Marinas

[AZRob]

Mexico Joe now that you have found potential Marinas lets get into the fishing in RP. Off Ensenada it's 2 to 8 miles off shore and trolling 5 to 7 inch Rapala's. What I'm hearing is mostly bottom fishing and jigging in RP. Please Educate me oh wise one.

Oh wise one. Now thats funny.

 

[AZRob]

So was he! Evangelical! Does it get more conservative?!

Back on the crack pipe, I see.

 

[kahunito]

I never got a passing grade in math but 7.68 @ 30' seems like bout 230 bucks. Bout an HOA fee but i used to pay 900 just to keep a houseboat moored on a bouy at Lake Powell. What about power, water and the all important pump out?

 

[Stuart]

Mexico Joe now that you have found potential Marinas lets get into the fishing in RP. Off Ensenada it's 2 to 8 miles off shore and trolling 5 to 7 inch Rapala's. What I'm hearing is mostly bottom fishing and jigging in RP. Please Educate me oh wise one.

Let me give you what you're looking for. No disrespect to Joe; he fishes from a kayak or jetski (mostly) and the kid's gotta lotta go get'em! Kudos for that.

First, a little about my fishing resume. I've been fishing the Sea of Cortez, Baja, and the Pacific coast for over 40 years. Everything from beach camping in very remote places to big game tournaments, even fishing the Mexican Governor's Cup in Mazatlan. I've had two boats - a 23' Baja Bayrunner and a 30' ProKat, but am currently boatless hoping to buy a 28' center console in the future to continue my fishing adventures. I still fish when I can with friends that have boats. I also design and sell top end trolling lures, some of which have taken 1st place in big game tournaments. I'll post some pics at the end of this reply.

If trolling is your thing, Penasco is not where you want to be. Can you catch fish trolling out of Penasco? Yes, but only at certain times of the year (at least for big game). You can troll Rapalas around the island and shallower reefs and scratch up some sierra, sardineros, and ladyfish. From late May to July or so (depending on water temps) you can head south and find blue water and occasionally catch dorado, sailfish, skipjack and yes, even a marlin. But due to the Sea of Cortez being so so shallow in and around Rocky Point, once the water temps get into the high 80s and 90s, it becomes a trolling desert. There's simply nothing around to catch; the game fish head back south to deeper/cooler water.

The surface water temps don't affect the reef dwellers. If you can stand the heat, July is premier for catching big grouper. Sabiki up some bonefish south of the harbor, throw'em in the live well, and head out to the 18, 22, or other reef and you can have battle royale with the big ones. You need special rigs to do this that aren't commercially available; but once you know how to make them, they kick ass for grouper. Also, you need rods/reels that have a huge backbone. I've had 130lb. rated rods snap like toothpicks from a grouper strike and drop unsuspecting fishermen to their knees on the rail, even though I warned them to be ready when they hit bottom.

From October to April, the deep reefs rock. Halibut, yellowtail, snapper, black seabass, white seabass, pinto bass and usually an unlimited supply of gold spotted bass. Right now is prime for white seabass and we've nailed some going 40 lbs. The problem with the deep reefs is that they're not close. The 51 is about 47 miles out of the harbor at Penasco which makes for a long boat ride to get there and get back and the winter days are shorter. Plus, due to the huge tide swing (up to 23 ft. at peak times), you're timing has to be spot on or you won't be able to hit or keep your line on the bottom even with 24 or 32 oz. of weight. Not to mention line tangles if you're fishing with a few guys. 1st or 3rd quarter moon is really the only time you want to fish the deep reefs. New or full moon? Simply too much current to fish in water that runs 250 to 300 ft. deep. So there's a lot of planning involved to be successful at this. Still, there's nothing like a full fishbox day on the 51. You'll need heavy weights, deep drop rigs and most of us use electric reels because it's a lot of reeling when your bait gets stripped. You usually get hit pretty quickly after dropping and if you miss it, you're likely "gringo fishing" with no bait. You can jig the deeper reefs with a good degree of success. Shawno is a master at this and his fishing pics are legendary here. You can probably dig up some of his reports here with a search, although he hasn't posted here in awhile and is mostly on Facebook.

