magdalena bay panga fishing magdalena bay panga fishing

4-day fishing adventure in Quepos Costa Rica. Runs a panga from Mag Bay. . Most panga fleets participate throughout the whale watching season (which usually lasts into April) at San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena BayLopez Mateos and Puerto San Carlos. Speaks great English and got us some (9) wahoo last September. California fly angler wins conventional bass tourney. But its a short season, and for many locals, the whale-watching jobs end far too soon. The result is a living, moving ball of fish, with marlin and often sea lions in pursuit. Your email address will not be published. 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. . . (more). There is nowhere else like it on Earthyou just have to figure out how to get there. Martinez had located lodging for us at the Hotel Alcatraz in Puerto San Carlos and secured a guide that ran a 25-foot panga. Great, I think to myself. Whale watching sessions by Panga. 10:30-12:30 PM Tour. Korchinski had been toying with the idea of running up to the Finger Bank, some 60 nautical miles north of Cabo. There, an old and battered but serviceable red Ford pickup backed a trailer to waiting boats (artisanal fishing pangas except for us) to be shuttled a mile or so over the sand and dropped in at a beach facing the Pacific. DAY TRIP 200 . . Reservations can be made by contacting Cary or Erika at Success Sport Fishing - 760-230-6331. He can probably set up anything. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Deluxe Cruiser , fly fishing guide, all fishing gear, lunch, water and bait. 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. Our Packages are based on 2 Anglers, notice that this is a suggestion you can add Anglers, days or combine it with other locations. I can deal with anything at all to get to the great fishing, but here the trip is simple, the place is fantastic, and the fishing is utterly ridiculous. The multi-station layout on the Jarrett Bay 56 makes it a one-of-a-kind sportfishing boat. It took me about two minutes to sign up for the expeditionfinally, I was going to Mag Bay. The bite for three hours was as hot as it gets for three anglers fishing a seamount 75 miles off Costa Rica. The whales might even let you pat their backs if you seem friendly. The fish push the bait to the surface, then attack it from below. Its easy to understand that the more remote a location is, the less fishing pressure it receives. Magdalena Sport Fishing! Drake Magazine Back Issue Content: 2020 Summer Stranded on Socotra, Stranded on Socotra, The Quarantine and John Prine, Tarpon, A Mexican Introduction Fall Winter . One problem I flyfish and got a guide already. La Paz - Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay/ Magdalena Bay Fishing Report from Tailhunter Sportfishing for Week of Feb. 24-March 4, 2018. . Bluewater in front of the bay holds striped marlin shredding bait and the occasional leader with their bills. The diving is great! You can leave out of Lopez Mateos or San Carlos depending who you fish with. It lasted for several hours, then suddenly everything stopped. Within the massive bay, miles of mangroves, beaches, channels, sandbars and islets offer chances for snook, roosterfish, golden trevally, Colorado snapper, barred pargo, white seabass, yellowtail, halibut, corvina and more. Swimming with the fishes in Baja By John Huber Photos by Nick Price. Trip Date: Group Size: - + - + Show map . But there is more to Magdalena Bay than the sardine run. Call us today for more information or to book your trip (619)483-7315. Im on! His ten-weight is buckled in a perfect inverse curve to his smile. Search top fishing charters in Magdalena Bay. I just want to go on a cheap $350 a day type of panga (ex: like in San Quintin, La Paz, etc). 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. We build custom fly and light-tackle fishing packages that suit your plans, and your . Ive battled big tarpon, but this is new, and different, and on this morning the unknown has gotten to me. This same apex bait-crashing behavior also happens within the bay and rivers, when snook and their fellow predators are on the bite. 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. The area has numerous small commercial fishing villages where the expertise and fishing knowledge is passed down in families. length:7.25m/23 feet 8 inches - width 1.78m/ 5 feet 8 inches weight 1500 lbs / Made from Fiberglass. It hits me with as much depth as the water beneath me. When we reached Thetis Bank, the crew put us in over an 80-foot high spot, though wind and currents quickly moved the kayaks off. Bathroom and snack stop along the way. It is protected by two islands - Isla Magdalena to the north and, Isla Santa Margarita to the south. These are but a few samples available. It feels like the curiosity is mutual. We spotted the frigate birds working the surface; when we got close, we could see the marlin in hot pursuit. It feels like the curiosity is mutual. One time the marlin had moved on and we floated with six sea lions and what was left of the bait ball for probably 15 minuteswhen a new batch of marlin suddenly appeared and everything started anew. Once relaunched, we encountered a northwest wind, not yet brisk but enough to promise a slow, bumpy ride. Catches Likely: Marlin, tuna, roosterfish, golden trevalle, pargo, snook, wahoo, dorado, bonita, jacks, and more. The best out of 7 charter fishing deals in Magdalena Bay - enter dates to check availability . You can view the rates for lodging here: . Contact Jimmy Camacho from Jimmys Sportfishing. 