Mag Bay's Secret Weapon

The operative word is live. Don't bother using the dead ones; they won't work.

Why didn't I think of that? We have all had those moments. Several years ago at the beginning of a fishing trip inside the bay out of Lopez Mateos, Captain Sergio Garcia idled the Mar Gato alongside an odd-looking commercially rigged panga to purchase a scoop of live shrimp.

When I had fished inside Magdalena Bay, the focus had always been on using artificials including a variety of flies and lures. My friend, Captain Gene Grimes, often told me, however, that he had great success with live bait. He would jug the bait tanks on the Legend with mackerel and sardines and head up the uncharted channels in search of snook. He had also discovered that several lures, including white pencil poppers, were nearly as effective as the live bait.
But for years none of the local pangas were equipped with bait tanks, so live bait wasn't an option.

We fished mostly fly, but when we had anglers who wanted to fish conventional tackle, they were limited to artificials including surface poppers and swimming lures. By the time some of the boats that we fished with added bait tanks we had become comfortable with the artificials, and gradually included bait (shrimp) in our arsenal. Mag Bay provides the ideal habitat for the little critters that seem to be quite comfortable with the ebb and flow of the big tide swings in the bay.
When purchasing the bait, after a few minutes of negotiation, the price is agreed on and the panguero passes over several scoops of the squirming medium-sized shrimp that are quickly placed in the bait tank. The operative word is live. Don't bother using the dead ones; they won't work. Save them in the cooler for later to serve during cocktail hour.

Be aware, possession of a Mexican sport fishing license does not entitle you to catch your own shrimp. There are two varieties…blue or brown; the blues are generally caught during the day and the browns at night. Ideally medium sized in either color are equally effective. The season in Magdalena Bay takes place from October through January and may only be caught by licensed Mexican commercial fishermen.

Rigging is not complicated. A selection of sinkers from one to four ounces should get the shrimp down to the bottom, depending on the current. Tie the sinker directly to the main line of an outfit with a minimum of 40-pound line. Use a three-foot section of 40 to 60 pound fluorocarbon attached to the sinker. Try using a strong 'Owner Gorilla' light live bait hook; size should match the shrimp size usually 1/0 - 4/0.

There are two ways to put the shrimp on the hook. The easiest method is to place the hook laterally in the back. There is a black spot directly behind the head to use as a reference point. The second method is directly through the mouth with the hook point up, exiting slightly off center behind the antennas. In a strong current this method allows a more natural presentation and when done right, prevents the shrimp from spinning in the current.

Often the fishing will require drifting along the mangroves but seldom will it be deeper than thirty feet. Drop the rig down to the bottom and then reel up a couple of cranks. The bottom depth is usually erratic and covered with roots and stuff. The trick is to recognize the difference between a snag and a bite. When you feel something, raise the rod tip before setting the hook to avoid snags.
Of all the techniques that we have tried, live shrimp have been the most productive in terms of both quantity and quality. Pargo, snapper, grouper, cabrilla, pompano, halibut and other species that I don't even have names for are up for grabs, eager for the shrimp.

Will I use shrimp all the time? Probably not. While there is no doubt it works, it has simply confirmed Magdalena Bay's potential. With that knowledge, the challenges of both fly and artificials are more intriguing than ever.

Woman Tackles Baja Business

Her one regret is that she only gets to fish twenty days a year.

Unbridled enthusiasm is a rare find! When found in Baja, it is usually a ‘newbie’ who has just begun their Baja adventure. Usually, you don’t find it in a seasoned, eight-year ‘Baja Business’ veteran like Theresa Comber, who operates not one but two distinctly different businesses in Los Barriles. When I met with Theresa, I could feel the energy and enthusiasm as she told her story.
After many fits and starts, East Cape RV Park opened for business eight years ago. The park offers large spaces for big rigs; it is extremely clean and well maintained with showers, swimming pool, sauna and laundry facilities, plus beautiful landscaping. It even offers high-speed wireless internet! With Theresa’s hard work, the park has become one of the most popular campgrounds on the Baja Peninsula and it fills every winter with new and repeat visitors, as well as part-time residents.

Theresa was running a successful high end property management business in Sun Valley, Idaho for fifteen years before discovering Baja. One of her clients invited her to their villa in Punta Pescadero. It wasn’t long until she and her husband, Shawn, were back in Los Barriles searching for a small house on the beach.

