Amberjack "Pez Fuerte" like this can get over 100 pounds!
Pompano are delicious eating and hard fighters often found close to shore near where sandy beaches drop into deeper water
They don't taste very good, but pound-for-pound you may not find a more aggressive tough fish than the jack crevalle ("toro") that sometimes show up in schools of hundreds.
Probably the most popular member of the jack family in Baja is the "Jurel" (yellowtail) famous for it's difficult personality and great eating.
Perhaps the most exotic of the jacks, the roosterfish is highly prized and can be found in relatively shallow water and get over 100 pounds. Not such good eating, but incredibly powerful when hooked!
Rainbow runners look like miniature yellowtail and have the same feisty disposition.
JACKS or BETTER!
Originally Published the Week of Dec. 4, 2011 in Western Outdoor News
As a family, the jacks have to be one of the feistiest of critters. They’re DNA programmed to have attitude. That’s just the way they come from the factory.
During the colder winter months in the Baja, especially mid-to-southern Baja and especially in the Sea of Cortez they’re a great target species. These are the months when you actually need to wear a sweatshirt or jacket on the water; winds can be nasty enough to keep you close to shore and you actually have to think twice before jumping into the water or sticking your hand into the ice chest to grab an icy beer. Well…maybe not that last one…
But, it’s sometimes not the most clement weather and usually not the stuff you see in the fishing and travel brochures posted by the Board of Tourism. Seas are sometimes not so flat as in the photos. That bikini girl in the promotional photos is in jeans at the bar with a windbreaker. More people are in the warm jacuzzi than the pool and locals are bundled up in thick jackets instead of board shorts and t-shirts. (much to the amusement of tourists from Minnesota and New York!).
Likewise, contrary to the brochures, it’s also probably not the most optimal times for the “glamour” species like sailfish, marlin, tuna, dorado and wahoo. It’s not impossible and it depends where you are, but the likelihood of encountering these species drops precipitously during the cooler months.
In fact, sometimes conditions mandate staying close to shore or even on the beach making it near impossible to jump on those species.
That’s why the members of the jack family are just a great treat. I’m referring to jack crevalle, pompano, cocineros, rainbow runners and, of course, the big boy cousins like yellowtail, amberjack and roosterfish.
They’re often found close to shore. They can be encountered in shallow water near land, along beaches, and over reefs…even the largest of the species. They’re not picky eaters and will eat both bait and artificials. They have attitude and will often strike just “because” even tho’ they’re not feeding.
Further…they love structure so you can even find some of the species in marinas, near breakwaters, etc. just outside your hotel door. Best of all, they fight like fish with a chip-on-their-shoulders and often dash right towards the very structure that shelters them and puts the angler at a disadvantage.
The “smaller species” like the jack crevalle, pompano, rainbow runners, cocineros and school-sized roosterfish are a light tackle or flyrodders dream. Close to shore and often found in hungry schools, you can fish these with a light spinning, casting or flyrod.
But, there’s also the danger of being “undergunned” as well. Jack crevalle will go up to 30 pounds and even a 10-pounder will fight like a fish many times it’s size. Roosterfish in the 40-80 pound class are not uncommon in Baja.
Even a 1 pound cocinero on a trout rod will give you second-thoughts. Being close-to-shore or in the proximity of structure such as rocks, pilings and docks and reefs gives the fish even more of an edge against you and increasing the challenge.
Also, if you’re in the mid-to-upper regions of the Baja, the winter months are great for slugger yellowtail up to 40 pounds. Areas such as Mulege, Santa Rosalia, Loreto, Bahia Magdalena, Cedros Island, Bahia de Los Angeles and even as far south as La Paz, can be great yellowtail fisheries.
The same areas can hold the bigger-cousin amberjack up to 100 pounds also. Forget the light gear, bring the heavy artillery. An amberjack or yellowtail taken deep with bait or hooked on a jig or throwing iron is like hooking a small underwater freight train. And their first instinct is to bust you off back in the rocks too!
Bottom line, don’t be put-off by winter fishing if the pretty-boy fish aren’t around. Jacks more than make up for it and because crowds are down, you often have the entire honey-hole all to yourself.
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column for Western Outdoor News since 2004. He lives with his wife Jilly and together they own and operate the Tailhunter Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com and also run the Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the historic La Paz malecon waterfront. Stop in and say hi or contact him directly at www.tailhunter-international.com
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