Small day pack or hip pack with any personal items. The conditions of your booking with us still allow penalty-free cancellations and At this moment the sardines move from one place to another trying to survive and it is the moment when they start trolling in our boats with quality equipment, for this reason we must be very attentive and prepared to live the moment they are hooked in the trolls and a power struggle begins between the Fish and the lovers of sport fishing, these are the last minutes or hours of life of the fight of the King of the Pacific "El Marlin", the dorado or another fish that will touch you witness live. 3 Full Days of Fishing. La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico. the Magdalena Bay offshore striped marlin show continued into January, much to the amazement of the locals. Fish with us at the Lodge at Mag Bay. La Paz - Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay/ Magdalena Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of Feb. 24-March 4, 2018. . So we hop out of the panga and begin casting a variety of sinking lines and Clousers into colliding currents. In the morning, the bait schools were bigger and were running together as a group, rather than trying to hide in a ball. Casting into feeding blitzes is common in these inshore waters. The gray whale spends summers in the waters off Alaska, and then heads 6,000 miles (almost 10,000 km) south to the warmer lagoons of Baja in January, February and March. During the calving season, the gray whales migrate to the Baja waters, and so do humans. Most of the striped marlin are between 80 and 125 pounds; rarely will you see one surpassing 150 pounds, making them perfect fish for light tackle or the fly rod. This means: It is for the same fishing charter, package and date(s), It has identical amenities attached (including the meal plan, cancellation policy, Reservations can be made by contacting Cary or Erika at Success Sport Fishing - 760-230-6331. Our Mag Bay yacht charters are luxurious, affordable, and have all the amenities to fit your budget. We have extreme fishing for Wahoo, Tuna, Marlin, Dorado and more coupled with an amazing atmosphere in a relaxing lodge environment. The closer the big fish get to the bait, the brighter they get with excitement. I hear waves hitting the side of the boat, birds calling out, radio chatter, Spanish being spoken rapidly. quantities. After more than an hour, I was able to bill the beast and work the circle hook out of its jaw, then pedaled for 10 minutes or so holding the marlin by its bill alongside until it was kicking strongly for a healthy release. Mag Bay Lodge is one of the few operations in the area that caters to anglers. Panga $450 - Unguided Light Tackle $750 - Guided Fly Fishing. A Bonnier LLC Company. Ramon . The baitfish school together for protection; the ones on the outside are the first to get eaten, so naturally everyone wants to be in the center. In 2018, Smith and Shafer spent 12 days in Mag Bay, releasing 317 striped marlin on fly. That creates truly special opportunities to experience packs of striped marlin in every direction and boiling at the surface, especially from a kayak. Smith has released more than 5,000 billfish on fly in his career. On one dive, there were five snorkelers in a semi-circle and a family of sea lions swimming opposite from us. I found spinners with 20- and 30-pound braid perfect for throwing poppers or Sebile Stick Shadds worked back fast and hard. 4 nights of lodging in Costa Baja Resort. At Cabo San Lucas, the phenomenal billfish bite remains the highlight. Waterbottle. Copyright 2017 - bajaflyfish.com - All Rights Reserved. You are using an out of date browser. The Fishery: There are three separate fisheries accessible from the small Pueblo of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. Experiences we have had with our family business from the 60s to date and we want to share with you our unique and incomparable experiences, we are a founding family and native of Baja Sur, where our first ways of living was commercial fishing and later we combined it with Sport Fishing. Magdalena Bay , 2/8/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird. . Smith believes that the marlin at the Finger Bank are harder to catch on fly than those at Mag Bay. length:7.25m/23 feet 8 inches - width 1.78m/ 5 feet 8 inches weight 1500 lbs / Made from Fiberglass. 