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. The best fishing offshore is Aug through December, inshore there is pretty unique fishing year round. If there are five marlin attacking the bait, there are 20 or more slowly swimming beneath it. If we can't match the rate of the other deal because one of the above conditions is Discover the amazing variety of fish Mag Bay has to offer! Its all about getting there in this case, to Thetis Bank, about 30 miles off the northern part of Mag Bay. The marlin will corral baitfish into tightly packed balls before feeding at will. We work in partnership with ex-fishermen panga captains who turned to eco-experiences and have the knowledge and network to absolutely maximize your experience here. My imagination is already running full speed when I look across the river and cant believe what I see. I wanted to take the time to give you some really good feedback on our trip with your team this year! He knows fishing and is always ready. 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. It is such a large area, with so many species and migratory aspects to the fish, thatunless you were to fish 12 months a year, through all the tides, moons, and weatherit would be nearly impossible to figure out this fishery. Next year, Im going to track down the center-console guys and book a few days of fishing to go along with the diving. Seattle Times travel & outdoors editor. The more I see this, the more I want to be back in the boat casting to them. Published August 28, 2017. These places in the bluewater world are teaming with life, and they showcase the dance on a daily basis between apex predators like billfish, sea lions, and anglers. There is only one hotel for Magdalena Bay. A remote, isolated bay that sits some 120 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, there is not much in this part of the Baja. On morning number four of our trip, the cool bay air gives me goose bumps as we motor. Prices subject to change without notice. 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 . Calle Puerto La Paz 40, Bahia Magdalena, 23740 Magdalena Bay, B.C.S., Mexico. We woke up to a ham-and-egg breakfast and to find that the crew had already caught a healthy supply of live bait. Waterbottle. If you are approaching from the north, the drive . Reels spin loudly to the tune of unknown breakoffs and the occasional Spanish Mackerel. Full services of our Adventure Consultants. 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 . 1). Its normal for the whales to surround the boat, play around, and look you in the eye. Top to bottom everything was amazing. Smith prefers tube flies with a single barbless hook: When the fish runs, the tube fly slides up the line, so there is a good chance to get it back when the fish is released or breaks off. 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. 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. A surreal feeling begins setting in as the soft light of evening meets the low slack tide. 4) The Panga brings the kayaks out to the location so they are ready when we arrive in the boat. The Drake Magazine. 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. It brings in some of the cleanest waters, fresh nutrients, and exotic fishing catch. 11 min read. Instead, he simply trolls a standard East Coast spread with two dredges, two squid chains and a pair of hookless lures or ballyhoo, and all fish are teased to the boat. Fishing far offshore might take longer, particularly with a stiff headwind chop. What was the point? he said. The excellent fishing also continued inside the bay for . With options to fish in the Bay, inshore and offshore, you'll be sure to have an amazing time fishing Mag bay. The boat is top class, also used for deep-sea fishing, well equipped, and seaworthy. ith time one of the founders unfortunately passed and the remaining owners decided to partner up to open up the lodge to some lucky tourists. So, come out and say hi and let's set you up for visiting us in La Paz in 2023! We are in the Bahia San Francisco, not to be confused with the Bahia San Francisquito, there is the Bahia de Los Angeles and in general the names here are very Christian: Isla Espiritu Santo, Bahia Concepcion, Santa Maria, Magdalena Bay, Isla Angel de la Guardia, Asuncion, Todos Santos. All rights reserved. Their main reason for heading south is to mate and give birth in the protected shallow lagoons in Baja. Adults: $261.00 $235.00. Magdalena Bay (often called Mag Bay by Americans, but according to the professor we heard lecture that is not preferred by Mexicans) is a gigantic natural harbor at 25 miles N-S and 13 miles E-W with multiple good anchorages. Bright blue silence. