Magdalena Bay is THE place to land a marlin on fly. This incredible fishery turns on in late October and runs through to January. During this time bait balls begin to form in the Pacific outside of Mag Bay. The Pacific comes to life; whales, marlin, sea lions, Dorado, tuna and a variety of mammals, fish and bird come to forage on the feast.
The fly fishing is fast and furious. Crashing birds signal the feeding frenzy sending boats racing to get in on the action. Anglers have the unique opportunity to site cast to feeding marlin as they attack schools of sardines and mackerel.
This is not a fishery for the light hearted or novice. Anglers must be able to cast large flies quickly on 12-14wt rods, and have the tenacity to land 100-200 lb. marlin on 80lb test.
Please contact us at flyfishmex@gmail.com if you are interested in booking a trip to Mag Bay.
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Fly Fish Mex clients frequently ask about the health of the fishery on Baja’s East Cape. Has fishing declined? Gotten better? Have the variety of species changed? Are there up years and down years? Does this resource appear sustainable?
Having fished here for over 35 years, we have come to know that the sport fish around Baja are numerous, migratory, and adaptable. Through the years, we have seen the variety of species come and go and come back again. The fishing being impacted with more bait fish, cooler (or warmer) ocean conditions, and several other variables. The one constant though, is that year in and year out, Baja is one of the best sports fishing destinations on earth.
For us, the 80s and 90s were all about monster Dorado, and a focus on offshore fishing.. Local commercial captains would place baited shark buoys ranging for miles and miles. This provided an abundance of cover for bait fish, which attracted schooling Dorado, billfish, and wahoo among other offshore species. We can remember witnessing acres of Juvenile Dorado and watching Bull Dorado over 50lbs ripping through the school of Juveniles, heads thrashing above the water, devouring their young (!). In summer months, it was not unusual to find a school of 40lb Dorado at every fifth or so buoy. Tuna were a consistent target, and we would hook a few on a fly each season. Fishing for Roosterfish and jacks, at that time, were caught messing around on the beach and not particularly targeted from the panga.
A big change came with the El Nino of ’97, when the water became especially warm, and bait fish seemed to disappear, along with the sport fish. We did manage to boat a 60lb Dorado on a fly that year, but that was the highlight. The state of ocean conditions made targeting Tuna and Billfish an inconsistent proposition. At that time, inshore, we noticed that the Roosterfish were foraging on larger bait fish such as Ladyfish, and we shifted our focus inshore, targeting the Roosters. This has since become the main attraction for fly fishers in Baja.
The next few years seemed out of balance. Water temps were fluctuating abnormally and, we believe, that this took a toll on Sardine populations. The bait and the fishing were scattered and hard to find throughout the season. A normal slow rise and fall in water temps seems to suit Sardine and other bait fish populations, possibly because of their shorter life span.
More recently, water temperatures started to even out around 2010 and through the last decade. Baitfish have become more abundant, and sport fish have returned with more consistency. Also, regulations have since changed to restrict commercial shark fishing and FADs have replaced baited shark buoys. Shark populations have again begun to grow adding balance to the fishery. The Fads continue to attract bait and larger, 40lb plus Dorado have become common.
The good news is bait stocks have replenished, and are flourishing, which has led to the thriving fishery we are seeing today. Roosterfish have become one of flyfishings premier trophy sportfish, and offshore fishing has returned with the baitfish.Mother Nature is resilient, and the last 10 years, we have seen fishing as good as it was 35 years ago, maybe even better, despite the increased pressure.
We cannot predict the future, but for our fishery things are looking up. In the decades that we have been fishing and guiding clients on Baja’s East Cape, the attention that the Mexican captains and the sport fishermen have put on conservation and catch and release practice has been impactful. This wasn’t always the case. We believe these efforts will be a part of what keeps this fishery one of the best in the world.
Please contact us at flyfishmex@gmail.com if you are interested in booking a trip to Mag Bay.
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The word is out! The roosterfish have already began to show up in the Muertos area. The Captains have even reported a couple Grande roosterfish a the Island. The water temps are fickle and warm spots have brought in some dorado while a the same time yellowtail are still lurking lower down in cooler water. Variety is indeed the spice of life.
Although fishing is the main attraction at Bahia De Los Suenos, there are many side adventures for family members who don't need to fish all the time. Contact us if you are interested in booking for the 2023 season.
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If you want to see another side of Baja, come in the fall. The fall season in Baja is marked by the change from a dry, brown desert to a butterfly-filled, lush, green landscape. At sea, the seasonal storms have subsided and a variety of species have moved into the area. September and October are great months to fish Baja. On the Sea of Cortez side, roosterfish, dorado, jacks, billfish and tuna can all be expected. The dorado and marlin are generally larger and more abundant in fall months. On the Pacific side, bait balls begin to form from Magdalena Bay to Cabo San Lucas. Marlin, dorado and a variety of pelagic species are attracted by the abundance of bait. The fishing is explosive.
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2023 is off to a great start in Baja! There are excellent bait stocks at the island. Captains have been seeing Dorado all season long, along with Yellowtail, Sierra, and Tuna during winter months. There have also been some small Roosterfish inshore. The background is set for another amazing season fishing for Roosterfish and a variety of other species throughout the Summer and Fall.
Although fishing is the main attraction at Bahia De Los Suenos, there are many side adventures for family members who don't need to fish all the time. Contact us if you are interested in booking for the 2023 season.
Be sure to subscribe to catch our most current video productions.
Our inaugural 2022 season fly fishing for Marlin in Magdalena Bay on Baja's pacific coastline has been nothing less than spectacular! It's been a mind blowing experience to approach these incredible fish as they bust bait balls at the surface. Casting to Marlin at close range and watching them crush your fly is a heart pounding experience for any angler. We hope you enjoy this short video clip and consider joining us to see what all the hype is about. We will be releasing more incredible video footage over the next couple months on our You Tube Channel so be sure to subscribe to catch our most current video productions.
Fly Fishing for Marlin was the surprise highlight of our 2021 May-July fishing season on Baja's East Cape. We were fortunate to capture some amazing footage and memories of hook-ups and epic battles. This is one of our favorite compilations of Margaret working her marlin magic.
We're still working out a few final details but we're so excited about our new Pacific Marlin program that we couldn't resist sharing a short glimpse of what we have on tap for November 2022. Stay tuned for more on this exciting fishery coming soon. In the meantime, you can view some of the heart pounding action that we witnessed during our November 2021 scouting sessions.
Before fully shifting gears to our 2022 season, we had to take a few looks back at some of the incredible moments we captured during our last season. We are grateful for the opportunity to share such special fishing adventures with our friends and guests each season. We can't wait to get back on the water! Watch this short compilation to get you through to your next fishing session on the horizon.
The lifeblood of the Sea of Cortez are the sardine schools. They swarm along the sandy beaches during the warmer months. These baitfish, along with ladyfish, mullet, and skipjack, attract the sportsfish that make Baja one of the top saltwater fly fishing destinations in the world.
