Gallito ahorra días

Even though the Roosterfish was our desired target species on our trip with a fly, we have had some real fun skirting around the notion that we might not achieve it this year. We have caught a huge variety of species. Check out Steelie Mikes post to see what we are talking about:

Stuff You Catch in Mexico When Not Catching Roosterfish

The Sardines being absent has totally turned the region into some of the toughest fishing in many years. To add to our challenge, the warm blue water has been displaced with a colder green water. In a way its the Sea of Cortez's idea of blowing out. When we did target Roosters we focused most of our time to the beaches. 

Gallito ahorra días (the little fish saves the day!) 

We were just about to call it a day, the words are on the tip of my tongue, of course my eyes are still fixed on the water. The waves roll, creating shadows, making it difficult to watch for fish feeding, I feel like I’m  getting sea sick from shore. After a few days of trying to differentiate the shadows moving under the water you become familiar with what’s what while fishing for Roosters. Turtles cruise at a leisurely pace and are a dark, almost black shadow, needlefish are long and narrow and the irradensent  blue bodies glisten under the reflections of the water, and a rooster is a gray like shadow that travels at a fast, ghostly speed, cruising the shore line.

Frantically the bait is jumping out of the water heading from the edge of the dark blue, right towards the shore, my eyes adjust and the rooster comb pops up. I scream Rooster!! Kathy is startled, I hesitate, then run to the shoreline, ready, the fly drops from my fingers and in one cast it hits the water, right in front of the Rooster. Frantically, I strip the line in as my feet stumble back, trying not to fall back and get tangled in the line dragging on the sand around my ankles. The line is getting pushed around by the incoming tide. The Rooster turns on the fly, but no take, I throw it back out; strip strip strip, the Rooster is gone. That was my one shot of this day.

Just like steelhead fishing, a lot of the times you only get one shoot but you can’t see the fish coming. The thrill of just seeing a Rooster chase a fly is an adrenaline rush.

I don't speak Spanish often, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis!

The man says it best: 

"Stay thirsty my friends"

Siesta, Drink, Play, and Fish

Baja:

Cactus Pecker?

Tegan!

Waiting for Roosterfish and...

Watching for Roosterfish.

Tegan shows dad how to body surf

Ladyfish caught busting a ball of Mullet with a Grande Rooster. Guess which one ate my fly?

We have been having some great family time while exploring the Sea of Cortez as we try to find some aggressive Roosterfish from the beach. Beach fishing for Roosters is a great game and it's always a challenging one! 

Every beach we have fished has had our desired target, we have had shots, and we have been denied! For us, we love it. For us, the harder the game, the more it is a feeling of accomplishment by giving us the ultimate rush when it finally comes together. Granted we have been sleeping in, kayaking, birdwatching, lounging on the beach, drinking beers with limes before lunch, eating excellent food and napping. But what did you expect? We are, after all, ON VACATION!

 Part of what is making the fishing harder this year is the lack of Sardines in the the whole region. To give it a good analogy we can compare them to trout. If there is a ton of salmon flies on the water the fish go crazy, they just plain gorge themselves and get stupid. Throw a piece of foam on a hook and even the hard to catch big bows will put their guard down and eat it! Roosters are similar in the sense that with no big supply of sardines around they are tentative and picky. 

As steelhead guides we are full of hope. You have to be to have success in that game too. With that hope, we expect the sardines will show up any minute down here! The hurricane has mixed up the sea currents over the last couple of days and it could help? It sure can't hurt! We will get out on Pangas next week and even though there are plenty of Mullet and Needlefish around, those Sardines will be the ticket. 

If the bait stays away? The beach might just be the best place for us to hunt for Roosters. From what our week as been like so far...that might not be such a bad thing!

Sneaker Wave

Photo by: Kurt Olesek

Kate and Tegan talk Roosterfish stratagies while Mia gets smashed by a wave back in May. It seems she still got the cast out there!

Rooster Assault Vehicle

Just got a little update from Baja, the Rooster Assault vehicle is going strong, supplying ample shade, leg room, and cooler space for Pacificos and lime. Tegan, Marty, and I had the experience of cruising the beaches in the machine and it kicked ass. We're still thinking about Roosters but gearing up for the Bass season, water levels are high, but dropping, this will give us a longer season for catching Small Mouth Bass. Give us a call if your looking to do some topwater Bass Action.

"The Bravo, Jads 6x6 amphibious Rooster assault vehicle, which has been a great addition to the beach transpo scene. The Bravo offers better elevation for spotting on the run, endless room for stuff, quick entrance & exit, never gets stuck and has comfortable seating for 5 including guide."

Bill

Jad with a "day off" fish

If your looking for a tranquail, relaxed place to stay while visiting the East Cape or surf fishing for Rooster contact Trophy on the Fly.

Cuatro Roosters

Last day of rooster fishing turned out to be a good one!