NoSlack
10-20-2006, 09:27 PM
Tenacious and Patron Baja adventure 2006
Planning/preparations:
It started after reading Bob Compton’s “North to Alaska” and “Trailer boating to Cabo….by Water”. The adventures sounded too good to be true. Several friends were planning trips on San Diego’s long range fishing boats. I’ve done a 7 day trip and a couple 3 days trips before. I knew that I wouldn’t be satisfied fishing heel to heel with 30 other Joes at a destination I had no control over at a cost of over $1500. It was time to stop reading about everyone else’s adventures and organize my own! Fishing was the primary purpose of the trip with surfing being a close second.
The idea was introduced first at a kids seven year old birthday party which Bobby Hickman and his son were attending. Bobby had a lot of experience with the Billfisher “Harvey B”. He indicated that the owners had made the trip before and that it was very logistically feasible. Bobby was my inspiration especially after he insisted that Bahia De Tortugas was a modern well suited logistics stop. Since Bobby makes the Cabo to SD run a couple times a year I knew he was giving me the straight dope. Another friend Dan Fuller provided me with recommendations on where to fish at Benitos. Dan is another fisherman with a lot of experience fishing the central Baja area and he has officially been designated as a “Fishing Ambassador” to the Mexican Fishing Co-op by The IATTC.
I knew that making a trip like this on a single engine boat was not wise and therefore solicited a buddy-boat to join the Tenacious. I received an e-mail from Yale Combs who owns the Patron and has explored thousands of miles of coastlines in the Sea of Cortez and fished his Billfisher at Puerto Vallarta for some large yellowfin tuna. Yale actually seemed as excited about the trip as I was. After meeting a couple times and exchanging e-mails we agreed on the dates, overnight anchorage locations, supplies, and emergency equipment to bring along. The trip was set. Are biggest concern was that the trip was to occur in the height of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The chances of a big storm tracking as far north as central Baja were slim but, possible. We arranged for Jeff Meeker (Doghouse) to provide us with the tropical storm updates every couple days via Yale’s satellite phone. A life raft and EPIRB were rented from Ocean Marine and West Marine respectively.
Lou Lassard was to be my crewmember and flew into San Diego from Norfolk the day prior to the trip. We finalized the loading of Tenacious with all of the supplies on the list. I had already purchased Lou’s Mexican fishing license and picked up the necessary Tourist cards from the Mexican Consulate downtown.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip1.jpg
Tenacious loaded in the driveway.
Leg One (Mission Bay to Ensenada Aug 6):
Upon departure from Mission Bay Lou and I were ready for the adventures that lie ahead. The transit south was uneventful and we arrived at Hotel Coral at 5:00PM. Patron had beat us to the fuel dock to top off and was in the process of filling their bait tank with 8-12” macks. We were third in line at the fuel dock and the smallest boat awaiting fuel. There was only a small amount of space at the dock which could not accommodate the larger sport fishers and a radio call to the two skippers resulted in their permission to go in ahead of them. Lucky for us because the fuel attendant told us that he only had 200 gal of fuel left to give. We took on 123 gal between the main tank and the (8) 5 gal fuel containers we brought as spares. We went to our slip and proceeded to fill up our bait hold with perfect size mackerel which we caught with sabiki rigs at the slip. Since Tenacious does not have a genset we opted to use a bait hold purchased from Squidco to conserve battery power (bait pump) while at anchorages. The Patron then tied up next to us and we rendezvoused for dinner at the hotel restaurant where we met up Yale and his crewmember “Dan” and discussed the plans over a couple glasses of Tequila.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip2.jpg
Bait hold with mackerel
Leg two (Ensenada to Isla San Martin)
The alarm sounded early and after transferring the mackerel to the Tenacious’s bait tank we departed at 4:20 AM. A slight breeze blew from the NW. By day break the Patron and Tenacious cleared Punta Banda in 68.9 degree water and since the transit speed was set at 1600 RPM (apx 7-8 knots) in went the jigs. It wasn’t long before the first blood was shed by Patron who pulled in a large bonito. After harassing Yale on the radio about catching a bonito it was Tenacious’s turn. The clicker on the Tiagra 30 sounded and a 15 lb dorado was soon in the box. Since we had no freezer and knew that our ice supply could not keep fish fresh for 11 more days we released all fish except what we planned to eat. Soon after clearing the maze of tuna pens and fishing markers on the Banda Bank the water sharply dropped to a cool green 62 degrees. The water remained green until passing abreast of Cabo Colnett where we encountered a 3 degree temperature break. We began seeing flying fish everywhere which boosted our hopes for encountering some good hookups. Lou and I both saw it at the same time but had little time to react as the billfish appeared 50 feet in front of us. The fish sunk out never to be seen again. Lou then spots fish crashing and we immediately had a double knockdown on smallish yellowfin tuna. One was kept for sashimi. We continued to get occasional jig strikes on the small YFT and soon the Patron was getting them as well. Another marlin made it’s presence known when it appeared 50’ off the bow while jumping towards us. Again the billfish disappeared despite our stopping and deploying a fresh mackerel offering. As we approached San Martin Island both boats scored some nicer grade dorado.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip3.jpg
Our course into San Martin put the 4’ wind swell on our quarter and we used the waves to maximize our speed. Unfortunately, I did not have my trim tabs up and at one point the wave we were surfing on pushed us into the trough and the bow dug in. This was the only scary moment of the trip as the boat tipped and the fly bridge was almost touching the water. The wave actually broke and filled the cockpit with 50 gallons of water. Trim tabs were placed up and no further incidents were encountered. We were greeted by a huge pod of porpoise which escorted us to out anchorage for night two. Patron anchored in close proximity. I immediately went to work preparing blackened dorado and seared ahi for dinner. Our menu actually called for spaghetti but, who could resist fresh fish?
