Deluxe Cruiser , fly fishing guide, all fishing gear, lunch, water and bait. Offshore 25 miles, the wind picks up and I hear it mix with the country music coming from our little travel speaker. Information on the bay, although always a little scarce, has become easier to find. 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. And in the case of Mag Bay, the bigger that sense of adventure the better. Its normal for the whales to surround the boat, play around, and look you in the eye. This luxury fishing yacht charter with a personal chef onboard cooking meals and 2 deckhands working alongside. The marlin will corral baitfish into tightly packed balls before feeding at will. Hes found that these striped marlin dont stay on the bait ball close to the boat, and the motor noise while maneuvering into position is counterproductive. Smith believes that the marlin at the Finger Bank are harder to catch on fly than those at Mag Bay. A barbless hook also will usually fall out within a few hours. calm waterways of a . 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. It is a type of fishing like you have never seen before. The experience is both fascinating and intriguing. I imagine that the upwellings push the bait to the surface and thus the marlin follow close behind. A longtime light-tackle angler says few things compare with taking a blue marlin on the fly. 8:30am Loreto bay and 9am Villas Del Palmar. Infante stuck a Daiwa Saltiga lever-drag reel in my face. In 2018, Smith and Shafer spent 12 days in Mag Bay, releasing 317 striped marlin on fly. 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 excellent fishing also continued inside the bay for . A series of sea mounts, pinnacles and banks, such as the Thetis and Potatoe Banks, hold huge concentrations of fish in the fall and spring as the species make their annual migrations. Brian J. Cantwell. Call or email us for pricing on other customized options. Whale watching has been passed down through Crispins family to his adult sonalso our hostMarco Antonio Mendoza, who built a safari-style camp at the base of the mountains on a nearby island. For more details on trip rules, cancellation and travel insurance visit our KNOW BEFORE YOU GO page. 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 . California fly angler wins conventional bass tourney. On the other side of the islands, some of the most productive banks provide world-class fishing of pelagic species in large quantities, where each year in November, a natural phenomenon known as the Marlin run gathers in large numbers. Yet wed never read or heard any mention of golden trevally in Mag Bay until Nick held one in his hands. For angler seeking some of the best fishing left on the planet and that appreciate remote and wild locations, this is your place. So, come out and say hi and let's set you up for visiting us in La Paz in 2023! Casting into feeding blitzes is common in these inshore waters. All reservations for charter are considered tentative until 25% deposit is received. If you prefer to Fly Fish from Our ProKat or CapeHorn please just refer to standard offshore packages for pricing. The Finger Bank is Mag Bay Lite. Check with locals or hire one of the guides on the bay to take you to the current hot spot or species. The area has numerous small commercial fishing villages where the expertise and fishing knowledge is passed down in families. The ProKat seemed to be in good working order along with all the fishing gear. . We hopped out and lifted the bow while the driver pulled the truck away, unhooked the trailer and soon arrived with another old trailer. Panga (Boat) Price: $595 for the whole day, price will include up to 6 adults. 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. We had two different captains, both were knowledgeable and informative. Fishing far offshore might take longer, particularly with a stiff headwind chop. Ive battled big tarpon, but this is new, and different, and on this morning the unknown has gotten to me. T his may be their debut album, but the LA synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay already commandeer their own cinematic universe: Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin are big on TikTok and Twitch; they have . Not much, that is, aside from an annual explosion of sardines that attracts mobs of striped marlin, piles of wahoo . Calle Puerto La Paz 40, Bahia Magdalena, 23740 Magdalena Bay, B.C.S., Mexico. One problem I flyfish and got a guide already. These are commercial fishing villages, where local knowledge is passed down from father to son. In 2018, Smith and Shafer spent 12 days in Mag Bay, releasing 317 striped marlin on fly. When we were dumped back in the water, we still had another hour or so run out to the fishing grounds. 