What to Expect
There are 3 types of fishing available: Onshore, Inshore and Offshore.
Inshore and offshore fishing success is keyed to the use of live bait chum (carnada). The most common is the Flatiron Herring or "sardina". The chum is gathered first thing in the morning and is resupplied during the day. Because fishing success is mostly dependent on the chum, the Pangero (Captain) will usually not hang around wasting chum in an area where the fish are not rising up to the chum. As they say, "No boil, no fish"... Reel up and move. It is not unusual to make 2 or 3 bait runs during the day which helps break the monotony and takes you back inshore for a short time to try for inshore species again. What you want to fish for is up to you at the advice of the Pangero, but the best experience is to go with the flow and enjoy the tremendous diversity available.
Onshore fishing is just that, fishing from the shore. This is the least productive way to catch fish in the area where success is measured by getting shots at large, cruising Roosterfish (Papagallo) and Jack Crevalle (Toro). These bruisers often prowl within a few yards of the beach looking for Sardina, Black Mullet and other inshore bait fish. The large Roosters and Toros usually hunt singly or in pairs while the smaller Jacks and Roosters will usually hunt in packs. The beaches in this area are mostly sandy bottom with some rocky structure thrown in, so numerous other species may also be caught such as: Ladyfish, Pampano, Trevally, Pargo (Snapper), Cabrilla and more. There are upward of 450 inshore species so to get one of each can be a challenge… not that you were going to try.
You will often be casting to visible fish, but will most likely spend most of your time blind casting. If fishing the rocky areas, cast down current or downwind of the rocks and fish any rock channels you may come across. Since you do not have chum available, the fishing is less productive than fishing from the panga but you could be easily surprised by a Triggerfish or one of a number of Snapper available.
Inshore fishing is fishing the shallows near the beach from a Panga, anywhere the bottom is visible or shore swells exist. All of the species mentioned in the onshore section are found here. The difference is that from the panga you will often be able to see the fish cruising around and have better casting opportunities. You will also have live bait chum available to bring the fish within casting range or up from the rocky bottom. Inshore species include Skipjack, Toro (Jack Crevalle), Roosterfish, Ladyfish, small Skipjack and numerous rock fish like Pargo and Cabrillo. During the right season Yellowtail can also be caught inshore.
An added feature of fishing inshore is the opportunity to see some of the hundreds of reef fish that inhabit the Sea of Cortez, like the spectacular Angelfishes, Parrotfishes and maybe an eel or sea snake. In the sandy areas where the water is a clear emerald green you can find species like the Gafftopsail Pompano and Trevally as well as the Roosterfish and Toros.
Offshore fishing is fishing where the bottom is no longer visible and the water is an incredible blue color. Here visibility will exceed 40 feet in depth making for added excitement when the bite is on because you can see fish hurtling past the panga in all directions. This is where you will find the pelagic species such as Dorado, Yellowtail, Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjack and others. Occasional big Roosters and Jacks may be found in the blue as well as Sailfish and Marlin. Your Pangero will chum the water to bring these fish to the surface, so in many instances tossing poppers will work as well as sinking lines. Your first sighting of a Dorado may be a golden flash about 30 feet down as one investigates the panga looking for some dinner around this newly found structure.
Daily Schedule
A normal days fishing will consist of rising about an hour and a half before nautical twilight to a starry sky and flat water. Once awake you will be welcomed to a hot breakfast that can consist of coffee, eggs, sausage or bacon, potatoes, fruit, fruit juices, cereals, or better yet a surprise Mexican style breakfast.
Daily ScheduleGiven an hour to dress and eat, we will load up the vehicle for a 1/2 hour ride to the pangas. Upon unloading we put our gear in the pangas (2 anglers to a panga) and take off in search of the bait boat right at nautical twilight.
By the time we get to the bait boat the sun is just above the horizon, showing us another absurdly astonishing sunrise. Once we get the bait we usually fish inshore for a while and see if we can get an early morning Ladyfish or Rooster blitz going, or any of the other inshore species.
Once the sun is fully on the water or after the inshore bite slows down, the Pangero will usually head for blue water after whatever pelagics are in the area: Yellowtail, Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjack, Dorado and others.
After a while the chum will run out, so you reel up and head back inshore for more Sardina which the Pangero will net by hand if the bait boat isn't nearby. You might fish inshore a bit more or head right back out for the pelagics. It is up to you to decide what kind of fishing you wish to do, but most take the Pangero's advice to keep the action level up. For instance there is no reason looking for Dorado if the day is heavily overcast and there is no flotsam around to draw them to the surface. It is seldom you will ever be more than 3 miles from land or completely out of site of the others in your group. You will often end up fishing within hailing distance to other pangas in your group.
The fishing day will usually end between 1 and 2 PM. This may seem like a short day but I guarantee that you will probably be "done" when the panga hits the beach. The main reason for ending the day about that time is not because of "Siesta" but because that is usually about the time of the day that the "Coromuel" winds start blowing. By the time you get back to home base the chop will have picked up and the winds will be 10-15 knots or better.
