Fishing Baja Norte: Yellowtail, Whales & Wildlife in the Sea of Cortez
Bill Boyce is an experienced and talented photojournalist. We have fished and dived together since the early 1990s. He has a house on the beach close to the frontier town of Bahia de Los Angeles in Baja Norte on the Sea of Cortez.
Jessica and I had never been there, so when Bill invited us to spend a week there fishing and snorkeling we were keen to go. We had yet to catch our first California yellowtail and experience all the marine mammals in the area.
Bill’s house is a well-organized fishing destination, with his own boat house and ramp to the sea.
His boat, “Baja Bandido,” is perfect for the area. A 25’ Wellcraft with a 300 Suzuki, armed with a dozen trolling, jigging, spinning and casting rods depending on what species we are fishing.
Day 1: Dolphins, Yellowtail and Humboldt Squid
On our first morning soon after launching, we were greeted by a vast school of common dolphin feeding actively on mini macs. Bill then took us to some prize locations such as Window Rock and Skull Rock which was loaded with wildlife. Blue-footed boobies, pelicans, cormorants and gulls sat on the cliffs, calling, wheeling and turning over us. A large group of female sea lions gamboled in the shallows escorted by a formidable bull.
We were after yellowtail so headed north over to a volcano cone called Smith’s Island. We started deep jigging iron in 80-120 feet while marking fish below. The yellowtails made a telltale spaghetti mark on the Simrad. Bingo! They were here. Bill hooked up and took 10 minutes to tame a 28# fish, then another. I changed my technique to reel the jig faster to the surface and Wham! The yellowtails fight very hard.
Meanwhile, a trio of huge finback whales swam by just 100 yards away in the deeper water.
But then things changed. A burst of surface splashing revealed big red Humboldt squid packed together, desperately trying to evade attacks from below by yellowtails. They smashed their way through the schools of squid. We retrieved a couple of injured squid 18”-24” long. More than a mouthful.
Bill searched for a popper in his lure box and came up with the answer, bright orange and red with black spots. His first cast was into the melee and immediately came tight. The yellowtails crashed the popper like a big king mackerel, yellowfin tuna or jack crevalle. We kept a couple of yellowtails for the table and for Bill’s neighbors and released the rest.
We did this until it was time to go. Sure enough back home on the fillet table the fish had one or two of the large squid in the stomach.
Bill prepared the fresh yellowtail first as sushi and then on the barbie. Both styles were like magic. What a first day!
More Yellowtail Action at Smith’s Island
The next three days were just as exciting as we typically left Bill’s house at the crack of 11am. Under a clear blue sky we headed out into another huge school of common dolphins. These dolphins were moving steadily across a passage between islands, not actively feeding. We spent some time with them, would have liked to jump in to get underwater footage but the water was very green. However the topside shots were great with dolphins jumping with the arid peaks all around.
Jessica and Bill were on the bow shooting PSAs and product shots with hundreds of dolphins all around the boat.
We returned to the pebble beach at Smith’s Island in time to see the “yellows” beat up on the fleeing Humboldt squid jetting out of the water. They seemed to come through in waves in the current and the yellows are meeting them midwater and driving them to the surface in flurries of spray. The poppers were very effective, Jessica hooked up on her first cast, a 30# beauty. The next burst of activity was 300 yards away so we ran over, and cast into the melee with the same result. This time we released Jessica’s 28# beauty. Then Bill released a couple more in quick succession.
While waiting for the boils we would drift in the current, jigging in 80-120 feet. We released several large trigger fish and spotted sand bass plus small leopard grouper. Bill also released an awesome orange phase leopard grouper while I had been stretched out by another yellow on the deep jig.
Don Juan Cove and Late Afternoon Wildlife
Day 3 began with an early stop at secluded Don Juan Cove. We were greeted by dozens of pelicans, gulls, cormorants, a pair of oystercatchers and a lone blue heron. Anglers obviously came here to clean fish on their way home. Bill took us to a nearby group of rocks to cast Rapalas for grouper. Here we released two leopards, one was a respectable 7# fish.
