Author: That Baja Guy-Gary Graham

Lets Talk HookUp Radio Show Four years ago, the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC), along with the “Let’s Talk HookUp” 1090 radio show, began visiting different regions of Mexico. It was an effort to improve sportfishing communications between the local business owners, government officials and agencies throughout various Baja and Mexican Riviera Ports on the West Coast of Mexico and Southern California. This year, the series of visits were scheduled to begin May 17 with a trip to Mazatlán. SAC president Captain Ken Franke; Edwin Reyes, SAC Coordinator; Captain Tim Ekstrom; sound engineer Rick Cutler along with his wife Shannon,…

Que Pasa Double-digit striped marlin, hungry roosterfish to 50-pounds plus, limits of yellowfin tuna. That’s the Baja I’m talking about! Pick your spot, check your tackle and sharpen your hooks. Baja Sur is on fire! VMC Inline Single Hooks Can Upgrade Your Lures It’s funny just how skeptical we fishermen are of things that fall outside the accepted norm. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/vmc-inline-single-hooks/ Baja Norte Tijuana Bull Ring Local fishing remains slow … unless you have anchovy and you are willing to get right into the kelp. With the ‘chovy the bass are a little bit more willing to bite but nearly all…

Loreto Dorado Make Early Showing A recent report of sporadic yellowtail catches by Jay Yadon, owner of Outpost Charters in Loreto, didn’t raise any eyebrows but dorado might. “The yellow bite has been very “off and on” lately. They bite one day and are gone the next. We’ve had the best luck at Catalan. The South end has been holding yellowtail and grouper and the dogtooth snapper bite has been consistent on the North side of Catalan, if you are able to get the fish out of the rocks. We have been slow-trolling live mackerel on the surface and been…

Baja Bytes Week May 2018 Que Pasa The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (CONAPESCA) announced the closure of the fishing season for bluefin tuna on May 10 due to the completion of the catch quota for Mexico assigned for 2018 by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The bluefin buzz has grown louder as the bite ramped up with some 100+ bluefin in the mix in the Pacific offshore waters below the border as the Mexican commercial quotas were reached. On the Sea of Cortez side, there has been no escaping the wind from San Felipe to La Paz. However,…

Que Pasa While Baja’s Pacific coast struggles with sketchy weather. The Sea of Cortez is alive with trophy catches ranging from large grouper, cabrilla and pargo along with a few yellowtail from BOLA all the way down to Loreto. Further down below La Paz, Las Arenas is on fire with huge roosters for the fly and conventional guys along with epic yellowfin tuna fishing. Which continues all the way down to outside of Puerto Loa Cabo including East Cape. Where an early season wahoo snap including one weighing in at a whopping 72-pounds for “Rude Baby 1,” one of the…

Palmas de Cortez Wedding Planner Following a story lead several years ago, I found myself chatting with Lyle Brunson in the shade of the Palmas de Cortez portable pier as a blistering Baja sun forced us to seek the shelter. Lyle’s life’s story was compelling, with enough life-changing moments to fill a novel. If you haven’t read “Lyle Brunson, Art in the Shadows,” it might be worthwhile to do so before continuing. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/art-in-the-shadows/ Kathy Skaggs was born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1951, the first of a large family which included two brothers and three sisters. Sailing has been the…

Que Pasa Both yellowfin and bluefin dominate Baja Bytes sportfishing on both coasts. On the west coast rough weather and finicky bluefin frustrate anglers. On the other hand, yellowfin from cow size to schoolies are the first to bite as spring lights up. Inshore, roosterfish, pompano and a few dorado are putting smiles on everyone’s faces. Plus the grouper, cabrilla and pargo are biting up in the northern part of the Sea of Cortez. Right Whale sightings in Baja? “Gary, we have met several times in the past at RBV or Rancho Leonero. You were our point of contact to…

Jack Cole Memorial Scheduled The final chapter of Jack Cole’s life ended abruptly and decisively, just as he had lived, on February 23, 2018. Founder and builder of Skipjack Boats, he passed away at 90 years young. Jack Cole will be missed. His memorial will be held on May 5, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.  Boats will gather at the American Legion Post 291 Newport Harbor 215 15th Street , Newport Beach, Ca 92663  at the public dock in front of the American Legion, where people can board the boats going out to spread the ashes. All are welcome to bring flowers to…