A local real estate agent insisted that they look at a five acre lot in the heart of Los Barriles with the potential to be developed as an RV park. The property was covered with cactus and brambles fifteen feet high and Theresa refused to even get out of the car. Shawn, a landscape contractor, returned to the car, and you guessed it! Escrow closed a short time later.

That could be the end of the tale, but Theresa soon realized that her primary purpose for being in Baja was to fish, and she frequently chartered Awesome, a roomy 30' x 12.5' Island Hopper. When she was offered the opportunity to purchase the boat, with little hesitation, she was in the Sportfishing Charter business.
Acting as managing partner, Theresa began defining her market and implementing a business plan.

With her marketing background, Theresa began a strategy to maximize the number of days the boat was chartered. She added popular day trips to her charters, fishing north to Bahia de Sueños, and stopping for lunch at the remotely located Giggling Marlin Restaurant. Then the boat anchors at a secluded beach for some snorkeling. She also added whale and sea life observation trips. Awesome Sportfishing now operates two cruisers… a 30' Island Hopper and a 32' Blackfin.

East Cape RV guests were an obvious group of clients. But another target market was locals who chose not to run their own boats. Drilling down a little further she decided to offer special trips with ‘just the girls’ aboard… learning, sharing, and enjoying fishing and the sea.

At the core of her business plan were the crews of her boats. She wanted to instill in them the importance of providing the best possible experience on the water regardless of the type of trip; simply providing clean...clean boats and savvy crews helped her to increase her client base quickly.

From her own experience of waiting on the dock early in the morning, Theresa knew how annoying it was to wait and see whether her boat would be the first or 20th, so she arranged for Awesome clients to be boarded on their boats right away.

Also included was the implementing all of the internet technology available… buoyweather.com, iWindsurf.com and Terrafin SST-View owned by Jeff Gannon who has a home at East Cape. This allowed her to capitalize on more winter trips.

Theresa said, ” It is always a shock-and-awe experience when I get anything done. One of my ’turn the corner moments” occurred when I was on the beach with our fuel and water trucks, making sure the clients were on the boat when all the other Captains and mates waved and spoke. I felt that I had been accepted!”

“Early morning when I drive through the RV park to take our clients to meet their boats, I am proud of what my boat crews and staff at the RV park have accomplished. There has been so much to learn…Cummins motors, dealing with the mechanics in La Paz and so on…always new challenges to confront,” she said. “Every day I learn a little more.”

According to Theresa, who describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, doing business in Baja has been an exciting adventure. Her one regret is that she only gets to fish twenty days a year.

Gary Graham
roadtrekker1@verizon.net

Baja's Endless Season

Some of the extraordinary catches of 2009.


Back in the 1960s, Bruce Brown produced a movie called the Endless Summer, a world-wide surfing safari in search of THE perfect wave. My Baja travels began because of the fishing…pure and simple. Earl Stanley Gardener, John Steinbeck and Ray Cannon were among the first to acknowledge that Baja offered an opportunity to shake off seasonal influences...it was a year-round fishery. After making my first trip to Baja, I decided that fishermen could indeed find their own endless season…much closer to home.

In my search to extend the somewhat seasonally-limited offshore fishery in southern California, I have seldom been disappointed in the Baja fishery. Regardless of the time of year, there are always fishing prospects for what I have come to think of as Baja's endless-season somewhere along the 800+ mile peninsula.
My many Baja friends are always generous with their information on what’s happening in their areas.

In mid-January of 2009, Theresa Comber from Los Barriles, reported that she and her Captain (on non-windy days) on her boat Awesome were seeing tailing marlin, and had an occasional bite. They also were getting dorado from 5 to 35 pounds.
Lance Peterson, our East Cape Guide, reported last February, “Just returned from some kayak fishing out front this morning. I could see 20-pound dorado almost on the beach itself chasing a ballyhoo with another dorado swimming on the surface. I also spotted a school of roosters from 10 to 15 pounds.”

In March, the exciting news was that snook had mysteriously reappeared in the Santa Rosalia River which runs through the middle of Mulegé. “The snook show has been great here for the past couple of weeks although I have yet to be able to put a big one on the bank...we have broken off numerous giants! My wife, Roz, has been spooled twice, and I was spooled with my 8wt. There ARE some grande’s here!” This information came from a local resident, Mike Reichner, whose home is on the bank of the Santa Rosalia River.

