TUNA and DORADO BEND RODS AFTER STORMS!
La Paz and Las Arenas Fishing Reports for Nov. 5, 2006
Photo 1: Kerry Armstrong has made two trips to La Paz and always seems to do well. Here she is with Capt. Martin off Espiritu Santo Island with a beautiful blue bull dorado. More on her trip below!
In an unbelievable start to November, blue water species make a great showing after last week’s storms. Tuna and dorado mix it up with pargo, snapper, sierra and cabrilla!
LA PAZ FISHING
It was hard to believe it was November, but dorado came roaring back for our boats and our anglers fishing out’ve La Paz. Sure, there were some seasonal winds, but fishing wasn’t too far anyway. Hitting that same honey hole just off Espiritu Santo Island big dorado foamed for many of the fishermen who jumped all over fish from 20-60 pounds.
Last week it almost seemed like the bluewater season was all but done after the stormy wintry weather that jumped all over us making fishing almost impossible. However, this week, it was like nothing had changed and the dorado were willing to pick up right where they left off and have been chewing the last 3 months in what to me has been the best dorado season in many many years! I mean…hey…it’s almost winter and we’re still hanging big bull dorado.
Using sardines, whole bonito and stripped bonito, the big mahi can change a slow day into pure frenzy. One of our good amigos who has been fishing with us for years told us that they got some of their fish, including their biggest…a 50 plus pounder by using live pufferfish! He said our popular Captain Chito kept a few in the bait tank and when the big dorado came up, he pinned them on the hook and dropped them back. “The fish hit in seconds!” said Mark. His dad, who has a bad back, and is 82 years old, toughed it out and fought the fish start to finish. Whenever Mark would try to help his dad would say, “Get away from me!”
Anyway, hard to say how long this will last, but we’ll take it for as long it lasts!
LAS ARENAS FISHING
Once again…surprises!!! Who’d have guessed that this late in the season yellowfin tuna would pay us another run! All week, I had told our anglers that the bluewater stuff was probably pretty much done for the season and to expect stuff like a few stray dorado, some snapper, some sierra and maybe some seabass. H0-hum! Fun stuff no doubt, but not always rod pumping stuff!
Then, whoa…what happened? The tuna showed up! It wasn’t WFO, but make no mistake this was fun football tuna fishing and a great surprise for the anglers who were taking 2-6 fish per panga rounded out with some sierra, snapper and pargo.
FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS
Court and Kerry Armstrong – Salt Lake City Utah
“WOW , that,s all I can say about our last trip to fish with Tailhunters international , Jonathan Roldan,s fishing experience has not failed me yet ! This is my third trip to La Paz , and every trip has it’s highlights. We might get one slow day in a week but that is about it .
My daughter, Kerry has joined me for her second year in a row and already is planning for next year ! this year I brought a friend for his first trip to La Paz , Beau Valtinson and his daughter Mckell and they has a BALL!!
Beau was plenty excited to outfish me for the biggest fish of the trip a big Bull dorado of at least fifty or more !! But pound for pound I got him!!
Kerry and I filled two ice chests , and had to buy another and still had to put more fillets in the suitcase ! The local food was excellent except for one night at Applebees, so I recommend just eating as the locals do , the mexican hotdogs off the food carts are KILLER !! We also took a day and went diving at the SeaLion colony and it was a great first time scuba experience for my daughter, Kerry, and were totally blown away with the sea lions and all the lifeforms under the water !!! Thanks again for such a great trip Jonathan , you took care of us in every way that is the most important part in making everyone enjoy themselves !!! adios amigo… Court and Kerry Armstrong”
Photo 2 : Court Armstrong from Salt Lake City UT got a number of big bulls fishing almost an entire week with us.
Photo 3: Kerry Armstrong came with her dad. This was her second trip and she is never a slouch always getting some great fish.
FIRST PERSON REPORT
Craig Petersen, an Orange Co. California , chiropractor, is one of our amigos and regular free divers in La Paz. In freediving, it’s an amazing sport. It basically means spearfishing without the use of tanks which are illegal in Mexcio. Therefore, these incredible athletes have only the air they can inhale in a single breath and dive to incredible depths to hunt! A number of world records have been set in the La Paz area, but Bruce didn’t come to La Paz this week, but he went to Puerta Vallarta and it resulted in a new world record yellowfin tuna!
“I have been going down to Puerto Vallarta the last year to hunt for this fish. We were diving high spots around a rock about 25 miles out and making dives to about 50 ft and just hanging there for 30 seconds or so.
Once in a blue moon a monster tuna will swim by. On this dive I had just leveled off at 50 ft whenI saw him in the distance maybe 40 ft from me and moving toward me and to my left. I quickly kicked hard to close the distance and was able to get about 20 feet away before the fish started to act like he didn’t want my company.
I let the shaft fly and it found its mark a bit lower and further back than I would have liked and not as deep of penetration but I hoped the shot would hold. He pulled me around for at least 45 minutes-after it took 6 or 7 minutes just to find the float and another 10 to catch up to it. I think he died or was close to death as I could finally start to pull him up. As I got him to within 30 feet and clipped the end of my float line to my float and swam down to him I could see that the slip tip was toggled just under the skin!
I decied I would try to grab him and point him up and swim up with him. Tied him off to the boat-feeling great but I thot he was only 250 to 280. When we got him on board the captain said he was definately over 300! WOOOHOOO! Luckily we found an IGFA certified scale and well… I am one happy camper.”
Photo 4: Dr. CRAIG swims his tuna to the surface! Remember…no tanks allowed. This is all done with whatever air you can inhale in your lungs.
Photo 5: Fat tuna and a new world record 317 pound yellowfin tuna for CRAIG!
AIRLINE NEWS
In case you hadn’t heard, Alaska Airlines is now flying from Los Angeles to La Paz 3 times a week. They commence flights from the San Francisco Area Nov. 15th. Beginning on Dec. 15th, Delta Airlines under the name of “Eastern Atlantic” starts flying from Los Angeles to La Paz.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
Jonathan Roldan’s Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
Phone: (626) 333-3355
FAX: (626) 333-0115
E-Mail: Riplipboy@aol.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Dr., Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico office: Carr. a Pichlingue KM5; Numero 205, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
“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.”
That's My Story 
Leave a Reply