Baja Snook -Off the Beaten Path

[spring fever]

I winter in Los Barriles Mexico just 45 minutes north of the Cabo airport on the East Cape. Few Margaritas and fishing stories and before I know it we have a group of 7 who want to get some Snook!! I've never caught one but their strength is legendary. Usually Snook hang out in the mangroves so to find them we drove 5 hours north to Magdalena bay on the pacific coast. Small fishing town called Lopes Mateo-stayed at a little Mex hotel for 40cdn for 2 double beds, Got ice ,planned with our guides and then had great mex. meal lots of refreshments-tied tackle and waited for dawn. Came soon enough --very cold-cast nets for abundant sardina plus bought live shrimp for bait then headed out to the mangroves in an area with pretty fast tidal flows. 45 minute boat ride and we were there. 60 lb braid ,swivel, 21/2 oz weight,6 ft of 30/40 flouro leader and a strong short shanked 3/0 hook plus a large live shrimp/sardina. Water was murky and fast moving--about 15 to 30 ft of water-touch the bottom -up 2 cranks and wait. The fish hit hard and head for the mangroves-drags are tight because if they get to the mangroves it is all over. I couldn't believe the power of a snook on that tackle. We Landed 8 snook that day plus an assortment of Grouper, Corvina Pargo a small Hali and I got a nice Dorado on the way home. Next day was foggy-no snook to be found but managed a yellow tail and of course all the other fish. Hell of a trip-and very reasonable-might have to go again this year if we can't think of somewhere else to head.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Cool trip and great report ... less than 4-yrs and my plan is to winter on the East Cape as well. Living the Dream Spring Fever! dorado and Yellowtail are two of my faves to eat and notice you also kept the snook, how are they as table fare?

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[spring fever]

Cool trip and great report ... less than 4-yrs and my plan is to winter on the East Cape as well. Living the Dream Spring Fever! dorado and Yellowtail are two of my faves to eat and notice you also kept the snook, how are they as table fare?

Cheers!

Ukee

They are excellent!!! Just make sure you put lots of ice in the Panga's- mexican guides don't always do that and it really affects the fish quality

 

[Dogbreath]

They are excellent!!! Just make sure you put lots of ice in the Panga's- mexican guides don't always do that and it really affects the fish quality

Right-Snook (aka Robalo) can be quite Alkaline tasting if not treated right.

 

[adanac]

Fished them this summer while in Panama at the famous tropic star lodge . Was an afternoon deal after we had our fill of blue water fish. Fish them at the river mouths on lures, a riot, also caught many corvina . Old timers in Florida call them soap fish as the slime off their skin has a soapy taste .

 

[Stosh]

Good for you Spring Fever
Those are nice size Robalo. I’ve caught them in the Ameca River just north of the airport in Puerto Vallarta. Great fighting fish and very good eating. The Rooster fishing out of east cape can be verrrrry good. My first Rooster was my biggest (over 50#’s) out of a kayak close to the beach.
You gotta try it.
Nice place to winter.
Adios Amigo
Stosh

 

[Oly1]

Awesome report spring fever. Great looking fish, can’t wait to get down there and try that myself someday. What’s your favourite recipe for them?

Oly

 

[silver surfer]

Bahia de los Muertos yellow tail !

 

[Sangstercraft]

Thanks for the report! It's on my bucket list, especially the Magdelena Bay area. Did you go with a formal guide outfit or just a local fishermen?

 

[BearCove]

No place like Baja. Beauty fish there SF. I was over on that side mid November and had some great action. Tough to beat Sea of Cortez when it’s firing

 

[Aces]

I had no idea there was snook on the Pacific side.

Nice story Mike!

 

[spring fever]

Thanks for the report! It's on my bucket list, especially the Magdelena Bay area. Did you go with a formal guide outfit or just a local fishermen?

Hard really

I had no idea there was snook on the Pacific side.

Nice story Mike!

Mag bay is about as far north as they go in Baja-pretty hit and miss as we found out the second day--Nada and yet conditions ,bait all appeared to be the same.

 

[spring fever]

Thanks for the report! It's on my bucket list, especially the Magdelena Bay area. Did you go with a formal guide outfit or just a local fishermen?

They are really not formal guides because there are not enough sports fishermen going there. They'd like to be but they usually do commercial fishing, whale watching and anything else to get a living.
Not an easy place to get to unless you live down here and have a car.

 

[getbent]

Wicked... great report Mike

 

[Bod]

Sounds like a great trip Might have to try that some time. There are some big Snook in the Cabo San Lucas marina but theres no fishing aloud. Saw quite a large shark in the marina this morning.