Fishing Report Archives - 2005 2006 2007

East Cape Fishing Report 7/14/08
It's IMPOSSIBLE not to catch fish right now in the Baja, with angling for a variety of species going absolutely wide-open! Leading the way are definitely the yellowfin tuna, with the entire fleet loading up on ahi wherever porpoises are found (yellowfin tuna and porpoises run together in schools). Although most of the tuna are running small in the 10-15 pound range, the schools of fish are massive and multiple hookups for all boats in the fleet is the norm, not the exception. The best fishing is 22-40 miles offshore in all directions, although some schools are being contacted closer to shore. Occasional larger tuna are mixed in with catches of the "footballs".

Striped marlin and blue marlin fishing continues to be consistent as well, caught on both trolling lures as well as bait. In the past two weeks, anglers have hooked three blue marlin weighing 600 pounds, 800 pounds, and 900 pounds! Additionally, numerous blue marlin of 250-500# have been spotted in East Cape waters, with some of these fish taking both lures and live bait.

It is certainly atypical to have this many giant marlin swimming in the Sea of Cortez in June, and may be an indicator that a season for the history books is in the offing. These “fish-of-a-lifetime” are definitely more numerous right now on the East Cape than in a typical summer. Anglers usually bookmark October as the prime month for a shot at a truly giant marlin, although blues and blacks exceeding 500# are always a cause for celebration among Sea of Cortez anglers because they are such an uncommon catch. With the quality of fishing currently on the East Cape, it bodes well for fishing success for the balance of July right through November.

Dorado fishing remains steady as well, with a number of fish in the 40-pound class being landed. Plenty of smaller mahi mahi are being caught in the 15-25 pound range as well. A few wahoo are in East Cape waters, with good action being reported offshore from Isla Cerralvo, and roosterfishing remains excellent inshore to the South near Punta Colorada, Las Barracas, Los Frailes, and to the North near Punta Perico. Some 50-pound class roosters are being caught and released. Additional species being caught inshore include good numbers of pargo (dogtooth snapper), as well as some triggerfish and sierra mackerel.

East Cape Fishing Report 6/27/08
Woohoo! The yellowfin tuna schools started showing up in big numbers this past week! The fish were very late in making their annual “big” appearance this year. The best news is, not only are significant numbers of fish in the region, but the average size is excellent as well. Numerous yellowfin 30-60 pounds are being landed, and some fish exceeding 100 pounds are showing up in catches as well. Schools are being found 22-28 miles straight east as well as to the south. Smaller fish seem to be closer to shore. Bonita and skipjack tuna are also in the area, luring some big predator fish to our area. Cedar plugs, hootchies, and live bait are all taking tuna.

Blue marlin fishing has really picked up this month. Two blues over 500 pounds were landed, and a number of other fish 250-400 pounds also were caught and released. It is a bit early for blues of this average size to be in East Cape waters, but anglers sure are enjoying the tussle of some truly monster fish! If history is any indication--and with the huge amounts of bait in our waters--this should be another awesome year for blue marlin. Last July, August, and September, our fleet averaged 100 fish in the spread per week, about double the normal late summer average. We are setting up this year for another strong blue marlin bite.

Striped marlin continue to be common catches. Lots of stripers are in the region. The overall catch rate declined somewhat as anglers began targeting the yellowfin schools instead of trolling or sight-fishing for striped marlin. The East Cape remains one of the world’s premier striped marlin fisheries.

Dorado fishing is excellent. Many fish 25-50 pounds are being caught, either via pitched baits to fish seen cruising the surface, or hooked on marlin lures as incidental catchers while trolling. There are plenty of mahi mahi steaks going into coolers for the trip home, being served fresh for dinner, or devoured as fish tacos at the hotel bars along with cold cervezas.

Inshore, fishing is fantastic for roosterfish, with a number of fish over 50 pounds being reported in catch-and-release numbers, and plenty of smaller fish being hooked as well. Large pargo, cabrilla, triggerfish, and other delicious table fare species also are being caught, primarily on live bait.

