FISHING REPORT: All that’s fishy from Land's End to La Paz, by Gary Graham

FISHING REPORT All that’s fishy from Land’s End to La Paz by Gary Graham As Baja Sur transitions from an unusual spring filled with inshore surprises into summer, the offshore struggles as billfish, tuna and dorado are still just teases. Historically, they would already be thrilling visiting anglers with big fish catches, instead they are spending hours — endless hours — trolling, hoping to conjure up some action. Staying closer to shore, where in all likelihood there will be more catching than wishing, will allow anglers to fine-tune their techniques while they improve their chances when that trophy-sized fish does come along. Baja Sur’s fishery isn’t made up entirely of big, exotic fish. Roosterfish, jack, skipjack tuna, pompano, snapper, amberjack, yellowtail and even an occasional snook are on the current catch list for visitors who want to wet a line and maybe catch something for dinner. Although yellowfin tuna dominate the elite list, there are many other tunas that are just as fun to pull on — skipjack, bonito and bullet tuna. Most are considered inedible with dark-red, oily flesh. The white skipjack is the only one of the group with edible flesh and is a local favorite for sashimi; often found in schools a few miles offshore, these aggressive fish can provide hours of exciting action on light tackle. The jack family breaks down into 34 different subspecies including some that fall into the exalted, exotic category. At the top of the list are yellowtail – a favorite in many parts of the world, they lurk down deep on the Pacific side. One of the more well-known is the jack crevalle which has earned the nickname “toro” by the locals because of its bull-like strength and tenacity. The jack is an aggressive feeder that seldom passes up an eating opportunity. Another is the amberjack — one tough customer — earning them the nickname “pez fuerte” which translates to “strong fish.” Finally there are pargo, actually nine varieties of snappers, to target — blue and gold, Colorado, dog, golden, Jordan’s, mullet, red, spotted rose and the yellow snapper. While technically not a snapper, the Mexican barred pargo is another bruiser that may show up. These fish will rock you in a heartbeat until you refine your technique enough to react to their lightning-fast bite and instant retreat into the rocks they call home. The smaller ones pull hard and as they grow larger they are nearly unstoppable, combining stealth, strength and speed. An easy way to determine if the inshore remains a solid choice is to look at boats in the marina. If there are lots of blue and gold flags flapping, an offshore trip may be worthwhile.]]>