Que Pasa An ample supply of bait has begun to attract a number of exotics, so standby — Sportfishing Baja is about to transition! In the meantime, the weather hampers the bluefin tuna tease on the Baja Pacific side and the attention remains on the Sea of Cortez as wind plays cat and mouse with anglers. Be patient, wait the wind out and be rewarded with some impressive catches. Farther south …. “tuna, tuna, tuna” seems to be the mantra at the moment with billfish, dorado, and wahoo just beginning to get in the game. Tips for Baja https://youtu.be/FnkCoF8Xyus https://www.bdoutdoors.com/ballyhoo-preparation-video-from-fly-navarro/…

For the 39th consecutive year, the San Diego Sportfishing Council showcased its world-renowned sportfishing fleet against the colorful and dynamic backdrop of San Diego Bay at the 2018 Port Of San Diego’s Day at the Docks on Sunday, April 15. As Sunday dawned, exhibitors began setting up their booths; Rick Maxa began the “Let’s Talk Hookup” live broadcast and final touches were put on booth displays. The actual opening coincided with sounds straight out of Louisiana’s dance clubs – bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils – when the Bayou Brothers took the stage. The free event always draws thousands, and…

The remarkable popularity of the Let’s Talk Hookup Palmas de Cortez Tournament Fall Spectacular is attributed to camaraderie anchored in exciting fishing. Celebrating its 24th anniversary October 11-15, the event is sold out every year. Participants must pre-register with “Let’s Talk Hookup” and stay at either hotels Palmas de Cortez or Playa del Sol. Let’s Talk Hookup listeners are included and while basic entry is free, there is a charge for boats and accommodations. Held during what many residents and visitors consider the best fishing month of the year, anglers can expect to catch virtually anything that swims in the…

Last year’s Rancho Leonero Pete Gray Spring Tournament was greeted with great weather and calm seas along with extraordinary action for yellowfin tuna up to 50-pounds. Everyone caught at least one YFT and many caught more. Although there were ample marlin, getting them to bite was a different story; a total of eight were caught and released over the 3-day tournament along with roosterfish, dorado, wahoo, grouper, pargo and pompano. Team TAG, led by Larry and Judy Mestyanek, locked up First Place earning them a return trip in 2018 as well as a large trophy. Larry owns a business that…

Editor’s Note: Baja sur winds slow spring arrival according to Gary Graham’s Baja sportfishing report. A wide variety of fish are being caught from Mexico’s hot spots. Que Pasa The federal government has started charging again for using their nice road to the airport. It is the custom to give a free pass following a natural disaster, so everyone has been whizzing along for free ever since Tropical Storm Lidia struck us last September. The toll booths have been closed for so long now that we started thinking the Feds forgot us, but alas, that is not the case, or if…

Recently there was a dedication, along with an unveiling of his statue, in honor of Don Luis Bulnes Molleda, one of the Baja Pioneros, who is considered to be the father of Cabo San Lucas Sportfishing, among his many other accomplishments.   This bronze statue of Don Luis Bulnes originally stood tall in a place of honor at the seventh meeting of the G-20 Summit in 2012 in the Los Cabos Convention Center – in San Jose del Cabo, BCS for all the heads of governments and states to view. Unfortunately, Hurricane Odile’s 137-mph winds and accompanying rain devastated the statue when it landed on Sept. 19, 2014. Jorge…

Que Pasa To eliminate delays, arriving passengers to Mexio’s sportfishing hotspots can now proceed straight to one of the new kiosks that have been installed supplementing the Immigration Officials at the airport in Cabo San Lucas. Officials estimate it will speed the arriving passengers through the immigration process by as much as 50%. Member information is stored in a database. When members enter the country through a participating airport, they scan their machine-readable passports and fingerprints at a kiosk, complete a customs declaration form, and proceed to the baggage claim area. It appears that the kiosks are similar to the…

Spring Break Baja Fishing Report Tourists aren’t the only thing hitting the beaches, as Gary Graham shares in his Spring Break Baja fishing report. Even some yellowfin tuna showed up to the beaches of Los Cabos! Que Pasa Yellowfin Tuna caught from the beach !!!! Thrill anglers, Dave and Mario. These beach tuna were caught here in Los Cabos with the silver “Jansen Sardina and are the star of the Spring Break Baja Fishing Report”…Stephen Jansen Easter vacation, or “spring break” as it is often referred to, marks the seasonal change for many countries where students and/or families flock to…