Fishing is wide open and absolutely awesome on Baja’s East Cape right now!

East Cape Fishing Report 5/27/08
Striped marlin and sailfish continue to lead the way as far as fishing action is concerned here on the East Cape. Tremendous numbers of billfish are in our waters, being caught primarily on rigged dead ballyhoo and trolled marlin lures. Many fish are being spotted tailing on the surface or free-jumping in the distance, but an abundance of squid in the water are keeping the fish off our traditional hot Spring bite. Nonetheless, many boats are managing 2-6 hookups per day as well as presenting bait to numerous other fish that are unwilling biters.

Dorado are consistent, but not available in overwhelming numbers. Again, squid are contributing to a slower-than-average bite as some fish are being seen on the surface but won’t take either ballyhoo or sardines. A few dorado hookups mixed in with some billfish action is a good day! Occasional wahoo and mako sharks are also showing up in lure spreads.

Inshore, roosterfish action is spotty, with fish being contacted to the north near Punta Perico and to the south near Punta Colorada and Las Barracas. Some pargo and cabrilla also are in this area, as well as further south near Los Frailes, to round out the inshore action. Water temps are 76-82 degrees with primarily calm seas, and our daily highs are in the 90s, so the weather and water are beautiful! We’ll see you on the East Cape!


East Cape Fishing Report 5/5/08
Spectacular action for striped marlin, Pacific sailfish, dorado, and wahoo dominated the fishing for the past two weeks in the Sea of Cortez. Prior to the full moon, stripers led the way with a virtual feeding frenzy in our waters. Most boats were catching and releasing two to six marlin per day, with some boats topping ten fish, with many more strikes and teases mixed in. The fish literally are everywhere right now, but have been showing strong concentrations to the south off La Rivera and Punta Arena and to the north in the vicinity of Ocho-Ocho (“8-8”). The sea canyons of Ocho-Ocho rise and fall dramatically from depths of five hundred to deeper than six thousand feet of water, and current upwellings in this area congregate huge amounts of bait, and the gamefish follow. It’s a great area for blue marlin from June through November, but right now the stripers and sails have invaded the region. During a day’s fishing, it’s possible to see 100 (no exaggeration!) marlin and sails “free jumping” as you scan the horizon and the mirror calm waters of the Sea of Cortez.

As is typical for spring, most of the striped marlin are 120-200 pounds, with the fish over 140 pounds being predominantly female. The stripers invade our waters each spring for the spawning ritual, and it’s common to see 2-6 fish running together in packs. Sailfish are showing up in good numbers also, with most fish 80-130 pounds. Water temps already are in the 74-80 degree range so it’s not unusual to see a “summer” species like the sails showing up in April.

Billfish action tailed somewhat spanning the full moon of April 20th. The marlin began feeding at night on large pods of squid and thus showed less interest in lures, live baited mackerel, and dead baited ballyhoo during daytime fishing hours. Nonetheless, most boats were still managing 2-4 hookups per day. Many more fish are rising up behind trolled lures in the spread or are seen tailing on the surface, but are not overly aggressive biters when bloated with squid. When thrashing at boatside, some billfish are disgorging as many as two dozen squid from their gullets.

Dorado action was fast and furious in late April, tapering somewhat at month’s end. Many fish 20-40 pounds were being caught, with some bigger fish of 44-48 pounds being caught also. Wahoo action was steady for boats willing to put in time in select fishing waters for these species (far north side of Cerralvo Island and south near Destiladeras being two good spots). Some bigger wahoo in the 50-60 pound range are being caught, mainly on trolled Marauders. We’re still waiting for the appearance of the big yellowfin tuna schools, which should be here by now based on the water temperatures! A few nice tuna are being hooked up on cedar plugs among the dolphin, but the fish are few and far between. Captains are seeing the odd “grande” tuna splashing, and the few ahi being caught are nice fish of 40 pounds-plus, but the numbers of yellowfin are nowhere to be found as yet.

