Beulah Blog

 

It is turning out to be one of the best and most consistent years for roosterfish in recent history. Fair and consistent weather and a slow but steady climb in water temperatures have all contributed to happy fish. The good supplies of sardines haven’t hurt either. What a contrast to last year.

A group of incredibly fun and friendly Ukraine and Russian fisherman and family braved the 32 hr journey to experience Baja and chase roosterfish. We fished 6 days and had boats landing multiple roosterfish daily. Roosterfish ranged from 15 -40lbs, most in the 20-30lb range, with boats taking 2-6 fish a day. One of the guests set out to catch a variety of species and landed 9 before he was done. We could have had a few more but the fishing was concentrated in areas where roosterfish roam.

There was a little pressure coming from the south but nothing that couldn’t be avoided. Apparently the bait and fishing in Los Barilles  is scant and boats are coming up the coast to fish for a few hour. This has put down the fish at times with the drone of motors and sometimes to close for comfort technique.  The Captains see our sardines flying and roosters  crashing and can’t resist crashing the party. Around here, a traffic jam is anything over 4 boats and we managed to find our own water by being first and last on the scene. This tactic actually enhanced the fishing with late afternoon action being the best. Whether due to the afternoon high tide,    or letting the water settle, we found more fish late.

There are plenty of skipjack and jack crevalles , to keep a change of pace and even a pompano or two, but roosterfish are still the fish du jour. Dorado and sails are starting to show offshore, stay tuned for next week when we head out a little deeper.

 

Another great week for roosterfish. weather conditions were generally calm except for a couple afternoons with variable winds, but nothing to get in the way of the catching. All our boats landed and released 2-6 roosterfish per day in the 20-40 lb range. We had a large sierra bite off after exploding on a fly and a couple random species adding to the excitement. The sardines have been plentiful and of good size. Although traffic has been busy, with boats coming up from Los Barilles for sardines, the roosters have been in enough places that you can find your own water. As conditions continue to heat up we expect to see some dorado in the next couple weeks.

 

Day 2 brought a mixed bag of rollers, wind, clouds, and boats (lots of them).  Our friend from the North West worked on his sea legs and his Barrilata lifting skills.  They were hungry and in good numbers.  We did get ourselves a really nice 10 pounder.  Made a run to the Point and had some good shots at solid 40 pound rooster. No love from Pesca Gallo today.  From there we moved around looking for some more action and found ourselves in a mix of boats.  More than we are used to, but there is a lot of room to roam. By afternoon the clouds and wind kicked up and it was siesta time.  One of the many perks of Mexico is the availability of Avocadoes and fresh chiles.  Nothing beats a big bowl of Guacamole freshly made.  Another day on the water only make s tomorrow more exciting

First day in paradise.  Turns out its a lot like riding a bike.  You remember just what to do when you need to do it.  The water wasn’t perfect we did have some wind  but otherwise the weather was perfect and the fish were ready to play.  We had a great morning with shots at Dorado, Pargo, and Gallos all very close to shore.  The flies were right and we made it work.  We put our Beulah Blue Waters to the test and they Aced it.  We did see some traffic on the water but it didn’t stop our pursuit. The island is holding Sardinas which is in contrast to what we had last year at this time.  We received our third part of our trifecta later in the afternoon and went out to do some more scouting.  The Sea of Cortez is alive.  Tomorrow will be exciting and we look forward to getting our friend from the North West his first Rooster

Here is a view from our “Happy Place” on our way to our “Better Happy Place”.

It’s the beginning of the season and we here at Fly Fish Mex are really excited to get on the water.  The bags are packed, rods are ready, reels spooled and tested, and we will be on the water Thursday the 2nd.  The fishing reports have been all over the place as is the norm for this part of the year on the East Cape and we have had reports of everything from Roosters, Wahoo, and Dorado.  Keep tuned in to our site for updated reports along with photos of the catch.

Hasta Luego,

Senor Fly Fish Mex

Forty five minutes southeast of La Paz is one of the most productive blue water fly fishing areas in the world. Gentle seas, fair weather and a precipitous drop of the ocean floor make this the perfect setting for fly fishing. Add the incredible number of migrating pelagic and resident species and you have a recipe for great fly fishing.

Fishing can be excellent year round but the best action and conditions for fly fishing comes in May, June and July. Fair but hot weather settles into the area and an abundance of bait attracts migrating species like roosterfish, jacks, dorado, billfish, tuna and wahoo. During the summer months all these and more species can be anticipated, but if you have a specific quarry there are certain weeks when your chances are better.

