Baja recommendations?

I almost bailed @ a spur of the moment last May I did not make it,  but I did find a serviced called " Discover baja ".com,  I think it's a 50 or 75$ service fee, but they help you with all the red tape and were very helpful in perspectives for driving times ect. You can also get discounts like 20% rancho leonaro stays ect....If anybody has feedback on this service I would like to know for I intend to use them when I do get to bail...or have to post bail ect.... .....Danglin

I checked them out. They even rent satellite phones, which could be a useful safety item in some cases:  http://www.discoverbaja.com/services/phone.html

Here's an old report from my May 2005 trip which was pretty similar to the type of trip it sounds like you want to take.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=925.0

and a video montage from the same trip



Brian

That was a cool movie.  There were a couple of others listed on the same YouTube page.

For fish ID, are there any good field guides or laminated cards that will help me identify the fish down there?

The Baja Catch book has a decent id guide for most of the game fish.  The associated website has a really good section of fish species photos [url]http://www.mexfish.com/fish/fish.htm[url] Study ahead of time, or take pictures to compare when you get back.

When I was down there I found that my Peterson guide "A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes : North America" covered most of the fish we caught.

Brian

I almost bailed @ a spur of the moment last May I did not make it,  but I did find a serviced called " Discover baja ".com,  I think it's a 50 or 75$ service fee, but they help you with all the red tape and were very helpful in perspectives for driving times ect. You can also get discounts like 20% rancho leonaro stays ect....If anybody has feedback on this service I would like to know for I intend to use them when I do get to bail...or have to post bail ect.... .....Danglin

I used DiscoverBaja.com for my insurance, boat permit, and fishing license and got some books and lures from them. Very helpful folks.

I agree with others that swell may spoil most kayak action.A great surf camp that is a ton of fun to yakfish is Salsipuedes (sp?).It's just a turnoff from the toll road about fifteen minutes north of Ensenada.When I camped there in August two years ago it only cost $7 a night to camp there in a tent.I caught halibut,lings,rocks,cabs,and both sand and calico bass.I've heard that this area also holds wsb and yellowtail at different times of year.In the winter it's an epic surf spot.

I agree with others that swell may spoil most kayak action.A great surf camp that is a ton of fun to yakfish is Salsipuedes (sp?).It's just a turnoff from the toll road about fifteen minutes north of Ensenada.When I camped there in August two years ago it only cost $7 a night to camp there in a tent.I caught halibut,lings,rocks,cabs,and both sand and calico bass.I've heard that this area also holds wsb and yellowtail at different times of year.In the winter it's an epic surf spot.

I'm in Loreto in southern Baja. Just got here today. High winds, but not much swell. I'll see if I can get out on my kayak tomorrow. If not, I can always fish off the beach on the way back north. I also might have time for a side trip to Magdalena Bay, which will be calm in the northern protected area.

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I'm in Loreto in southern Baja. Just got here today. High winds, but not much swell. I'll see if I can get out on my kayak tomorrow. If not, I can always fish off the beach on the way back north. I also might have time for a side trip to Magdalena Bay, which will be calm in the northern protected area.
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Glad to hear the swells are down.Maybe the AM winds will be calmer.I've never been that far south.Let us know how you do.

I'm in Loreto in southern Baja. [/quote]
If it's too windy to take the yak out you can fish the harbour jetty for sierra and bonito.
Further south, Puero Escondido ( hidden harbour) provides some shelter from the Northerly winds. you can fish there for cabrilla, pargo YT triggers and sierra. You can go few miles south, and camp on the beach at Juancalito, there are a few little islands and high spots less than a mile out. If you dive you'll find rock scalops on the rock (illegal to take by gringos, but tasty according to some) look for chocolates ( clams) in the sand at low tide - the're safe to eat right now. Watch for bird activity.
On your way back there is a decent fishing spot at the microowave towers on the north side of bahia conception.
If you stop by san quentin try some Almejas ( pismo clams) locals get them at low tide - if you dive you can see their syphons in the sand - dont take just eat

[quote .. chocolates ( clams) in the sand at low tide - the're safe to eat right now. Watch for bird activity.
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What I meant was watch for bird activity to locate the fish ...not the clams ;-0

You read my mind. That's actually where I went today. The view of the mountains was amazing. The Mexican government has closed the Puerto Escondido pier for fishing for some bureaucratic reason. You can still fish from the area near the boat ramp, which the government has also closed to motorboats. They put in a new one nearby which is more expensive to use. You can still put in kayaks at the old ramp, at least for now. I paddled around the point, but marked very few fish. Got no interest in rebels, crocodiles, grubs. Put on one of those realistic green fish swimbaits and trolled it through the one area where I marked fish. It got the tail bit off right away, and it was the only one I had with me. I kayaked around for a while, found a good snorkeling spot, and hung out with some kayakers from Oregon who camp there for a few months each year. When I got back to the harbor, a retired American who lives there pulled up on his quad bike with a bunch of fishing rods. He did a few casts and gave up. He said that there has been no bite for the past few days, which does happen in that area. He also said that the missing tail isn't a sign of small fish, as I suggested from my experience up north. He said it was probably a triggerfish. They bite the tail off their prey and then eat them when they stand still. The tail-less swimbait was still moving, so it looked "fishy" to the triggerfish. That's this guy's opinion, anyway. I might try a few shore casts there tomorrow on my way to Magdalena Bay, if I have time before I head back north.