Inshore, roosterfish are being seen in good numbers north near El Cardonal, and south near Punta Colorada and Las Barracas. A few 15-20 pounders are mixed in with the bambinos, and a few larger roosterfish are around. A few nice sierra mackeral, caught on sardines and trolled Rapalas, also are adding to the inshore fun. With air temps in the mid-90s during the day and overnight temps in the mid-70’s, it’s an ideal time to find yourself sunning and fishing in the Baja.

East Cape Fishing Report 4/17/08
The fishing is hot right now on the East Cape! After an uncharacteristically slow March, fishing has just gone crazy in a matter of two weeks. Leading the way are tremendous numbers of dorado, with boats catching a dozen or more per day. A dead sea lion floating in our waters last week had literally hundreds of dorado attracted nearby, plus plenty of other mahi mahi were hooked up throughout our fishing grounds via live bait (mackerel and sardines) or on trolled marlin lures. The dorado started out a few weeks back as "chickens" of 10-20 pounds, but suddenly numbers of fish up to 30 pounds are being caught. The aroma of fresh dorado is permeating our dining rooms, and bowls of fresh dorado ceviche and crackers are making the rounds at the bars in the afternoons. What a delight!

Striped marlin fishing has ramped up bigtime in the past two weeks as well. Many boats are catching and releasing 4-8 marlin per day, with numerous other fish being sighted but not hooking up. The Sea of Cortez is alive. Schools of mackerel and sardines are prevalent and our warming seas--surface temps range from 72-78 degrees has the gamefish feeding hot and heavy.

Inshore, good numbers of cabrilla, pompano, and pargo are being caught, along with a few jack crevalle. It's a great time to be on the East Cape, since the fishing is already going wide open!

East Cape Fishing Report 3/29/08
There's a blessing in every day, and a silver lining in every cloud. For the entire Easter Week, the East Cape was subjected to strong northerly winds and cooler than normal temperatures. The waters of the northern Sea of Cortez are in the 60's, and these waters were pushing into our southern fishing grounds as a result of the winds. The fleet ranged far and wide looking for dorado and marlin, to no avail (the warm water was simply too far south of our region), until March 22nd when dorado and striped marlin were finally contacted.

Calm seas now prevail and the rush of warm southern currents are again invading the East Cape, and the result has been steady fishing for both striped marlin and dorado. The mahi are averaging 15-20 pounds and most boats are catching dorado on a daily basis. Striped marlin are averaging 2-4 hookups per boat per day, with a lot of big females in the 150-180 range. Please release ALL billfish! The main productive fishing grounds are straight east and slightly south of the resorts, 15-25 miles offshore.

The best news (silver lining) about this year's slow Spring warm-up has been the yellowtail fishery. We are enjoying some amazing yellowtail action right now, just 4 miles offshore from Palmas de Cortez. Boats are dropping lines in less than ten minutes from the dock, initially to catch a baitwell full of mackerel, next to drop the live baits on weighted rigs 40-100 feet down for some bruising yellowtail action! Numerous fish are being caught 15-30 pounds, along with some porkers of 35-45 pounds and occasionally even bigger. Fishing is fast and furious in spurts, especially first drop through mid-morning, and again in the afternoon. White bonita also are showing up, being caught on sardines.

Pargo action inshore has also picked up, with some nice 5-15 pound fish being caught on live sardines slow-fished in shallow water. Some larger dogtooth have been spotted by anglers and crews in 20-30 feet of water--reportedly up to 40-50 pounds--but not hooked up. Cabrilla action also has been steady inshore on both sardines and trolled Rapalas, albeit small fish. Sierra mackerel action remains hot, both to the North off Punta Perico, and to the South near Las Barracas and Los Frailes.

The only primary Spring species absent are yellowfin tuna, but with the striped marlin and dorado starting to appear in big numbers--and water temps accelerating into the low 70's--it's only a matter of time before the schools show up. The Spring striped marlin frenzy is underway! We'll see you on the East Cape!

