La Bufadora - Punta Banda

[YakHanded]

Took off Thursday night headed down to La Bufadora set up camp and crashed out. Woke up Friday early and got out there. There was marine layer all morning so out around the corner of the Bufadora bay towards the point of punta banda was super rough but we decided to go for it seeing blue sky making its way towards us - We got to that first big boiler and fished behind it hiding from the wind. There was 80-100ft deep bull kelp and some of the biggest dogs ive ever seen. Both of us picked away at bass trev caught a nice calico 3-4lbs and I was also trying to jig some bait but only could manage smelt after an hour. The wind seemed like it was picking up even more so we decided to just head back to camp and wait it out. We both pinned on the only bait we had, these shit smelt and tossed them back. Trolling in the sketchiest cross chop windy conditions was interesting. As we were about to pull up and cut through the dense kelp by the blowhole back to camp trev gets smoked. He made short work of a nice 18lb yellow - made it back out that afternoon/evening but got blown off the water really quick.. did find some baby chovie sized greenbacks that session though.



We fished hard Saturday in the morning but got blown off the water quick.
Same result just assorted bass and I think some cool looking wrasse thing... I have it on the gopro just need to go through the footage. Trev had a nice 3 cast streak on surface iron calicos but smaller models still cool though.

Sunday we had set up to go on a panga with Vonny's fleet and our panguero Beto. He is a legend. We got out to the point of punta banda that extends out towards todos santos. Tons of boiler rocks and steep drop offs. Sardines EVERYWHERE. Literally seemed like it was raining. Picked away at the yellows on surface iron got 5 earlier in the AM then the bones showed up and couldn't seem to catch anything else. Ended with 5 yellows and easy 15 bones all on iron. After we got sick of the big bones we went in tight to those big boilers extending off the point and got nice calico bass action some big ones, Beto caught an easy 8lber. Again I have a ton of footage i need to go through... I will post a video eventually



Boarder was a bitch took 4 hours or so in line. Made it back late last night but it was worth it. Bufadora is definitely a cool place to camp only $20 for Thurs-Fri & Sat night. Fun little restaurant/bar and lots of ex-pat retirees live there so its got a cool feel to it, they put up a gate and have a guard 24hrs feels safe too. Definitely recommend it for kayakers has a ramp with a relatively easy launch and good fishing!

[kayakfisherman]

Wow Anthony, what a great trip!! One for the future. You guys got
a nice haul too. Glad you're safe.

[Iceman]

Thanks for the report. Can't wait! Going down with the family for a few days in a couple weeks. We rented a beach house on VRBO.

[tsugg]

Great weekend for you guys! Do you think you could have kayaker to the same area the panga fished ( if conditions were better)?

3 weeks ago for us, 3.5 hrs to cross at san jisidro. Need to get the sentry pass for sure for us,I think it's worth it= $125.00 per person for five years. When we crossed it was around 6:30pm on a Saturday and the sentry gate had 2 to 3 cars at most the whole time we were waiting.

[Zed]

*** If one were to be accidentally funnelled into the Sentri Lane w/o the Sentri Pass, you win a free trip to Secondary! Any time you may have made up to the border is lost just past it.

The next time wins you the free trip PLUS a nominal fine.
Free tip.

Great trip guys! You made the best of it. Full of envy. I havent scored a good window there. Thanks for posting it.

tsugg its a good 12mi day to get out to the N side of the Banda rocks n back w fishing. And no bailouts.

[YakDout]

Pending review on sentry pass for over a month now, heard it takes close to three months to get the interview.

Thanks for fish report, heading to puerto nuevo on thursday for a week.

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by kayakfisherman

Wow Anthony, what a great trip!! One for the future. You guys got
a nice haul too. Glad you're safe.

Thanks Yanni!

Originally Posted by Iceman

Thanks for the report. Can't wait! Going down with the family for a few days in a couple weeks. We rented a beach house on VRBO.

That is going to be awesome! Such a cool little town people are very welcoming.. VRBO is a great call wow - keep me posted on how you do! If you want to fish the pangas with vonny ask for Beto to take you out it was reasonably priced too

Originally Posted by Zed

*** If one were to be accidentally funnelled into the Sentri Lane w/o the Sentri Pass, you win a free trip to Secondary! Any time you may have made up to the border is lost just past it.

The next time wins you the free trip PLUS a nominal fine.
Free tip.

Great trip guys! You made the best of it. Full of envy. I havent scored a good window there. Thanks for posting it.

tsugg its a good 12mi day to get out to the N side of the Banda rocks n back w fishing. And no bailouts.

good to know about the sentri lane

Such a great time, we didnt realllllly get a nice window was rough anytime we got outside the bay. Launch/landing was no problem. Definitely a semi non-possibility to paddle to the point... so rough out there and you could get into trouble real quick without anywhere to go. Definitely closer from bufadora than la joya though.

Originally Posted by YakDout

Pending review on sentry pass for over a month now, heard it takes close to three months to get the interview.

Thanks for fish report, heading to puerto nuevo on thursday for a week.

The good life killer man let us know how you do - looked nice as we drove home yesterday

[Podaker]

I've been fishing at Vonny's a few times. Beto is the man, he will put you on the fish for sure. Yellowail, halibut, lingcod, monster calicos, and assortment of rockfish. Those boiler rocks would be killer on a kayak. There is a launch ramp all the way at the end of the point, but i don't know if you can use it or how to get there.