7) 3 days offshore one day inshore. Our journey to Thetis had us leaving the lodge in two pangas at dawn for a 15-minute ride to a launch point of sorts on a shallow beach. But yea, there are some local captains that would love to get ya out there. Magdalena Bay, or Baha Magdalena in Spanish, is a 50 km long bay, and about 200 km of lagoons and channels on the Pacific side of the Baja California Sur, in the municipality of Comond. Anywhere from 40 to 120 miles depending on where you leave from and what part you travel too. 1). Then marlin happens Music is played loud over a marlin bite. In the morning, the bait schools were bigger and were running together as a group, rather than trying to hide in a ball. 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. Striped marlin gather in great numbers off Magdalena Bay during the fall and early winter, but its remote location, cutting deep into the mostly uninhabited Pacific side of the central Baja coast, keeps fishing pressure minimal. Our SUV is bouncing along the dirt moguls of a dark road . A remote, isolated bay that sits some 120 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, there is not much in this part of the Baja. Wed run ahead of them and the five photographers in our group would plop into the water; the bait would swim over and use us as cover. The best time - season to fish Magdalena Bay it's from early June to late December. Have you ever noticed that fantastic fishing spots are nearly impossible to get to? Looking for someone to split boat 1st November. We offer all inclusive trips so you have nothing to worry about except enjoying your vacation. 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. Approx. We work closely with a group of local panga drivers who know these waters like the back of their hands. Korchinski had been toying with the idea of running up to the Finger Bank, some 60 nautical miles north of Cabo. Search top fishing charters in Magdalena Bay. The boat is top class, also used for deep-sea fishing, well equipped, and seaworthy. About. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 4 nights of lodging in Costa Baja Resort. Baha Magdalena is a protected bay on the Pacific coast in Baja Sur. Reels spin loudly to the tune of unknown breakoffs and the occasional Spanish Mackerel. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Filter results by: Price per Day. 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. The diving is great! It is a long run from the launches out of the bay. Ricardo Villegas shows us the rocky point on the north side of the boca (Spanish for mouth of the bay). Taxes. 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. Adults: $261.00 $235.00. If you go online searching for flyfishing or outfitting in Mag Bay, youll find some operations. The other deal is bookable online and is still available when we check. So we hop out of the panga and begin casting a variety of sinking lines and Clousers into colliding currents. You have contacted us immediately after booking with all the details of the other deal Prices subject to change without notice. The extraordinary display of so many striped marlin crisscrossing and on the hunt for prey was mesmerizing. his Lodge was built nearly 30 years ago by some well respected Americans with a vision for fishing in Mag Bay that was far ahead of the time. The Fishery: There are three separate fisheries accessible from the small Pueblo of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. There is only one hotel for Magdalena Bay. Next season there will be a fleet of 25-35 Boston Whalers and perfect American built accommodations available in MagBay. Its not an easy task to release a 60 lbs wahoofrom a popper on a spinning rod. Mag Bay also has some of the finest lodges, yacht charters, and tourism infrastructure in the country. Day 1 - The tour departs at 6am from our office in the Cabo San Lucas Marina. The inside protected mangrove channels provide critical nursery habitat for a wide variety of species including: snook, corvine, bonefish, spotted bass, pargo, snappers, golden trevalle, broomtail grouper, sierra, Cortez halibut, leather jacks, as well as roosterfish. 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. But really, 200-plus-pound fish on 40-pound braid? :). Private TOUR. I even caught one on a Penn Senator 113. You may be in the surf one day, taking waves to the chest, and the next morning you could be pulling hard on a 14-weight. Guided Panga, includes fly fishing guide all fishing equipment, bait, lunch and water. It is a place for fly anglers not in search of banner day after banner day, but in search of unique, memorable events. Mag Bay will give up nothing easy, but for anglers willing to put in the time, money, and casts, the payoffs can be fantastic. . There also were two small center-console outboard boats fishing in our vicinity. But Im a little scared right now. "Get in! I was traveling with retired Marine Col. Hunter Ledbetter who had a friend named Jim Korchinski who owned a charter boat in Cabo. 3 Days Fishing Pro Cat 36 5 Nights Lodge, 3 Days Fishing Cape Horn 28 5 Nights Lodge. Each morning, we would meet the guide and run across the bay in the panga, where we then met a boat trailer ferry to take us over land and across the peninsula to the Pacific, which saved us hours of running time. At Cabo San Lucas, the phenomenal billfish bite remains the highlight. Offshore Fishing. These videos do not represent "great fishing trips" but rather just the everyday sport fishing here in Mag Bay. Your email address will not be published. But there really is no spot in the area for a base for a sport fishing operation. We woke up to a ham-and-egg breakfast and to find that the crew had already caught a healthy supply of live bait. 