In a nutshell, those are your choices if you put your boat in Rocky Point. So, what other options are there? If I had a Hatteras your size, I'd put it in Marina San Carlos. I've fished a lot out of San Carlos over the years and it's got a lot going for it if you have a bigger boat. The marina itself is nice, big, secure and has its own fuel dock. Something Penasco does not have. There is a fuel dock in Penasco; but I always trailered and fueled at a Pemex, so I have no idea how it works there. San Carlos is very comfortable, beautiful and lots of nice places to stay. We would generally rent a nice casita for a week or so, trailer the boat down, and get a guest slip in the marina. There are lots of ex-pats there and a pretty good community overall. Plus, Guaymas is right next door if you need parts or other things. You will need import paperwork for your boat to stay in the marina there, but I assume you already have it if your docked in Ensenada. I really have no idea of current slip prices or availability there, but they have added some nice bigger slips over the years. Check their website here: https://marinasancarlos.com/

Fishing out of San Carlos is blue water just minutes after leaving the harbor. Drop those flat lines, set the outriggers and away you go. May thru October is great for dorado, sails and marlin. They even get decent yellowfin tuna runs. Winter tends to be yellowtail fishing near the island. But the other thing that's great is you can easily head straight over to Baja and fish Tortuga Island or even further south to Loreto is well within your range. We've had some great fishing days over on the Baja side. If you've got family and kids, snorkeling/diving around San Carlos is great, too, much better than anywhere near Penasco. It's a much better launching point near the middle of the Sea of Cortez if you are planning on doing any cruising and a good homeport. Realistically, you could go to La Paz or Cabo in a couple of days or head north to the Midriff Islands in a day. Lots of options available to you.

I don't know where you currently live. But Guaymas does have an airport to fly in. Driving there from the Phoenix area is about 10 hours; it's a full day of driving. But in the long run, I think you'd be a lot happier homeported in San Carlos than you would in Penasco with your size Hatteras.

As always, I'm available for questions or advice. PM me as you feel the need.

And oh!! Pictures!!!

Lures I made and sold for the Cantina Cup Tournament in San Carlos, closeup of some with actual logo for eyes.





Fish, Fish, Fish. It's what it's all about.

 

[Mexico Joe]

Mexico Joe now that you have found potential Marinas lets get into the fishing in RP. Off Ensenada it's 2 to 8 miles off shore and trolling 5 to 7 inch Rapala's. What I'm hearing is mostly bottom fishing and jigging in RP. Please Educate me oh wise one.

Nah, I'm definitely not the guy to talk to about offshore fishing but I know what I know and I don't mind sharing. The guys to talk to about that are going to be JJ, Stuart, not sure if Shawno is here any longer, maybe a few other boat guys I'm forgetting. I read and pay attention so it's not to say that I don't know anything but not first hand knowledge if you get my DRIFT. Speaking of drift, that's what most of the guys do when they get to one of the deep reefs, 22, 51 and others. Find the drift and how quick the drift is, position boat for maximum exposure to the reef, drift over the mark while bottom bouncing grouper rigs on live Macks/bonefish or 8oz jig heads with Scampi tails tipped with cut bait (most guys prefer live bait). Or vertical jigging works too. Diamond jigs, flutter jigs (butterfly) things like that. Drift, catch, repeat. You will have to constantly reset your drift but to my knowledge it's the only way. I don't believe anyone sits on position with anchor.

In the spring you can troll for Sierra Mackerel with surface plugs that you would use for Tuna or Wahoo. Also, the yellowtail make it almost all the way up to Penasco in late winter/early spring but the best chances are if you head south east towards bird island. Look for birds diving and working bait. Surface irons and even vertical jigging may work for those yellowtail.

