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., August 16, 2003 Report covers the period Wed.-Fri. (8/13 - 8/15) EAST CAPE, MAGDALENA BAY AND ZIHUATANEJO CONDITIONS EAST CAPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO IN GENERAL: Blue marlin just a mile off the beach, tuna inside of 30 miles and enough sailfish to keep things interesting sums up the past few days. Add a few roosters, jacks and ladyfish strung out along the shore from the hotels to the lighthouse. It must be Aug. We began our Fly Fishing Safari on Thurs. (8/14) and the first day on cruisers was a hoot with blues, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and even the unusual white skipjack mixed in with the tuna. There was no frowny-frowny at our fiesta last night. Everyone was all smiles and had stories to tell. Kevin Foster and Dan Dewey, from Danville, Calif., along with David Kuykendall and Linda Peterson from Seattle all told me that they had caught their personal best fish ranging from an 8-pound white skipjack to an approximate 180-pound blue marlin. This morning is Super Panga day with roosters, jacks, dorado and who knows what else the goal. AIR & SEA - Water temperature 79°-83° Air temperature 81°-93° Humidity about 79% Wind ESE at 9 mph Conditions Partly Cloudy (FEW) : 20,000 ft Visibility 12 miles Sunrise 6:55 a.m. MST Sunset 7:50 p.m. MST Aug. 19 Last Quarter August 27 New Sep. 3 First Quarter Sep 10 Full · OFFSHORE: When the blues bite only a mile off the beach it is tough to define “inshore” from “offshore,” but here goes: blues, sailfish and if you are lucky you will find porpoise inside of 30 miles holding tuna. · INSHORE: OK. Blues at a mile, why? Dorado! Not great tonnage, but a few here and there in front of La Ribera to the lighthouse. · BEACH: The best bite I found this week as at the sticks around 8 to 8:30, mostly smaller jacks and few roosters in the mid-teens. BILLFISH - Settled down this week in a more definable area allowing the boats to give the area a good working over with favorable results for sails, blues and a few stripes. YELLOWFIN TUNA - We found porpoise holding inside of 25 miles yesterday (8/15) that were holding tuna from yippee to Oh No size. Small pink fly, instant snap, ZZZZZZZZZZ, fish on! DORADO - A few of the shark buoys are holding some nice-sized fish. The trick is finding the right buoy. ROOSTERFISH - Didn't see Bubba this week, but found a few in the mid-teens feeding on sardina practically on the sand. JACK CREVALLE - Smaller fish along the beach, still fun on an 8-weight, BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK – They’re mixed in with the tuna under the porpoise. PARGO AND CABRILLA - A few here and there with the action offshore. Few people took the time to look for them. SIERRA - Find a bait receiver and it is likely there will be a few hanging around. Bring wire. MAGDALENA BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO Sat., August 16, 2003 Report covers the period Wed.-Fri. (8/13 - 8/15) IN GENERAL: Esteros are beginning to percolate and can be rewarding for those who are willing to put in their time. There’s plenty of spotted bay bass to fill in the time between exotic bites which will come to the patient fly-fisher. Further out in the deep channel at Devil’s Curve produced a few quality fish including snook, leopard grouper and a palometa Amarillo, all on a chartreuse Baja Deep Diver. Water Temperature 67°-73° Air Temperature 73°-84° Humidity 77% Wind Calm Conditions Partly Cloudy Visibility 3 miles Sunrise 7:00 a.m. MDST Sunset 8:00 p.m. MDST Aug. 19 Last Quarter August 27 New Sep. 3 First Quarter Sep 10 Full YELLOWTAIL - Still a fair pick on smaller firecrackers at the entrada and beyond. CORVINA - Bridge, pier and Power Plant good places to start. SNOOK - Tough to find, but worth it. HALIBUT - Magdalena Bay’s slam dunk, a chartreuse Clouser bounced along a sandy bottom seldom fails. SIERRA - They are the ones without the yellow on their tails under the bird schools.