Keep updated on our fishing while we hunt around on the Sea of Cortez…

 

Cape Guides Fly Fishing

Cape Guides is a Fly Fishing Guide Service created by Capt. Jeff Iadonisi out of a passion for the fish that swim in his local waters.  Jeff, a cape cod native
has always been drawn to the ocean and would like to share some of favorite fishing experiences with you.

North Side of Cape Cod

Cape Cod Bay – Pristine white sand flats that will make you wonder if you are in the Bahamas.

Sight fishing for Striped Bass on the pristine white sand flats of Cape Cod bay has become an obsession for Jeff.  Fishing for Striped Bass on the flats is a thrilling and technical experience that will leave you wanting to come back for more.  The visual aspect is amazing from the perfect presentation to a cruising striper, watching the gills flare as she inhales the fly, setting the hook and then watching her race across the flats.  One day sight fishing for Striped Bass and you will have an obsession for life.  Striped Bass can be pursued on the flats May through October with the May through July being the prime times.

On the South side of the Cape

Vineyard Sound/Nantucket Sound;  Striped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore, and Bonito can be pursued.

In the spring large migration of Blue Fish come into Vineyard Sound.  They are an amazingly aggressive and strong fishing fish. Casting topwater sliders or poppers to cruising Blues is a thrilling experience.
In the Fall you can punish your drag, with the fast fish of the North East, False Albacore and Atlantic Bonito.  Hardtails are a thrilling experience that will leave you questioning if you have enough backing.

Whether you are a novice or avid angler I can work with you to create a lifetime of memories.

Capt. Jeff Iadonisi

508-221-0817

www.capeguides.com

facebook.com/capeguides

CapeGuides@GMail.com

Bring up the topic of fly-fishing for striped bass in the surf and East Coast hotspots like Montauk and Cape Cod are usually first to pop into fishermen’s heads. Many don’t even realize that the Pacific-facing beaches of California see large enough runs of migrating stripers every summer to constitute a viable fly-rod fishery thanks to a mere 163 specimens that were transplanted from New Jersey to San Francisco Bay back in 1879.

Though tactics can be very similar to those used on the east coast, the numbers of fish present along the California coast do not come close to those on the other side of the country. Over there, it is not unrealistic during a great day to land a double-digit number of fish. Out here, however, landing a single fish in the double-digit pound category is the mark of a great day. As a result, fly-fishing for west coast stripers in the surf is in some ways more akin to the pursuit of west coast steelhead than east coast bass, as they are a “fish of a thousand casts”.

Beulah 8/9 Surf Rod

 

Skunkings are a regular occurrence. To connect to one of these fish a number of factors have to come together: winds need to be light, swells need to be low, fishy structure needs to be located, and then the angler needs to be on his or her game during this fleeting window. Before long, the tide will shift, the wind will come up, or both, and chances for success will drop dramatically. Because of the challenging nature of pursuing these fish in the surf, I consider a session successful if my clients or I are able to effectively present flies in a “fishy zone” that I have real confidence in during ideal conditions. This is really all that can be asked for as a guide and angler pursuing CA surf stripers. That heart-stopping violent grab followed by strong runs and powerful head shakes is just the bonus that happens often enough to keep me coming back for more.

 

When hooking bass with any consistency in the Pacific suds is such a challenge, many might wonder why not just fish the California Delta or San Francisco Bay instead.

“…there are few dinks in the surf.” Loren Elliot

Though by no means easy, these fisheries offer a fly flinger much more forgiving windows of opportunity, as well as greater numbers of fish  (twenty fish days are possible). So then why do I return to the surf day after day during the summer months? The answer lies in the challenge and great potential for reward that, in my mind, cannot be equaled on the inland striper fisheries. An angler is completely immersed in the environment of the bass when fly fishing afoot in the surf. This environ is often rough, but this means that usually only adult bass roam this zone to feed, while the packs of “schoolies” stick to the protected inland waters. As a result, there are few dinks in the surf, and the opportunity to hook a fish over twenty pounds is very much present.

The Reward

Surf stripers are truly turbo-charged. They are in the surf for one reason only: to feed. This makes them extremely aggressive, as a bass has little time to inspect an offering before the next wave sweeps it away. These fish do not mess around when taking a fly, and just about every grab is violent. Because stripers in the surf are well fed on baitfish and adapted to surviving in the crashing waves, they fight unlike inland stripers, often making an initial run well into the backing as they charge for deep water past the surf line. That first tug is all it takes to open one’s eyes to the absolute thrill of fly-fishing our west coast surf.