In the summer months if you can find the blue water you have a chance for trolling tuna plugs for Dodos and maybe Sierra or anything else that may be at the top of the water column. You can also troll deep divers around structure for Cabrilla (Leopard Grouper) and other types of Corvina and smaller juvenile grouper like the GULF grouper.

That's a brief summary.

 

[Mexico Joe]

I never got a passing grade in math but 7.68 @ 30' seems like bout 230 bucks. Bout an HOA fee but i used to pay 900 just to keep a houseboat moored on a bouy at Lake Powell. What about power, water and the all important pump out?

I think it's included but I could be wrong. I know it's offered but I couldn't tell on the website if it's included in the price or extra.

 

[Mexico Joe]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

Thanks Stuart!!! Backing up my info with pics!!!


TWIN SCREWZ

Ask and you shall receive!!!!

 

[Mexico Joe]

Let me give you what you're looking for. No disrespect to Joe; he fishes from a kayak or jetski (mostly) and the kid's gotta lotta go get'em! Kudos for that.

First, a little about my fishing resume. I've been fishing the Sea of Cortez, Baja, and the Pacific coast for over 40 years. Everything from beach camping in very remote places to big game tournaments, even fishing the Mexican Governor's Cup in Mazatlan. I've had two boats - a 23' Baja Bayrunner and a 30' ProKat, but am currently boatless hoping to buy a 28' center console in the future to continue my fishing adventures. I still fish when I can with friends that have boats. I also design and sell top end trolling lures, some of which have taken 1st place in big game tournaments. I'll post some pics at the end of this reply.

If trolling is your thing, Penasco is not where you want to be. Can you catch fish trolling out of Penasco? Yes, but only at certain times of the year (at least for big game). You can troll Rapalas around the island and shallower reefs and scratch up some sierra, sardineros, and ladyfish. From late May to July or so (depending on water temps) you can head south and find blue water and occasionally catch dorado, sailfish, skipjack and yes, even a marlin. But due to the Sea of Cortez being so so shallow in and around Rocky Point, once the water temps get into the high 80s and 90s, it becomes a trolling desert. There's simply nothing around to catch; the game fish head back south to deeper/cooler water.

The surface water temps don't affect the reef dwellers. If you can stand the heat, July is premier for catching big grouper. Sabiki up some bonefish south of the harbor, throw'em in the live well, and head out to the 18, 22, or other reef and you can have battle royale with the big ones. You need special rigs to do this that aren't commercially available; but once you know how to make them, they kick ass for grouper. Also, you need rods/reels that have a huge backbone. I've had 130lb. rated rods snap like toothpicks from a grouper strike and drop unsuspecting fishermen to their knees on the rail, even though I warned them to be ready when they hit bottom.

From October to April, the deep reefs rock. Halibut, yellowtail, snapper, black seabass, white seabass, pinto bass and usually an unlimited supply of gold spotted bass. Right now is prime for white seabass and we've nailed some going 40 lbs. The problem with the deep reefs is that they're not close. The 51 is about 47 miles out of the harbor at Penasco which makes for a long boat ride to get there and get back and the winter days are shorter. Plus, due to the huge tide swing (up to 23 ft. at peak times), you're timing has to be spot on or you won't be able to hit or keep your line on the bottom even with 24 or 32 oz. of weight. Not to mention line tangles if you're fishing with a few guys. 1st or 3rd quarter moon is really the only time you want to fish the deep reefs. New or full moon? Simply too much current to fish in water that runs 250 to 300 ft. deep. So there's a lot of planning involved to be successful at this. Still, there's nothing like a full fishbox day on the 51. You'll need heavy weights, deep drop rigs and most of us use electric reels because it's a lot of reeling when your bait gets stripped. You usually get hit pretty quickly after dropping and if you miss it, you're likely "gringo fishing" with no bait. You can jig the deeper reefs with a good degree of success. Shawno is a master at this and his fishing pics are legendary here. You can probably dig up some of his reports here with a search, although he hasn't posted here in awhile and is mostly on Facebook.