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. No one plans on hopping into town for supplies or entertainment, because it just doesnt exist. B ottom and/or Deep Sea Fishing depending on the season and target species.. I grabbed it, pushed off from the panga and pedaled hard as I free-spooled away from my lively 7-inch mackerel. He knows fishing and is always ready. The appreciation for Mag Bay comes from the secrets she keeps. Fishing in Mag Bay. ADIOS LA PAZ CARNAVALE 2018! Please call for a quote. 8:00 AM - Meet at Sea and Land Office. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 (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. The fish push the bait to the surface, then attack it from below. Depending on seas, etc its a little tricky to sport fish from a panga in those areas getting out in time and back. For fly fishing we have a custom panga package. Silver Lining Kings. . Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was mostly clear in the mid-90s, with water temperatures at 78 to 84 degrees. It's normal for the whales to surround the boat, play around, and look you in the eye. Its easy to understand that the more remote a location is, the less fishing pressure it receives. 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. From Cabo, its an 18-hour trip at a fuel-saving 9 knots. Professional naturalist and bi-lingual guides. His captain was Juan Jose Abaroa Flores, who ran the Mucho Loco for the Rolling Stones for many years back in the 1980s. It is protected by two islands - Isla Magdalena to the north and, Isla Santa Margarita to the south. 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. Bob Hoyt Mag Bay Outfitters He is on here as well. Swimming with the fishes in Baja By John Huber Photos by Nick Price. This is not a gentle bonefish lodge or an idyllic river with mountain backdrops. Full services of our Adventure Consultants. he history of this Lodge as a core spot for Magdalena Bay fishing is deep rooted in the recent history of the town of San Carlos. If you just want grouper, yellowtail and those type fish then pangas are no problem. All camping equipment. $1000 for a Cape Horn 27 and $1,750 for a Pro Cat 37. : $950. If there are five marlin attacking the bait, there are 20 or more slowly swimming beneath it. I take a deep breath, pull my mask down over my face, and slip over the side of the panga. 888.752.2828; FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING OVER $50; More. MAGDALENA BAY, Mexico Just off the bow of our 22-foot open boat what Baja fishermen call a "panga" a whale spout erupts with an adrenalin-spiking "fwooosh." Saltwater charters usually begin toward the end of October and run through January. . Magdalena Bay , 2/8/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird. Seattle Times travel & outdoors editor. Magdalena Bay Whales - Your Adventure Our Passion . The waters are teeming with fascinating marine life, and the Baja peninsula is primarily known as a fishing paradise. Cruiser rates vary. Small day pack or hip pack with any personal items. 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. All rights reserved. Gathering my thoughts and my breath, I start to move, swimming toward a grey shadow. MagBay lodge offers pickups, taxis from loreto, or car rentals are all options. This is the tour you came so far for ! Juan was fantastic and really went above and beyond to make sure our time there was special and unique. But its a short season, and for many locals, the whale-watching jobs end far too soon. 27' SPORT PANGA . Doing battle with a striped marlin from a kayak typically results in a sleigh ride. These are but a few samples available. Are Wahoo in the bay too? The ridge consist of a long range of mountains with many peaks coming up to 100 ft or so. He runs adventure trips all over the world to photograph everything from sharks to orcas to anacondas. There were marlin everywhere, not just on the bait balls. The fear is gone in an instant. Answer 1 of 4: Hi all, I'm going to try and keep up with an on-the-go TR for our 9 night journey through Baja Sur; helps to keep the details fresh and gives me something useful to do when I wake up before the crack of dawn. Part of the issue with Mag Bay and cheap Pangas is that the Wahoo are about 40 miles offshore generally and in the pacific. The bay itself is as vast as it can get and has a feeling of wilderness. We watch a reel getting emptied and watch the fish leap, flip, and dive. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Whale watching sessions by Panga. 