In April, Jonathan Roldan, of Tailhunter International in La Paz, shared, "We nailed so many fish this week…15 different species! The yellowtail, dorado, marlin and sails (all released) bit like mad dogs!”

Mark Rayor, owner and operator of Vista Sea Sport in Los Barriles, landed his birthday swordfish in May.

The summer season continued in a normal fashion with plenty of fish in all the areas. Fall arrived, producing one of the longest sustained run of cow-sized tuna in recent memory according to Mike Packard, Co-tournament Director of the Yamaha/Western Outdoor News Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot. A 383-pound monster was brought in on the first day of the tournament in early November! Team Captain Oscar Daccarett, boat Captain Perico Sanchoz, and teammates Hugo Piño, Daniel Fisher (owner of the 35 Cabo Fisher Man) and Augustin Piño, landed this largest tuna ever in the event’s eleven-year history!

Meanwhile Shari Bondy of Bahía Asunción, stated that the action for wahoo, dorado, yellowfin tuna as well as inshore remained great into early December.
Eric Brictson, Gordo Bank Pangas out of San Jose, reported that approximately 15 yellowfin weighing over 200 pounds and three yellowfin of more than 300 pounds, were weighed in by the La Playita Panga Fleet in early December, more than in the past five years combined.

Also in December, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo, announced that one of the fleets’ boats had landed a huge blue marlin estimated to be 865 pounds...the largest in years caught in that area.

As if to have the last word and to put an exclamation point on 2009, Mike and Roz Reichner caught several big roosters during the first week of December near Mulegé.
In spite of serious setbacks, i.e. weak economy, swine flu and alarming crime reports, Baja once again lived up to its reputation of meeting the test of an endless season by providing world-class fishing.

As the new year unfolds, I am eager to see how and where Baja will live up to its well-earned, endless-season reputation in 2010.

Gary Graham

roadtrekker1@verizon.net

Reader Questions Driving Time

On some trips I have more time to stop and smell the cactus.


In the letters to the Editor column last issue,
Dear Gary,

I read with incredulity your account of driving from the border to
Mulege in one day. I’m a 78 year old Baja traveler, who has made
this trip numerous
times, and rather than writing a letter to WON challenging your
assertion, I want to ask how fast you traveled in the open road, 60,
70, 80 mph?

It’s about 615 miles from the border to Mulege, and you say you
started “in the gray”, which I translate as first light. On October
28, that’s about 6:30 AM at the earliest. You say you arrived in
“late afternoon”. Let’s say that’s 5:30 PM, which I think is
generous, but let’s go with it. That gives you 11 hours to make 615
miles, or an average of 56 miles an hour.

The best I’ve done in one day is Guerrero Negro. Admittedly, I always
stopped for breakfast and lunch, and an occasional potty stop, but
still I’m flummoxed by your trip. Even saying you only stopped once
for fuel and never for anything else, you still had to navigate
through slow areas like TJ, Ensenada, Maneadero, Colonet, San
Quintin, El Rosario, Guerrero Negro and the Santa Rosalia Grade, plus
Santa Rosalia itself, a pretty slow slog. And, what about the
military stops to check for guns and drugs?

You’ve got to clarify how you did this. If inexperienced Baja
travelers think they can do anything approaching your feat, there
will be a lot more mini shrines along the road.

Best regards,

Bill, San Diego

Here is my answer:

Bill

I have been driving Mex 1 since it opened in the early seventies. I have no idea of the number of times I have driven it which seems odd since as you will see I keep pretty detailed records of my trips.

Not all my trips are destination oriented where I need to be somewhere at a certain time and on those trips I have more time to stop and smell the cactus. The biggest negative of a trip that is destination oriented and time is of the essence, is that I don't take the time to take photos or visit with friends.

I don't advocate anyone driving above their comfort level on Mex 1 or for that matter on any other highway.

I try to time my crossings to take advantage of the traffic, hence the early morning. When I first began driving Mex 1, I crossed earlier but now restrict my driving to daylight hours. The result is little or limited traffic in Tijuana and I am usually past Maneadero before the locals in Ensenada are stirring and I usually get through San Quintin after the buses and trucks that transport workers are on the road.

