Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported continued summer-like weather for his pangas fishing the Las Arenas side of La Paz, but with some fog in the main fishing areas of Isla Cerralvo, the buoys, and the immediate area of Ensenada de los Muertos.
Tortuga Sportfishing pangas did well on pargo, wahoo, and good numbers of amberjack at 20 to 30 pounds while fishing at the island. Around the buoys, the action was scattered, but some dorado to about 30 pounds were caught.
Smaller roosterfish continued near shore, and some pangas did well on larger pargos.
Sardina bait fish were in good supply at Isla Cerralvo, and some caballito baits were also available that were used with good results on the larger snappers.

LA PAZ PARGO LISA--Hoyt Yee and Michael Hatate with a nice matched pair of mullet snapper, or pargo lisa in Spanish, caught south of La Paz during panga fishing with Tortuga Sportfishing's Capt. Hugo Lucero.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing on the Las Arenas side of La Paz reported more summer-like fishing conditions, with weather in the 90s and seasonable winds coming more from the south. "In a few days, we'll be moving to launch pangas at Punta Arena for better protection and easier launching for our clients," Hernandez said. "Yesterday, we had some bothersome wind at Ensenada de los Muertos."
Tortuga Sportfishing pangas found good fishing at both Isla Cerralvo and Punta Perico on the Baja shore. "We had good quantities of wahoo at the island," Hernandez said. "At Punta Perico there are pargo lisa and big dog snapper, or pargones, up to 50 pounds."
Tortuga Sportfishing pangas running out to the 88 bank east of Isla Cerralvo found marlin and sailfish but no dorado.

LA PAZ DOUBLE WHAMMY--Twins, Cassy, left, and Crissy Teichman are fishing at La Paz with Tortuga Sportfishing and landed this quality pargo lisa last week at 46 pounds, plus a nice mix of other snappers and some wahoo to 40 pounds. They are fishing with Tortuga's Capt. Hugo Lucero.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported warm summer-like weather and good fishing for his pangas on the Las Arenas side.
"We have big pargo lisa and big dog snappers at 2 or 3 locations at Isla Cerralvo, but they are difficult for anglers to land because they are close to the rocks," Hernandez said.
At Punta Perico on the Baja coast, Tortuga Sportfishing pangas caught a mix of sierra, snappers, cabrilla, and some jack crevalle of 30 to 40 pounds.
Sardina bait fish were in good supply at Isla Cerralvo, and good-sized ladyfish, or sabalo in Spanish, were available at Las Arenas to be used for roosterfish baits.
But, Hernandez said, the La Paz area continued to have very few vacationers present. "This season, we have very few tourists," he said. "But local anglers are taking advantage of the good fishing."

ENSENADA DE LOS MUERTOS--This big wahoo and nice dog snapper in bright spring spawn colors topped the day's mixed species catch for anglers Saul Nunez and Jesus Sanchez who fished aboard a Tortuga Sportfishing panga out of Ensenada de los Muertos south of La Paz with Capt. Rigo Lucero, left.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported good fishing weather in the 80, with days of good action for dorado offshore, and larger snappers, including large mullet snapper, broken off in the reefs.
Species caught in good inshore fishing action included cabrilla, mixed snappers, and good numbers of amberjack.
Hernandez also noted that tourists and anglers continued to be few at La Paz.

INSHORE AT LA PAZ--A variety catch along the Baja coast including this leopard grouper and red colored dog snapper was scored by Stamford, Conn., angler Eduard Singleton during panga fishing on La Paz' Las Arenas side with Tortuga Sportfishing.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported warm weather in the 90s, with calm seas around Ensenada de los Muertos and Isla Cerralvo. Anglers fishing with abundant sardina baits did well on good-sized dorado at the buoys and larger pargo lisa at Punta Perico and Isla Cerralvo."We have a lot of sardina bait available," Hernandez said. "People who have been fishing with us for years are surprised by how much bait there is throughout our fishing area."

MIXED SPECIES AT LA PAZ--Cody Rawson and his father Teddy Rawson of Fontana, Calif., fished south of La Paz on a Tortuga Sportfishing panga for a catch of mixed species including this roosterfish and very brightly colored snapper.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported offshore winds preventing his pangas from running out to the north end of Isla Cerralvo, but yellowtail and dorado caught closer to Punta Perico.Inshore fishing in sheltered waters produced dog snapper, barred pargo, sierra, cabrilla, and lots of bites from mullet snapper. Good concentrations of mullet snapper were also seen at the south end of the island.

LA PAZ REEF TOUGHIE--Sam Smith shows off a nice barred pargo, or pargo mulato in Spanish, caught at La Paz with Tortuga sportfishing. The hard-hitting reef dweller was hooked during an outing with Tortuga's Capt. Jorge Lucero that also produced a nice dog snapper and other species.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported warmer air temperatures in the 90s south of La Paz, with some wind, but with no boats prevented from fishing in good dorado action for fish to 35 pounds, plus pargo lisa, yellowtail, larger dog snapper, cabrilla, and sierra of mixed sizes near shore.
"This week, we had more boats fishing in all areas," Hernandez said, as crowds of locals came to the beaches for the approaching Easter holiday weekend.

EARLY DORADO SEASON--Showing off a nice pair of quality dorado caught in this year's early season at La Paz are Richard Hunter and Mile Betz of Newport Beach, Calif., who fished on the south side of the city aboard a Tortuga Sportfishing panga.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported generally good fishing for his charter pangas on the Las Arenas side, with some winds offshore hampering runs to Isla Cerralvo, but good action for dorado at buoys closer to the Baja shoreline. "Our anglers prefer the dorado," Hernandez said. "We're getting small squid for bait, and sardina for yellowtail, cabrilla, and pargo that we're catching around Punta Perico. We have plenty of bait."

