Just returned from Santo Tomas. Fishing from shore was great. I fished mostly sandy beaches so I only lost 1 lure in 4 days of fishing. Caught 15 keepers, released about 10 undersized ones, and had another 20 spit the hook. I had a ton of bites. I caught all corvina and leatherjack except for 1 sierra. Was really hoping to catch some triggers but no luck there even though I saw at least a dozen washed up on the beach.
Thanks for the advice! I used a silver spoon and a small minnow on light tackle. It was fun using a 6' rod with 8 lb. line. It was sufficient for the type of fiah there. I also used a hi-lo rig, but I suspect the abundant crabs in the area were chopping off all my worm tails and entire hooks. Didn't catch a single fish with the hi-lo rig.
Also caught a bunch of crabs at low tide. That was entertaining and the crabs were sweet and there was plenty of meat in them. Not the same as the dungies I'm used to in northern California but about the same as the blue crabs I buy at the fish market.
Next time, I will have to figure out a way to do some inshore fishing on a boat or kayak for triggers.
Net time you are down you can borrow my old red yak...works good
Thanks. I tried using a regular kayak but it was frustrating to say the least. One outfitted for fishing would work best. I saw some locals making ceviche with triggers and they said it was great.
A lot of what was nipping you off probably were triggers. I used to throw rubber Cocahoe minnow a lot in the surf. The triggers would shred 'em in no time. Because triggers have a very hard, almost beak like mouth, they are very hard to hook from shore. Easier when fishing in a boat straight up and down; a good swift jerk when they strike will often hook them in the lip skin over that beaky mouth. Have also hooked 'em in the fins, the skin, the tail, all over the place.
They are very good eating if you get some decent size ones. The fish you want for the BEST ceviche in Mexico is the sierra. I've done ceviche with corvina and trigger before, but the sierra is truly the bomb!
A lot of what was nipping you off probably were triggers. I used to throw rubber Cocahoe minnow a lot in the surf. The triggers would shred 'em in no time. Because triggers have a very hard, almost beak like mouth, they are very hard to hook from shore. Easier when fishing in a boat straight up and down; a good swift jerk when they strike will often hook them in the lip skin over that beaky mouth. Have also hooked 'em in the fins, the skin, the tail, all over the place.
They are very good eating if you get some decent size ones. The fish you want for the BEST ceviche in Mexico is the sierra. I've done ceviche with corvina and trigger before, but the sierra is truly the bomb!
Hmmm. I didn't realize triggers were caught in the surf. Next time, I will bring a wire leader to bait fish.
I don't even like ceviche unless it is with sierra! What is sierra in English?
It's a mackerel. Melissa.... They are mostly small here in RP, I have hooked lots of them lately off the beach at Mirador .. Further out, we trolled a little while for them out at Konsag and all were over 30" inches...super tender mouths if you try pulling them in to fast, you will probably rip the mouth off..https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=sierra mackerel&rlz=1CASMAE_enUS595US595&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&imgil=bQSxcrf2_KOWIM%3A%3BJ6GbYU3ZxOk08M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.flyfishinginsidernewsletter.com%252F121105%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=bQSxcrf2_KOWIM%3A%2CJ6GbYU3ZxOk08M%2C_&usg=__hmM7D3vrE-PTwW6IearH-MvbbZs=&ved=0CCoQyjdqFQoTCNfxsNi8jscCFQ0Hkgod-lEJ_A&ei=6C_AVdfdOY2OyAT6o6XgDw#imgrc=U00QqvHljxg8GM:&usg=__hmM7D3vrE-PTwW6IearH-MvbbZs=
I have suggested to the folks fishing in the rocks to use a float above there luer. Leader can be any length you want so why not try jigging in the sandy areas!
Tight line to the float and a quick jerk should make the luer bounce the same as in a boat.
Have never don the shore jig but it seems it may work.
A few questions about Puerto Lobos?
Any RV facilities, stores, gas stations with diesel, food places ? How is launching ? I have a 3/4 ton 4 wheel diesel not dual.
Any comments appreciated . We plan on being in RP for the winter and I am thinking on taking the jet ski down for a couple of days if there is a place to stay.
