ohn Hanner of Tripui, fishing at one of La Cholla's rock piles. Sardina and squid did the number on triggers, cabrilla and some more of this year's big pinto bass.

Winter fishing in Loreto offers a pattern of clear days for a few days and then the return of windy days. The calm days kick out the yellowtail consistently for the boats with large baits. Until recently, the big eyed jacks were targeted as the big bait and worked well. The problem was that they were being netted along with sardina inside the marina.

Our most popular captain did an all-day trip on Friday. Bait catching didn't finish until 9am and the bite didn't get rolling on the yellows until 5pm..... a long day, but they came back with limits and three fish over the 30 mark.

On a Sunday trip to La Cholla, we cruised between two sleeping marlin halfway to Carmen Island. To make that a curious event was another happening the following day. On Monday we had one dive boat and a whale watching boat find big blue whales! This part of January would be the absolute first time to expect blue whales showing up in Loreto's nearby waters but marlin in the same waters?

Great time to be in Loreto.....sardina, squid and irons are working about the same. Great days are started with big baits during our yellowtail season.