In a nutshell, those are your choices if you put your boat in Rocky Point. So, what other options are there? If I had a Hatteras your size, I'd put it in Marina San Carlos. I've fished a lot out of San Carlos over the years and it's got a lot going for it if you have a bigger boat. The marina itself is nice, big, secure and has its own fuel dock. Something Penasco does not have. There is a fuel dock in Penasco; but I always trailered and fueled at a Pemex, so I have no idea how it works there. San Carlos is very comfortable, beautiful and lots of nice places to stay. We would generally rent a nice casita for a week or so, trailer the boat down, and get a guest slip in the marina. There are lots of ex-pats there and a pretty good community overall. Plus, Guaymas is right next door if you need parts or other things. You will need import paperwork for your boat to stay in the marina there, but I assume you already have it if your docked in Ensenada. I really have no idea of current slip prices or availability there, but they have added some nice bigger slips over the years. Check their website here: https://marinasancarlos.com/

Fishing out of San Carlos is blue water just minutes after leaving the harbor. Drop those flat lines, set the outriggers and away you go. May thru October is great for dorado, sails and marlin. They even get decent yellowfin tuna runs. Winter tends to be yellowtail fishing near the island. But the other thing that's great is you can easily head straight over to Baja and fish Tortuga Island or even further south to Loreto is well within your range. We've had some great fishing days over on the Baja side. If you've got family and kids, snorkeling/diving around San Carlos is great, too, much better than anywhere near Penasco. It's a much better launching point near the middle of the Sea of Cortez if you are planning on doing any cruising and a good homeport. Realistically, you could go to La Paz or Cabo in a couple of days or head north to the Midriff Islands in a day. Lots of options available to you.

I don't know where you currently live. But Guaymas does have an airport to fly in. Driving there from the Phoenix area is about 10 hours; it's a full day of driving. But in the long run, I think you'd be a lot happier homeported in San Carlos than you would in Penasco with your size Hatteras.

As always, I'm available for questions or advice. PM me as you feel the need.

And oh!! Pictures!!!

Lures I made and sold for the Cantina Cup Tournament in San Carlos, closeup of some with actual logo for eyes.

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Fish, Fish, Fish. It's what it's all about.

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Damn, that's pretty rough Stuart. I immediately informed poster I am NOT the one to ask and immediately deferred to YOU as the pro WITHOUT demeaning you. Thanks brother. I appreciate it. Now please ban yourself for the next two weeks. Thank you.

 

[Mexico Joe]

Hey Stuart, I'm not a professional fabricator either.... Must be all that GO GET'EM in me....















I've never been fishing on a boat in Rocky Point. I had never fished from a kayak or jet ski either.

I'd never welded in my life until 4 years ago. I'd never bent one tube in my life until December. I'd never fabricated a roll cage in my life until now....

So yea, Stuarts right.

I'm a newb.

You definitely don't want my opinion because well, I'm nothing. Shit, even HOBIE VERN will tell you. I'm an IDIOT!


-Joe

 

[Mexico Joe]

Back on the crack pipe, I see.

Rob, I have more manhood in one nut than you have in your whole body.

 

[Twinscrewzz]

I never got a passing grade in math but 7.68 @ 30' seems like bout 230 bucks. Bout an HOA fee but i used to pay 900 just to keep a houseboat moored on a bouy at Lake Powell. What about power, water and the all important pump out?

But I'm not 30 ft I'm 45 ft. Power, water and pump out are minimal.

 

[Twinscrewzz]

Let me give you what you're looking for. No disrespect to Joe; he fishes from a kayak or jetski (mostly) and the kid's gotta lotta go get'em! Kudos for that.