I know where every curve, every town and even every pothole (almost) is located. This makes a big difference in how I drive. I choose the opportunity to pass other cars carefully. As an example on the straight stretch south of Santo Tomas after the' topes' and before going up the grade, it is important to pass any trucks along that stretch. If not, you will go up the grade slowly behind a struggling semi-truck. There are many other similar situations that can have a definite impact on the driving time. You mentioned Military checkpoints, my experience is that they seldom inspect southbound travelers, but as I travel frequently, I'm often waved through.

As far as fuel stops are concerned, my one-ton, self contained van carries ample fuel, and I only make three fuel stops on the way down. I do not have to make stops for anything but fuel. I seldom stop at a station that has a line of cars waiting.
Because I carry with me all the conveniences of home, I don't have to stop for breakfast, lunch or whatever, which probably saves several hours.

Your time to drive to Guerrero Negro is about right considering your breakfast and lunch stops, and an occasional potty stop. I arrived at Gro. Negro at 2:30 p.m. so if you factor in your stops, we were not that far apart.
I have included two tables for that trip: one that lists my fuel stops and times and a second that is a record of the "Find Me Spot" reports posted on my blog. Note: At Viscaino I didn't take a full tank as they would not give me the full peso to dollar rate.

Trip Fuel Stops

10/28/2009
Rosarito Beach 6:30

San Quintin 10:00

Viscaino 2:45
Santa Rosalia 4:30


Find Me Spot Report

10/28/2009 6:13 0-7378327 32.54074 -117.049 Border
10/28/2009 7:25 0-7378327 31.90313 -116.732 Ensenada Toll Gate
10/28/2009 10:21 0-7378327 30.42571 -115.881 Maneadero
10/28/2009 12:09 0-7378327 29.72609 -114.712 Catavina
10/28/2009 14:23 0-7378327 27.96645 -114.012 Guerrero Negro
10/28/2009 17:18 0-7378327 26.88578 -111.951 Mulege


He responded to my reply;

Gary, What can I say? You've convinced me it can be done. I thought you had made a factual mistake in your account. Thanks for the details, and my hat is off to you. Like you, I love to "smell the cactus". I'll sometimes just pull off the road and hike into the desert.
Glad to hear you don't drive at night; that livestock can be rough on your vehicle.
Best regard,
Bill B

Three Weeks on the Road

John Yancey, San Clemente, CA landed this whopper while I was at Lopez Mateos.

My latest Baja adventure began when I crossed the Tijuana border at gray light on October 28^th. Aside from stopping for fuel, I kept the ‘pedal to the metal’ and by late afternoon I crossed the bridge over the Santa Rosalia River (also known as the Mulege River). ..the same river where the snook mysteriously reappeared last March after many years of absence.

The effects of Hurricane Jimena that had slammed into the area in early September were still apparent. My usual stopping place, the Hotel Cuesta Real, was still full of mud and was being dug out. Since the hotel no longer had Wi-Fi I needed to find another place to stay.

Mike and Roz Reichner have a home on the river. When I had visited them on my last trip, they were in the middle of restoring their house after it had been six feet under water. They emailed me a few days earlier to report Roz’s early morning encounter with a small snook in her nightgown! I decided to stop and hear first-hand about her snook! During dinner they confirmed my often quoted line ‘by the time you hear about a Baja snook, it’s too late.’ And it’s true. Invariably by the time the news travels very far, the bite is over.

Midday the following day, I picked up a Tel Cel 3G USB card from my friend in Lopez Mateos that would allow me to connect to the Internet anywhere there was cellular service. Unbelievably, I only had to pay $30 pesos a day (less than $3.00 U.S.).

My second night, I stayed at Theresa Comber’s East Cape RV. Theresa also owns a two local charter boats. Over dinner that night, she entertained me with stories of her adventures as a female entrepreneur in Baja and she brought me up to date on the current East Cape fishing conditions.

The following day, I stopped by La Playita to visit Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas. As we talked there was a steady parade of pangas unloading both large tuna and wahoo. As Eric and several helpers hung a 180+ pound tuna on the certified scale he commented, “We have been seeing huge tuna every day for the past few weeks. Yesterday we had a 247 pounder.” Needless to say that was exciting news for WON’s Tuna Tournament.

I checked in at Tesoro Hotel, where the WON staff was based, and I picked Yvonne up from the airport that afternoon.