By 9:00PM the dishes were done and Lou and I were ready to turn in. Since the next anchorage destination was only 40 miles south we opted to set the alarm for 6:00AM.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip4.jpg
Fish camp at San Martin Island
Leg three (San Martin to Isla Geronimo):
When the alarm sounded Lou and I awoke to a beautiful sunrise and could not resist throwing a few casts into the kelp. Lou’s first few casts resulted in a fat 6.5 lb calico bass on a storm lure. Shortly after that Patron joined in on the fun with Yale and Dan boating a few fat calicos of their own. Large barracuda and bonito also attacked my surface iron with a reckless abandon. It was hard to put the rods down but, it was time to go.
While departed the area we made a couple jig drops at Roca Ben. Unfortunately the first fish was snatched by a sea lion before even seeing it. The pesky mammal would not leave us alone so we moved on.
The remainder of the transit to Geronimo was uneventful except for a couple dorado and small tuna and once again we received an escort comprised of hundreds of porpoise. The afternoon wind had really begun to blow and our attempts to drift for halibut and bass in the lee of the island were in vain. A slight distance south of the island breakers were visible on the infamous Sacramento reef where numerous ships had run aground over the years. The reef is actually named for the Steamship Sacramento which ran aground here and subsequently broke up on the reef. We proceeded to anchorage to prepare dinner. While dinner was simmering the anchor was dragging under the strain of a stiff 25 MPH breeze. When repositioning we discovered that the anchor was covered with sea grass which impeded the anchor from digging into the mud. After setting the hook once more and verifying a good set, we hit the bunk for the night.
Leg four (Geronimo to Punta San Carlos):
Yale and I had planned this day to maximize our inshore fishing opportunities in the areas around Sacramento reef and we were both glad that we did. This day started with a thick fog. The radar was energized as the chart plotter often depicted the island and reefs inaccurately. Beware not to utilize the chart plotter as your single source of navigation information, especially in this area. Lou and I found a rock loaded with meter marks in between the island and Sacramento reef. Before I even positioned the boat and left the fly bridge Lou was bendo. Up came a bonito, followed by lingcod, yellowtail, huge whitefish then a big sand bass. This was an exciting stop as the jigs never made it to the bottom before being slammed by a variety of fish. The bite turned into a wide open foamer on big sand bass up to 8 lbs!
The fish were actually ravenous as they fought each other to eat our jigs.
After getting tired of pulling up huge sand bass for an hour we opted to fish closer to the reef where Yale and Dan reported wide open calico bass with yellows mixed in. We positioned inside of the reef and the light wind gave us a perfect drift along the edge of the kelp which lined the inside of the reef. Nearly every cast into the kelp resulted in a large calico and occasional small yellowtail. I broke out my son’s Corsica and seeker bass flipping stick combo and had a blast. If you caught a bass less than 3 lbs you were bummed but, no worry as your next cast would result in a 4, 5, or 6 lb’er.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip5_6.jpg
Average Sacramento Reef Calico, Lou with another quality calico
After a couple hours of this incredible fishing, it was time to move on to the next anchorage a short distance away. The transit to Punta San Carlos was uneventful as well until we got close to the point. The wind at this location was howling 25-30+ MPH. We were not surprised to see wind surfers speeding along the point. I brought my favorite short board but, the 4’ wind swell was just too weak looking and the water was a bone chilling 56 degrees. A dinner of fresh lingcod tacos really hit the spot. After witnessing a beautiful sunset we settled in our bunks for the evening with a full belly in anticipation of our crossing to Isla Benitos and fishing Ranger bank along the way.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip7.jpg
Staple diet of fresh fish tacos
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip8.jpg
Punta San Carlos sunset
Leg five (San Carlos to Isla Benitos):
At 1:30am the alarm started beeping and it was time to begin the 60+ mile crossing over Bahia Vizcaino to Isla Benitos. Fortunately the wind had subsided to almost nothing. The full moon reflected off the water and provided a good reference point for steering the Tenacious (since the auto pilot quit working). At first light the marlin jigs went in. The water was a beautiful 70+ degrees and dark blue. We soon had our first real shot at a marlin when the outrigger popped followed by a short zip. I turned in time to see the fish speed over the next jig in the spread. I yelled at Lou to drop back a mackerel but, the fish was already tapping its bill on the next lure. Next the other outrigger popped but, didn’t stick. The fish sampled every lure in the spread before Lou got the mackerel back. The fish immediately ate it but, managed to rip it off the hook. Marlin 1 Tenacious 0. Five minutes later Patron hooks a marlin on a dorado colored Zuker and Dan and Yale manage to complete a successful release on an estimated 125lb Striper.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip9.jpg
Dan doing battle with marlin on Patron
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip10.jpg
Nice water over Ranger Bank
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip11.jpg
Lou with one of many YFT released
While attempting to film Patron’s battle the outrigger pops again and it’s “game on” with an unhappy dorado. This type of action continued during the course of the transit with many dorado and small yellowfin tuna released, and several more unsuccessful marlin opportunities. We were extremely fortunate to encounter such perfect weather for our first crossing. Upon arrival at Benitos Yale took the Patron west around the windward side of the island while I pointed Tenacious toward the location which Dan Fuller said was always loaded with quality yellowtail. Local Pangeros greeted us by demanding a soda or some candy. The one guy said that he was the lighthouse keeper and had his wife and kids on the island year round. He said that his kids would love some candy. I brought candy for just such an occasion but, upon providing the bag of candy we observed the panga crew devouring the candy sharing high fives. I think we were had!