First, a little about my fishing resume. I've been fishing the Sea of Cortez, Baja, and the Pacific coast for over 40 years. Everything from beach camping in very remote places to big game tournaments, even fishing the Mexican Governor's Cup in Mazatlan. I've had two boats - a 23' Baja Bayrunner and a 30' ProKat, but am currently boatless hoping to buy a 28' center console in the future to continue my fishing adventures. I still fish when I can with friends that have boats. I also design and sell top end trolling lures, some of which have taken 1st place in big game tournaments. I'll post some pics at the end of this reply.

If trolling is your thing, Penasco is not where you want to be. Can you catch fish trolling out of Penasco? Yes, but only at certain times of the year (at least for big game). You can troll Rapalas around the island and shallower reefs and scratch up some sierra, sardineros, and ladyfish. From late May to July or so (depending on water temps) you can head south and find blue water and occasionally catch dorado, sailfish, skipjack and yes, even a marlin. But due to the Sea of Cortez being so so shallow in and around Rocky Point, once the water temps get into the high 80s and 90s, it becomes a trolling desert. There's simply nothing around to catch; the game fish head back south to deeper/cooler water.

The surface water temps don't affect the reef dwellers. If you can stand the heat, July is premier for catching big grouper. Sabiki up some bonefish south of the harbor, throw'em in the live well, and head out to the 18, 22, or other reef and you can have battle royale with the big ones. You need special rigs to do this that aren't commercially available; but once you know how to make them, they kick ass for grouper. Also, you need rods/reels that have a huge backbone. I've had 130lb. rated rods snap like toothpicks from a grouper strike and drop unsuspecting fishermen to their knees on the rail, even though I warned them to be ready when they hit bottom.

From October to April, the deep reefs rock. Halibut, yellowtail, snapper, black seabass, white seabass, pinto bass and usually an unlimited supply of gold spotted bass. Right now is prime for white seabass and we've nailed some going 40 lbs. The problem with the deep reefs is that they're not close. The 51 is about 47 miles out of the harbor at Penasco which makes for a long boat ride to get there and get back and the winter days are shorter. Plus, due to the huge tide swing (up to 23 ft. at peak times), you're timing has to be spot on or you won't be able to hit or keep your line on the bottom even with 24 or 32 oz. of weight. Not to mention line tangles if you're fishing with a few guys. 1st or 3rd quarter moon is really the only time you want to fish the deep reefs. New or full moon? Simply too much current to fish in water that runs 250 to 300 ft. deep. So there's a lot of planning involved to be successful at this. Still, there's nothing like a full fishbox day on the 51. You'll need heavy weights, deep drop rigs and most of us use electric reels because it's a lot of reeling when your bait gets stripped. You usually get hit pretty quickly after dropping and if you miss it, you're likely "gringo fishing" with no bait. You can jig the deeper reefs with a good degree of success. Shawno is a master at this and his fishing pics are legendary here. You can probably dig up some of his reports here with a search, although he hasn't posted here in awhile and is mostly on Facebook.

In a nutshell, those are your choices if you put your boat in Rocky Point. So, what other options are there? If I had a Hatteras your size, I'd put it in Marina San Carlos. I've fished a lot out of San Carlos over the years and it's got a lot going for it if you have a bigger boat. The marina itself is nice, big, secure and has its own fuel dock. Something Penasco does not have. There is a fuel dock in Penasco; but I always trailered and fueled at a Pemex, so I have no idea how it works there. San Carlos is very comfortable, beautiful and lots of nice places to stay. We would generally rent a nice casita for a week or so, trailer the boat down, and get a guest slip in the marina. There are lots of ex-pats there and a pretty good community overall. Plus, Guaymas is right next door if you need parts or other things. You will need import paperwork for your boat to stay in the marina there, but I assume you already have it if your docked in Ensenada. I really have no idea of current slip prices or availability there, but they have added some nice bigger slips over the years. Check their website here: https://marinasancarlos.com/