East Cape Fishing Report 3/15/08
Alternating hellacious north winds and tranquil seas have made for a challenging fishing environment so far in March. We have to think that reports of global warming are exaggerated, since our seas have been unseasonably cool at 67-71 degrees--mid-February water temperatures--and the fishing is more consistent with what we see in mid-February rather than mid-March also. Every time the wind blows (belated El Norte conditions--north winds) we get cool seas and temps and alll the good warm water from down south is prevented from reaching our fishing grounds. The moment the north winds cease, warm currents spill northward into te Sea of Cortez and our surface temperatures increase dramatically.

The best news? This is exactly what has happened in the past two days: calm seas have caused a dramatic temperature rise and some 75 degree water loaded with striped marlin is in reach of our fleet.

Marlin fishing up to this point has been spotty. Last week, we were receiving reports of striped marlin schooling in huge numbers at least five hours south of our grounds. These fish are stacked up like a herd of cattle ready to invade East Cape waters to begin the annual Spring spawning ritual and to gorge on abundant schools of baitfish. In our area, mackerel, ballyhoo, and sardines are available in dramatic, huge schools, which bodes well for the marlin (and for marlin fishermen) when the fish reach the waters close to our shores.

The best news of the past week has been the excellent inshore fishing. Yellowtail are abundant and huge, especially near Punta Perico and off Cerralvo Island to the north. Many fish 25-35 pounds are being caught. Some anglers are reporting vicous strikes on both surface and bottom gear, with yellowtail (and likely some dogtooth) pulling the lines into the jagged rocks before breaking off. Angler Bob Bailey from Longview, WA landed an awesome 40# yellowtail on light tackle. Cindy Nelson, from Fargo, North Dakota battled an estimated 50# yellowtail on 20-pound gear for over an hour before the fish succummed. Kudos to these anglers for beating some monster yellowtail on light gear!

In the past week, along the shorelines of Punta Colorada and in front of Hotels Palmas de Cortez and Playa del Sol, some roosterfish cockles have been spotted at dawn, as these fish bust mullet schools at first light. The roosters are early, but it appears some fish are available to catch already in March, several months before peak roosterfishing season arrives!

Sierra mackerel and white bonita--both delicious table fare--are abundant and aggressive; again, in waters to the north. Punta Pescadero has been a hot area for fishing. Some boats are hooking a dozen or more sierra in just a morning's fishing. White bonita are active and common also. Shorelines near La Rivera and Punta Colorada, and to the south along Las Barracas, also are producing numbers of sierra.

Rounding out the fishing report are numbers of chicken dorado (10-15#) being caught on sardines and trolled hootchies to the north, to the south, and 25-30 miles east.

East Cape Fishing Report 3/1/08
As we come out of our winter season, look for more frequent fishing reports to be broadcast for the rest of 2008 on eastcaperesorts.com! We are delighted to report the “darn” El Norte winds have abated for the most part and we’ve got 71-72 degree water spilling up from the south and around the Horn into the Sea of Cortez. Striped marlin are starting to show up. We had such a ferocious north wind for about 10 days straight in February that few anglers wanted to make the run offshore to look for marlin. Luckily, a hot yellowtail bite has been going inshore up near Punta Perico and Isla Cerralvo, with some nice specimens being caught on lures and sardines. There are huge numbers of sierra mackerel inshore also, both to the north and also to the south near Cuevas Arroyo, La Rivera, and Punta Colorada. Some small yellowfin tuna and dorado are around, plus some stripers.

Mother Nature dealt us a cold blow this winter. As many folks know, it’s been a brutally cold winter in North America. While we still enjoy winter days with highs in the 70’s, the unfortunate side effect of cold weather dropping all the way into south Texas and the SW U.S. was that some of this chilly air got picked up on the El Norte winds and blew a cold gust all the way down the Baja. Sea of Cortez sea surface temperatures (updated every 48 hours on eastcaperesorts.com—homepage and Fishing Page) dropped lower than normal (67-68 degrees) by mid-February. Brrrrrr! Fortunately, we’ve had many days of 81 degrees in a row so things are warming up quickly!