We fished for yellows again at the pebble beach and Jessica was able to swim with a large Humboldt squid that was just swimming at the surface oblivious of the lurking yellow danger below.
We then lost a popper to a bigger yellow that would have been good to catch. We persisted in chasing down the action all afternoon as it erupted around us.
Near the end of the day Bill took us to a cliff where a pair of ospreys had a nest along with many blue-footed boobies, pelicans, cormorants and gulls. We had some great photo ops in the late afternoon light. The beautiful ospreys are so photogenic when backed by the multicolored earth tones of the cliffs behind them.
Guardian Angel Island, Whales and Sea Lions
For our last day Bill drove us for an hour across the main channel and to the south end of Guardian Angel Island. Local artist and restaurateur, Lizy Galvan came with us. We passed more common dolphins on the way and found 3 enormous fin whales feeding on schools of baitfish near Isla Estancia. We stayed with them for a while. We marked lots of bait but with no yellows on the screen.
Moving toward the Midriff Islands we encountered two humpback whales, one of which swam right up to the boat providing a very close encounter and great photo opportunity.
Soon afterwards we saw a shark fin at the surface which turned out to be a 300# mako. Wow! We enjoyed the experience watching this super predator gracefully swimming along just ahead of the boat for several minutes.
Our last stop was at Raza Island where we spent an hour snorkeling with the entertaining, playful sea lions amongst the rocks and kelp. Jessica reeled off a list of fish and rays she had filmed. The massive resident bull sea lion swung by to say hello a few times.
Running back to home base we had completed an awesome day including encounters with many marine mammal species, plus some of the local game fish. My camera card was full, our memories were full of line ripping off reels and of Bill’s fabulous repertoire of culinary delights. There are so many different ways to prepare fresh yellowtail.
Many thanks again Bill for your amazing hospitality and for sharing your decades of experience in Baja with us. Tight lines, but not too tight!
fishing baja norte: yellowtail, whales & wildlife in the sea of cortez
Fishing Baja Norte: Yellowtail, Whales & Wildlife in the Sea of Cortez
Bill Boyce is an experienced and talented photojournalist. We have fished and dived together since the early 1990s. He has a house on the beach close to the frontier town of Bahia de Los Angeles in Baja Norte on the Sea of Cortez.
Jessica and I had never been there, so when Bill invited us to spend a week there fishing and snorkeling we were keen to go. We had yet to catch our first California yellowtail and experience all the marine mammals in the area.
Bill’s house is a well-organized fishing destination, with his own boat house and ramp to the sea.
His boat, “Baja Bandido,” is perfect for the area. A 25’ Wellcraft with a 300 Suzuki, armed with a dozen trolling, jigging, spinning and casting rods depending on what species we are fishing.
Day 1: Dolphins, Yellowtail and Humboldt Squid
On our first morning soon after launching, we were greeted by a vast school of common dolphin feeding actively on mini macs. Bill then took us to some prize locations such as Window Rock and Skull Rock which was loaded with wildlife. Blue-footed boobies, pelicans, cormorants and gulls sat on the cliffs, calling, wheeling and turning over us. A large group of female sea lions gamboled in the shallows escorted by a formidable bull.
We were after yellowtail so headed north over to a volcano cone called Smith’s Island. We started deep jigging iron in 80-120 feet while marking fish below. The yellowtails made a telltale spaghetti mark on the Simrad. Bingo! They were here. Bill hooked up and took 10 minutes to tame a 28# fish, then another. I changed my technique to reel the jig faster to the surface and Wham! The yellowtails fight very hard.
Meanwhile, a trio of huge finback whales swam by just 100 yards away in the deeper water.
But then things changed. A burst of surface splashing revealed big red Humboldt squid packed together, desperately trying to evade attacks from below by yellowtails. They smashed their way through the schools of squid. We retrieved a couple of injured squid 18”-24” long. More than a mouthful.
