest fish bite the lightest line and Roger McCracken had a rod with 20 pound test line on it when this big boy bit and took him for a ride!

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Long story short…we’re still rolling in dorado.  Little ones…medium ones…big ones…even bigger ones!

It’s been on for a good 2 months now and I don’t know when it will stop, but we’re enjoying the heck out’ve it and having alot of fun and I only hope it sticks around for another 3-4 months because  will reiterate that this is the best and most consistent dorado bite I’ve seen in my 30-some years down here.

Both out Tailhunter La Paz and our Tailhunter Las Arenas Fleets are into the mahi.  Some boats might do better than others, but overall, since most of our anglers fish multiple days, they more than make up for it on other days .

Even having an “off” day is relative. The fishing has been so consistent that an “off day” these days used to be a “pretty good day” any other year. It’s just that we tend to get spoiled when the pickin’s are this good.

If you take a look at the photos, you see some great catches.  But, this does not count all the fish that were released (too small) or broke off (too strong and smart!). Again, sometimes, the anglers are getting early limits and decide that, with the heat, they’ll call it a day and head back to the beach early to eat lunch and enjoy the rest of the day knowing they already got a full fish box for the day.

Others will catch-and-release or catch limits then go chase roosterfish or go fish the rocks and reefs for pargo, snapper and cabrilla or hit the shallows to have fun with light tackle on jack crevalle and bonito.

I will warn you again…it’s HOT!!!  If you’re up in the U.S. you’re probably going through alot of the same thing.  It’s a burner summer.  We’re easily in the low 100’s right now, but with the humidity, it feels alot hotter and you’re really not being smart if you don’t stay covered and hydrated.  So, bring big brim hats; long sleeve shirts; sunscreen; sunglasses and chug that water!

SOME NOTICES:

YOUR FISHING GEAR:

We’ve been storing the fishing gear for many of you for many many years so you wouldn’t have to haul it through airports not to mention the cost of the weight or oversize luggage.  We’ve been doing it for free as a convenience to you.  We have a whole warehouse of YOUR gear!

The  warehousing is now getting way too expensive and they’re charging us an arm, leg and first-born every month.  So we’re going to ask you to come get your gear.  Some of you, we haven’t heard from in 5, 10 or more years.   If you want us to hang onto it for a bit longer, no problem, but if you’re not coming back down or we don’t hear from you before the end of the year, we’re going to have to donate the equipment.

BALANCES:

Just a heads-up that if you’re within 45 days or coming to visit us, your balances are due.  No stress.  Just let us know it’s on the way.  Or ask us for the most convenient way to get it to us.

Hope ya’ll are enjoying your summer!

That’s my story!

Jonathan