Upon arrival at our secret spot we immediately began metering lots of yellowtail on the Furuno and dropped the jigs down into them. It didn’t take long to feel the thump of a large yellowtail on the end of the line. After getting rocked a couple times on 25lb gear I finally managed to land one of the brutes which we estimated at 20+ lbs.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip12.jpg
Benitos Island yellowtail
We called in the Patron who arrived an hour later after Lou and I released several more yellows of the same quality and got broke off a few more times too. When the Patron arrived they quickly went to work slamming big yellowtail. Dan had the hot stick catching and releasing more big yellows than any of us. Later that evening at anchorage Dan shared his secrets with us. The anchorage at Benitos was very comfortable and well protected from the westerly breeze. After a long day of traveling and pulling on big yellows I was at my most tired point of the trip. After a quick dinner I passed out until the next AM. When I woke up I was excited about the prospects of fishing armed with Dan’s yellowtail secrets. First I wound on some fresh 30lb P-line (Dan recommended 50lb) top shot onto my 50lb spectra and tied on a fresh Salas 6x. Next I tightened my drag to an almost locked positioned. After a cup of coffee and some cereal we made the short 1 mile trip to spot I’ll call yellowtail ridge. Lou and I were now more successful in our hookup to catch ratio. Unfortunately our nemeses soon introduced himself in the form of a large sea lion. Lou affectionately named this ruthless creature “Fat boy”. Fat Boy proceeded to follow us everywhere we went and stole several fish from Lou and me. We even attempted to cruise slowly by Patron in an attempt to have the animal harass them and leave us alone. This attempt was fruitless. Fat Boy had made up his mind that he was our dog for the remainder of the day. Yale and Dan continued pulling in healthy yellows while Lou and I evaded Fat Boy by trolling a mile away from the island for all the dodos you wanted. We dropped down to 15lb trolling gear to have more fun.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip13.jpg
One hour and countless dorado later we rejoined Yale and Dan on yellowtail ridge and yes Fat Boy returned as our loyal companion. I was able to capture some video of Dan and Yale on one of their many double yellowtail hookups.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip14.jpg
Patron with a yellowtail double again
This was the first full day of fishing with no real destination and between the Patron and Tenacious I’m sure more than 100 fish were caught and released. At days end we both proceeded to anchorage and prepared for the next day’s journey to the southern anchorage at Cedros Island. Another calm night at anchor was very welcome and allowed for a good night’s sleep.
Leg six (Benitos to Cedros):
This day started at a leisurely pace when we awoke at 5:30AM, had coffee, and motored towards yellowtail ridge to check the conditions and for one more shot at big fish prior to leaving for Cedros. My secret agenda was to land a 40lb tail. A few smallish yellowtail were caught by Tenacious while Patron reported catching several larger tails (of course…Dan again). Since Yale was unsuccessful contacting Jeff Meeker via the satellite phone I felt that we needed a tropical storm update before going further south. I hailed one of the few American sport boats we saw at the Islands and was successful in getting a cheerful response and weather report indicating “all clear” from the vessel “Horizon”. Yale and Dan remained at yellowtail ridge while Lou and I scouted south and east from Benitos. Lou and I shared a grin when Yale reported that Fat Boy had made friends with the Patron. As Lou and I approached the SW corner of Cedros we witnessed hundreds of birds and bait busting everywhere. We were only in 60’ of water and within casting distance of the island when we saw dorado zipping through the blue/green water. I threw a surface iron into the kelp and what happened next will remain in my memory as long as I live. As I began to retrieve the jig a huge yellowtail raced along the surface from 10 feet away and slammed the jig then commenced to tail walk another 10 feet. After that awesome surface display the fish dove and wrapped me in the kelp breaking the line! I didn’t even care as the action we both witnessed was worth the price of the entire trip.
The water being so thick with bait I decided to tie on the sabiki rig and replenish our dwindling mackerel supply. Rather than the familiar tapping of the sabiki rig by Spanish and green mackerel I felt a solid thump followed by another. Big Macks I thought. To my surprise I actually had a bit of a fight on my hands as I lifted the sabiki to find a 4lb and a 2lb calico attached. The fish were released and we successfully added several fresh mackerel to our bait supply. The wind began to blow from the west as we approached Cabo San Agustin sometimes reaching 25MPH. This was not a problem as we rounded the point towards our anchorage location. The anchorage at Cedros Island was by far my favorite as it provided a very calm picturesque amphitheater and an opportunity for a well deserved swim call.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip15.jpg
Swim call
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip16.jpg
Patron at Cedros Island anchorage
Patron finally caught up with us and anchored a stone’s throw away. Yale had prepared several meals prior to the trip and was generous enough to share one of his outstanding
creations with us. The shrimp scampi cioppino was a meal to remember. The stars that evening lit up the sky and paved the way for a beautiful moonrise over the mountainous island. Lou was already asleep while I pondered the meaning of life under a canopy of a million shining stars. A live mackerel was tossed out in hopes of enticing a large bottom dwelling fish. I was sure it was midnight as I turned in but, when I went to set the alarm, the clock read 9:30. Funny how we were just wiped out every night before 10:00PM.
Leg seven (Cedros to Tortugas):
The day started as most others had. A cup of coffee, and a bowl of cereal, followed by dumping the live bait into the bait tank, and weighing anchor. We followed Patron through the morning gray light as she motored gently away from anchorage and set a course between Isla Cedros and Isla Natividad. I ensured Yale knew that if there was any decent surf at Natividad that I was going to go AWOL for a couple hours and would catch up with him later. At sun rise we were greeted by hundreds of seagulls and pelicans crashing around Morro Redondo. Lou and I could not resist the temptation and fired off a couple long casts into the mayhem. As I retrieved the surface iron it suddenly stopped and reversed course under the heavy weight of a thug yellowtail. A great way to start the morning!