Puerto Lobos is little more than a fishing village comprised of cement block houses and three little stores that offer only the basics. Ice, beer, cigarettes, snacks and a few grocery items. Buy your food in Rocky Point and take it with you. There are no RV facilities of any kind that I'm aware of, so don't expect a dump station or anything else. Treat a trip to Lobos like a back country excursion because that's what it is.
There are no gas stations in Lobos, or anywhere else between there and Rocky Point. Locals buy their gas in Caborca or Ygriega nearly 70 miles away.
There are no restaurants. I believe there are a couple in Puerto Libertad 30 minutes away, but I've never been there and can't vouch for them.
I understand there's a hotel of sorts in Desemboque, but I don't recommend stopping there for any reason. There's also a new hotel in Lobos, but at this point I wouldn't recommend it either.
Launching generally consists of towing your boat out onto wet sand at low tide and waiting for the high tide to float it. Unless your truck is 4wd, this can be risky. A few months ago two fairly new trucks got stuck and ended up completely underwater as there was no one around to help tow them out in time.
On the plus side, the road from Rocky Point is in good condition and getting shoulders added where there haven't been any. Also, fishing is pretty good. Fishing is the sole economic base for the community. Some of the local inhabitants are permanent, others are itinerant fisherman who stay temporarily and then move on to other fishing areas. They harvest fish, clams, squid and so on for sale to fish brokers who send refrigerator trucks from Caborca. It's a glimpse into a world that's very different from ours. But if you don't fish, I can't think of any reason to stay overnight there. I enjoy the place, but I wouldn't go there if I didn't fish. If all you want to do is jet ski, you should probably just stay in Rocky Point. The nearest night life is in Desemboque, and like I said, I don't recommend going there nowadays.
The Narcos have been killing each other near Y Griega again since August 28""""maybe up to 7 dead including my personal favorite Son of Sanaloa.We heard from a guy in Desemboque that the Narcos beat the shit out of the cops and they left town.He said it has turned out great as crime has ceased to exist.."
Still don't drive at night and all is well.The Puerto Libertad restaurants are ok...nothing special....you could rent the hose next to me in Santo tomas for maybes 500 a week and haul the Jet down to beach on atv....
I fish off my jet ski. How far out to good fishing and will there be other boats if I get in trouble. I generally go out no more than 5 miles.
This year I am adding an electric motor as a back up. I am adding a larger battery in the front and will connect it to the start battery with an isolator to protect my starting battery.
How about Santo Tomas ?
Any gas, places to eat, RV places to park, power water etc ?
How is launching for my jet ski so I can fish. And most of all how is the fishing within 3 miles of shore ? When I go out will there be other boats in case I get in trouble ?
How about cell service with Mex. teles ?
you can fish within 100 yards and catch some nice fish if you know where and when. I fish with a car topper quite a bit with a 10 horse outboard. I also go in larger boats,depends on who is around ,Leigh
Lobos fishing kills Santo Tomas fishing without a guide.You could hire Scott at Santo Tomas for a full day using your gear for 200 bucks a day...rocks everywhere at Lobos so you would do way better on your own......there is a nice 100 dollar a night 2 br. rental across from the big garage just down from Mason's house
Wood Spinner said:
How about Santo Tomas ?
Any gas, places to eat, RV places to park, power water etc ?
How is launching for my jet ski so I can fish. And most of all how is the fishing within 3 miles of shore ? When I go out will there be other boats in case I get in trouble ?
How about cell service with Mex. teles ?
Just got back from four days at Lobos and have the following developments to report. This was my 7th trip in the last year and a half.
Since my last trip in mid-June, the town now has an automated drinking water dispenser. Bring your own container and some peso coins. I spent four pesos (65 cents) to buy two gallons. Only problem is the machine is fussy about taking coins and there's no one around if you have a problem.
Cell service in Lobos has also made a big step forward. Guy I went down with bought a Mexico plan from Verizon and had no trouble making and receiving calls. Another guy there has T-Mobile, and he was also able to call. They don't get all the services on their I-Phones that we get here in the states, but at least they can call and text.
I heard there is usually diesel fuel in Libertad.
There are no RV parks, but you could probably find somebody who'd let you park your RV on their property. You'd just need to be self-sufficient with a gas-powered generator and your own water. There's a guy named Arturo who sells water you could use for showers, washing dishes, flushing toilets and so on. Any local can hook you up with him.
