FIRST PERSON REPORT BY BEN BABBITT

MAG BAY FISHING LIVES UP TO EXPECTATIONS WFO Tuna, dorado, marlin, a couple of wahoo... BY BEN BABBITTPublished: Nov 20, 2008

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FIRST PERSON SOUTH CAL SALT  REPORT BY BEN BABBITT ... a couple of wahoo and even a sailfish provide for great action on recent trailer boat trip down south. LOPEZ MATEOS, Baja California Sur -- I am happy to report everything you have heard about fall fishing at Magdalena Bay is true.  My good friend Pete Hamann and I just returned from a week of fishing down there and I can tell you firsthand that it is by far hands down the best fishing that I have ever experienced. It’s not the easiest place to fish.  The logistics are a bit tricky but in the end the reward is great. Our game plan was to tow my buddy’s 20-foot center console Reel Hooker down to Lopez Mateos, a small fishing community located some 700 miles down on the Pacific side of Baja, where we would hook up with Bob Hoyt who runs Mag Bay Outfitters.  He was going to dial us in with the latest fishing dope and the specifics about getting to his fishing camp operation which is located in the lee of Cabo San Lazaro, approximately 30 miles to the south.  The plan was to launch the boat first thing Monday morning and fish our way south towards the Mag Bay Outfitters camp. After an uneventful 17-hour drive south, we arrived in Lopez Mateos in the early afternoon on Sunday.  We quickly learned that the fishing was going off and that the weather had been dead calm the last few days.  My buddy Peter and I excitedly put the final touches on our fishing gear and prepared the boat for an early morning departure.   The alarm went off bright and early and the first thing we noticed was that the weather wasn’t dead calm anymore.  The wind was hooting! I’m not going to lie, I was bummed.  However, we soon learned that the local Mexican fishermen that we were set up to follow out of the bay were still planning on heading out so we proceeded as planned, launching the boat and following the fisherman out of the bay   It is very important to note that crossing into the ocean from this Boca de Soledad, where we launched the boat is a very dangerous thing and should not be taken lightly.  As a matter of fact, I think it’s highly advisable to set up either a local guide to help you with the crossing or have someone lined up for you to follow out.   As we left the bay and entered the Pacific, we were greeted with extremely rough and mixed up seas.  We continued on to an area about 12 miles off the beach to the south that we were told was holding tuna and dorado big time.  The water looked good and blue and the temp was around 78 degrees so we decided it was time to put the jigs in the water.  It didn’t take long before we were wired to the first of many 25-40-pound class yellowfin tuna.  Trolling our way south, we found very steady action on the jigs  As evening approached, we had (honestly) released some 25 yellowfin tuna and dorado.  It was time to head into Bahia Santa Maria to set up our mooring and get squared away with the camp. The camp that Mag Bay Outfitters runs isn’t fancy, but it provides the necessary items to fish the area on a small private boat.  The food is tasty, gas and ice are on tap and a panga is available to take you out in the morning and pick you up in the evening.   Tuesday morning we spent some time jigging mackerel near the mouth of Bahia Santa Maria.  It proved to be a not so easy task.  We ended up with about 15 mackerel to show for an hour’s worth of effort.   We pointed the boat to an area referred to by the locals as the “Chichis” which lays about 15 miles from the camp.  This is the area that had been serving up “as many marlin as you want.”  However, it didn’t take long to see that the weather was up again with an easy 20 knots of wind so we decided to put the trollers in and to keep an eye on the building seas.  Within minutes we were onto our first of many double, triple and even quadruple hookups.  Long story short, we never made it through the epic tuna and dorado bite on Day 2.  After a jig stop, dropping a live bait back or casting a Raider jigs was an instant hookup.  We finished the day off with a marlin grabbing a black and purple Z Lures feather.  Peter fought the fish for 30 minutes before we released our first marlin of the trip.   As we had dinner that evening, it was obvious to see that the weather was changing for the better.  The skies were clearing up and the wind was dead calm.  Our hopes were high for a run out to the Thetis Bank a mere 30 minutes to fish for wahoo the following morning.   Dawn revealed a totally different day.  The seas were much more fishable.  We jigged a few mackerel and made our way 23 miles to the northwest to the famed Thetis Bank.  Neither Peter nor I had ever fished the bank before, though we had heard about it many times over the years. As we arrived at the bank we could see it was teeming with life.  There were terns dipping, small tuna boiling and every once in a while a boil from a much more significant fish could be seen.  The San Diego long range boat Independence was even on the bank!  To say we were excited would be an understatement.  Three YoZuri Bonita style marauders were sent back along with a Mean Joe Green Zukers 3.5 feather rigged with steel leader was in the spread as well. Within 30 minutes of trolling we started getting quick zips and strikes.  Nothing stuck until about 930 a.m. when the sound of the clickers going off caught our attention.  We had a double hookup on the wahoo!  I brought my fish to the boat first.  It was every man for himself so I grabbed the gaff and lifted the first wahoo on board.  