OFFSHORE FISH
The season for Dorado includes the whole year but the best time is from mid May to the end of October. Early season you run into the large pairs , with summer bringing the larger schools of smaller fish. They can be found in pairs or larger schools sometimes measured in acres. Most times they travel in small schools from 3 to 12 fish, usually all the same size. At times larger fish will be found outside or below a school of smaller fish. They are quite game and aggressive and are caught readily on flies from surface poppers , sardine and Flying fish patterns to large Billfish flies. They tend to be found under floating objects where baitfish will seek shelter. Sometimes very large schools will hang in wait under these objects, I’ve fished for them hanging under all types of things from, weed patches, floating shark buoys , picnic tables to dead whales. While out on the water always try a few casts to anything you find floating on the surface, and I mean anything. One time we found a large school parked under a floating piece of 2 by 4 lumber. The best method is to find any floating object and throw a few live sardines near it, if fish are in the area they will come up to feed on them. When you find them with this method you can hold them near the boat as long as you keep feeding them more sardines. When fishing like this I keep a rod set up with a standard unweighted sardine pattern and one with a popper in the same size and color pattern. Most times they will take the sunken pattern but at times they are selective or have been fished over and a popper works best. With a popper you make a surface commotion and show them less of the fly. And when you chum fish up with sardines and Dorado are in hot pursuit, the sardines tend to be in flight racing away on the surface much the same way a popper looks skidding along the surface. Once hooked , the practice of keeping one hooked fish in the water will bring the whole school right behind the boat. The visual sight of these fish all lit -up is awesome. By using this technique you can get a number of casts into the fish and your chances for a hookup is good. The more fish the better, the competition factor always plays in our favor. They are great fighters, they run , jump and sound. YELLOWFIN TUNA
The first time I fished Baja I mentioned to my Capt. that I wanted to catch a Yellowfin Tuna on the fly. He spoke little English and I was about par on Spanish. I was a Gringo from the East Coast, where Tuna fishing means hours and sometimes a hundred miles from shore.
SIERRA MACKEREL
Sierra Mackerel are usually found in the winter months from October to April. They run in schools so where there is one there is usually more. Small baitfish flies in the 2 to 1/0 size work the best. They have wicked teeth and steel leaders are a must. Most flies are torn to tatters once you find a school of hungry Sierra’s. BILLFISH, MARLIN AND SAILFISH
Some of the best colors used are basically white with a dorsal area of blue, green , or pink with some type of flash material added. Hooks range in size from 4/0 to 8/0 .They can be tied single or as a tandem set -up , some like to fish with a trailer hook. The method used to attract them is by trolling with teasers, flies or plugs with no hooks, when a fish is spotted the teasers are reeled in , at the same time the fish is aggravated or as they call it "Lit-up". At the last minute the teaser is yanked from the fish and you cast a fly to it, if all goes well you find yourself experiencing one of the most exciting action packed advents you’ll ever see while flyfishing offshore. Billfish are awesome, their shape and colors and fighting displays put them in a class by themselves. At times they can been seen up on the surface, tails and dorsal fins out of the water. If you can get close enough to throw them some live chum and get them in the feeding mode you can take casts to them . This is an exciting way to fish and most days you’ll get some opportunity to fish like this. ROOSTERFISH are considered the Permit of the West Coast. They are very beautiful fish with their bright silvery white sides and aqua colored back and strong dark bars that give the fish an exotic look. It’s most distinctive feature is it’s dorsal fin or comb, several long wispy sea grass like dorsals that gives it it’s name , like a rooster tail, hence, Roosterfish. When Roosters are on the feed their Dorsal fin is quite evident riding above the water. They are very aggressive when feeding , move very fast and hit their quarry like a ton of bricks. It’s quite a scene to see several large Roosters working a school of mullet or sardines, all hell breaks loose, hundreds of baitfish fleeing in all directions, large spiny dorsal fins cutting the surface, amazed at the speed they swim and then the massive bust. sometimes almost running themselves up on the beach Roosters are tough when hooked, they are renowned for their brute strength They are also very tough to catch on a fly. Large Silver poppers seem to work best. The idea here is not to show them too much fly. It works in your favor if they are enticed first, Live sardines as chum can work in your advantage. As can one guy working a large popper on a spinning rod to bring the fish within fly casting distance. No matter what method you use it is best if there are several fish so you have the competition factor in your favor and fish that are teased to a frenzy and are ready to hit the first thing they see. Punta Arena on the East Cape is known as the Roosterfish Capitol of the World for good reason, fish can run from 5 to 80 lbs. or more. This is truly a Grand prize on a Flyrod and one of the most respected when hooked from the beach. They don’t come easy and that’s the way it should be with some fish. INSHORE BEACH FISHING
PARGO or Dog Snapper are very aggressive fish and great fighters. They also carry a set of wicked teeth. Most are in the 1 to 5 lb. range but they do grow to 40 lbs. or better. They feed on almost any baitfish they encounter but a sardine like pattern is a good place to start. They are mostly found around rocks and structure. CABRILLA are also found among the rocks , they look similar to a bass with a dark brown color and heavily spotted. Very good eating. A clouser minnow retrieved slow and let sink to bottom will bring strikes.
CORVINA are found all over the East Cape area and are in the 1 to 3 lb. range . You will see them swimming right up into the wash of a wave, a quick cast with a small baifish pattern will bring a fast strike. They have a habit of chasing a fly to the point where you would lift it for another cast but nail it at the last minute. Fun to walk the beach and sight cast to them, next best thing to bonefishing. GROUPER are found in the rocky areas of a beach, Baja has several species with the Leopard Grouper being the most striking. They can be large and aggressive at times.
P. O. Box 353 Underhill, Vermont 05489 ( 802 ) 899 - 2049 |