Fishing out of San Carlos is blue water just minutes after leaving the harbor. Drop those flat lines, set the outriggers and away you go. May thru October is great for dorado, sails and marlin. They even get decent yellowfin tuna runs. Winter tends to be yellowtail fishing near the island. But the other thing that's great is you can easily head straight over to Baja and fish Tortuga Island or even further south to Loreto is well within your range. We've had some great fishing days over on the Baja side. If you've got family and kids, snorkeling/diving around San Carlos is great, too, much better than anywhere near Penasco. It's a much better launching point near the middle of the Sea of Cortez if you are planning on doing any cruising and a good homeport. Realistically, you could go to La Paz or Cabo in a couple of days or head north to the Midriff Islands in a day. Lots of options available to you.

I don't know where you currently live. But Guaymas does have an airport to fly in. Driving there from the Phoenix area is about 10 hours; it's a full day of driving. But in the long run, I think you'd be a lot happier homeported in San Carlos than you would in Penasco with your size Hatteras.

As always, I'm available for questions or advice. PM me as you feel the need.

And oh!! Pictures!!!

Lures I made and sold for the Cantina Cup Tournament in San Carlos, closeup of some with actual logo for eyes.

View attachment 17210
View attachment 17211


Fish, Fish, Fish. It's what it's all about.

View attachment 17213

View attachment 17214

View attachment 17215

View attachment 17216

View attachment 17217View attachment 17218View attachment 17219
View attachment 17220

View attachment 17222

thanks for a solid instruction it is much appreciated. As to San Carlos a few years back I spent a lot of time there and love the place. Marina San Carlos was $14.00 per foot then probably still pretty close now. If I were to go there I'd probably use Marina Real at 10.50 per foot. Having said that the biggest reason for a move to RP is my 3 children and their families are in Phoenix and the 4 hr drive is easier than the 7 hr drive to Ensenada. The slip fees are secondary. As to heat the Hat has 2 AC units and a 20kw gen set. Also holds 650 gallons of diesel.
My questions on fishing was to learn a bit on how different things would be. Heaviest line I'm currently running is 50LB. Sounds like I need to sack up on a couple of my rod and reels.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your experience. Pictures are great.

 

[Stuart]

So yea, Stuarts right.

I'm a newb.

Hey, as you said, you know what you know and I gave you kudos for that, brother! I didn't demean you in any way. Hell, all I knew was shore fishing Rocky Point for years. You do have go get'em; that's something to be proud of amigo. Great job on the fab!

Now don't go getting all overly sensitive or butthurt on me. I was trying to help the newb as well!

 

[Mexico Joe]

Hey, as you said, you know what you know and I gave you kudos for that, brother! I didn't demean you in any way. Hell, all I knew was shore fishing Rocky Point for years. You do have go get'em; that's something to be proud of amigo. Great job on the fab!

Now don't go getting all overly sensitive or butthurt on me. I was trying to help the newb as well!

Next thing it's going to be is some poster asking how the view is from the pool and then the A hole from Encantame Towers is going to be like oooo, Joe wouldn't know about the view because he's just a ground level pool guy. The real view is up here from the roof top pool. I'm just saying. It was kind of elitest. I would always be the first person to say, let me tell you what I know but know this, I'm not the guy to ask which is what I did.

I was being sarcastic but it did kind of feel a little like asking for an interns opinion... a little beneath you there but I understand. If this guy would have asked me about prerunners or something else that I was an aficionado then yea, I feel you. My bad Stu. I got a little jumpy. LOL

 

[Mexico Joe]

Like nah man, Stu's just a guy that drives a car, not a car guy. Let me lay it out for you to play it out... Yea, I get it now. Sorry Stu. My bad. It's all perspective. Thanks for calling me out. I avoided ban camp! Yeeeeeeewwwwwwwww! Back to fishing!!!! Tight lines!