For the next two days, Pat McDonell led the WON team consisting of Mike Packard, Rich Holland, Judy Passerello, Carolynn Collett, Jonathan Roldan and wife Jill, Chuck and Rhonda Buhagiar, Mike and Andrea Bohn, Gary and Yvonne Graham and Kit McNear in preparing for the big event.

Seeing the 383 pound tuna that shook Cabo was an exciting event. Crowds suddenly appeared to watch the unloading of this huge fish. That was the biggest, fattest cow of a tuna that I had ever seen in my entire life…a definite WOW! Thanks to everyone’s help the 11th Yamaha/Western Outdoor News Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot lived up to its motto fish hard, party harder and the event was an over- the-top success!

During the tournament, Kit McNear whispered to me about the snook snap going on in La Paz Bay. We agreed to meet in La Paz after the tournament and catch a few ourselves. Every time we bumped into each other we smugly nodded, knowing that there was chance for a trophy snook in our future.

When I arrived in La Paz the night before, however, for the planned snook trip, there was a cryptic email from Kit. Trips off… the bite is over!

But I enjoyed a great dinner at Jonathan and Jill Roldan’s Fubar Cantina located right on the Malecon that evening. The meal was outstanding, and the Cantina was hopping with sports enthusiasts who had come for the good food and the Monday Night Football.

Since there are no RV parks in La Paz, I spent the night in my Roadtrek van parked right on the Malecon.

My final stop was Lopez Mateos. There had been no reports of snook so I arrived with no expectations. On the last two days of the trip, we landed SEVEN snook! Smugly, I remembered,“ by the time you hear about a Baja snook it’s too late!”

So if you hurry…

Gary

I can be reached at roadtrekker1@verizon.net

Hillbilly Country Club

When I spotted Barbara Morris, Randy Matz, Fred and Tawnya Stevens sporting t-shirts with Hillbilly Country Club emblazoned across their backs, I knew there had to be a story there.

The Western Outdoor News Tuna Tournament draws some of most interesting and unique competitors. When I spotted Barbara Morris, Randy Matz, Fred and Tawnya Stevens sporting t-shirts with Hillbilly Country Club emblazoned across their backs, I knew there had to be a story there. It was in the branding.

The four were harking from Coalinga, California, which they quickly pointed out was just three miles beyond the ‘cow smell’… 100 miles north of Bakersfield.

Basically they are fresh-water fishermen who spend most of their summers fishing the Wishon Lake in the Sierra foothills. Randy Matz dreamed up the name Hillbilly Country Club and it stuck for them and other friends from Coalinga who fish trout every summer on the lake.

It was also Randy who had read about the WON Tuna Tournament for years. Three years ago, while they fished from a pontoon boat, which they refer to as ‘dry dock’, he mentioned it again. A few beers helped them decide to give the saltwater tournament a try.

Their first year, Team 7 caught a qualifying fish that put them in the lead for nearly an hour before it was replaced by a larger fish. They still felt as though they were winners. Before the event was over they had won enough swag that they needed an extra bag to get the goodies back to Coalinga. Their prizes included Costa Del Mar sunglasses, Reactor watches, Baja Fish Gear and Eat Me Lures. Their pictures were all over the WON paper, and their photos in the promotional ads constantly reminded them to sign up again.

This year was their second WON Tuna tournament. They signed up for the early bird and were given their lucky number 7 again. When I first spotted their t-shirts, I knew that here were some folks who were bound and determined to have a good time. They even had the tournament motto on the sleeves of their shirts, fish hard and party harder!

Day #1 at the weigh-in, I kept watching for them, but they never showed up. They had not gotten the “catch” part of fish harder, but I figured out that they did understand the party harder! When I saw them later that night at the Yokohama Fiesta, they were whooping and hollering like any good hillbilly!

Friday night, we bumped into them at Solomon’s Bar. Not only had they not caught anything to bring to the scale, they hadn’t even won any raffle prizes! Bummer! Though their smiles and laughter convinced me that win or not, they were enjoying this event. When they finished their drinks and headed for the Reactor Squid Roe party, I reassured them tonight would be their night.

Sure enough when I bumped into them early Saturday morning on my way to the Pete Gray Let’s Talk Hookup show, they were quick to show me their three new Reactor watches and Costa Del Mar glasses to go with them.

