Rocky Point Talk archive

Summer fishing

Started by mckaskie · Jul 1, 2023 · 30 replies
mckaskie
Hey guys. New to this forum & RP. I had a bit of success this spring catching corvina, leatherjack, and rock bass off the rocks in Cholla, but I'm going to be spending the summer here and was looking for some guidance on what to fish for and when/where as the summer heats up. Any advice would be appreciated!
Don Juan
mckaskie said:

Hey guys. New to this forum & RP. I had a bit of success this spring catching corvina, leatherjack, and rock bass off the rocks in Cholla, but I'm going to be spending the summer here and was looking for some guidance on what to fish for and when/where as the summer heats up. Any advice would be appreciated!

Search this group for fishing....

End of the port next to Wrecked

End of las conchas past Tessoro resort in the mouth of estuaries at slack low tide.

Try swimsuits, cut bait, and kastmasters.
mckaskie
Don Juan said:

Search this group for fishing....

End of the port next to Wrecked

End of las conchas past Tessoro resort in theng mouth of estuaries at slack low tide.

Try swimsuits, cut bait, and kastmasters.

Thanks. I've read a bunch of older posts but most of the info is from springtime. What is around in mid/late summer or is it pretty much the same year round?
Jungle Jim
Go directly south of of the Old Port about forty miles. This will put you on "blue/black" deep clear waters. Look for patches of drifting Sargasso Weed, some might be fifty feet across some only a few strands of the yellow brown marine algae. Drop diamond jigs or heavy bucktails straight down below the weed.

If you get lucky you might nail a Yellow Tail or Dorado sometimes fifty or sixty feet below the weeds.

If no luck troll feather jigs or spoonbill divers along the many current/scum/weed/trash lines. Dorado, Black Skipjacks and Makos follow these lines.

If no luck head east about forty miles to Isla San Jorge. Troll the south side of the island and the underwater ridge that extends a few miles further south. Lunker Sierras, Mexican Barracudas, Leopard Groupers and Machetes abound there. You will tire out long before the fish do.

All do-able right now......If you can take the fucking heat and humidity and have a sea-worthy boat with plenty of gasolina.
JoseAz
Jim, can you fish around Isla San Jorge? i thought there was a designated sanctuary for the sea lions and birds
mckaskie
Jungle Jim said:

Go directly south of of the Old Port about forty miles. This will put you on "blue/black" deep clear waters. Look for patches of drifting Sargasso Weed, some might be fifty feet across some only a few strands of the yellow brown marine algae. Drop diamond jigs or heavy bucktails straight down below the weed.

If you get lucky you might nail a Yellow Tail or Dorado sometimes fifty or sixty feet below the weeds.

If no luck troll feather jigs or spoonbill divers along the many current/scum/weed/trash lines. Dorado, Black Skipjacks and Makos follow these lines.

If no luck head east about forty miles to Isla San Jorge. Troll the south side of the island and the underwater ridge that extends a few miles further south. Lunker Sierras, Mexican Barracudas, Leopard Groupers and Machetes abound there. You will tire out long before the fish do.

All do-able right now......If you can take the fucking heat and humidity and have a sea-worthy boat with plenty of gasolina.



Thanks for the info Jim!
Erico
What is the spiny fish caught at puerto penasco ( AKA Rocky Point) that some people on YouTube are calling a pompano? They do not look like pacific, florida or african pompanos. The only similarity is the basic shape, which lacks the distinctive fins and head shape of what I have known to be pompanos that I have caught in Florida or Puerto Rico.
Nevermind. It is a Leatherjacket.
Last edited: Jul 28, 2023 at 3:45 PM
mckaskie
Longjaw leatherjack:
https://mexican-fish.com/longjaw-leatherjack/
Old55
Tasted good smoked
Last edited: Jul 31, 2023 at 8:16 AM
surfcaster
Erico said:

What is the spiny fish caught at puerto penasco ( AKA Rocky Point) that some people on YouTube are calling a pompano? They do not look like pacific, florida or african pompanos. The only similarity is the basic shape, which lacks the distinctive fins and head shape of what I have known to be pompanos that I have caught in Florida or Puerto Rico.
Nevermind. It is a Leatherjacket.

We call them pompano because the local fishermen use that name for them. In my picture I am holding a corvina, but feel free to call it a sea trout or anything else. I defer to local usage when I can get it from my amigos down there.
audsley
This is a dilemma for me. Should you go along with local misclassifications or keep putting proper names on species and hope it will catch on?

Tell someone from Florida they can catch pompano at Rocky Point and they'll never trust you again. I've never eaten either, but prevailing opinion is that true pompano are good eating and longjaw leatherjacks really aren't. My experience with jacks in general is that they make excellent bait but relatively poor table fare.