The Copa Campeones Calisureños Baja Tournaments – a grande mouthful for sure – are the catalyst that encourages sportfishing at a grass roots level by hosting a series of local Baja Sur tournaments in five municipalities annually: Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, El Cardonal, Buena Vista, Punta Chivato, Bahia Ascension, Punta Abreojos, Todos Santos, and others. Baja Sur Tournament Series are community affairs, they involve most of the local and state government officials as well as resident anglers and their families. Visiting anglers who choose to participate are welcomed as well. Entry fees are either…

Que Pasa How fast do you lock up with Circle hooks??Fly Navarro has fished billfish and more all around the globe.  Watch him explain his techniques for a perfect circle hook hookset every time when trolling and pitch baiting with dropback baits. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/circle-hook-hookset-fly-zone/ Here’s a circle hook rigging tip from BD. Tijuana Bull Ring The offshore area is giving up fair numbers of mostly small halibut and sand bass with a chance for a random yellowtail. You might also pull up the odd sheepshead, sculpin or lingcod although most of the lings lately have been small…fishdope.com Coronado Islands If you are…

Que Pasa Jack Cole, pioneer boat builder of Skipjack boats, passed away on February 23, 2018. We join the entire Skipjack family, including Irene and his two sons, Jack, Jr. and Jeff Cole, in honoring this legend and his contribution to boating during his lifetime. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/skipjack-boat-builder-jack-cole-passes/ Tijuana Bull Ring Kelp beds had slow action for the few boats that tried them. Better luck bottom fishing farther offshore in the flats for sand bass and other miscellaneous fish, whitefish, sculpin, sheepshead and a few legal-sized halibut…fishdope.com Lower 9 Mile Bank Very good action for reds, bocaccio and other red rock-fish has…

For the past two years, my friend, Stephen Jansen (Jansen’s Inshore Tackle) elected not to hold his Sierra Tournament, Baja Beach Blast. He and Monica, his wife of 20 years, had held it for the previous five, but for the last two years, the sierra took a dive with few fish to be caught. This year, sierra fishing improved, so Stephen and Monica hosted the Stephen Jansen’s 6th Annual Sierra Tournament at Migriño Beach on March 11, with the help of Jenny Medina, wife of the president of the local beach fishing association. Although I had heard glowing reports about…

Que Pasa Two unique sportfishing tournaments were held on March 11, 2018. The first was Stephen Jansen’s (Jansen Inshore Tackle) 6th Annual Sierra Tournament held at Migrino Beach. This one-of-a-kind event features shore fishing and targeting a single species — sierra. It attracted 409 anglers literally from around the world who came to compete. A 6-pound sierra took First Prize. The second event, Torneo de Pesca Deportiva Fiestas Tradicionales San Jose 2018, is also an annual affair targeting wahoo, yellowfin tuna, and dorado. Thirty-nine teams of four anglers fished from boats that departed from both IGY and Puerto Los Cabo…

Que Pasa 2018 Fred Hall Digital Show Guide On Line Now Show starts Wednesday in Long Beach…see you there! https://www.bdoutdoors.com/2018-fred-hall-digital-show-guide/ Coronado Islands Sportfishing conditions were a little on the tough side, with wind and lumps making it tough to find and stay on spots of yellowtail. The main zone from below the South Kelp Ridge to all around the Rockpile in 25- to 35-fathoms of water is still holding some 6- to 15-pound yellows. Yo-yo iron is by far the best producer since the fish are mainly in the lower half of water column, but you can also troll Rapalas…

Que Pasa Bahia de los Angeles to Mex 5 From the turnoff to Laguna Chapala there is that nice graded section for about three miles before it deteriorates into a pot-filled washboard to where the ‘new’ road will come in. (The turnoff to first bridge is being graded and has the gravel layer down but not open). Next several miles are light gravel then it is on to the washboard. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/bahia-de-los-angeles-to-mexicali-road.678323/ Lower 9 Mile Bank Big quality reds are still showing in the area to the north of North Island. The Rock Piles are holding nice 2- to 5-pound reds,…

Continued From : Baja’s East Cape Sportfishing – It Began With A Goat Ranch Another addition to the management team was a brash MIT graduate, Ted Bonney; fleeing from the IRS in the early 1960’s, he and his wife, Virginia, aboard their 30-foot, gas-powered, wood cruiser, found their way to Rancho Buena Vista East Cape Hotel. “Steam and smoke were pouring out of the engine box, the bilge was rapidly filling with saltwater,” Bonney related the story to me years ago. “I had no choice but to beach the boat quickly. At full throttle I hit the beach in front…