With high hopes at the final dinner, their goal was to win the Alaska Kingfisher trip. They didn’t win the trip but they did manage to win another Reactor watch…all four had matching wrist jewelry. And they agreed that since they didn’t win the trip, they were going to pay and go anyway.

The Hillbilly Country Club has already decided to return to Cabo for the 12^th Annual WON Tuna Tournament. They are not sure whether it is the fishing, partying, raffles or all the great people they meet during the events, but Team 7 has already booked their boat and are making plans for next year. I can’t wait to the next t-shirts.

Magdalena Bay – a tangy taste of ‘old baja’

Be aware that both ramps have issues when the tide is low

The outstanding offshore fishing in front of Magdalena Bay has taken on almost mythical proportions over the years. From October through December the schools of marlin, wahoo, tuna and dorado are consistently the largest found anywhere in Baja; conversely, the number of boats fishing here is minimal compared to other Baja destinations. With its old Mexico charm still unblemished by tourism and North American influence, Mag Bay has become the topic of many discussions and my email has been filled with questions about this area.

With its popularity growing, each year the number of local boats large enough to access the offshore action comfortably has grown and many yachts traveling to and from Cabo plan their trips each year to take advantage of the outstanding billfish fishery off Magdalena Bay.

Trailer boat access has improved tremendously, attracting more anglers who want to captain their own boats. Both Lopez Mateos and Puerto San Carlos have added new cement ramps which will accommodate larger trailer boats. The recently completed launch ramp and pier in Lopez Mateos is on the southwest side of town (25°11'19.20"N 112°07'00.60"W. In Puerto San Carlos the ramp is located on the southeast side of town (24"47'05.21"N 112"05'37.53"W). Be aware that both have issues when the tide is low.

From Lopez Mateos access to the Pacific through the Boca de Soledad is only five miles from town. However, departing and returning through the Boca (mouth) is not for the faint of heart. It would be wise to either follow another boat through the first few times or hire a local panguero to lead you out.

The channels between the barrier islands are like saltwater rivers and allow everything from tiny baitfish to giant whales to travel in and out of the bay. For those who do not have their sights on offshore fish, inside the bay and the esteros are spotted bay bass, grouper, corvina, sierra, jacks, mangrove snapper, pargo, pompano, halibut and snook.

Ed and Emilia Brennan’s hotel, Hotel Brennan, is the newest hotel in Puerto San Carlos. They offer clean rooms and good service. They will even arrange whale watching or sportfishing for their guests.

Steve Warren’s, Mag Bay Tours, began as a primitive surf camp on Magdalena Island fifteen years ago. In addition to the surfing, whale watching, bay fishing, and eco-tour camps, Steve provides support services for trailer boats visiting the bay. His services include food, fuel, water and lodging.

Bob and Diana Hoyt’s, Magdalena Bay Outfitters, based out of Lopez Mateos, offers rental houses, several boats, including a 26’ catamaran and a 28’ Boston Whaler, for day trips offshore and additional pangas for bay or estero trips. The Hoyts also own Whales Tale Inn, located on the shore of Santa Maria Bay on Mag Bay Island, a five cabin complex providing one of the few places in Baja where you can still ride ATVs to explore the miles of beaches or to fish for roosterfish and other near shore species. These cabins also serve as a jumping off place for faster access to the offshore fishing grounds. They also offer fuel and support services for visiting trailer boats and they have formed partnerships with several larger sportfishing boats for clients who want multi-day charters.

Jeff Petersen’s, Lopez Sportsman‘s Lodge in Lopez Mateos, offers a rental house and pangas, as well as a 28’ aluminum catamaran landing craft for offshore or estero trips.

A welcome addition in Lopez Mateos is the availability of Mexican fishing licenses near the new launch ramp.

On the heels of Olaf and Patricia, this year the marlin season has not yet begun; baitballs which are usually common thus far are missing. The tuna, dorado and skipjack have produced in typical outstanding fashion beginning 8 to 10 miles outside the Boca’s. Fish inside the Esteros, have been easy to come by using the live shrimp purchased from the local commercial panga fleet, but landing the bigger fish is more difficult. Don’t forget the fluorocarbon leader!

For those of you who think that the Baja you originally discovered has vanished, Magdalena Bay will provide you with the tangy taste of ‘old Baja’ that is as intoxicating as an icy margarita.