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BAJA ROUNDUP
40 April 13- 27, 2018 VOL. 37 • ISS. 09
Anglers Dodge Wind For Mixed Bag Action In La Paz
“
W ell, the good news is that after 3 weeks, the winds settled down a bit and allowed us to get to do a bit of fishing. The bad news is that well … there weren’ t many fishermen,” related Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International.
“ For folks that made it out coldwater species like snapper, cabrilla, pargo, jack crevasse and yellowtail mixed it up with warm water species like dorado and even a few tuna and lots of bonito. The better action and most consistent bite was in shallow waters over structure for the colder water species using Rapalas, live bait and dead bait. We found fish close and around Punta Perrico and also at the north and south ends of Cerralvo Island,” Roldan concluded.
Johnny took a long range trip on the Independence this January and caught several fish including this awesome yellowfin tuna.
Photo courtesy of INDEPENDENCE SPORTFISHING, San Diego.
Bubba Gets Fished( Part 2 of a series of what I use and why I use it)
Last time around, I introduced my buddy Bubba( whose real name is Dan) to some“ backyard” fishing by going after a few saltwater panfish here in the bay.
Now, truth be told( and I always tell the truth), you don’ t need to use what I am about to recommend; but there is a reason or two that I choose to use what I do. Lord knows, the“ little
SALTY TIPS by Steve“ Hippo” Lau guys” in the bay have been caught on everything from ultra-light tackle to big surf fishing stuff, but, well... read on.
Rod: Cousins Tackle’ s RAZE series RDS701S light spinning rod. There are a lot of seven-foot light spinning rods on the market, but this rod by design genius Wade Cunningham at Cousins Tackle is outstanding. The rod is within their bass fishing series of rods and as such, has a light, sensitive and firm tip( as opposed to a dropshot rod which has too light of a tip) that transitions smoothly to a progressively powered lower section.
Ultralight rods may be fun to use, but are too wimpy to set the hook consistently against these salt water bait stealers. Response time is critical!
Also, I have on occasion, hooked stripers and bat rays, so a little more ooomph is appreciated, With an MSRP of $ 160.00, this custom quality rod is a bargain.
Reel: It is no secret that I am a fan of Daiwa reels. I have lots of other reels( ask my wife) but Daiwa consistently impresses me. The model I like is the Daiwa BG2500( the new BG, not the old BG) although I have more of the older Legalis 2500s.
The big factor is that they both have aluminum bodies, which makes for a stiffer reel; and the rule is, the stiffer the body, the smoother the drag. The
six disk drags on these reels have lots of surface area and can be enhanced with the application of Cal’ s drag grease on them. I once landed an 80 lb. batray on 8 lb. line on one of these reels and if that isn’ t a workout on a drag, nothing is. The BG has an MSRP of $ 99.00, and that’ s for an aluminum, not graphite bodied reel.
Line: P-Line’ s CX Premium has proven to be a great general purpose line. For heavy duty saltwater fishing, I have been a fan of P-Line’ s CXX Xtra Strong monofilament for decades( I once landed a 32 lb. yellowfin tuna in 45 seconds on 15 lb. CXX) but it is very stiff for spinning tackle. CX Premium is a lot softer and more manageable.
The fluorocarbon coating may or may not help with the“ invisibility” of the line, but it does keep the line from absorbing water and making it stretchier and dying faster.
Hooks and rigging: VMC SureSet dropshot hooks have grown on me like I can’ t believe. To be sure, it is a funky looking hook, but it is super sharp and very strong for its diameter due to( if you believe heir literature) VMC adding vanadium to their steel. Not an easy hook to find, but worth looking up.
Good alternatives that I used quite often before I started using the SureSets are the octopus style hooks from Owner or Gamakatsu. I rig these up dropshot style with dropper loops instead of the traditional two hook surf leader style with snelled hooks because the reaction to a bite is much faster and I have never had a fish swallow a hook dropshot style, a common problem problem with the tradition rig.
Let it be known; I am not“ sponsored” for any of these products. I have to get them pretty much like everyone else. But they do make the catching a lot more fun and productive.
When you head down to Baja, it’ s always a good idea to bring along a reel or two even if you don’ t bring rods. Most boats have plenty of rods and the skippers will gladly mount your reel on one of their rods. This way you’ ll know you have fresh line and a reliable drag when the big fish start biting.
The PENN Fathom star drag series of reels is perfect for this work. They are solid and reliable, yet they are not excessively expensive.
The Penn Fathom Star Drag, with the revolutionary Live Spindle design, is the most castable reel in the market place. The improved configuration allows the spool to spin independently of the spindle and pinion gear, which significantly reduces friction experienced from the extreme acceleration of the spool when casting.
Other reels using a‘’ fixed spindle’’ design slow the rotation of the spool and reduce casting distance. Additionally the Live Spindle improves the retrieve of the reel because the spindle and pinion do not need to turn relative to each other during heavy loads, unlike a‘’ fixed spindle’’ reels that result in a difficult retrieve and erratic drag.
For more information about PENN Fathom reels and their entire line of fine fishing gear visit them online at www. pennfishing. com.
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