[ceviche eater]

nice!! thanks for he report!

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by Podaker

I've been fishing at Vonny's a few times. Beto is the man, he will put you on the fish for sure. Yellowail, halibut, lingcod, monster calicos, and assortment of rockfish. Those boiler rocks would be killer on a kayak. There is a launch ramp all the way at the end of the point, but i don't know if you can use it or how to get there.

It would be epic to fish out there on a kayak.. We saw the ramp way out close to the point Beto said that it was private land and there is a big gate that blocks the dirt road out there. So many people fishing off the rocks just before the ramp on the way out to the point from la joya - guess they catch yellows off the rocks regularly. Our second time to Bufadora but first time on the panga was such a good time definitely going back.

[tstephens3232]

F150 but no 4x4. Do you think i'll have any issues? How's the fishing in early September normally?

[Deamon]

Set of rocks coming out of the water on the bay side of the point...Tres Hermanas. Took the spear gun out there and got a yellow. Plenty of small bugs in there too...

[Deamon]

South of Punta Banda is a cove w a black sand beach. Used to be a remote campground but the access road is toast. Tuna Pens used to be in this cove. Extra large surf perch. Almost speared a huge Striped Bass in the surf. That would've been a photo.

[Zed]

Originally Posted by Deamon

Set of rocks coming out of the water on the bay side of the point...Tres Hermanas. Took the spear gun out there and got a yellow. Plenty of small bugs in there too...

Used to camp n shorefish there way back when. Then graduated to the Sevylor! 9ft inflatable PriceClub raft that eventually met its demise @ LA Bay. Last seen cartwheeling E across the Cortez. Still miss that boat. It filled the gap missing before kayaks between longboard and skiff. Used to launch it at Marine St after work. Ha. Shitshow.

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by Deamon

South of Punta Banda is a cove w a black sand beach. Used to be a remote campground but the access road is toast. Tuna Pens used to be in this cove. Extra large surf perch. Almost speared a huge Striped Bass in the surf. That would've been a photo.

Wow that sounds awesome I just looked on Gmaps and think I spotted it access looks tough but doable might have to explore a little next time we're down there. Striped bass elaborate on this.. like a striper?

Originally Posted by Zed

Used to camp n shorefish there way back when. Then graduated to the Sevylor! 9ft inflatable PriceClub raft that eventually met its demise @ LA Bay. Last seen cartwheeling E across the Cortez. Still miss that boat. It filled the gap missing before kayaks between longboard and skiff. Used to launch it at Marine St after work. Ha. Shitshow.

Ahh the infamous inflatable Lets get down there in the fall.



Here are some random stills pulled from the GoPro trying to piece together too much footage -__-


This is Trev bendo on his first kayak yellowtail... at Bufadora pretty cool place to land the first.


Pretty proud in front of the blowhole... kayak tour from the cruise ship was clapping it was hilarious.


Nice calico from the panga sunday...

[Deamon]

Originally Posted by YakHanded

Wow that sounds awesome I just looked on Gmaps and think I spotted it access looks tough but doable might have to explore a little next time we're down there. Striped bass elaborate on this.. like a striper?

Yep, the access road is on the south side custom residential community pretty far before L.B. That land back there was the Tiger Woods Golf plan thing (so I was told). Back in the day, we took every dirt road from Rosarito to San Quintin, if we thought it could take us to water. We found awesome spots including this one. But erosion has really damaged this access road. I don't know how a tow truck could get to you if you did get stuck...nothing better than finding boiler rocks in the middle of no where, throwing Tady 45's and catching calicos from shore.
I was catching 1.5-2# surf perch on a kastmaster. Beautiful fat fish. Told my buddy I could spear these, they're so big. I was right in the surf line w the sand and debris when this 15# striper gets abt 3' away from me. But like most other fish, you swing a spear gun around too fast, something about that spooks them. I stayed in that water for a long time hoping for a second chance but no go. Quite a while ago...back when stripers were being caught in O.C.'s surf. Jim

[Zed]

Dont lie. It was a striped mullet.

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by Deamon

Yep, the access road is on the south side custom residential community pretty far before L.B. That land back there was the Tiger Woods Golf plan thing (so I was told). Back in the day, we took every dirt road from Rosarito to San Quintin, if we thought it could take us to water. We found awesome spots including this one. But erosion has really damaged this access road. I don't know how a tow truck could get to you if you did get stuck...nothing better than finding boiler rocks in the middle of no where, throwing Tady 45's and catching calicos from shore.
I was catching 1.5-2# surf perch on a kastmaster. Beautiful fat fish. Told my buddy I could spear these, they're so big. I was right in the surf line w the sand and debris when this 15# striper gets abt 3' away from me. But like most other fish, you swing a spear gun around too fast, something about that spooks them. I stayed in that water for a long time hoping for a second chance but no go. Quite a while ago...back when stripers were being caught in O.C.'s surf. Jim

It would be fun to take a significant amount of time and explore that way, must've been awesome Jim you lucky sob. Especially when you were doing it sure there were even more gems. Looks from gmaps that you could access the bluff above that beach from the neighborhood in bufadora, little dirt road goes up and over the hill. Thats insane about the striper so cool never knew that. Also a 2lb surf perch is a massive surf perch haha badass.