Same with the halibut/flounder thing. The Cortez halibut is sold as flounder on the malecon and tastes like flounder, but local fishermen call them halibut even though they don't have the dense flesh of the Alaskan halibut you buy in the store. The Cortez flounder might have been a better name for our SOC fish.

Between language differences, local species variations and just plain mistakes, it can be pretty confusing.
surfcaster
audsley said:

This is a dilemma for me. Should you go along with local misclassifications or keep putting proper names on species and hope it will catch on?

Tell someone from Florida they can catch pompano at Rocky Point and they'll never trust you again. I've never eaten either, but prevailing opinion is that true pompano are good eating and longjaw leatherjacks really aren't. My experience with jacks in general is that they make excellent bait but relatively poor table fare.

Same with the halibut/flounder thing. The Cortez halibut is sold as flounder on the malecon and tastes like flounder, but local fishermen call them halibut even though they don't have the dense flesh of the Alaskan halibut you buy in the store. The Cortez flounder might have been a better name for our SOC fish.

Between language differences, local species variations and just plain mistakes, it can be pretty confusing.

If you really want to be accurate, use the scientific designation. Nobody will know what you're talking about, but it will be accurate. As for people from Florida, I tell them there are no game fish in the Sea of Cortez. Who needs a bunch of gator heads out here? I honestly don't care what anyone calls the fish, I just like catching them. I also eat the local pompano/leatherjacks frequently. They are delicious if batter fired. I have even made ceviche out of them which was very good.
Old55
surfcaster said:

If you really want to be accurate, use the scientific designation. Nobody will know what you're talking about, but it will be accurate. As for people from Florida, I tell them there are no game fish in the Sea of Cortez. Who needs a bunch of gator heads out here? I honestly don't care what anyone calls the fish, I just like catching them. I also eat the local pompano/leatherjacks frequently. They are delicious if batter fired. I have even made ceviche out of them which was very good.

Gaterheads! I remember when Stewart dumped all those Bassboat bros onto the forum 10 years ago because we just were not fighting among ourselves enough! Headed to the Sledbilly bar in my mountain town to buy a round in honor of Jack Smith here in a bit ….wish me whatever!
joanC
Jack Smith is on a mission, aiming to sink a realty star pretending to be qualified to be a leader. There needs be be a new requirement that to be a lawmaker in the Senate, Congress, President or Vice President , one must have a law degree.
MIRAMAR
Let's keep this about Summer Fishing and put politics back in the Off Topic Forum https://www.rockypointtalk.com/forums/off-topic.12/
Old55
You guys need to try Arturo some time….gets slower in the summer so you can get out.https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=660402782789772&set=pcb.660403076123076
joanC
A headline in de frente announcing the sinking of a tortoaba boat might go a long way to give the scumbags on the boat, as well as the fat cat owners sitting in offices in Penasco, an attitude adjustment.

https://www.iflscience.com/first-extinction-alert-issued-in-70-years-for-rarest-marine-mammal-on-earth-70170
Jungle Jim
With a well timed and chosen kartel hit just to make sure everyone knows who's in charge.
joanC
Jungle Jim said:

With a well timed and chosen kartel hit just to make sure everyone knows who's in charge.

???? you may be confused...If the cartel has a hand in the tortoaba fishing, as many suspect, why would the cartel hit anyone?
Jungle Jim
Anyone? As in those sinking a Giant White Sea Bass gill net boat.
audsley
I'm still mystified. Why would a cartel sink a tortoaba fishing boat? I'm assuming some of the proceeds from tortoaba bladder sales winds up in the pockets of one or more cartels.
Old55
audsley said:

I'm still mystified. Why would a cartel sink a tortoaba fishing boat? I'm assuming some of the proceeds from tortoaba bladder sales winds up in the pockets of one or more cartels.

That cartel fight in San Luis is nasty.I can see them sinking each others Battleships !
The Sea Shepards need one of these …screw China!
https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/us-coast-guard-to-net-wayward-chinese-fishing-fleets/
ernesto
Lot's of Guardia Nacional and Ejercito trucks with manned gunners in Sonoyta today. Totoaba.
ernesto
Blowin like a bastard and very humid down there now.
AZRob
ernesto said:

Blowin like a bastard and very humid down there now.

Thats why you go down later in the year.
ernesto
No, Senor. thats why YOU do
AZRob
The cuts are going to be good real soon.
Don Juan
Corvina in Moura last weekend

4.77lb 27" HOG
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jbokFvZyse3txpw89
JoseAz
Good job! What time?
We were there last saturday and were only able to catch slimy seaweed with every cast
Don Juan
Slack low tide about 11am.

I was there yesterday and got skunked and slimy seaweed also.....not alot. Thousands of mullets everywhere and lots of bird activity. I move around alot usually but stayed where I got this one and got skunked. Should have went over to the mouth of the estuary.
AZRob
Has anyone tried cut baits? Shrimp octopus mole crabs? Pompano rig?