755 Paseo Obregon. There was a small queue ahead of us, so we waited 20 or so minutes for each boat to be served. Cancn's up there somewhere. The Blue Water fishery is the stuff of legends, the heart of which is an area known as the Ridge. from La Ventana around the waters off Cabo San Lucas and all the way up the Pacific Coast to Magdalena Bay - Wherever the fishing action is best. It's a gorgeous place to visit for the pristine beaches, mangroves, and sardine runs. Magdalena Bay is a gorgeous place to visit just for the pristine beauty, mangroves and giant sand dunes of the outer islands. This would mean a five-hour run, and we would have to leave the dock by 4:30 a.m. Ledbetter and I jumped at the chance and we found that the long run was not a problem at allwe simply hopped in the bunks and went back to sleep. Boulevard marina esquina marlin 1 lote C9 Col. Centro Cabo San Lucas B.C.S Mexico 23450, The Most Popular Water Sports That You Must Try Once. As mentioned, the main predators of the sardine include the Striped Marlin, sea lions and occasionally whales, which work as a team to corner and push the bait balls to the surface from the depth of the sea, a situation that takes advantage of the earwigs, pelicans and seagulls that attack from outside by launching themselves like rockets on sardines as part of the food chain. Even with the detailed maps, finding the entrance to the channel he described was difficult. Filter results by: Price per Day. A prime example: Magdalena Bay, on the Pacific coast of Mexicos storied Baja Peninsula. Everything worked out really well, and I wanted to let everyone know how much we appreciated it. Its not an easy task to release a 60 lbs wahoofrom a popper on a spinning rod. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On other trips, he had watched dozens of marlin finning on the surface as they cruised slowly downsea. If you are approaching from the north, the drive . The area has numerous small commercial fishing villages where the expertise and fishing knowledge is passed down in families. 8:15-10:15 AM Travel to Magdalena Bay. They werent lit up and there wasnt any bait in sight, they were just following the ones that were actively feeding. Many are also reminiscent of North America. It is one of the longest bays, it is considered the second largest in the Pacific. Nick answers my next question in the affirmative: Yes, John, thats a coyote trying to drag a giant snook into the mangroves. The area erupts with outstanding action in 2019. The Lodge at Mag Bay offers a truly extraordinary experience. Great, I think to myself. But there is more to Magdalena Bay than the sardine run. But I wait. Located on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja Peninsula, Baha Magdalena, or Mag Bay, is one of the most legendary yet remote fisheries in North America.This 30 mile long bay, famous as a home to the gray whale during its southern migration, is formed by two sandy barrier islands named Isla Magdalena/Isla Margarita and provides incredible inshore and offshore fishing. Mag Bay is offers super size fish options. (more). Rumor has it that the record for conventional tackle releases at Mag Bay is close to 200 striped marlin in one day, which pretty much sums up this amazing fishery. From there we start the 6 hour drive up north to Magdalena Bay, during which we pass through Todos Santos, La Paz and Constitucion. Each winter, adventurous tourists come to meet and touch grey whales that have come en masse to get their offspring through the first few months of life. But Im a little scared right now. modifications. If you prefer to Fly Fish from Our ProKat or CapeHorn please just refer to standard offshore packages for pricing. All National Parks & Biosphere Reserve access fees required by itinerary. 4-day fishing adventure in Quepos Costa Rica. He and his crew load two kayaks aboard each panga and head for a destination determined by anglers goals, the season and the mornings conditions. These boats have to be self-sufficient and will spend their evenings anchored down at one of the three acceptable anchorages. Ive caught many good fish in many places from kayaks over the decades, but none offered the level of satisfaction of my first Magdalena Bay marlin. This same phenomenon happens in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, with sailfish; the boats look for frigates close to the surface, then run to them. You can find a lot of middle-price-point opportunity, and for the West Coast angler, its a lot closer than trekking to the Caribbean. $1000 for a Cape Horn 27 and $1,750 for a Pro Cat 37. While whale watching remains the primary focus in all of Magdalena Bay, fishing in Puerto San Carlos and Lopez Mateos continues to be off the charts for the few anglers who would rather fish than watch. I take a deep breath, pull my mask down over my face, and slip over the side of the panga. Please call for a quote. As you get closer, you can spot the marlins fins slicing the surface. . Magdalena Bay; La Paz; Blog; Boat Specs Solid reinforced fiberglass hull. Panga 23 Recreational Pleasure Refined Polished inner liner Under $17,000.00 + engine, includes global shipping. When I see the first sailfish approach the baitball, I swim back to the boat. The Life of Ryan. Mag Bay also has some of the finest lodges, yacht charters, and tourism infrastructure in the country. (8 with