Looking For Baja Yak Tips (Cerritos and Todos Santos) - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

corazondeloso · 02-15-2012, 12:35 PM

Hello Gents. Long time listener, first time caller.

Heading down to the town of Todos Santos (just north of Cabo) for most of March for a family vacay, and wife has given me green light to kayak fish 5-6 days (strategic jewelry purchase for Valentine's DaY paid off!) as the tides/wind/weather permit. Would love any tips/hints/best practices re gear, structure, species, for that area, etc. or anything else your experince might lend that will be helpful to get me on and land some free food.

Will likely be launching from Cerritos surf break in Pescadero.

Cheers-

A

Mr. Adventure · 02-15-2012, 01:48 PM

Never been, however I am overhauling my 4x4 van for some Baja loving. I dunno if I'd make it that far south but I'm interested in info too

Fiskadoro · 02-15-2012, 02:05 PM

Dude you are so lucky. I've not fished it but have a friend that lives down there parts of the year, and he says it can be epic. He's been trying to get me to move down there for years.

If your kayaking at times the surf get's big so watch out. Most of the coast there is sand with a big beach break, but just south of the Todos Santos there is a rocky point or essentually two big rocky hills right on the water. If it's rough you can still sometimes launch from the beach between the two hills. There is also a small sheltered cove kind of stuck right in the middle of the North outcropping of rock. It's kind of hard to get to, but if you can find the road in you can launch there when you can't put in anywhere else.

Since it's on the pacific side you get different fish depending on the current, but inshore it's most likely Jacks Pargo and groupers. Fish right in front of the rocky areas. I'd take some Iron like 6Xjrs or Sumos for fishing deep, and Krocidiles, megabaits, and rapalas for fishing on top. Take a bunch of sabikis and make bait if you can. Fish them like you would here for surface yellowtail but tighter to the shore with a fifty pound fluorcarbon leader on anything from twenty to thirty pound line. Go a ways off the beach and you can catch tuna, Dorado or even Marlin there, depending if they are around. If you get a skipjack cut it in to strips and slow troll them. Killer Dorado bait.

I'd also take some surf spinning gear. Sometimes you can catch roosters and other jacks and even Pargo casting lures right off the rocks or sand.

Jim

Fiskadoro · 02-15-2012, 02:21 PM

I didn't realize you were going so soon. Did some checking and Dorado are scarce and the Tuna are mostly well offshore. Inshore they have been getting Big Yellowtail and grouper on both bait and Iron deep on structure. There are also Some good sized Pargo and smaller roosters biting.

Lots of mackerel around take some sabiki's make some bait and flyline it close to the beach or drop it down deep out in front of the rocks.

Jim

dorado50 · 02-15-2012, 06:07 PM

The water temp around that area right now is around 65F and will probably get colder before warmer. Probably sierra along shoreline(wire your lures), and perhaps yt around rock piles. Remember the wind is your enemy! West wind good,eastward be careful....good

luck

Fiskadoro · 02-15-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorado50

The water temp around that area right now is around 65F...

Temps actually still a little higher. 68-72 depending on location.

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/baja-mexico-fishing-reports-discussion/396685-fishing-cabo.html

dorado50 · 02-15-2012, 07:23 PM

Didn't know he was mothershipping to the Golden Gate! Thought he was kayak fishing from beach launch! Whatever.......

RK · 02-15-2012, 07:29 PM

dave is spot on with the sierra, youll be able to get them pretty close to shore within easy kayak range for sure.
If your into surfing those points at cerritos and pedrino or whatever its called can get fun too that time of year.
we caught those sierra on fly rods and it was all day fun.

Fiskadoro · 02-15-2012, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorado50

Didn't know he was mothershipping to the Golden Gate! Thought he was kayak fishing from beach launch! Whatever.......

Golden Gate is about half way between him and Cabo, maybe twenty miles south and five or six offshore but the temp break is still North of him, between 23.50 and 23.66

Currently Todos Santos is in the same water as the bank. You'd have to go up to Cunanao or Agua Fresca to get in the colder water. Don't listen to me check the SST. Today's is kind of a anomaly but if you look at the multi day composite you can see he's still in the warmer water.

It all depends on what the current does. It may well be colder by the time he get's there.

Jim

TCS · 02-15-2012, 08:57 PM

Last time I was at Cerritos there was DOH pounding surf that was humiliating on a surfboard, not to mention a kayak. Imagine launching at Blacks when the Aleutian Juice is in the water...