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip17.jpg
Scott with an early morning breezer at Cedros
Yale and Dan were eager to get to Tortugas and scope out the fuel situation so we decided
to crank up some RPMs and make up some distance.
As we passed Isla Natividad we noticed a large yacht anchored just outside the world class right hand sand point break and a single engine aircraft on the run way adjacent to the point. A campsite was also visible on the beach. Seemed as though there were already some adventurous surfers at the famous location. There were no surfers in the lineup as we passed and after observing the point for a few minutes it was apparent that there was no swell whatsoever bending around the point. Not to worry as we were within a mile of the next big attraction in the area. Chester Rocks is on par with the world class surf spot for large yellowtail. The current was ripping through the passage between Natividad and Punta Eugenia as we eased up to a kelpy high spot with a lot of gulls working it hard. My first cast with the surface iron was greeted with a hard slam and long powerful run. I already had tightened drag as much as the Torium 16 would allow with 30 lb line but, it was not enough. The fish obviously had a plan as it wrapped my line around every piece of kelp attached to the rocks that it was seeking cover in. I kept the pressure on the line and somehow the kelp broke free and I was able to pull a mass of the brown vegetation to the surface. I was pretty sure that the fish had long since broken free but, to my surprise after clearing the bushes it was still there. Not wanting to hurt the fish, I reached down and grabbed the massive yellowtail by the mouth and hoisted it aboard. My 40 lber? Not quite but, it was my personal best of the trip so far.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip18.jpg
Scott with his personal best tail of the trip at Chester Rocks
We knew we had to get to Tortugas and fuel and we weren’t sure how long the entire ordeal might take so we said goodbye to the fishy area and agreed to fish it again after fueling. The rugged coast north of Tortugas looked like a great future destination for a surf trip and I noted several points to check at a later date. While turning the corner into Bahia Tortugas there was no question where the fueling facility was. The cunning business woman “Annabelle” had strategically paced whitewashed rocks along the hill overlooking her operation. If that was not enough, Carlos, her fuel barge operator sped towards us in a panga to announce that fuel was available. I suspect that this was an attempt to lure us to the fuel barge before we caught a glimpse of the fuel pier around the corner. It was all too easy as we pulled alongside the barge and filled the main tank and containers. We took on 123 gallons of fuel and after some calculating we determined that we burned a little over 105 gallons of fuel between Ensenada and Tortugas. Carlos then offered to take us into town for some ice, limes, tortillas, and tequila. After debarking his panga we were escorted to a late model Jeep Cherokee and were on our way into town. The short drive revealed hundreds of old vehicle carcasses strewn along the road. I kept and eye out for my 1993 Pathfinder which was stolen last year.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip19.jpg
Annabelle’s fuel operation at Bahia Tortugas
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip20.jpg
Patron fueling from the barge at Tortugas.
The entire logistics stop at Tortugas only took 2.5 hours. Carlos was tipped well and we were happy too! Yale and I decided to run at 15 knots back up the line in an attempt to get back to Benitos for the late afternoon bite at the ridge. Since we had successfully reached our southernmost destination and realized that fuel was not an issue we were both feeling cocky. We put the bow down plowed through the building noontime afternoon wind chop. We made it back to the ridge as planned and enjoyed some more fantastic yellowtail fishing. Prior to anchoring, Yale once again offered up a hot lasagna plate. We anchored and rafted up wit the Patron for Lasagna and tequila to celebrate the day’s successes.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip21.jpg
Yale and Dan AKA Fish Killer!
Another outstanding nigh at anchor and it was time to begin the trek back north. We retraced our track and fished most of the same spots which we hit along the southern journey of the trip for more outstanding fishing. In the spirit of wrapping up this story, Ill spare you the blow by blow details and hit a few highlights.
The return trip from Benitos was met with some stiff winds and short seas. This was our only uncomfortable leg of the trip but, the Billfisher/AD-41 combo performed well in the slop. We fished Sacramento Reef again. This time with the intent of keeping some big calico fillets for the freezer and later use. Yes the fishing was just as good as the first time we fished there. Ben’s Rock was really looking good on the return voyage so Lou and I made a few drops in the thick meter marks. Yellowtails in the 10-15lb class were chasing the jig to the surface but, were often reluctant to eat it. A few were caught and released. One more fuel stop at Hotel Coral and we realized that we burned slightly more on the northern route than the southern route. Makes sense when you consider that we had the wind and seas pushing us as we headed south. Still we only burned about 120 gal between Tortugas and Ensenada and we often were running at 16 knots.
Yale and Dan opted to return to San Diego after refueling at Ensenada while Lou and I decided to stay at the resort over night and take advantage of the Jacuzzi, bar, and other amenities. Our ride home the following morning was casual and we trolled the entire way. We managed a few yellowfin tuna on the porpoise and a nice dorado on a blind jig strike. As we approached the 371 area we both realized that the adventure was over. Numerous private boaters were zooming around from paddy to paddy and obscenities were heard on the VHF.
A USCG Cutter was drifting off of Imperial Beach and the Tenacious was a ripe target for the RHIB crew as we had the extra fuel tanks on deck. When we reported that we had been in Mexican waters for 12 days and ventured 320 miles south we were met with looks of disbelief. When the boarding Petty Officer learned that our destination was US Customs he waved us through without boarding. Upon arrival at the customs dock we were pleasantly surprised by only a 20 minute wait and a professional attitude by the customs officer. We were cleared within 30 minutes of arrival.