LAS ARENAS SIDE--Dave Negrete and Kerry Smith with a real nice cabrilla caught during panga fishing with Tortuga Sportfishing on the Las Arenas side south of La Paz. They also scored on snapper and dorado with Tortuga's Capt. Nufo Green.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported sunny skies and pleasant air temperatures in the 80s, but some wind for his charter pangas fishing on La Paz' Las Arenas side.
Fishing at the north end of Isla Cerralvo continued to produce yellowtail, and the south end of the island had larger cabrilla.
Pangas working the Baja coast near Punta Perico and Las Arenas caught good numbers of sierra. Punta Perico produced good-sized pargo lisa and dog snapper.Fewer dorado were seen at the buoys.

ISLAND AMBERJACK--Capt. Martin Lucero of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz with an amberjack caught at Isla Cerralvo, as Las Arenas side pangas fished mostly along the Baja shore, but snuck out to the island during breaks in the March wind.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported steady weather in the low-80s for his pangas fishing the Las Arenas side of La Paz, with consistent action at both ends of Isla Cerralvo for good counts on yellowtail.
Punta Perico on the Baja coast near Ensenada de los Muertos produced good numbers on pargo lisa, dog snapper, sierra, cabrilla, and also good numbers of dorado at the buoys. "That's the fish that the anglers want, and dorado season is beginning," Hernandez said.
Tortuga Sportfishing pangas fished with live sardina baits, available throughout the area.

LA PAZ TROPHY YELLOWTAIL--Mario Martinez hoists a real nice yellowtail caught at La Paz along with a mixed bag of other species during panga fishing on the Las Arenas side with Capt. Rigo Lucero of Tortuga Sportfishing.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported some cloudy skies early in the week, but clear and windless weather in the 80s by midweek. "The sea is very calm," Hernandez said. "But it's also calm for tourists. Very few are arriving in La Paz, although the fishing has been very good for large pargo lisa, large dog snapper, and yellowtail to 40 pounds around Punta Sur of Isla Cerralvo."
Along the Baja shore at Punta Perico, Tortuga Sportfishing pangas caught yellowtail and pargo lisa, plus good numbers of sierra."Live bait is available close to our fishing areas, both at Isla Cerralvo and at Punta Arena, and this helps our daily fishing," Hernandez said.

WINTER LA PAZ YELLOWTAIL--Saul Nunez of La Paz fished out of Ensenada de Los Muertos on the Las Arenas side aboard a Tortuga Sportfishing panga for a nice catch of quality yellowtail with Tortuga's Capt. Rigo Lucero.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported excellent weather and sea conditions for his pangas fishing on the Las Arenas side and catches of larger mullet snapper or pargo lisa and yellowtail between 30 and 40 pounds at Punta Perico on the Baja coast and also out at the south end of Isla Cerralvo.
"We had very calm seas and the fishing got better this week," Hernandez said. "Out at the buoys off Punta Perico we even got dorado to 25 pounds. At Las Arenas, we caught sierra. We have good weather and fishing at La Paz, and we hope for the anglers to visit us now."

SUPER NICE WINTER CONDITIONS--Tortuga Sportfishing pangas fishing around Punta Perico on La Paz' south side were treated to some fantastically warm and calm mid-winter sea conditions last week as clients caught larger yellowtail and pargo to 40 pounds, plus some surprise dorado.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported warm weather to 84 degrees and days with no wind along the Baja coast on the Las Arenas side south of the city and also offshore at Isla Cerralvo.
At the north end of the island, Tortuga Sportfishing pangas found yellowtail to 40 pounds mixed with yellowfin tuna of 20 to 25 pounds.
In fishing at Punta Perico on the Baja coast, pangas scored a mix of sierra mackerel and mullet snapper, or pargo lisa in Spanish.
"We have a variety of fishing opportunities for fishermen planning to come to La Paz now," Hernandez said.

FISHING CLOSE TO HOME--Capt. Nufo Green of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz with a cabrilla and small yellowtail caught at Punta Perico, close to the panga launch spot at Ensenada de los Muertos south of the city.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing at La Paz reported some calm fishing days for his pangas on the Las Arenas side south of the city, but winter winds returning at midweek, with cool air temperatures greeting the Carnaval holiday period.
Tortuga Sportfishing charter pangas did well with good catches of yellowtail and pargo lisa, or mullet snapper in Spanish, while fishing near the Baja coast at Punta Perico. Sierra were caught at Punta Arena, and similar action was found out at Isla Cerralvo."We also saw marlin in our fishing areas this week, although we were not able to hook any," Hernandez said. "We're finding live bait easily every day, so we're able to fish as we normally do."

WINTER AT LA PAZ--Clarissa Benedicto fished on a Tortuga Sportfishing panga out of Ensenada de los Muertos south of La Paz for a good catch with husband Fred Benedicto that included this yellowtail and pargo lisa. They fished near Punta Perico with Tortuga's Capt. Rigo Lucero, left.

Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported windy, cold weather in the 60s at La Paz with few sportfishing anglers present. Tortuga charter pangas fishing in sheltered waters around Ensenada de los Muertos caught species including yellowtail, snappers, and sierra. "The wind wouldn't let us go farther out," Hernandez said. "But we got lots of yellowtail and other fish around Punta Perico at the beginning of the week. Lots of big yellowtail and pargo are at Isla Cerralvo. We're just waiting for good weather without wind. We have plenty of sardina and giant squid bait available."



WINTER BAJA FISHING--Christina and Gilles Jalbert of Canada fished in sheltered waters at La Paz during a windy week for good action on sierra and yellowtail with Tortuga Sportfishing's Capt. Jorge Lucero.