That's My Story

FLEX TIME IN BAJA – Published May 2006 – Western Outdoor News

Late spring and early summer is probably my favorite time to fish the Baja. It’s a great time to be on the water. We’re usually past the winter chill and ahead of the summer heat, not to mention the summer crowds. Beyond that, we don’t measure the change of seasons by the blooming of flowers, we measure it by how the fishing suddenly starts to go off.

This time of year may not provide the biggest fish; or the glamour fish; we often associate with Baja fishing, but from the northern to the southern tip and from Pacific to Sea of Cortez, this is just a fun time to fish, mainly because the variety of fish and conditions keep it lively, interesting and a real challenge. Anyone can pop a dorado during July when there’s 20 of them swarming the boat eating bait, jigs or pieces of your lunch burrito. When the tuna are foaming and licking the paint off the boat, so that you can jackpole them, there’s not much to that either. Don’t get me wrong. I get as amped as the next guy for a dorado or tuna chew, but there’s something special about May and early June.

For one, the waters are changing. Fingers of warm waters are moving in. But, cooler waters are still hanging out. It’s “transition” time for everything. Winds can still happen, but are diminishing. Cooler air temps are being nudged by longer balmier days.

All of this adds up to some great variety on the fishing grounds. Cooler water fish are still hanging out. Cabrilla (seabass); sierra ; various rock and reef fish are still in the fish zones, but with increasing frequency, more amberjack, yellowtail, jack crevalle, pompano, various species of snappers (pargo) including the big mullet snapper, red snapper and dog tooths are up in the shallows, while the exotic roosterfish start terrorizing the bait schools in the shallows.

But, by the same token, with warmer waters moving in you start seeing increased numbers of marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo…the bluewater badboys that put Baja on the map. As the waters get warmer, these species become more pre-dominant. The thing is, you literally never know what you’re going to catch from one moment to the next if you’re soaking a hook. While out on the water just last week, I keyed on the radio chatter and heard boats on hook-ups with everything from sailfish to wahoo and from roosters to pargo. On our own boats, I checked the beach and counted 17 different species had been hooked on that single day alone.

I’m usually not a big advocate of dragging down a lot of gear on a Baja trip, but if you’re coming down in the next few weeks, prepare for some different looks. Just because the tuna or roosters don’t bite on a given day, listen to your skipper and be ready to change tactics. Don’t be myopic about your fishing or get your underwear all bunched.. This stuff is changing daily. Roll with it and have some fun. One day the baits might work. The next your pink ugly lure might be the ticket. The next day the fish will only eat a stinky sock!

Also in certain areas of the water temperatures might spike real fast and warm quickly, the fish will sometimes get lockjaw as they adjust (like goldfish in an aquarium) to the new environment. If the inshore isn’t working head outside and vise versa. If the fish won’t chew the live bait; try plastics or jigs. Work structure. Hunt the porpoise schools. Look for temperature and current breaks. Take the fight to the fish and enjoy a great time to be in the Baja.

AERO CALIFORNIA UPDATES – No flights for the rest of May. However, according to my sources, pilots and flight attendants are on standby and according to the local La Paz newspaper, several test flights have been taken between Los Angeles, La Paz and Mexico City. My neighbors near the La Paz airport hear the jets revving every morning.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.

Jonathan