Campo La Poma 4/2-4/7/19 Baja, MX

[Denis_Ruso]

Got back from SDRob’s place in Campo La Poma yesterday.

Road Conditions are not too bad. Crews are working on the roads with heavy equipment and looks like progress is being made on restoring the road.

Only one detour was really rough on the drive back. Got to the border around 8 and crossed over by 9:30. Race going on in San Felipe added to the traffic.

Scored on weather and at the same time didn’t. Temperature was very pleasant mid to high 70s in the day and low 60s or high 50s at bight. However the wind kept us off the water most of the trip which also kept the bugs at bay. Stars were amazing at night due to the new moon.

Fishing: Got two half days of kayak fishing due to wind and having to pack. Inshore water was green, sargassum kelp has taken over the inshore reefs and the fish seem to have disappeared. 3 of us fished north reef from camp for nothing morning to noon. Not even a triggerfish nibble. Shorefished later again for not even a bite. Dove inshore and saw almost no fish inshore. Kept it short, water was cold.

Saturday: Weather flattened and I took my girl out for her first offshore kayak experience. Think we covered about 6 miles, she did great. Checked Punta Bufeo for nothing. Then dropped on a rock-pile in 30 ft for some bay-bass so I could prove to her that there were fish in Baja. Released a dozen bass. Weather being sheet glass and being our last day decided take her half way to the island to check for sierra and yellowtail on the high spot.

Get to the spot to find pelicans and terns working the area. NOTE: when birds are moving and diving they are generally following a school of game fish chasing bait. This was happening for the next 3 hours.

We pulled 6 yellowtail 2-10 lb and 4 sierra 3-5lb over the next 3 hours. 100-120g colt-snipers worked like yoyo irons worked. Cast let drop to the bottom and fast retrieve. Bites happened 2 cranks off the bottom in 60-90 ft.

More yellowtail tips when fishing baja: You probably cant swim a jig faster than a yellow can swim. Turn and burn that jig off the bottom. Secondly, sierra and triggers will usually bite the jig on the drop, don’t set the hook on the drop. Let it get to the bottom when yellows are around. Yellows will most likely pick the jig up and start running with it if they hit it on the drop. The triggerfish bites also get the yellows competitive over the jig. So let it drop past the pests and the reel as fast as you can. Repeat.

Landed 4 yellows and 2 sierra basically every other cast was a yellow. Spent a lot of time gaffing and teaching my girl how to fight a yellow otherwise the tally would have been higher. She caught 2 yellows 2 lbs and 5lbs, plus 2 5 lb sierras. Now she wants a hobie.