The end.
Planning/preparations:
It started after reading Bob Compton’s “North to Alaska” and “Trailer boating to Cabo….by Water”. The adventures sounded too good to be true. Several friends were planning trips on San Diego’s long range fishing boats. I’ve done a 7 day trip and a couple 3 days trips before. I knew that I wouldn’t be satisfied fishing heel to heel with 30 other Joes at a destination I had no control over at a cost of over $1500. It was time to stop reading about everyone else’s adventures and organize my own! Fishing was the primary purpose of the trip with surfing being a close second.
The idea was introduced first at a kids seven year old birthday party which Bobby Hickman and his son were attending. Bobby had a lot of experience with the Billfisher “Harvey B”. He indicated that the owners had made the trip before and that it was very logistically feasible. Bobby was my inspiration especially after he insisted that Bahia De Tortugas was a modern well suited logistics stop. Since Bobby makes the Cabo to SD run a couple times a year I knew he was giving me the straight dope. Another friend Dan Fuller provided me with recommendations on where to fish at Benitos. Dan is another fisherman with a lot of experience fishing the central Baja area and he has officially been designated as a “Fishing Ambassador” to the Mexican Fishing Co-op by The IATTC.
I knew that making a trip like this on a single engine boat was not wise and therefore solicited a buddy-boat to join the Tenacious. I received an e-mail from Yale Combs who owns the Patron and has explored thousands of miles of coastlines in the Sea of Cortez and fished his Billfisher at Puerto Vallarta for some large yellowfin tuna. Yale actually seemed as excited about the trip as I was. After meeting a couple times and exchanging e-mails we agreed on the dates, overnight anchorage locations, supplies, and emergency equipment to bring along. The trip was set. Are biggest concern was that the trip was to occur in the height of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The chances of a big storm tracking as far north as central Baja were slim but, possible. We arranged for Jeff Meeker (Doghouse) to provide us with the tropical storm updates every couple days via Yale’s satellite phone. A life raft and EPIRB were rented from Ocean Marine and West Marine respectively.
Lou Lassard was to be my crewmember and flew into San Diego from Norfolk the day prior to the trip. We finalized the loading of Tenacious with all of the supplies on the list. I had already purchased Lou’s Mexican fishing license and picked up the necessary Tourist cards from the Mexican Consulate downtown.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip1.jpg
Tenacious loaded in the driveway.
Leg One (Mission Bay to Ensenada Aug 6):
Upon departure from Mission Bay Lou and I were ready for the adventures that lie ahead. The transit south was uneventful and we arrived at Hotel Coral at 5:00PM. Patron had beat us to the fuel dock to top off and was in the process of filling their bait tank with 8-12” macks. We were third in line at the fuel dock and the smallest boat awaiting fuel. There was only a small amount of space at the dock which could not accommodate the larger sport fishers and a radio call to the two skippers resulted in their permission to go in ahead of them. Lucky for us because the fuel attendant told us that he only had 200 gal of fuel left to give. We took on 123 gal between the main tank and the (8) 5 gal fuel containers we brought as spares. We went to our slip and proceeded to fill up our bait hold with perfect size mackerel which we caught with sabiki rigs at the slip. Since Tenacious does not have a genset we opted to use a bait hold purchased from Squidco to conserve battery power (bait pump) while at anchorages. The Patron then tied up next to us and we rendezvoused for dinner at the hotel restaurant where we met up Yale and his crewmember “Dan” and discussed the plans over a couple glasses of Tequila.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip2.jpg
Bait hold with mackerel
Leg two (Ensenada to Isla San Martin)
The alarm sounded early and after transferring the mackerel to the Tenacious’s bait tank we departed at 4:20 AM. A slight breeze blew from the NW. By day break the Patron and Tenacious cleared Punta Banda in 68.9 degree water and since the transit speed was set at 1600 RPM (apx 7-8 knots) in went the jigs. It wasn’t long before the first blood was shed by Patron who pulled in a large bonito. After harassing Yale on the radio about catching a bonito it was Tenacious’s turn. The clicker on the Tiagra 30 sounded and a 15 lb dorado was soon in the box. Since we had no freezer and knew that our ice supply could not keep fish fresh for 11 more days we released all fish except what we planned to eat. Soon after clearing the maze of tuna pens and fishing markers on the Banda Bank the water sharply dropped to a cool green 62 degrees. The water remained green until passing abreast of Cabo Colnett where we encountered a 3 degree temperature break. We began seeing flying fish everywhere which boosted our hopes for encountering some good hookups. Lou and I both saw it at the same time but had little time to react as the billfish appeared 50 feet in front of us. The fish sunk out never to be seen again. Lou then spots fish crashing and we immediately had a double knockdown on smallish yellowfin tuna. One was kept for sashimi. We continued to get occasional jig strikes on the small YFT and soon the Patron was getting them as well. Another marlin made it’s presence known when it appeared 50’ off the bow while jumping towards us. Again the billfish disappeared despite our stopping and deploying a fresh mackerel offering. As we approached San Martin Island both boats scored some nicer grade dorado.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip3.jpg
Our course into San Martin put the 4’ wind swell on our quarter and we used the waves to maximize our speed. Unfortunately, I did not have my trim tabs up and at one point the wave we were surfing on pushed us into the trough and the bow dug in. This was the only scary moment of the trip as the boat tipped and the fly bridge was almost touching the water. The wave actually broke and filled the cockpit with 50 gallons of water. Trim tabs were placed up and no further incidents were encountered. We were greeted by a huge pod of porpoise which escorted us to out anchorage for night two. Patron anchored in close proximity. I immediately went to work preparing blackened dorado and seared ahi for dinner. Our menu actually called for spaghetti but, who could resist fresh fish?
