Good Fishing in Loreto

OK,

Here's my run down from fishing Loreto the 18th and 19th of July. The fishing was good for 8-12 pound dorado and 3-10 pound roosters.

The cool spring and early summer felt along the west coast from Baja Sur to Oregon appears to have delayed the Loreto season - we found dorado close to shore and only a little farther out than the roosters. Several small dorado came from areas where rooster fish were active in schools - on one one occasion within 100 yards of the beach.

Bigger dorado are hard to come by but will likely show up as the water warms. Capitan Francisco reported a few sailfish to the north on Sunday (July 18).

The cool spring weather appears to have reduced growth rates in sardinias - they are here but very tiny - too small for the net. If sardinias were available this could be an epic light tackle season.

We saw a larger size class of rooster fish but manged to hook only one that came off the hook while making a couple of quick reverses.

Plenty of Pez Gallo schools were working over sand off rocky shores and we had several great chances at larger fish but couldn't keep them near the boat. Dragging flies behind the boat yielded many small roosters. Conditions were perfect for casting - smooth water and little to no wind made it hot - but fish very boat shy.

I fished both days with Victor Villalejo - a captain that I had not fished with previously. I booked both days through the Baja Big Fish Company. Victor is a good guide - he is fine with releasing fish, patient, speaks English, and most importantly can find fish. While most boats headed way off shore in search of dorado or to points north of Coronado to fish deep for yellowtail we stayed inshore and chased fish with light tackle. I was tired from a long week of traveling and didn't want to get pounded off shore - plus I really wanted to find the big toros (Jack Crevalle) that have been hanging around town.

The first day we saw many small to medium sized dorado chasing flying fish through the air but I never was fast enough to get a picture. The second day we found fewer doroado and did not see the big pod of dolphins that we say on the first day. However we found many more rooster fish and saw a school of big toro go under the boat but they were traveling and wouldn't stop to bite.