children) maximum. Wed jump in and the bait would quickly dash over to see if our boat offered any protectionwhich it didntthen they would take off again. Staying suspended in their time and place. At one point there were almost 20 marlin around and below me, casually swimming along. Or, you could be left shaking your head at the fish-filled mayhem that can turn on at any moment. Get in touch now. 11 min read. Sign in to get trip updates and message other travellers.. Loreto Check with locals or hire one of the guides on the bay to take you to the current hot spot or species. Its relative inaccessibility has allowed it to remain one of those rare places that time has virtually forgotten. The ridge consist of a long range of mountains with many peaks coming up to 100 ft or so. we're a party of 3 adults. Thats the shortcut route; to boat down to the large mouth of the bay and then northwest to Thetis is more like 45 miles. The Finger Bank is so named because of three areas where the bottom rises from 3,000 feet to around 300; on the charts, they look like fingers. In 2018, Eli Martinez of SDMdiving.com set up a trip to Mag Bay for photographers. But it is also the common name of the greater environment that surrounds it, including a series of massive barrier islands with their own bays and an active offshore ecosystem. Soon, Nick calls out every anglers favorite two words. Incredible Striped Marlin Action in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. The best fishing offshore is Aug through December, inshore there is pretty unique fishing year round. You Save. Baja Flyfishing Co is excited to offer Lopez Mateos/Magdelena Bay as one of our destinations, providing access to several hundred miles of mangrove channels, pristine beaches and the fabled Thetis Banks. Between these islands and smaller sand banks which . The plan was to run up beyond the feeding marlin and cast a live bait into the fray. The inshore waters that lay just beyond the barrier islands team with sierras, roosterfish, corvina, cortez halibut, pargo, grouper, yellow tail, skip jack, dorado, yellowfin tuna and wahoo. But really, 200-plus-pound fish on 40-pound braid? B ottom and/or Deep Sea Fishing depending on the season and target species.. What I found very interesting was that as I was swimming after the now-disappeared commotion, several striped marlin would come up to the surface and swim next to me. Boat Specs - Success Sport Fishing | Fishing, Spearfishing, and Surfing Trips . Driving in the natural scenery along Bajas mountain range we take you to Magdalena Bay to take pleasure and admire one of the most exceptional grey whales encounters; where we get close to experience them onboard a full-equipped, open boat "Panga.". Smith designed the boat specifically for long-range trips: 2,300 gallons of fuel, two generators, two watermakers, and backups for pretty much everything. FishingBooker.com. If you find your deal on another fishing website at a lower rate, contact ourcustomer careteam. Full services of our Adventure Consultants. Mag Bay is almost the same size as San Francisco Bay. This luxury fishing yacht charter with a personal chef onboard cooking meals and 2 deckhands working alongside. Round trip transfers from Loreto, the closest airport, are in our listed package prices. The extraordinary display of so many striped marlin crisscrossing and on the hunt for prey was mesmerizing. He and his crew load two kayaks aboard each panga and head for a destination determined by anglers' goals, the season and the morning's . When we arrived, there were several other boats on the horizon and it wasnt hard to figure out where the fish were. :). Several times, they were following the same bait balls that we were and I could see the angler on the bow hook up with a fly rod. Looking for info on Lodgings and Panga rentals in Mag Bay for a few days in September. Other options are available. All meals and beverages as indicated on the itinerary. The other deal is subject to the same booking conditions youve opted for with You can select from a day tour (US$450 per boat for five hours of whale . We woke up to a ham-and-egg breakfast and to find that the crew had already caught a healthy supply of live bait. Im not sure if Ricardo is even aware of how skilled he is at imitating every bird, insect, or wild sound he hears, but Ive noticed. Around 12:00 noon we arrive in the small fishing town of Lopez Mateos, check-in to the hotel and get ready for an afternoon of whale . Our plan was simple. We spotted the frigate birds working the surface; when we got close, we could see the marlin in hot pursuit. Its not a place to learn flycasting; its a place where knowing how to manipulate 500-grain sink-tips is just as important as knowing how to move big poppers on floating lines. Looking out onto the Bay of Banderas, this town is finely positioned for inshore and nearshore fishing, with