Baja

[BobM]

We are leaving for Baja Mexico tomorrow and will be doing some fishing in the Sea of Cortez at Bahia de Los Angeles. We are taking our own boat and would like some info on what fishing tackle we should use. Anyone with experience in salt water fishing please help. I don't think a 5 of diamonds is the hook for the area.
Bob

[FearNoFish]

I was fishing out of Loretto in the fall and we had a blast. Be sure to have you reels spooled up with a good quality braided line in the 80-100 lb range. You'll want to run a high quality fluorocarbon leader about 6-8 feet to your hook of at least 100 lbs. Dorado, roosters, yellow tails and sea bass will all be near shore and will attack any live bait presentation. Use a good circle hook that's large enough to handle a lively 5-6 inch bait. Then simply troll as slow as possible along the shore and let the smelt do the work. There will always be some talented locals that will hop on your boat with their throw nets and fill your livewell with bait in the harbour for 50 pesos. I always look for somebody selling live mackeral and always take about 10 just in case I cross a sale fish or marlin. We always keep a rod ready and a mackeral already hooked in the livewell so its ready to cast to the shark or marlin that always pops up 20 feet from the boat just as you crack that first beer.

Our favorite fishing in the Baja is always for Tuna though. Talk to the local guides and find out where they have seen the feeding frenzies or just head out to the deep deep water with your binoculars and look for boiling water, jumping bait or circling birds. Throw a live smelt or troll any hook right throw or around the frenzy and hold on. THese fish will blow your mind.

Have fun and post your pics

Brandon

[catnthehat]

I fished lorreto some years ago before it got really crqzy there.
Fantastic fly and gear fishing!
We booked through Bob Nuheim form Fishing Internatial ( you know, the guy who invented the "Crazy Charlie" bonefish fly?
Anyway, a 10wgth with a bass bug line , and a tarpon line was what I used for floaters, and Cortland steelhead line for a sinker.
Streamers in the saltwater patterns.
If you tie your own, tie sparse.
Gear fishing stuff was supplied, we used live makeral for bait.
Cat