By 9:00PM the dishes were done and Lou and I were ready to turn in. Since the next anchorage destination was only 40 miles south we opted to set the alarm for 6:00AM.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip4.jpg
Fish camp at San Martin Island
Leg three (San Martin to Isla Geronimo):
When the alarm sounded Lou and I awoke to a beautiful sunrise and could not resist throwing a few casts into the kelp. Lou’s first few casts resulted in a fat 6.5 lb calico bass on a storm lure. Shortly after that Patron joined in on the fun with Yale and Dan boating a few fat calicos of their own. Large barracuda and bonito also attacked my surface iron with a reckless abandon. It was hard to put the rods down but, it was time to go.
While departed the area we made a couple jig drops at Roca Ben. Unfortunately the first fish was snatched by a sea lion before even seeing it. The pesky mammal would not leave us alone so we moved on.
The remainder of the transit to Geronimo was uneventful except for a couple dorado and small tuna and once again we received an escort comprised of hundreds of porpoise. The afternoon wind had really begun to blow and our attempts to drift for halibut and bass in the lee of the island were in vain. A slight distance south of the island breakers were visible on the infamous Sacramento reef where numerous ships had run aground over the years. The reef is actually named for the Steamship Sacramento which ran aground here and subsequently broke up on the reef. We proceeded to anchorage to prepare dinner. While dinner was simmering the anchor was dragging under the strain of a stiff 25 MPH breeze. When repositioning we discovered that the anchor was covered with sea grass which impeded the anchor from digging into the mud. After setting the hook once more and verifying a good set, we hit the bunk for the night.
Leg four (Geronimo to Punta San Carlos):
Yale and I had planned this day to maximize our inshore fishing opportunities in the areas around Sacramento reef and we were both glad that we did. This day started with a thick fog. The radar was energized as the chart plotter often depicted the island and reefs inaccurately. Beware not to utilize the chart plotter as your single source of navigation information, especially in this area. Lou and I found a rock loaded with meter marks in between the island and Sacramento reef. Before I even positioned the boat and left the fly bridge Lou was bendo. Up came a bonito, followed by lingcod, yellowtail, huge whitefish then a big sand bass. This was an exciting stop as the jigs never made it to the bottom before being slammed by a variety of fish. The bite turned into a wide open foamer on big sand bass up to 8 lbs!
The fish were actually ravenous as they fought each other to eat our jigs.
After getting tired of pulling up huge sand bass for an hour we opted to fish closer to the reef where Yale and Dan reported wide open calico bass with yellows mixed in. We positioned inside of the reef and the light wind gave us a perfect drift along the edge of the kelp which lined the inside of the reef. Nearly every cast into the kelp resulted in a large calico and occasional small yellowtail. I broke out my son’s Corsica and seeker bass flipping stick combo and had a blast. If you caught a bass less than 3 lbs you were bummed but, no worry as your next cast would result in a 4, 5, or 6 lb’er.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip5_6.jpg
Average Sacramento Reef Calico, Lou with another quality calico
After a couple hours of this incredible fishing, it was time to move on to the next anchorage a short distance away. The transit to Punta San Carlos was uneventful as well until we got close to the point. The wind at this location was howling 25-30+ MPH. We were not surprised to see wind surfers speeding along the point. I brought my favorite short board but, the 4’ wind swell was just too weak looking and the water was a bone chilling 56 degrees. A dinner of fresh lingcod tacos really hit the spot. After witnessing a beautiful sunset we settled in our bunks for the evening with a full belly in anticipation of our crossing to Isla Benitos and fishing Ranger bank along the way.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip7.jpg
Staple diet of fresh fish tacos
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip8.jpg
Punta San Carlos sunset
Leg five (San Carlos to Isla Benitos):
At 1:30am the alarm started beeping and it was time to begin the 60+ mile crossing over Bahia Vizcaino to Isla Benitos. Fortunately the wind had subsided to almost nothing. The full moon reflected off the water and provided a good reference point for steering the Tenacious (since the auto pilot quit working). At first light the marlin jigs went in. The water was a beautiful 70+ degrees and dark blue. We soon had our first real shot at a marlin when the outrigger popped followed by a short zip. I turned in time to see the fish speed over the next jig in the spread. I yelled at Lou to drop back a mackerel but, the fish was already tapping its bill on the next lure. Next the other outrigger popped but, didn’t stick. The fish sampled every lure in the spread before Lou got the mackerel back. The fish immediately ate it but, managed to rip it off the hook. Marlin 1 Tenacious 0. Five minutes later Patron hooks a marlin on a dorado colored Zuker and Dan and Yale manage to complete a successful release on an estimated 125lb Striper.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip9.jpg
Dan doing battle with marlin on Patron
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip10.jpg
Nice water over Ranger Bank
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip11.jpg
Lou with one of many YFT released
While attempting to film Patron’s battle the outrigger pops again and it’s “game on” with an unhappy dorado. This type of action continued during the course of the transit with many dorado and small yellowfin tuna released, and several more unsuccessful marlin opportunities. We were extremely fortunate to encounter such perfect weather for our first crossing. Upon arrival at Benitos Yale took the Patron west around the windward side of the island while I pointed Tenacious toward the location which Dan Fuller said was always loaded with quality yellowtail. Local Pangeros greeted us by demanding a soda or some candy. The one guy said that he was the lighthouse keeper and had his wife and kids on the island year round. He said that his kids would love some candy. I brought candy for just such an occasion but, upon providing the bag of candy we observed the panga crew devouring the candy sharing high fives. I think we were had!