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Other times, there was a guy on the bow with a spinning rod, throwing some kind of lurehe also was hooking up regularly. Mag Bay also has some of the finest lodges, yacht charters, and tourism infrastructure in the country. Hot b-fast, pre-pack lunch & cold beverage to-go. However, I could see Shafers point: Too much chasing was going to have an effect on the fish. Trip Itinerary. Chapstick. Our SUV is bouncing along the dirt moguls of a dark road . Hes a perfectionist: Every leader is tied to IGFA specifications, with a 20-pound-test tippet and 12 inches of shock leader. Brian J. Cantwell. https://magbaylodge.com/ . Our stay at Magdalena Bay was both exciting and educational, but there was still more to come on this trip. Blue Skys trolling tackle was heavier than I normally usemost of their light tackle was on one of Korchinskis other boats, but they did have several smaller outfits that were used to catch bait and mahi, so we rigged them up with 5 feet of 60-pound-test leader and a 9/0 circle hook. This means: It is for the same fishing charter, package and date(s), It has identical amenities attached (including the meal plan, cancellation policy, The area erupts with outstanding action in 2019. Light jacket or sweater. What makes the Magdalena Bay offshore fishing so astonishing is a convergence of conditions that occur in the fall. Cabo Fishing rentals/ Cabo fishing Charters. We had a day or two to spare, so Korchinski offered to take us out on his 43-foot Riviera, Blue Sky. But know this: If youre thinking of just rolling down to DIY the bay, make sure you are highly competent in a boat. Magdalena Bay is the name for a 30-mile-long harbor with a collection of mangrove rivers and swamps near the bottom of Bajas Pacific Coast. The vision is to share this Mag Bay fishing experience with the world. E: booking@magbaytours.com. On one day last year, they raised 143 marlin and released 50, all on fly tackle. The sea lions also were feeding on the bait when they werent nipping at the stripeys or growling at us. Smith believes that the marlin at the Finger Bank are harder to catch on fly than those at Mag Bay. Even with the detailed maps, finding the entrance to the channel he described was difficult. 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 conditions of your booking with us still allow penalty-free cancellations and My friend Nick and I shout with joy, accompanied by excited words in Spanish from our new friends. There also were two small center-console outboard boats fishing in our vicinity. But Im a little scared right now. Within a couple of minutes of hopping into the kayak, a savage strike had ripped line from the spool. Next season there will be a fleet of 25-35 Boston Whalers and perfect American built accommodations available in MagBay. Show map . At one point, the crew in one panga shouted excitedly into the radio something about cow yellowfin swimming underneath the boat. The Life of Ryan. 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. An anglers skill set and a sense of adventure still has to be there. In 2018, Smith and Shafer spent 12 days in Mag Bay, releasing 317 striped marlin on fly. BD Outdoors began as a forum-based fishing community to connect saltwater anglers and provide a home to share the latest fishing reports and news. The best time - season to fish Magdalena Bay it's from early June to late December. Information on the bay, although always a little scarce, has become easier to find. With such a vast area, and countless species, time typically becomes a limiting factor more so than lack of fish. For over 18 years, family-operated Mag Bay Tours (U.S. tel. These dramatic openings attract gamefish amidst spectacular surroundings boiler rocks, sheer cliffs and herds of sea lions. Yet the vetting of anglers capable of the daily will and skill necessary to excel in these waters seems to happen organically. Approx. The Baja Flyfishing Co. LLC offers a variety of guided fly fishing, spin fishing and light tackle off shore packages as well as guided beach and kayak fishing. www.tailhunter.com Mexico Office: Tailhunter Sportfishing. With us 60 years of knowledge await you as 4 generations have already passed, with great passion, respect and deep love for the impressive Magdalena Bay and its surroundings. The plan was to run up beyond the feeding marlin and cast a live bait into the fray. Smith has released more than 5,000 billfish on fly in his career. The bay is obviously full of fish. I never fished Mag Bay, but I want to soon. 