So far this season or possibly, this whole year, I've been feeling that we are having a "down" year in Loreto. It can be stretched back to the end of last summer when the live bait, or lack of live bait, situation started. We were hearing the "full moon" story frequently, but that only works for a few days every month. So, please explain...."how's the fishing?" We have had some good days of springtime yellowtail and cabrilla fishing.

The summer has pumped out some decent-sized dorado, too. Nothing seemed consistent and I had been rationalizing that with so few boats in a big pond it is hard to locate the day's hot spot. This past weekend, we had the Baja Sur State Fishing Tournament Championship Fishing Finals here in Loreto. There were forty-plus boats out searching every corner, competing for prize money. It was the year's biggest event in Loreto and with the large number of boats on the water, it confirmed what kind of fishing year we were really having! Forty-plus boats would certainly tell the story! Day #1's event being a qualifier for the more grand day #2's finale. Dorado to 40 pounds and blue marlin to 218 pounds. Both days saw big dorado with day #2, the last day, being "marlin" day.

The contestants cover almost every square inch of the Loreto area from Idelelfonso to Montserrat. Bottom line: Loreto fishing is good for the boats that are in the right spot at the right time... (not a new concept). Live bait is still a little tricky. The bigger dorado are in groups and were found by a small number of boats. Many boats found the schools of smaller dorado that seemed to be found in many areas. The only "where" info I could get was from one of our most requested captains, Francisco "Cuate" Fernandez. "Cuate" brought in the #3 marlin on day two and said that the dorado action was just off the west side of Coronado Island. Many fish were in the 15-pound range with much larger ones being spotted in the same general area. Early morning and early afternoon was his recommendation for this area (the east side of the "funnel"). A sure bet for our day trips, the "funnel," and for the adventurous gambler; pick a direction and cross your fingers!

The fishing is good in Loreto