REPORT FROM GARY GRAHAM'S BAJA ON THE FLY: PROVIDING QUALITY SALTWATER FLY-FISHING 365 DAYS A YEAR IN BAJA FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: [email protected]; USA toll-free (800) 919-2252; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373 Sat., March 22, 2003 EAST CAPE, MAGDALENA BAY AND ZIHUATANEJO CONDITIONS EAST CAPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO IN GENERAL: Reports of marauding roosters and jacks looking for baitfish continue to be the big story this week. Jeff Solis, our guide from San Diego, found schools of roosters and jacks slamming the mullet and ballyhoo up against the shoreline in front of our house at La Capilla. The action began Wed. (3/ 19) as Jeff was finishing his last cup of coffee about 7:30. Looking up, he spotted the pelicans diving on trapped schools of bait pinned against the beach. He grabbed his 10-weight and looked like a pro linebacker charging down to the action. Cast, strip, strip, strip and he was tight to a rooster; and in a blink all that was left on his reel was the backing. With one eye on the rooster and the other on the frenzied school moving down the beach made focusing difficult. Landing that one, he was off at a dead run for school and managed to get his second fish out of the same school. Two roosters on the fly before 8:30! Not bad. While most of the fish appeared to be 20-plus, his two were in the 7- to 15-pound class. It seems the smaller fish beat the big guys to the smaller flies he was using. Try a “roostie” next time, Jeff! Our recipe for the "roostie" that fooled quite a few of the big guys last year: http://www.bajafly.com/images/mullet.jpg AIR & SEA - Water temperature 68-76 Air temperature 55°-79° Humidity about 73% Wind WNW at 9 mph Conditions Clear Visibility 12 miles Sunrise 6:17 a.m. MST Sunset 6:29 p.m. MST Mar. 24 Last Quarter Apr. 1 New Apr. 9 First Quarter Apr.16 Full · OFFSHORE: Going further, catching less seemed to be the story this week. · INSHORE: Still an impressive show of good-sized roosters and jacks up and down the shore from Palmas to the lighthouse. · BEACH: Beach from Buenavista Beach Resort to first point was the place to be this week. BILLFISH - Mostly singles, few multiples this week. YELLOWFIN TUNA - Still a pretty good show for this time of year. DORADO - Shark buoys at Punta Pescadero provided consistent action ROOSTERFISH - Change your backing before you get here. Catch one of these from the beach and you will have bragging right for a long time to come. JACK CREVALLE - Oops! The smaller ones got bigger quick, several in the 20-pound class on the beach from Punta Colorada to the lighthouse. BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK - Too much other stuff going on. PARGO AND CABRILLA - Still rumors of some big grabbers in the rocks near Punta Colorada SIERRA - If you don't want to use wire, try patterns tied on long shank hooks to keep the tippet away from their teeth. MAGDALENA BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO Sat., March 22, 2003 IN GENERAL: Cool, windy conditions in the afternoon put a damper on the action this week. Most of the fleet stayed in waiting for things to warm up. A few halibut out near Punta Belcher and a fair corvina bite near the pier. Water Temperature 65-70 Air Temperature 55-°74° Humidity 94% Wind Calm Conditions Overcast with some wind in the p.m. Visibility 3 miles Sunrise 6:25 a.m. MST Sunset 6:37 p.m. MST Mar. 24 Last Quarter Apr. 1 New Apr. 9 First Quarter Apr.16 Full YELLOWTAIL - Soon coming as the water begins to warm up. CORVINA - Good show up at the pier and power plant. SNOOK - Saw a photo of Zach's from 10 days ago . . . impressive! HALIBUT - Try any of the sandy beaches with a chartreuse Clouser. SIERRA - Spread out throughout the open bay. ZIHUATANEJO, MAINLAND MEXICO Sat., March 22, 2003 The fishing is basically a repeat of the last several weeks. There are a lot of black skipjack tuna inshore and this has drawn the marlin close to the coast. A 600-pound blue was weighed at the dock, but most of them have been averaging about 250 pounds. The huge tuna are still at the 45-mile mark, and captains like Santiago, on the panga “Gitana,” have been going after them almost daily. We did get three days of wind, which made the 2-hour run a 4- or 5-hour return home. Santiago told me he only did that one day and is waiting for calm seas again. A few 25-to 35-pound dorado are still being caught daily, but they are not here in any decent numbers. The roosterfish have apparently gone south. Water Temperature 78º Air Temperature 68°-79º Humidity 78% Wind Calm Conditions Mostly Cloudy (BKN) : 8,000 ft; visibility 8 miles Sunrise 6:45 a.m. CST Sunset 6:56 p.m. CST Mar. 24 Last Quarter Apr. 1 New Apr. 9 First Quarter Apr.16 Full For more Information on Baja on the Fly's Zihuatanejo trips, go to: http://www.bajafly.com/Zihuatanejo.htm -- Zihuatanejo Report by Baja on the Fly's Ed Kunze International Game Fish Association needs your support. If you are not already a member, please take the time to JOIN TODAY! http://www.bajafly.com/igfaapplication.htm