It was about this moment that Peter yelled, “Dude, I’ve got color and this thing is huge!” As I made my towards the bow of the boat to gaff his wahoo, I looked down and saw several free swimming wahoo under the boat.   After the euphoria of catching wahoo on a private skiff on the Theits Bank wore off and a few celebratory beers were quickly chirped, we continued on.  The wahoo bite and the life seemed to dry up shortly thereafter so we slid our way south towards the “Chichis” to look for an afternoon bite on the marlin.   The great thing about fishing Mag Bay is that there is so much action on the surface to hunt for.  A quick scan of the horizon at almost any time revealed frigates and terns working together.  I ended Day 3 with a marlin caught on a slow trolled mackerel around an area of working frigates to go along with a nice clip of yellowfin and dorado for the day. Day 4 we decided to skip making bait and just run to the Thetis to try and get into the early morning wahoo action.  Hindsight would prove this to be a mistake.  After a couple of hours trolling around the Thetis for nada, we decided to run south to hunt for marlin.   As we neared the marlin zone, clusters of birds could be seen near and far.  The question wasn’t where are the birds?  Rather, the question was which one should we point the boat towards?  As we would slide up on the working birds, large bait balls could be seen with feeding marlin slashing through.  It was just like a Blue Planet episode.   Without live bait, we were forced to troll jigs thru these areas.   Not to sound like a broken record, but within minutes, we started getting jig strikes.  Singles, doubles, triples and even quadruples were taking place constantly.  All told, we had 25 jig strikes Thursday afternoon.  It became so predictable that we broke out the video camera to capture the excitement of fish in the jigs.  We ended up capturing a quadruple jig strike on film!  However, as often is the case fishing for marlin on jigs, they kept throwing the hook after a few minutes battle.  If we had live bait that afternoon, I’m sure our count would have been in double digits.  As it was, we ended up leadering and “officially” releasing 4 fish.   Friday was our final day and we were torn whether to run out to the Thetis or spend the time making bait and fishing the marlin bite hard with live bait.  We chose to fish marlin.  Bait proved impossible to make but we were luckily able to buy some mackerel from a commercial sardine boat that had just made a wrap nearby.   The water was glass calm as we zoomed out to the marlin grounds.  It looked like a day in the Sea of Cortez.  We went on to catch 4 more marlin, a sailfish and tons of doradosthis final day of fishing.   The final night at camp the wonderful Mexican staff prepared a crab feast for us that was out of this world.  It was definitely a fitting conclusion for a great week’s fishing.   Our trip back to the Boca de Soledad was made first thing Saturday morning.  Even with a 7-foot high tide that morning, the crossing from the ocean back into Bahia Soledad was hairy, but we made it back safe and sound.  We loaded the boat onto the trailer, quickly broke down our gear, took showers and started our trek towards home.   Fishing Mag Bay isn’t as easy as towing down to say Bahia de Los Angeles or Loreto.  However, with the right preparation and now with the help of the good folks at Mag Bay Outfitters, it is a destination that offers out-of-this-world fishing. MAG BAY ACCOMMODATIONS AND FISHING COSTS, ACCOMODATIONS Mag Bay Outfitters offers a three bedroom air conditioned house in Lopez Mateos that is fully equipped with coffeepot, microwave, television and even a barbeque. It can handle a party of 6 people or they can accommodate a party of 10 on Mag Bay Island in five cabins, two to a cabin, equipped with a generator, restaurant and fresh water. The price is $130 per person (two person minimum) and includes meals, but not alcoholic drinks during season which runs from June through December.  Off season, January through May, the price is $80 per person (two person minimum).  Taxes and gratuities are not included. There is a generator on the island, and a cook for your meals.  There are kayaks on the island available at no charge and you can rent ATVs for $100 per day. Offshore fishing is $600 per day for up to three anglers and Estero or bay fishing is $300 per day for up to three anglers.  Taxes and gratuities are not included. For those who want to trailer their boat down: Launching your trailer boat is $10 each time if you use your own vehicle.  Truck and trailer storage is 10 a day. Power washing your truck, trailer or boat is $20 plus tip. They offer Shuttle Service to and from the Loreto Airport $550 round trip (up to 6 passengers) or $275 each way. Or from La Paz Airport $325 each way or $650 for round trip (for up to 6 passengers). The La Paz and Loreto areas also have bus service at about $30 a person, each way. For additional information you may contact Mag Bay Outfitters  office Toll Free (877) 621 2252 - http://www.magbayoutfitters.com/ email: info@magdalenabay.info MAG BAY OUTFITTERS can  accommodate a party of 10 on Mag Bay Island in five cabins, two to a cabin, equipped with a generator, restaurant and fresh water. The price is $130 per person (two person minimum) and includes meals, but not alcoholic drinks during season which runs from June through December.  During the offseason, January through May, the price is $80 per person (two person minimum).  Taxes and gratuities are not included.  There is a generator on the island, and a cook for your meals. You can bring your own boat or book a charter. Nearby surfing is world class.