East Cape Fishing Report 2/1/08
We’ve had some periods of tranquil seas and beautiful temperatures in April. 81 degrees and sunny is hard to beat! Fishing has been typical for the month of January, with a few striped marlin in the area as well as schoolie dorado and yellowfin tuna. Our waters have cooled along with the annual “El Norte” trade winds, and the unusually cold temperatures that blanketed large portions of the United States have also contributed to our dropping sea surface temps, as some of this colder air has mixed with El Norte blowing southward. Nonetheless, we have 70-72 degree water to the south of the hotels within reach of the boat fleet, and anytime we can find 70 degrees, we’ve got good fishing! A combination of trolled lures and bait are producing most of the fish. There are some nice wahoo being caught to the south, nearshore, with Rapalas and Marauders. Inshore, sierra mackerel are swarming near La Rivera, Punta Colorada, and Las Barracas. Some snapper species also are being caught. As the warm water returns, the fishing will ramp up in tandem.


East Cape Fishing Report 1/1/08
Even though our “quietest” timeframe for fishing is December 15 through January 15, anglers who are getting out fishing are encountering plenty of dorado and yellowfin tuna on the Sea of Cortez. A few striped marlin are around the area also. December has been a great fishing month overall with many boats getting limits of tuna most days on the water! Our sea surface temperatures are cooling now (temps in the 70-72 degree range now) and that tends to slow down the fishing accordingly. The fleet is running south for the warmest water in reach of the East Cape. Trolled lures are raising marlin and providing most of the hookups, while some fish are being taken on bait. The fish are in the 120-140# range. Dorado are numerous, but most of the fish are running small, which is typical for this time of year. The yellowfin tuna are ranging from 10-25 pounds. Sierra mackerel are numerous inshore, primarily near Las Cuevas Arroyo. Pargo and cabrilla snappers round out the inshore opportunities. Look for expanded fishing reports starting in February, coinciding with the start of our new season, the invasion of striped marlin by the thousands for the annual spring spawn, and the return of huge numbers of dorado, tuna, and the many other gamefish species that make the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula one of the world’s greatest sportfisheries!

East Cape Fishing Report 12/1/07
The biggest news in the past few weeks is the resurgence of the yellowfin tuna bite here in the waters off the East Cape. While we’ve had tuna in the area all along, the numbers—and average size—of the fish really exploded. Fish are averaging 25-35 pounds (compared to 10-20 a few weeks back) and a few larger 40-60 pounders are hooking up as well. Multiple schools are available. A chummed mix of chunk squid and live sardines is getting the feeding frenzy going and boats are fishing the schools both on the surface and down 20-40 feet. Everybody who’s tuna fishing is pretty much limiting out! Lots of plates of sashimi and sushi are being passed around the bar each afternoon, tuna steaks are on the dinner menu, and coolers are going home full!

Dorado numbers are excellent as well, with anglers hooking up on 15-30 pound fish while trolling for striped marlin and also encountering rogue fish on the surface. Sardines are aiding the hookups there. Plenty of mahi-mahi are in the mix!

Striped marlin numbers have dropped quite a bit from the incredible 2007 billfish bite that went from March—November this year. Some stripers are still around, as well as a few sailfish, but not too many boats are getting multiple hookups per day, as was the norm more or less for months on end. Granted, with the tuna bite so strong, the number of hours spent trolling for billfish is way down in tandem. A large blue marlin and an even larger black marlin were caught last week as well.

Inshore, juvenile roosterfish continue to feed aggressively on sardines, and chumming/slow trolling near Las Cuevas Arroyo is producing roosters, as well as plenty of sierra mackerel. Some pargo and cabrilla snapper also are available, plus plenty of wahoo for anglers trolling close to shore to the south of Los Frailes.