You can find good fishing very close to shore in Lobos, especially if you troll.
I can't imagine fishing off a jet ski. What happens if you hook a really big fish? I once hooked a nine foot shark on a piece of squid. Saturday I was reeling in a Sierra mackerel when a sea lion came out of nowhere and gobbled both the mackerel and the lure. I was glad to be in a boat on both occasions.
As for other boats in the area in case you get in trouble, there are usually several within a mile or two of shore. Most are Mexicans making a living. Farther out they're scarcer. Your best bet is to have a radio, know how to use it there and speak Spanish. And you have to hope someone has the time and inclination to come get you. Rescue arrangements around Lobos should soon improve as the place is getting a harbor master who will have some responsibilities for rescues.
This last trip there were fewer people than I've ever seen there before. No doubt the humidity this time of year discourages many anglers, but the migrant fishermen were also absent. Story I heard was that they weren't catching many fish there and just went elsewhere. There weren't many boats on the water either.
Fishing was disappointing this time. Maybe 10 small groupers, mostly sardineros, ranging from 2 to 12 lbs. Between Thursday evening and Sunday morning, I'd estimate we spent 12 to 14 hours fishing, most of it trolling diving lures just above rocky reefs. That also brought us several rock bass in the one-and-a-half to two pound range, which is larger than what we usually get bottom fishing with bait. Trolling higher in the water column yielded Sierra mackeral and triggers. Bottom fishing was a huge bust this time, possibly due to the tides under a new moon. Saturday afternoon we went out about two miles hoping for pintos and calicos but got blown around a bit and came up with nothing but big triggers. Scuttled that plan and went back in to a within a mile of shore and caught 3 or 4 groupers trolling.
Sunday morning we fished about an hour and a half caught only two rock bass and a 2-lb sardinero. Quitla, a local guy who functions as our guide whenever he goes out with us, noted an unusually high density of bait fish and wondered if our lures simply had too much to compete with. But that could bode well for the future.
Two huge sea turtles (or maybe the same one twice), a finback whale, some sea lions and the usual gangs of dolphins came by to further enrich the experience, although one of the sea lions did cost us a $13 lure.
Our craft, by the way, is a 21-foot panga that was re-conditioned with a couple of the ribs getting cut out in the center to allow walking up and down the boat. It's pushed by a 30 HP Yamaha that doesn't go real fast but is very fuel efficient. That allows us to troll as much as we want without having to haul a ton of gas to Lobos.
It was a disappointing catch for Lobos. But it would have been a fine catch within two miles of Rocky Point.
yep ya never know about fishing. I love Lobos when it isn"t to busy. This is a rough time of year to fish. I think the fish even go out to cooler water ,Ha Ha. Am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I know Quitla pretty well. I met him probably 20 something years ago when he couldn't figure out how to light his rv fridge. He makes the best Scallops in the shell and clams that I have ever tasted. We need to meet up sometime down there. What are you doing thanksgiving,Leigh
I'll let you know next time I'm going. Thanksgiving I'll be with my family slicing turkey, and immediately thereafter I have a deer hunt. First half of October is already full, but late October and early November are possibilities. I've fished Lobos once in October and it was fine, but November - February is uncharted territory for me. Is fishing any good in the winter months?
Sardis are there as well as dog snapper. Sometimes sea trout. slows way down after thanksgiving. winds out of the north are cold and can blow 4 days straight. Just never know. I usually don't go down much after thanksgiving. But hey ,you never know with the el nino. Leigh
Wood Spinner, I assume you're asking about Santo Tomas. I think I covered Lobos pretty well. I'll let Jerry handle Santo Tomas since he has a house there and visits often, and I've only been to Santo Tomas once back in 2012.
As I ask , Hows about facilities. food, gas store RV spaces or a motel ?
Half ass gas,good to fair groceries in Ejido 6 miles inland from ST (plus fish camp 1 mile south and guards sell produce in season...olives,oranges,asparigus,melons,mangos etc,,,) , Rent a house as low as 70 a night on a week basis...a couple restaurants in Desemboque...Y Griga has some good road side grills,..
The man from Sinaloa that ordered the ak47s to fire at my friend's son in laws 4Runner was assassinated 3 weeks or so ago in Y Griega-Lobos area...He was working both sides in the gang war.......drive in the daylight boys!
