East Cape, Baha Mexico

**smallmouth** · 10-05-2005, 04:13

New to this forum, Great articles on East Cape , I'm going to Punta Colorada in October and this is the best information found so far. Anyone else have anything to add. Thanks, smallmouth

**warriorgunner** · 03-02-2006, 15:51

not much info apart from your catch a boat load!!

**PanamaJack** · 06-02-2006, 16:33

Hi smallmouth, and welcome to the forum. I can vaguely remember the article on East Cape but, and perhaps this is just me, I'm struggling to find it again. It doesn't appear to come up in the Angling Adventures section and nothing appears with the site search. Perhaps the link has disappeared with the site's re-vamping?

Anyway, although lesser known that its commercialised neighbour just round the corner - Cabo san Lucas, it's renowned as a fishing venue. And, in October, you should experience offshore the tail end of the runs of Blue and Black Marlin, and probably Striped as well. Mid-sized Yellowfin Tuna together with Dorado will also be present.

Over recent years though there's been a significant increase in purse seining activity in the Sea of Cortez and this may be affecting catches, not just of the tuna. There's meant to be strict licencing of vessels but, I suspect, that there's an element of 'back handers' to corrupt local officials.

The inshore fishing should be good with pangas relatively cheap to hire. Just be aware though that most prices quoted don't include the 10% tax. But you can also hire a quad-bike for around 110$US and follow fish activity, spin or fly casting from the shore.

There're a couple of web sites that may identify what's being caught, sites like http://www.marlinnut.com and http://www.bajasmokedfish.com.mx/fishrepo.html. And these other urls might provide useful information - http://www.eastcape.com/, http://www.hotelbuenavista.com/04f-sfish.htm, http://www.bajafly.com/discussion/.

It's some years since any of our members fished down there but I will review articles in our yearbook to determine if there's anything else of interest to add.

Hope the trip goes well. And please report back with your experiences.
Dave

**PanamaJack** · 08-02-2006, 10:51

Just back to my note about the purse seiners operating in Mexican waters. There's a report in the Jan/Feb edition of the International Angler, the IGFA's publication that describes 15 large purse seigners targeting Yellowfin Tuna out from Puerto Vallarta, further south. These are trawlers in the 250' range that operate with helicopters to locate the shoals.

**marktheshark** · 11-02-2006, 01:28

Hi smallmouth
??? have you already been to East Cape??? If you still need advice let us know what kind of fishing you like doing, what gear you're taking etc. I've been to Baja several times and done plenty of shore and boat fishing on the Cape.
If you've been, can you let us know how you did?
Cheers

**Mike Wheeler** · 05-12-2006, 12:05

Hi Panama Jack
Any idea what the fishing in Baja California is like in May? Will be in Bariles for a week and would like to target striped marlin. The various hotel and charter fleet websites all have conflicting information on what species to expect. Also, do you have you any updates on the effects the purse seiners are having in the Sea of Cortez? Cheers

Mike Wheeler

**PanamaJack** · 05-12-2006, 16:32

Hi Mike
It should be an ideal time for Striped Marlin. Certainly last year though the water in Cortez heated up prematurely. Surface temperatures of 83 degrees F - right on their upper range - were recorded, but that is unusual.

I'm not too certain precisely where Las Bariles is, or which fleet you'd intend to fish with but I suspect the crews would, if they're 'thin on the ground' run out into the Pacific targeting them. As well as the 'Stripers' though you'd expect all of the other species to be present with the exception of Blue and Black Marlin and larger Yellowfin.

As to the illegal longlining it looks as if pressure's starting to tell. There's now an embryonic organisation, the Center for Marine Protection, based at La Paz that working in close liaison with the Mexican Navy's enforcement operation. Hopefully that's deterring some but obviously it's a big area and rewards are high. You may want to keep tabs on this site - http://www.bajaevents.com/. It does seem to keep up to-date which have a bearing on tourism.

As to fishing reports I'd certainly review some of George Landrum's posts on the Trip Reporter forum of the http://www.marlinnut.com web site. As well, even though the main focus, is on fly fishing it's worth visiting the http://bajafly.blogspot.com/ web site.

A final suggestion, assuming he hasn't noticed the development of this thread, is that you sent a private message to Toby, who posts under the nom de plume Kingfish81, on this site. Toby fished from pangas in, I believe it was, June of this year. He's certainly got comprehensive information on Cortez. There's also MarktheShark who I know has fish the area on a number of occasions.
Kindest regards
Dave

**Mike Wheeler** · 07-12-2006, 14:17

Hi Dave,
Very impressed both with your knowledge of the fishing and the very prompt response. Will certainly refer to the sites you mention. As regards your question, Los Bariles is about thirty miles up the coast on the East Cape of the Sea of Cortez and the lodge is situated on the Baja de Palmas. If I have any success will post a message. Again, many thanks!
Mike

**PanamaJack** · 07-12-2006, 20:00

Thanks for the update Mike.

It does now appear that there is a developing El Nino starting to affect the Pacific coast of South and Central America. (Here's one such report - http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/ - but there're loads more on the Web.) There's a possibility that its effect - increasing water temperatures - may have subsided before your trip. If not however it's likely to push the Marlin up earlier into southern Californian waters. There won't though be any effect on the inshore species - things like Snappers and Roosterfish.
Dave