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. Survive, is what an angler does the first few minutes after hooking a striped marlin. . This author does not have any more posts. The Fishery: There are three separate fisheries accessible from the small Pueblo of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. Or, you could be left shaking your head at the fish-filled mayhem that can turn on at any moment. Mag Bay Lodge is one of the few operations in the area that caters to anglers. Marco and others are finding a way to make both experiences happen safely and symbiotically. Whale watching has provided an alternative economy, and in some ways a different narrative, on Mag Bay. Saltwater charters usually begin toward the end of October and run through January. During our inshore days, we managed to catch many species fishing different areas in the bay. We would have a few moments to snap photos before everything got out of range. FishingBooker.com. There are innumerable yacht charters that will literally make all heads turn to the dock. There are so few boats in Mag Bay that there is never any fighting over bait ballsbut Shafer doesnt chase them at all because he feels that it puts the fish down. The fishing in Mag Bay is good all year round, just depends on what you want to catch! When we arrived, there were several other boats on the horizon and it wasnt hard to figure out where the fish were. You are using an out of date browser. I stayed with Wilber, and he and his son will take me out in his Panga at first light. Sun protective clothing and hat. Eventually, the marlin would tire of the diver/sea lion combination and leave the area. Not much, that is, aside from an annual explosion of sardines that attracts mobs of striped marlin, piles of wahoo . In the bay, between 85 and 95 miles of mangrove-filled canals provide a seemingly endless source of light tackle fishing especially for groupers, snapper and snook. No one just stumbles onto Magdalena Bay, unless they are cruising from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and can spend a few days fishing along the way. 8:15-10:15 AM Travel to Magdalena Bay. Sport Fishing Charters. Please ask at office about pick up possibilities. Flyfishers will come to have a deep love and appreciation for Magdalena Bay, but not for the reasons we normally expect from a fishery. I take a deep breath, pull my mask down over my face, and slip over the side of the panga. The fishing in Mag Bay is diverse and plentiful. It is one of the longest bays, it is considered the second largest in the Pacific. Panga (Boat) Price: $595 for the whole day, price will include up to 6 adults. 755 Paseo Obregon. . The bait fish congregate as do the predators that hunt them. His captain, Chip Shafer, runs Smiths custom 64-foot Bayliss Old Reliable from Costa Rica or Guatemala up to Cabo San Lucas in September, and they usually stay through December. Baha Magdalena is a protected bay on the Pacific coast in Baja Sur. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. When I see the first sailfish approach the baitball, I swim back to the boat. This is familiar; this pull, this need to clear my line rapidly. Our 24 ft panga is for 2 anglers is $400 per day. Crispin Mendoza is the living legend of San Carlos, a small town near the bay. We build . Winter fishing features "yellow tail" (jurel) and other species that usually are deep in the sea rocks. 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 . Magdalena Bay; La Paz; Blog; Boat Specs Solid reinforced fiberglass hull. The lodge is well maintained, has access to the swimming pool, hot tub, huge garage, workshop, tackle room, outside dining area, and more. Magdalena Bay Properties; Fishing Calendar; Booking Calendar; Contact Us; SPA; ADVENTURES; YACHT SERVICES; LOCATED IN SMALL FISHING VILLAGE OF LOPEZ MATEOS AND LORETO "Olivia" 22 LA PAZ PANGA . I imagine that the upwellings push the bait to the surface and thus the marlin follow close behind. They werent lit up and there wasnt any bait in sight, they were just following the ones that were actively feeding. Help us make more videos by clicking the like button. This is not a gentle bonefish lodge or an idyllic river with mountain backdrops. Then marlin happens Music is played loud over a marlin bite. The two "foundations" of Loreto's sport fishing are the "dorado" and the "yellow tail" (Seriola lalandi dorsalis). Be Sure to Check Out MAG BAY LURES with MAG BAY LODGE which is where we stayed and who organized this whole beautiful trip for us! You Save. 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. Sunglasses. Time and tide now allow ! Your staff could not have been nicer, the fishing was insane, and the captains were amazing. I took it all in from a little plastic boat that weighs considerably less than I do, while rushing over the surface with no evident means of propulsion. But yea, there are some local captains that would love to get ya out there. It's a gorgeous place to visit for the pristine beaches, mangroves, and sardine runs. It is a type of fishing like you have never seen before.