Corvina Hunting This Weekend

surfcaster

surfcaster

Tom the Surfcaster
Hi everyone! Long time no post. I haven't been south of the border since Santo Tomas in early May. Most of my travels have been for family events the past two years. By the way, we caught a ton of Corvina in May some of good size (up to 5 lbs). I am hoping the weather calms down and warms up by Friday.

Thanks to all you regulars for keeping the spirit and the forum alive and kicking! I do look in from time to time and love reading your fish reports and all the latest news. I will post a report when I get back.

Tight lines!
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
TJ.....it was slow last week but we went out in a panga and caught a bunch of fish. i was telling someone the Germans Point story and they don't believe it...more details please!
 
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audsley

Guest
I'll be down early next week to try Corvina from the beaches. I'll look forward to surfcaster's report.

Germans Point? I tried searching those keywords but didn't find anything but this post.
 
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audsley

Guest
By the way, would Santo Tomas be more promising for corvina than La Pinta? From pictures I've seen on this site, it looks like the last stretch into Santo Tomas might be a challenge for my big Chevy 4x4. The road looks narrow and powdery and might be more adventure than I'm up for if my wife is with me.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
The German's point is about 3 miles south of Santo Tomas. The fishing is always great there. The failed development Parayso owns the land behind it. The story is a german Uboat sailor either escaped from an american prison camp or was shipwrecked and ended up building a fishing shack up on the high dunes.He lived there for years and would break out the Nazi uniform on Hitlers birthday... Kenny lost a huge fish fishing from the shore just before beaching it. Some say Grouper come in close because of fresh water that hits the sea there.

AUDSLEY RENT MY HOUSE 100 A NIGHT AND YOU CAN SHORE FISH RIGHT FROM THE THE BEACH OR HIRE A PANGA 120 FOR 3 HOURS.
 
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audsley

Guest
Jerry,

I've already paid for a place to stay on this trip, but I'm pretty sure you and I can do some business in the future. That sounds like a great place to stay.
 
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audsley

Guest
Surfcaster never gave us a report, but I'll give mine such as it is.

I finally caught my first corvina. This was at La Pinta a little after sunset last Monday (25th). It was only 18 inches long, and I figure that's about the minimum keeping size due to the species' slim configuration.

As I was leaving a local commercial fishermen approached and advised me in very good English to fish in a different spot. When I returned Thursday morning around 4:30 a.m. I tried that place but found it was too close to where they were launching pangas and generally causing lots of commotion, so I moved farther down to my old spot. This time I had no luck there, and after the pangas had all gone out I moved back to the first place and tried it again. The good news was that this area is teeming with sea life of all kinds, which is also the bad news in a way. If I tried using anything besides silver crocodiles I caught sand bass, one after another. Kind of reminded me of fishing rivers in NW Wyoming - unless you stick to flies, you'll catch 2 or 3 whitefish for every trout you hook up with. When I lost my last crocodile on the abundant rocks and coral, I gave up. The fact that this spot is also teeming with sting rays didn't encourage me to stay either. If I try this again I might have to invest in some of those "gaiters" (snake leggings) Stuart told us about a while back.

Maybe I'll give the corvina another shot next April or June.

Earlier I mentioned a local commercial fisherman. I guess that's what these guys are. They take off in pangas with no American clients, so I'm guessing they sell their catch. Anybody know?
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Audsley - Yes, they are commercial fishermen in the pangas. Many are part of a cooperativa, or group, with specific fishing rights. Some are just independents. They launch often at La Pinta. Actually, having fished most of that channel at one time or another, the best place to fish it is but a stone's throw south of where the launch. There is a series of mud reefs that the covina like to come in and run along when the tide comes in. And yes, there are little bait-stealing bastards aplenty, including the stingrays.
 
jmcdtucson

jmcdtucson

Guest
I've fished La Pinta twice, once launching out of the panga area I caught corvina straight out maybe 1/4 mile - both about 18-20 inches. It sounds like the place Stuart is talking about.
The other time I launched from San Jorge and never caught anything except the sand bass which are a pain as you noted.
 
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audsley

Guest
The place the fisherman suggested to me was around a vertical timber a few yards north of where the boats were launching. I waded in up to my waist and there were 3 kinds of small fish swimming around me. I also saw crabs. Interesting spot, but it has some coral that's terrible for snagging lures and stumbling over in sandals. All that coral probably explains the variety of sea life there.

My other spot was a couple hundred yards down the shoreline south of where the boats were launching.
 
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audsley

Guest
You're right. I need to get down to Santo Tomas for a corvina hunt and possibly more. Looks like there are some other good fish too. I'll be sure to bring plenty of Pepsi to keep the soldiers smiling.
 
surfcaster

surfcaster

Tom the Surfcaster
OK, better late than never? Kenny that ugly guy? Don't know him! Jerry I actually knew "The German" and my Dad saw him in his uniform twice. Audsley, I have never fished La Pinta, just the area around Santo Tomas.

My report: Our first day we arrived at 9am and started south fishing about a dozen spots all of which held small corvina. Really small. Most fish were under 12 inches, which was a first for me. I have never seen huge numbers of Corvina that small. 4 of us caught and released close to 100 fish by the day's end. Only 4 cookable fish in the whole bunch 1-2 pounds. My friends being more fair weather fishermen than I pretty much gave up after that. A few of us kept trying but very few fish of any size caught after the first day. No keepers were found.

We have always had our best results by "running the beach" doing the "1/4 mile shuffle." By this I mean we drive around looking for the fish until we find them. Using two vehicles, one stops and tries a spot and the other goes 1/4 mile past and tries it. Eventually you find where the fish are and the game is on. If no fish are hooked in 10-20 casts move on. There are some prominent geographic features that are always worth a special try as we move about, rock reefs, points, and the estuary that marks the northern limit of the drivable beach. A spot that is good on day 1 usually will be good the rest of the trip so we mark those spots when we find them.

My long time friends have grown less interested in the fishing and more interested in drinking tequila on the patio as the years have rolled on. I would spend pretty much all day looking for fish if it were up to me. I may not be going with them after this trip.
 
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