PHOTO: Here’s some samples of great inshore stuff to play with. The top three lures are “crank baits” characterized by the “lips” that cause them to dive to different depths when retrieved or trolled. The bottom two lures are plastic/rubber “swim baits” that are also amazingly lifelike and have weight in their heads that cause them to sink, but lifelike rubber tails that undulate back and forth like real fish when retrieved.
YANKING AND CRANKING!
Originally published in Western Outdoor News the week of Dec. 3, 2008
Well, it appears it’s about that time of year again. Seasons are finally changing. Those warm, balmy days of summer and fall look like they’re behind us.
You can feel it down here in Baja, even if you’re not out on the water. It’s cooler in the morning. Even at the southern tip like Cabo, East Cape, and here in La Paz, it’s darned chilly in the morning! I could see my breath yesterday while fishing (because it was cold, not because I drank too much the night before!) and I wished to heck I had brought a sweatshirt on the boat.
The sun does eventually come up warmly. But, the sun is at a different angle during the day. Shadows are longer and there’s a definite coolness to the water. No matter where you are on the Pacific or Sea of Cortez, it’s windier too. More northerlies and afternoon whitecaps aren’t unusual.
It’s also “quiet time.” Most of the fishermen have gone home now. Very few people on the water. It’s not quite the holidays yet either. A lot of emptiness and a lot of space. I like it!
There’s also very few little traffic on the fishing holes! Oh yea!
It’s time to grab the lighter tackle and work the inshore species! Especially, if the winds are blowing and I see those whitecaps out there…heck…I don’t wanna get wet and beat up if I don’t have to. I’m a woose!
If we can get bait, all the better for chumming, but it’s not necessary as compared to those times during the season when we’re out on the bluewater with clients. The late fall and early winter are my “jerking and cranking” time!
It’s the time when I get to pull out my plastic and rubber lures that may have sat dormant during the season. These are the “swimmer lures” that look like creepy-crawly rubber bugs and grubs or the molded ones that look like little rubber fish. The true “jerk baits” literally look like a long- tapered piece of flexible rubber that wiggles. Normally, these are weighted with either a small weight or have a “head” with a single hook protruding from the body. (Ask your tackle shop).
The other part of my arsenal is the “crank bait.” Like the rubber/plastic lures, bass fishermen know what I’m talking about. These are the hard-bodied molded lures that usually look like fish and have a “lip” protruding from the front that enable them to dive when trolled or retrieved. Several treble hooks are usually attached. Some of the Japanese models of these are incredibly life-like. For you old-schoolers, I’m referring to the Rapala-type lures.
I often get complaints that the big stores like Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas often don’t have the right “Baja gear.” Believe me, they have this stuff…in fact, you could find it in your local Walmart too. It’s not real difficult.
Slow trolling the crank baits is a no-brainer. Run the boat slowly so the crank bait doesn’t jump and skip but stays down low. Get ready for anything. Just about anything will hit these at this time of year…jacks, sierra, cabrilla, pargo, pompano…you name it. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do it so it’s a lot of fun. I like making the boat go in a big lazy “S” pattern so the lure runs and drop and pauses. Sometimes when the lure is just sitting suspended is when it gets blasted!
Big boat don’t work so well as pangas , kayaks or other small craft that can go slow with minimum noise. They also get nice and tight to structure.
But casting this assortment of lures is where the real entertainment comes in . With the rubber and plastic lures, I enjoy casting them around structure such as jutting or submerged rocks and reefs or sloping banks. I used to try “swim” them fast, but I find that swimming them painfully slow or jerking them almost imperceptibly gets the biggest results. Fish seem to pounce on them.
Sometimes, I literally let them sit…move them again…sit…swim a bit. Just be ready to lift up on the rod and set the hook if the crazy things suddenly swims away on it’s OWN! That means hookup! All kinds of things come out of the rocks to eat these lures….big cabrilla, yellowtail, amberjack, dog tooth and mullet snapper and grouper are the types of fish that come out from the crags to ambush things swimming by their hideouts. Don’t be surprised. I’ve found spots where every single cast results in a different species of fish!
It’s cheap. It’s fun. It’s easy.
That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com
That's My Story 
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