It's Starting to be Boom, Boom Time REPORT FROM GARY GRAHAM'S BAJA ON THE FLY: PROVIDING QUALITY SALTWATER FLY-FISHING 365 DAYS A YEAR SOUTH OF THE BORDER. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: [email protected]; USA toll-free (800) 919-2252; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373 Fri., April 16, 2004. Report covers the period Sat.-Thurs. (4/08-4/15) EAST CAPE, MAGDALENA BAY, ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO; AND SAN JOSE, GUATEMALA CONDITIONS EAST CAPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO IN GENERAL: Josh Dickenson, our guide from Montana, found a few dorado and even a marlin for Joe Turmes, visiting us from Boise on his first day out. The next day, fishing inshore, it was ladyfish, skipjack and a rooster, making for a great time. Meanwhile, back on the beach, Lance Peterson had to deal with some wind, which made for less than ideal conditions. Despite the breezes, they scored on pompano, ladyfish and a few mystery bites for the Saunders Family visiting all the way from England. AIR & SEA - Water temperature 66-57 Air temperature 69-77 Humidity about 69% Wind: Calm Conditions: Scattered Clouds (SCT) : 23,900 ft Visibility 12 miles Sunrise 6:56 a.m. MST Sunset 7:40 p.m. MST April 19 New, April 27 First Quarter, May 4, Full, May 11 Last Quarter • OFFSHORE: Mixed bag with an occasional dorado and even a marlin or two if you are lucky. • INSHORE: Bait receivers in front of La Ribera producing a mixed bag, including ladyfish, skipjack, jacks, roosters and even a pompano. • BEACH: Still transitioning into spring which means still a windy day to contend with here and there. BILLFISH - More spotted this week, but still tough for the fly-rodder. YELLOWFIN TUNA - Best bet seems to be up toward Cerralvo. DORADO – Good-sized fish in small groups. ROOSTERFISH\ JACK CREVALLE - Already seeing some toads on the good days. Plenty of fish in the 5-18 pound class being hooked. BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK - A little picky this week with so much bait in the water. PARGO AND CABRILLA - Some grandes at the sticks feeding on the surface. SIERRA - Still around; they obviously don't know that they are a winter fish. MAGDALENA BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO Puerto San Carlos: IN GENERAL: Nice weather this week, too bad there aren't more clients to enjoy it. Action up in the mangroves continued at a moderate pace with mostly corvina and cabrilla. Found a few leopard grouper up at Devil’s Curve. Water Temperature 64-70 Air Temperature 64-71 Humidity 92% Wind Calm Conditions Clear Visibility 2 miles Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MST Sunset 6:39 p.m. MST April 19 New, April 27 First Quarter, May 4, Full, May 11 Last Quarter YELLOWTAIL - No surface action to speak of this week CORVINA - Top catch for the week. SNOOK - Still little to report. HALIBUT - A few throughout the bay on the sandy beaches. SIERRA - Punta Belcher had a few under the diving birds. ZIHUATANEJO, MAINLAND MEXICO IN GENERAL: The 78º blue water is still only about 5 miles off the beach with the overall fishing rated as decent. Most of the two sailfish a day per boat average are coming from an area at about 12 miles an on a 210º heading from Zihuatanejo Bay. Tuna and dorado are still no shows, but the big blue marlin are here in very good numbers. A private 29-foot Boston Whaler, owned by Aaron of South Padre Island, Texas, has been fishing the 25 mile zone and had 3 hook-ups for 7 blue marlin raised in the last two days. Captain Adolpho on the “Dos Hermanos” told me the roosterfish fishing is still a hit or miss situation, but he did manage 3 nice pez gallo for his client while fishing the antennae region south of here. Water Temperature 72-78 Air Temperature 77-89 Humidity 83% Wind Calm Conditions Mostly Cloudy (BKN) : 25,000 ft Visibility 10 miles Sunrise 7:28 a.m. CST Sunset 8:02 p.m. CST April 19 New, April 27 First Quarter, May 4, Full, May 11 Last Quarter Baja on the Fly's Zihuatanejo report by Ed Kunze SAN JOSE, GUATEMALA IN GENERAL: The action has picked up again this week. Although there were fewer boats out, those fishing averaged 20 releases out of 33 hooked sailfish on conventional gear, and on the fly side, anglers were able to release an average of 8 of 22 hooked sailfish. Also on the fly there was one roosterfish released out of seven hooked. The action remains very good by Guatemalan standards and outstanding compared to other locations. I am headed down April 18 for a week and can't wait. If it is anything like Feb., I should have plenty of stories and photos to share. Bennett Mintz and his buddy attorney David Hardacre couldn't resist the vacuum and are coming down with me to see if there are really that many sails in one place. http://www.guatemalaflyfishing.com/sailfish101.htm Water Temperature 79-85 Air Temperature 78-94 Humidity 94 % Wind SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Conditions Mostly clear skies Visibility 6 miles Sunrise 5:49 a.m. CST Sunset 6:16 p.m. CST April 19 New, April 27 First Quarter, May 4, Full, May 11 Last Quarter Baja on the Fly's Guatemala report by Brian Barragy and Lissa M. McFarlin.