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. The shoreline is home to hundreds of mangrove-lined channels and is a sight to behold. The fishing they have done over the past 30 years is enough to amaze any fishermen with days on the water around hidden tuna pens that are unimaginable fishing. But I wait. Flies are cast in the general direction of these rocks while the outgoing tide makes a massive rip a half-mile wide. However, I could see Shafers point: Too much chasing was going to have an effect on the fish. When we arrived, there were several other boats on the horizon and it wasnt hard to figure out where the fish were. At one point there were almost 20 marlin around and below me, casually swimming along. Everything worked out really well, and I wanted to let everyone know how much we appreciated it. What was the point? he said. Smith told me they were at the Finger one day when there were marlin tails everywhere and everything imaginable was crashing a bait ball the size of an Olympic swimming pool: birds, dolphins, whales, marlin, mahi. We anchored in Man Of War Cove. CABO PANGA FISHING--This tasty wahoo-dorado combo came aboard the Cabo San Lucas charter panga Cheer's for anglers Renee Shattuck and Miguel Hernandez, on a day that also produced 11 more dorado and a sailfish with Capt. The result is a living, moving ball of fish, with marlin and often sea lions in pursuit. Additional non-fishing guests may also be added to your room. Striped marlin gorge on bait balls off far-flung Magdalena Bay, creating unparalleled action and record catch numbers. . This trip was a trip of a lifetime. The Fishery: There are three separate fisheries accessible from the small Pueblo of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. If you have always wanted to fishing in Mag Bay, there is no better option. We had a day or two to spare, so Korchinski offered to take us out on his 43-foot Riviera, Blue Sky. Custom Fly Fishing Panga Package 7 days: $2950/person At The New Island Home, Includes air port transfers, lodging, and meals. I wanted to take the time to give you some really good feedback on our trip with your team this year! 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. Seen here is Marc Mills with a nice yellowtail. Smith has released more than 5,000 billfish on fly in his career. View map . The sight of multiple tall dorsal fins cutting through bait schools is enough to get any anglers heart racing. 10%. Custom Fly Fishing Panga Package 7 days: $2950/person At The New Island Home. Mostly they are out on the Ridge. You know fishing is good when it has come to strictly catch and release on wahoo and even tuna. Its a place for the most curious and adventurous people to be at. These boats have to be self-sufficient and will spend their evenings anchored down at one of the three acceptable anchorages. Striped marlin are not easy to tease to the boat to begin with, and the ones at the bank seem to be well-fed and a bit more jitteryprobably because of the number of boats that chase them around. Boat Specs - Success Sport Fishing | Fishing, Spearfishing, and Surfing Trips . The area erupts with outstanding action in 2019. Our next trip: October 20-25, 2022. Our contact during the booking process was Marco: he was flexible with our requests about . Crispin Mendoza is the living legend of San Carlos, a small town near the bay. Bluewater in front of the bay holds striped marlin shredding bait and the occasional leader with their bills. In the afternoons we still found the bait balls, but they were smaller and probably tired. The interconnected bays include Bahia Magdalena, Bahia Almeja and a series of smaller bays ending at Santa Domingo to the north. 4 People Minimum, 2 pangas (2 per panga) 7 nights 5 days fishing; 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. You can drive all the way to Mag Bay. 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. Our Packages are based on 2 Anglers, notice that this is a suggestion you can add Anglers, days or combine it with other locations. 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. 3 Full Days of Fishing. 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.. He says there are still cannon balls stuck in the rocks. The fishing in Mag Bay is diverse and plentiful. www.tailhunter.com Mexico Office: Tailhunter Sportfishing. The best boats in the area equipped with 4 . Once at the grounds, the kayaks slide easily off the pangas low sides. The experience is both fascinating and intriguing. We plan to send out a few more exploratory trips and may start running panga fishing there before the season is over. 10:30-12:30 PM Tour. 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. That's our story! The frenzy attracts frigate birds that swoop in from above. Even with the detailed maps, finding the entrance to the channel he described was difficult. Required fields are marked *. The bite for three hours was as hot as it gets for three anglers fishing a seamount 75 miles off Costa Rica. Mag Bay Lodge is one of the few operations in the area that caters to anglers. In the smaller boat, we could run ahead of the bait/bird/marlin frenzy and hop into the water. Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. Many are also reminiscent of North America. For more details on trip rules, cancellation and travel insurance visit our, Roundtrip professional ground transfers from and to the Loreto airport. Baha Magdalena is a protected bay on the Pacific coast in Baja Sur. Or, at least those lucky enough to find us and have the opportunity to enjoy Magdalena Bay fishing and all the beauty it has to offer. Locally family owned and operated, "Proudly creating life-long memories" for more than 23,000 people in the past 40+ yrs. Late September the water warmed up. Their main reason for heading south is to mate and give birth in the protected shallow lagoons in Baja. According tolocals, the rocks here once stood taller, before the Americans used them for target practice in the spring of 1908. 4-day fishing adventure in Quepos Costa Rica. It took me about two minutes to sign up for the expeditionfinally, I was going to Mag Bay. Marlin take turns tearing into a ball of bait the size of an SUV. For more information about the optimal seasons to visit Baha Magdalena, as well as the sport fishing options available and other more specific details, click on the link below. Magdalena Bay is a large (1,200 km) and highly productive coastal bay located between 2415' N and 2520' N, and 11130' W, and 11215' W in B. C. S. (Fig. The best out of 7 charter fishing deals in Magdalena Bay - enter dates to check availability . Dinners are not included as there are now more options to eat in town. Other times, there was a guy on the bow with a spinning rod, throwing some kind of lurehe also was hooking up regularly. Marco proudly operates Magdalena Bay Whales, but he may be in need of a name-change soon, as it seems flyfishing might play a more major role in his business. All transportation while on tour. Smith designed the boat specifically for long-range trips: 2,300 gallons of fuel, two generators, two watermakers, and backups for pretty much everything. ENSENADA YELLOWTAIL GURU--Panga fishing at Ensenada with Vonny's Fleet includes a traditional Baja beach launch at the southeast corner of the bay for quick access to the prime fishing grounds at the tip of Punta Banda . Larocque, the owner, uses 26-foot pangas as mother ships to transport kayaks, anglers and gear within and outside the bay. A lively circle-hooked tinker mackerel is the perfect snack for a hungry striped marlin. Over summer 2021, weve caught a whole lot of, Well, we have delayed our Mag Bay fishing reports once again, and for that we apologize. Mangroves and sand dunes ring the inner bays and are the hunting grounds of predatory fish, including big snook, grouper, and, apparently, golden trevally. The plan was to run up beyond the feeding marlin and cast a live bait into the fray. : $675. . Possibly reel in until you give up for the day. There are more fly anglers willing to travel now than ever before. There must be 50 to 100 marlin all around me! Daiwas Marc Mills was unable to follow that advice, as he was also hooked up. Other than whale-watching, sportfishing is what sets Mag Bay apart. Looking for info on Lodgings and Panga rentals in Mag Bay for a few days in September. There were five of us on the trip and we had five days to chase bait balls. Baja is well known as a great place to whale watch. Discover the amazing variety of fish Mag Bay has to offer! Nick Smith has been fishing Mag Bay for years. The Drake Magazine. The two "foundations" of Loreto's sport fishing are the "dorado" and the "yellow tail" (Seriola lalandi dorsalis). The bait fish congregate as do the predators that hunt them. 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. That creates truly special opportunities to experience packs of striped marlin in every direction and boiling at the surface, especially from a kayak. Casting anything you want all day long and hooking wahoo, giant tuna, dorado, marlin one after another on every cast. 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. So, here we will try to, Fishing Report MagBay Oct 13 2020 So far this season has been a little unusual. The dorado . In other circumstances, I might have thought it was a good time to return to the panga, but I was having such a blast and had gotten so used to climbing up the swells and skating back down that I hardly gave the conditions a second thought. Copyright 2017 - bajaflyfish.com - All Rights Reserved. All National Parks & Biosphere Reserve access fees required by itinerary. Fly anglers heading a few miles in any direction can find all sorts of species slicing through baits big and small. During the calving season, the gray whales migrate to the Baja waters, and so do humans. For a fly angler, there is great appeal in the unknown. Puerto Vallarta, or simply "PV" is the epitome of Mexico's sportfishing scene. Ramon . Promnitz said later he might have been close enough to cast a jig to them. Huge fish boils are still the norm here, providing the fly fisher the opportunity to cast a fly in the churning waters with equal chance of catching dorado, tuna, wahoo or billfish. 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. Hundreds of miles of Mangroves Inshore for countless species