Upon arrival at our secret spot we immediately began metering lots of yellowtail on the Furuno and dropped the jigs down into them. It didn’t take long to feel the thump of a large yellowtail on the end of the line. After getting rocked a couple times on 25lb gear I finally managed to land one of the brutes which we estimated at 20+ lbs.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip12.jpg
Benitos Island yellowtail
We called in the Patron who arrived an hour later after Lou and I released several more yellows of the same quality and got broke off a few more times too. When the Patron arrived they quickly went to work slamming big yellowtail. Dan had the hot stick catching and releasing more big yellows than any of us. Later that evening at anchorage Dan shared his secrets with us. The anchorage at Benitos was very comfortable and well protected from the westerly breeze. After a long day of traveling and pulling on big yellows I was at my most tired point of the trip. After a quick dinner I passed out until the next AM. When I woke up I was excited about the prospects of fishing armed with Dan’s yellowtail secrets. First I wound on some fresh 30lb P-line (Dan recommended 50lb) top shot onto my 50lb spectra and tied on a fresh Salas 6x. Next I tightened my drag to an almost locked positioned. After a cup of coffee and some cereal we made the short 1 mile trip to spot I’ll call yellowtail ridge. Lou and I were now more successful in our hookup to catch ratio. Unfortunately our nemeses soon introduced himself in the form of a large sea lion. Lou affectionately named this ruthless creature “Fat boy”. Fat Boy proceeded to follow us everywhere we went and stole several fish from Lou and me. We even attempted to cruise slowly by Patron in an attempt to have the animal harass them and leave us alone. This attempt was fruitless. Fat Boy had made up his mind that he was our dog for the remainder of the day. Yale and Dan continued pulling in healthy yellows while Lou and I evaded Fat Boy by trolling a mile away from the island for all the dodos you wanted. We dropped down to 15lb trolling gear to have more fun.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip13.jpg
One hour and countless dorado later we rejoined Yale and Dan on yellowtail ridge and yes Fat Boy returned as our loyal companion. I was able to capture some video of Dan and Yale on one of their many double yellowtail hookups.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip14.jpg
Patron with a yellowtail double again
This was the first full day of fishing with no real destination and between the Patron and Tenacious I’m sure more than 100 fish were caught and released. At days end we both proceeded to anchorage and prepared for the next day’s journey to the southern anchorage at Cedros Island. Another calm night at anchor was very welcome and allowed for a good night’s sleep.
Leg six (Benitos to Cedros):
This day started at a leisurely pace when we awoke at 5:30AM, had coffee, and motored towards yellowtail ridge to check the conditions and for one more shot at big fish prior to leaving for Cedros. My secret agenda was to land a 40lb tail. A few smallish yellowtail were caught by Tenacious while Patron reported catching several larger tails (of course…Dan again). Since Yale was unsuccessful contacting Jeff Meeker via the satellite phone I felt that we needed a tropical storm update before going further south. I hailed one of the few American sport boats we saw at the Islands and was successful in getting a cheerful response and weather report indicating “all clear” from the vessel “Horizon”. Yale and Dan remained at yellowtail ridge while Lou and I scouted south and east from Benitos. Lou and I shared a grin when Yale reported that Fat Boy had made friends with the Patron. As Lou and I approached the SW corner of Cedros we witnessed hundreds of birds and bait busting everywhere. We were only in 60’ of water and within casting distance of the island when we saw dorado zipping through the blue/green water. I threw a surface iron into the kelp and what happened next will remain in my memory as long as I live. As I began to retrieve the jig a huge yellowtail raced along the surface from 10 feet away and slammed the jig then commenced to tail walk another 10 feet. After that awesome surface display the fish dove and wrapped me in the kelp breaking the line! I didn’t even care as the action we both witnessed was worth the price of the entire trip.
The water being so thick with bait I decided to tie on the sabiki rig and replenish our dwindling mackerel supply. Rather than the familiar tapping of the sabiki rig by Spanish and green mackerel I felt a solid thump followed by another. Big Macks I thought. To my surprise I actually had a bit of a fight on my hands as I lifted the sabiki to find a 4lb and a 2lb calico attached. The fish were released and we successfully added several fresh mackerel to our bait supply. The wind began to blow from the west as we approached Cabo San Agustin sometimes reaching 25MPH. This was not a problem as we rounded the point towards our anchorage location. The anchorage at Cedros Island was by far my favorite as it provided a very calm picturesque amphitheater and an opportunity for a well deserved swim call.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip15.jpg
Swim call
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip16.jpg
Patron at Cedros Island anchorage
Patron finally caught up with us and anchored a stone’s throw away. Yale had prepared several meals prior to the trip and was generous enough to share one of his outstanding
creations with us. The shrimp scampi cioppino was a meal to remember. The stars that evening lit up the sky and paved the way for a beautiful moonrise over the mountainous island. Lou was already asleep while I pondered the meaning of life under a canopy of a million shining stars. A live mackerel was tossed out in hopes of enticing a large bottom dwelling fish. I was sure it was midnight as I turned in but, when I went to set the alarm, the clock read 9:30. Funny how we were just wiped out every night before 10:00PM.
Leg seven (Cedros to Tortugas):
The day started as most others had. A cup of coffee, and a bowl of cereal, followed by dumping the live bait into the bait tank, and weighing anchor. We followed Patron through the morning gray light as she motored gently away from anchorage and set a course between Isla Cedros and Isla Natividad. I ensured Yale knew that if there was any decent surf at Natividad that I was going to go AWOL for a couple hours and would catch up with him later. At sun rise we were greeted by hundreds of seagulls and pelicans crashing around Morro Redondo. Lou and I could not resist the temptation and fired off a couple long casts into the mayhem. As I retrieved the surface iron it suddenly stopped and reversed course under the heavy weight of a thug yellowtail. A great way to start the morning!