Bill searched for a popper in his lure box and came up with the answer, bright orange and red with black spots. His first cast was into the melee and immediately came tight. The yellowtails crashed the popper like a big king mackerel, yellowfin tuna or jack crevalle. We kept a couple of yellowtails for the table and for Bill’s neighbors and released the rest.
We did this until it was time to go. Sure enough back home on the fillet table the fish had one or two of the large squid in the stomach.
Bill prepared the fresh yellowtail first as sushi and then on the barbie. Both styles were like magic. What a first day!
More Yellowtail Action at Smith’s Island
The next three days were just as exciting as we typically left Bill’s house at the crack of 11am. Under a clear blue sky we headed out into another huge school of common dolphins. These dolphins were moving steadily across a passage between islands, not actively feeding. We spent some time with them, would have liked to jump in to get underwater footage but the water was very green. However the topside shots were great with dolphins jumping with the arid peaks all around.
Jessica and Bill were on the bow shooting PSAs and product shots with hundreds of dolphins all around the boat.
We returned to the pebble beach at Smith’s Island in time to see the “yellows” beat up on the fleeing Humboldt squid jetting out of the water. They seemed to come through in waves in the current and the yellows are meeting them midwater and driving them to the surface in flurries of spray. The poppers were very effective, Jessica hooked up on her first cast, a 30# beauty. The next burst of activity was 300 yards away so we ran over, and cast into the melee with the same result. This time we released Jessica’s 28# beauty. Then Bill released a couple more in quick succession.
While waiting for the boils we would drift in the current, jigging in 80-120 feet. We released several large trigger fish and spotted sand bass plus small leopard grouper. Bill also released an awesome orange phase leopard grouper while I had been stretched out by another yellow on the deep jig.
Don Juan Cove and Late Afternoon Wildlife
Day 3 began with an early stop at secluded Don Juan Cove. We were greeted by dozens of pelicans, gulls, cormorants, a pair of oystercatchers and a lone blue heron. Anglers obviously came here to clean fish on their way home. Bill took us to a nearby group of rocks to cast Rapalas for grouper. Here we released two leopards, one was a respectable 7# fish.
We fished for yellows again at the pebble beach and Jessica was able to swim with a large Humboldt squid that was just swimming at the surface oblivious of the lurking yellow danger below.
We then lost a popper to a bigger yellow that would have been good to catch. We persisted in chasing down the action all afternoon as it erupted around us.
Near the end of the day Bill took us to a cliff where a pair of ospreys had a nest along with many blue-footed boobies, pelicans, cormorants and gulls. We had some great photo ops in the late afternoon light. The beautiful ospreys are so photogenic when backed by the multicolored earth tones of the cliffs behind them.
Guardian Angel Island, Whales and Sea Lions
For our last day Bill drove us for an hour across the main channel and to the south end of Guardian Angel Island. Local artist and restaurateur, Lizy Galvan came with us. We passed more common dolphins on the way and found 3 enormous fin whales feeding on schools of baitfish near Isla Estancia. We stayed with them for a while. We marked lots of bait but with no yellows on the screen.
Moving toward the Midriff Islands we encountered two humpback whales, one of which swam right up to the boat providing a very close encounter and great photo opportunity.
Soon afterwards we saw a shark fin at the surface which turned out to be a 300# mako. Wow! We enjoyed the experience watching this super predator gracefully swimming along just ahead of the boat for several minutes.
Our last stop was at Raza Island where we spent an hour snorkeling with the entertaining, playful sea lions amongst the rocks and kelp. Jessica reeled off a list of fish and rays she had filmed. The massive resident bull sea lion swung by to say hello a few times.
Running back to home base we had completed an awesome day including encounters with many marine mammal species, plus some of the local game fish. My camera card was full, our memories were full of line ripping off reels and of Bill’s fabulous repertoire of culinary delights. There are so many different ways to prepare fresh yellowtail.
Many thanks again Bill for your amazing hospitality and for sharing your decades of experience in Baja with us. Tight lines, but not too tight!