Also, the flies were thick!

corazondeloso · 02-16-2012, 04:45 AM

Thanks for taking the time to hit me up with some info...it has already been pretty helpful. I also have a copy of Baja Catch laying around that I will read before I leave. You're right re the fact that Cerritos can be a bit treacherous with the surf, so I am prepared to enjoy a thermos of coffee instead of launching if thats what conditions warrant. Dry bags and leashes will be my friend, thats for sure.

Thanks, and feel free to post anything else you feel helpful (wire leader for sierra is something I wouldn't have done, as I shore fished with a buddies rig one time (for about 15 minutes) down there and he had tied a Kroc onto his main line...so maybe he didn't know either. Good stuff.

todoslarry · 02-16-2012, 06:31 AM

I can offer some tips for places to stay, eat, etc.

Call or email me to see what help you need.Better yet shoot me a PM and I'll call you.
We have several local fisherman who can take you out for the true local panga fishing trips to get you started and earn their tricks, pretty cheap too.
I can alos dial you in for places to stay and there are lots of choices.
Food is great here both local grown and wonderful taco stands and local eateries.

I've been here for 6 years am from Hawaii originally much cheaper here to live and the ocean is FANTASTIC.
You can swim with the whale sharks and catch lots of fish.

Larry

Fiskadoro · 02-16-2012, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corazondeloso

..... feel free to post anything else you feel helpful (wire leader for sierra is something I wouldn't have done, as I shore fished with a buddies rig one time (for about 15 minutes) down there and he had tied a Kroc onto his main line...so maybe he didn't know either. Good stuff.

Like I said a lot of mackerel around.

Sierra Mackerel are small toothy mackerel. They are fun to catch on light tackle and actually fair eating, but they usually don't run very big.

If your going to target them all you need is a six inch bite leader of 30lbs "steelon" Nylon coated braided wire,a and maybe 10 to 15lbs spinning gear. A decent Sierra on ten pound is just a blast, they can really haul ass.

You can buy bite leaders premade at places like Charkbait, but I make my own with a small lock snap at one end and I just splice in the other end. Spliced directly to my mainline with a Albright knot.

Here's the bad news. If you use a bite leader you will get bit less, but you will loose less gear. Less is more you want your leader to be as inconspicuous as possible.

The thing that I hate about Sierra is they will hit anything shiny. Don't use an chrome snaps or swivels in your rigging if the are around because they will hit swivels and cut you off.

Your friends no fool when fishing lures like that krock. Your far more likely to get bit without wire. I prefer Fluorocarbon leader, fifty sixty or even eighty over wire, but if they are thick and your loosing gear to cutoffs it's nice to have wire.

Personally I'd much rather target bigger fish like Roosters, Jack Crevalle, , Amberjack, Pargo, Broomtails, Leapord grouper, even yellows etc... over Sierra. Lots of options down there, it all depends what you want to fish for.

Jim

corazondeloso · 02-16-2012, 11:32 AM

good stuff, Jim. Thats exactly what I'm looking for. Like in LJ, I'll likely target bigger fish, work them hard, then start looking for taco meat as a last resort. Sounds like making bait is best if possible, then fishing structure with shiny iron/squid strip for the grouper/snapper/pargo, fly lining a squid for yellows/roosters, as well as Rapala/Yozuri maybe one deep diver (15ft) and one on top (5ft). I heard maybe even a Carolina rig off the bottom with a long leader, and depending on current, maybe even back bouncing like Ive done up in AK for Hbuts. Bro, I got fish wood right now...gonna be fun. Just hope temp, current, wind and surf cooperate.

02-15-2012, 12:35 PM	#1
corazondeloso Junior Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 10	Looking For Baja Yak Tips (Cerritos and Todos Santos) Hello Gents. Long time listener, first time caller. Heading down to the town of Todos Santos (just north of Cabo) for most of March for a family vacay, and wife has given me green light to kayak fish 5-6 days (strategic jewelry purchase for Valentine's DaY paid off!) as the tides/wind/weather permit. Would love any tips/hints/best practices re gear, structure, species, for that area, etc. or anything else your experince might lend that will be helpful to get me on and land some free food. Will likely be launching from Cerritos surf break in Pescadero. Cheers- A

02-16-2012, 04:45 AM	#11
corazondeloso Junior Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 10	Grassy Ass Thanks for taking the time to hit me up with some info...it has already been pretty helpful. I also have a copy of Baja Catch laying around that I will read before I leave. You're right re the fact that Cerritos can be a bit treacherous with the surf, so I am prepared to enjoy a thermos of coffee instead of launching if thats what conditions warrant. Dry bags and leashes will be my friend, thats for sure. Thanks, and feel free to post anything else you feel helpful (wire leader for sierra is something I wouldn't have done, as I shore fished with a buddies rig one time (for about 15 minutes) down there and he had tied a Kroc onto his main line...so maybe he didn't know either. Good stuff.