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip17.jpg
Scott with an early morning breezer at Cedros
Yale and Dan were eager to get to Tortugas and scope out the fuel situation so we decided
to crank up some RPMs and make up some distance.
As we passed Isla Natividad we noticed a large yacht anchored just outside the world class right hand sand point break and a single engine aircraft on the run way adjacent to the point. A campsite was also visible on the beach. Seemed as though there were already some adventurous surfers at the famous location. There were no surfers in the lineup as we passed and after observing the point for a few minutes it was apparent that there was no swell whatsoever bending around the point. Not to worry as we were within a mile of the next big attraction in the area. Chester Rocks is on par with the world class surf spot for large yellowtail. The current was ripping through the passage between Natividad and Punta Eugenia as we eased up to a kelpy high spot with a lot of gulls working it hard. My first cast with the surface iron was greeted with a hard slam and long powerful run. I already had tightened drag as much as the Torium 16 would allow with 30 lb line but, it was not enough. The fish obviously had a plan as it wrapped my line around every piece of kelp attached to the rocks that it was seeking cover in. I kept the pressure on the line and somehow the kelp broke free and I was able to pull a mass of the brown vegetation to the surface. I was pretty sure that the fish had long since broken free but, to my surprise after clearing the bushes it was still there. Not wanting to hurt the fish, I reached down and grabbed the massive yellowtail by the mouth and hoisted it aboard. My 40 lber? Not quite but, it was my personal best of the trip so far.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip18.jpg
Scott with his personal best tail of the trip at Chester Rocks
We knew we had to get to Tortugas and fuel and we weren’t sure how long the entire ordeal might take so we said goodbye to the fishy area and agreed to fish it again after fueling. The rugged coast north of Tortugas looked like a great future destination for a surf trip and I noted several points to check at a later date. While turning the corner into Bahia Tortugas there was no question where the fueling facility was. The cunning business woman “Annabelle” had strategically paced whitewashed rocks along the hill overlooking her operation. If that was not enough, Carlos, her fuel barge operator sped towards us in a panga to announce that fuel was available. I suspect that this was an attempt to lure us to the fuel barge before we caught a glimpse of the fuel pier around the corner. It was all too easy as we pulled alongside the barge and filled the main tank and containers. We took on 123 gallons of fuel and after some calculating we determined that we burned a little over 105 gallons of fuel between Ensenada and Tortugas. Carlos then offered to take us into town for some ice, limes, tortillas, and tequila. After debarking his panga we were escorted to a late model Jeep Cherokee and were on our way into town. The short drive revealed hundreds of old vehicle carcasses strewn along the road. I kept and eye out for my 1993 Pathfinder which was stolen last year.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip19.jpg
Annabelle’s fuel operation at Bahia Tortugas
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip20.jpg
Patron fueling from the barge at Tortugas.
The entire logistics stop at Tortugas only took 2.5 hours. Carlos was tipped well and we were happy too! Yale and I decided to run at 15 knots back up the line in an attempt to get back to Benitos for the late afternoon bite at the ridge. Since we had successfully reached our southernmost destination and realized that fuel was not an issue we were both feeling cocky. We put the bow down plowed through the building noontime afternoon wind chop. We made it back to the ridge as planned and enjoyed some more fantastic yellowtail fishing. Prior to anchoring, Yale once again offered up a hot lasagna plate. We anchored and rafted up wit the Patron for Lasagna and tequila to celebrate the day’s successes.
http://www.bocapix.com/data/521/medium/mextrip21.jpg
Yale and Dan AKA Fish Killer!
Another outstanding nigh at anchor and it was time to begin the trek back north. We retraced our track and fished most of the same spots which we hit along the southern journey of the trip for more outstanding fishing. In the spirit of wrapping up this story, Ill spare you the blow by blow details and hit a few highlights.
The return trip from Benitos was met with some stiff winds and short seas. This was our only uncomfortable leg of the trip but, the Billfisher/AD-41 combo performed well in the slop. We fished Sacramento Reef again. This time with the intent of keeping some big calico fillets for the freezer and later use. Yes the fishing was just as good as the first time we fished there. Ben’s Rock was really looking good on the return voyage so Lou and I made a few drops in the thick meter marks. Yellowtails in the 10-15lb class were chasing the jig to the surface but, were often reluctant to eat it. A few were caught and released. One more fuel stop at Hotel Coral and we realized that we burned slightly more on the northern route than the southern route. Makes sense when you consider that we had the wind and seas pushing us as we headed south. Still we only burned about 120 gal between Tortugas and Ensenada and we often were running at 16 knots.
Yale and Dan opted to return to San Diego after refueling at Ensenada while Lou and I decided to stay at the resort over night and take advantage of the Jacuzzi, bar, and other amenities. Our ride home the following morning was casual and we trolled the entire way. We managed a few yellowfin tuna on the porpoise and a nice dorado on a blind jig strike. As we approached the 371 area we both realized that the adventure was over. Numerous private boaters were zooming around from paddy to paddy and obscenities were heard on the VHF.
A USCG Cutter was drifting off of Imperial Beach and the Tenacious was a ripe target for the RHIB crew as we had the extra fuel tanks on deck. When we reported that we had been in Mexican waters for 12 days and ventured 320 miles south we were met with looks of disbelief. When the boarding Petty Officer learned that our destination was US Customs he waved us through without boarding. Upon arrival at the customs dock we were pleasantly surprised by only a 20 minute wait and a professional attitude by the customs officer. We were cleared within 30 minutes of arrival.
The end.