Does Bahia de Los Angeles suck huevos?

[Transporter]

I just spent the last week and a half in Baja and spent two days in LA Bay on the way back up. I dove at least 6 hours each day at a bunch of "hot" yellowtail spots per the fishing charts and some other likely YT hangouts. I ended up shooting several embarrasingly small yellows and a bunch of cabrilla and other reef fish (woopty f'n doo). Most of these fish were between 20-40' deep and it didn't seem to get any better down at the 60' level. All my baby YT were on the surface. I didn't see any grouper or YT down on the bottom in the cooler water.

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever shot a YT over 10 lbs around here? I've fished/dove here 5 days total now and have never caught or shot a YT over 10 lbs. Apparently there are bigger fish around here but they are all down at 100'+ deep where only the h&l guys can get them. I'm kind of ready to give up on this place as a dive spot at this point.

[campbellc0321]

If you didn't make it sound so shitty, I would think that would have been a good time. Maybe you just shoot giant fish all the time, but not me. Any luck south of la bay?

[spearthebigones]

Last time I was in Baja I shot a surf perch and was stoked just to be down there. You shoot a bunch of cabrilla and you're pissed!? Sounds like someone's a little spoiled.

[sucinimad]

Hi there. What was the water temp on top and bottom? It could be a tad too warm for YT's. Did you dive around the local islands, or further out?

Man, some cabrillas sounds great right about now...

[phil herranen]

spring and late fall for yt in cortez. summer is yt time on the pacific side
phil

[Chris Oak]

I've never speared there but I've caught yellows in the 40 plus pound range on hook and line, I couldn't tell you where because I don't know the area that well.

[Transporter]

I shot this little grouper down in Mag bay.
Just joking, unfortunately I caught it on hook and line. The vis was only about 10' and they were all down 40-50'. I didn't have any dive buddies with me so I didn't feel like pulling 100+ lb grouper out of their holes by myself. Apparently there is an easier way to kill grouper though. You sit in your boat and drink beer while you troll a couple of lures on heavy tackle. When a fish bites you hit the throttle and drag it away from the rocks and then winch it in. I love it when hook and line guys tell me how "easy" spearfishing is.

All the credit for this fish goes out to Captain Ruben Duran in Lopez Mateos. He is the man if you want to get fish out of Mag Bay.

Originally Posted by campbellc0321

If you didn't make it sound so shitty, I would think that would have been a good time. Maybe you just shoot giant fish all the time, but not me. Any luck south of la bay?

[Transporter]

From what I've read they are two separate groups. The Cortez group migrates to the midriff in the summer and goes to the La Paz area in the winter. The ones on the Pacific come up to CA to visit us in the summer and go to Southern Baja in the winter.
Unfortunately the surface temps in the midriff area are in the low 70s right now so they're probably all staying deeper. My dive watch seems to be lost at the Immersion factory right now so I don't know what the temp was down deeper but it seemed to be mid to high 60's (I needed my wetsuit top).

Originally Posted by phil herranen

spring and late fall for yt in cortez. summer is yt time on the pacific side
phil

[John Hughes]

Originally Posted by phil herranen

spring and late fall for yt in cortez. summer is yt time on the pacific side
phil

What he said.

Firecracker yt all over cortez this time of year. The bigger fish are on the other side right now.

Cabrilla is some of the best hunting and eating fish down there IMO though, I'd be stoked with a cooler full of those. I always give my yt away and just load up on the reef fish.

Thanks for the report though, I'm leaving in about 15 minutes for that area, so the current report helps. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[ralphthehalibut]

Bay of LA .

Don't ever, ever, ever, ever go there again.

[Ethan kills]

I would dive in Mexico, but I don't like mexicans.

[Nick Longoria]

just another thought to your not so great trip. many people who live and make a living in mexico believe that if they take you to all there best grouper holes that they will no longer be there. some of this belief holds truth for those who abuse these areas but in most cases not so much. perhaps that was the reason you didnt see any, they just didnt put you on their "secret spots." Try march and april next time, very hot time for big jellos.

[C monster]

Yeah, a bunch of grouper-- Poor you. You can shoot yellows here, cabrilla are a Baja only fish for us. You'd think someone would be stoked purple if they shot some.

My 2

SC

[Mike Morgan]

Wrong time of the year, wrong temps, wrong target species, wrong place to be, wrong pangueros, wrong side of the peninsula. Now what kind of gun where you using? Just kidding. If you wanted YT - you should have researched what temps/time of year for them? Same with Grouper etc.

Baja is amazing, but its not a spearfishing aquarium where you pull up and fish are swimming into your shaft. There's good times and bad times to be there. Fish can move in and out according to weather and many other factors. Lots of variables just like back here at home. RESEARCH - Just think only a few hours away on the pacific side could have been all time. Be mobile and have a back up plan. You were already all the way down there too...

[MiguelT]

I'd give my left nut just to see a cabrilla while diving in some warm water right now...