02-16-2012, 06:31 AM	#12
todoslarry Junior Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Todos Santos, BCS Mexico Posts: 1	Todos Santos I can offer some tips for places to stay, eat, etc. Call or email me to see what help you need.Better yet shoot me a PM and I'll call you. We have several local fisherman who can take you out for the true local panga fishing trips to get you started and earn their tricks, pretty cheap too. I can alos dial you in for places to stay and there are lots of choices. Food is great here both local grown and wonderful taco stands and local eateries. I've been here for 6 years am from Hawaii originally much cheaper here to live and the ocean is FANTASTIC. You can swim with the whale sharks and catch lots of fish. Larry

02-15-2012, 01:48 PM	#2
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	Never been, however I am overhauling my 4x4 van for some Baja loving. I dunno if I'd make it that far south but I'm interested in info too

02-15-2012, 02:05 PM	#3
Fiskadoro ....... Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,509	Dude you are so lucky. I've not fished it but have a friend that lives down there parts of the year, and he says it can be epic. He's been trying to get me to move down there for years. If your kayaking at times the surf get's big so watch out. Most of the coast there is sand with a big beach break, but just south of the Todos Santos there is a rocky point or essentually two big rocky hills right on the water. If it's rough you can still sometimes launch from the beach between the two hills. There is also a small sheltered cove kind of stuck right in the middle of the North outcropping of rock. It's kind of hard to get to, but if you can find the road in you can launch there when you can't put in anywhere else. Since it's on the pacific side you get different fish depending on the current, but inshore it's most likely Jacks Pargo and groupers. Fish right in front of the rocky areas. I'd take some Iron like 6Xjrs or Sumos for fishing deep, and Krocidiles, megabaits, and rapalas for fishing on top. Take a bunch of sabikis and make bait if you can. Fish them like you would here for surface yellowtail but tighter to the shore with a fifty pound fluorcarbon leader on anything from twenty to thirty pound line. Go a ways off the beach and you can catch tuna, Dorado or even Marlin there, depending if they are around. If you get a skipjack cut it in to strips and slow troll them. Killer Dorado bait. I'd also take some surf spinning gear. Sometimes you can catch roosters and other jacks and even Pargo casting lures right off the rocks or sand. Jim

02-15-2012, 02:21 PM	#4
Fiskadoro ....... Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,509	I didn't realize you were going so soon. Did some checking and Dorado are scarce and the Tuna are mostly well offshore. Inshore they have been getting Big Yellowtail and grouper on both bait and Iron deep on structure. There are also Some good sized Pargo and smaller roosters biting. Lots of mackerel around take some sabiki's make some bait and flyline it close to the beach or drop it down deep out in front of the rocks. Jim

02-15-2012, 06:07 PM	#5
dorado50 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla Shores Posts: 1,626	The water temp around that area right now is around 65F and will probably get colder before warmer. Probably sierra along shoreline(wire your lures), and perhaps yt around rock piles. Remember the wind is your enemy! West wind good,eastward be careful....good luck

02-15-2012, 07:23 PM	#7
dorado50 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla Shores Posts: 1,626	Didn't know he was mothershipping to the Golden Gate! Thought he was kayak fishing from beach launch! Whatever.......

02-15-2012, 07:29 PM	#8
RK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 736	dave is spot on with the sierra, youll be able to get them pretty close to shore within easy kayak range for sure. If your into surfing those points at cerritos and pedrino or whatever its called can get fun too that time of year. we caught those sierra on fly rods and it was all day fun.

02-15-2012, 08:57 PM	#10
TCS Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 478	Last time I was at Cerritos there was DOH pounding surf that was humiliating on a surfboard, not to mention a kayak. Imagine launching at Blacks when the Aleutian Juice is in the water... Also, the flies were thick!

02-16-2012, 11:32 AM	#14
corazondeloso Junior Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 10	good stuff, Jim. Thats exactly what I'm looking for. Like in LJ, I'll likely target bigger fish, work them hard, then start looking for taco meat as a last resort. Sounds like making bait is best if possible, then fishing structure with shiny iron/squid strip for the grouper/snapper/pargo, fly lining a squid for yellows/roosters, as well as Rapala/Yozuri maybe one deep diver (15ft) and one on top (5ft). I heard maybe even a Carolina rig off the bottom with a long leader, and depending on current, maybe even back bouncing like Ive done up in AK for Hbuts. Bro, I got fish wood right now...gonna be fun. Just hope temp, current, wind and surf cooperate.