deepwater action on offer in the Pacific Ocean just a few miles out. The next morning, we ran 55 miles south in Enrique's panga to the estero that I believed to be Hoctor's spot. Sport Fishing Charters. It is one of the longest bays, it is considered the second largest in the Pacific. Ive been in the flyfishing industry my entire adult life, and I dont approach fish with trepidation. Hundreds of miles of Mangroves Inshore for countless species Ricardo Villegas shows us the rocky point on the north side of the boca (Spanish for mouth of the bay). With such a vast area, and countless species, time typically becomes a limiting factor more so than lack of fish. The Drake Magazine. From October to December of each year, gigantic bait balls congregate miles off the coast of the bay, creating one of the most amazing shows the Pacific Ocean has to offer. Brian J. Cantwell. However, I could see Shafers point: Too much chasing was going to have an effect on the fish. Our guests stay at the Mangrove Inn, a new facility located just outside the port town of Lopez Mateos. In the event of cancellation notice must be received in writing by the spot holder or charter master 180 days . Information on the bay, although always a little scarce, has become easier to find. $0 - $400 $400 - $600 $600 - $800 $800+ Magdalena Bay: 7 fishing charters available . calm waterways of a . A 50% deposit is requested on all open party trips. Its just not that common like the sea of cortez cities and up north. These four books will tide you over on the days you can't be on the water, At 88, Ed Darwin has spent decades mastering his local waters of Chesapeake Bay, 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Some of the thousands of fishing pelicans. Doing battle with a striped marlin from a kayak typically results in a sleigh ride. I have been visiting mag bay since my youth. Close to 100 miles of mangrove-lined channels and shoreline encircle the area, and where the mangroves stop, the desert takes over. All reservations for charter are considered tentative until 25% deposit is received. Seen here is Marc Mills with a nice yellowtail. What makes the Magdalena Bay offshore fishing so astonishing is a convergence of conditions that occur in the fall. We plan to send out a few more exploratory trips and may start running panga fishing there before the season is over. This group of men and woman did not build the Lodge for a business, but rather for their friends, family, etc and they kept the Lodge low profile for many years. The in-water viewpoint was very interesting. If you have always wanted to fishing in Mag Bay, there is no better option. Mag Bay will give up nothing easy, but for anglers willing to put in the time, money, and casts, the payoffs can be fantastic. Rumor has it that the record for conventional tackle releases at Mag Bay is close to 200 striped marlin in one day, which pretty much sums up this amazing fishery.. Contact Jimmy Camacho from Jimmys Sportfishing. View map . We're hoping to fish for Wahoo. Mostly they are out on the Ridge. We watch a reel getting emptied and watch the fish leap, flip, and dive. We have two well-equipped sport fishing boats, as well as multiple pangas (covered or non-covered), depending on where you want to go and what you want to catch. Casting anything you want all day long and hooking wahoo, giant tuna, dorado, marlin one after another on every cast. Combination packages mixing cruiser, panga, kayak or beach fishing; Large groups and Seminars; Activities that include snorkeling, scuba diving, whale watching, kayaking, four wheelers, eco-touring and horseback riding . Copyright 2018 Baja Fishing Convoys - All Rights Reserved. Magdalena Bay Whale Watching Tours from Loreto. The fishing in Mag Bay is diverse and plentiful. Custom Fly Fishing Panga Package 7 days: $2950/person At The New Island Home, Includes air port transfers, lodging, and meals. Bluewater in front of the bay holds striped marlin shredding bait and the occasional leader with their bills. Silver Lining Kings. And in the case of Mag Bay, the bigger that sense of adventure the better. Bring in 5 Wahoo, a few tuna and dorado and head home for a Wahoo Ceviche dinner! The bay itself is as vast as it can get and has a feeling of wilderness. Within a couple of minutes of hopping into the kayak, a savage strike had ripped line from the spool. The marlin pulled me through and over large bait balls, with frigate birds wheeling just overhead. e invite you to reach out and give us a call or checkout more on the website. Chapstick. The multi-station layout on the Jarrett Bay 56 makes it a one-of-a-kind sportfishing boat. There is nowhere else like it on Earthyou just have to figure out how to get there. Baha Magdalena is a protected bay on the Pacific coast in Baja Sur. Full service of our Adventure Consultants. But there really is no spot in the area for a base for a sport fishing operation. Approx. It's normal for the whales to surround the boat, play around, and look you in the eye. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. For fly fishing we have a custom panga package. including a link to the offer on the website and the exact price being quoted. Its simply incredible to witness. The productive and healthy marine environment is an anglers dream come true! You, Its been a crazy year for humans but for fish its been just fine. Offshore vs. Inshore Fishing in Cabo San Lucas: Which is Right for You? It brings in some of the cleanest waters, fresh nutrients, and exotic fishing catch. This trip was a trip of a lifetime. At just about that instant, the big billfish burst high out of the water several times, leaping and twisting wildly. An anglers skill set and a sense of adventure still has to be there. Get in! Toby Larocque urged frantically as he and skipper Danny Infante slid a Hobie Pro Angler 14 off the pangas gunwale and into the Pacifics low ground swell. I recall hearing Morgan Promnitzs voice crackle over the VHF under my seat, as a stripey towed him toward the horizon: Marc! Bob Hoyt Mag Bay Outfitters He is on here as well. www.tailhunter.com Mexico Office: Tailhunter Sportfishing. Published August 28, 2017. It is protected by two islands - Isla Magdalena to the north and, Isla Santa Margarita to the south. This spectacle varies from year-to-year but can often reach truly amazing proportions in October and November when the volume of baitfish appears, attracting large schools of billfish - mostly striped marlin - but additional . If you go online searching for flyfishing or outfitting in Mag Bay, youll find some operations. He runs adventure trips all over the world to photograph everything from sharks to orcas to anacondas. We had a day or two to spare, so Korchinski offered to take us out on his 43-foot Riviera, Blue Sky. 60'x17' 1,250 gallon fuel capacity. With anglers launched, the pangas remain in proximity and in contact to bring bait, food and drinks, gear, or to pick up fish for dinner and put them on ice. We know the longe range San Diego boats make it a destination for the 8+ day trips, they often make bait right outside of San Carlos on Isla Magdalena as well. The local panga fishermen are mad as h*ll that the sardine and marlin are getting fished out illegally with up to 14 large industrial size boats going out of Magdalena Bay every night, each boat harvesting 100 - 200 tons of fish. What I like most about mag bay in general is the seclusion and peace. We will match the rate of the other deal if the A chain of islands that serve as a barrier protect the bay from the vast Pacific Ocean, creating an ideal environment for a large population of marine life, including the most popular species of sport fishing. Prices subject to change without notice. A wider area we can now explore ! Check out our videos just to see a trip or two when the cameras were rolling. Jonathan. The grounds we fish at are completely loaded with Wahoo, Dorado, Tuna . The waters are teeming with fascinating marine life, and the Baja peninsula is primarily known as a fishing paradise. Not much, that is, aside from an annual explosion of sardines that attracts mobs of striped marlin, piles of wahoo . Winter fishing features "yellow tail" (jurel) and other species that usually are deep in the sea rocks. Your email address will not be published. After catching and mostly releasing many tuna, I dropped slow-pitch jigs during the afternoon in 200 or so feet to catch Pacific red snapper, gulf grouper and various small reef fish. Going on a whale watching tour in Loreto is a must-do! Fast and very furious: Doubleheaders and even triple and quadruple hookups are the norm when striped marlin are actively feeding on bait balls near the surface. DAY TRIP 200 . Aldo may be the best captain I have ever fished with. Difficult as this adventure might seem, you can catch more striped marlin in a week here than you can in a half-dozen seasons in Southern California. These static bait balls provided the best photo opportunities. : $675. MAGDALENA BAY, Mexico Just off the bow of our 22-foot open boat what Baja fishermen call a "panga" a whale spout erupts . Guests chose between local panga rides to the mouth of the bay in search of whales or to a mangrove surrounding a local oyster farm. Behind me, Ricardo lets out a soft whistle that sounds just like a distant coyote. Your staff could not have been nicer, the fishing was insane, and the captains were amazing. Trip Date: Group Size: - + - + Show map . It has moved onto the next stages, where perhaps more balance can be found with each fishermans son or daughter finding opportunity in new industries that are well-managed and well-regulated. Part of the issue with Mag Bay and cheap Pangas is that the Wahoo are about 40 miles offshore generally and in the pacific.