On the Pacific side there are a series of sea mounts jutting from the ocean’s floor to 150 feet below the surface – the “Finger Bank,” the “Golden Gate Bank,” and the “San Jaime Bank.” These banks throughout the year offer incomparable challenges for both novice and hardcore anglers to catch and release billfish in double- as well as occasionally in triple-digit sizes. There are world-record-sized yellowfin tuna and wahoo as well. Inshore, while smaller by offshore standards, the catch list is fascinating and unusual. On the Pacific side, 131 miles long Magdalena Bay is equal in size to San Francisco Bay. It is created by five barrier islands and possesses countless miles of mangrove-lined channels filled with a remarkable assortment of sportfish to pursue. Offshore, the nutrient-rich Pacific currents sweep in and down the coast in the fall, attracting pelagics of every description feeding on vast schools of forage fish. Billfish, wahoo, tuna, and dorado join with the whales, seals, sharks and porpoise to gorge themselves before continuing their travels up and down the west coast of Baja. It’s hard to imagine a place in the world where as many different species can be seen at one time. Marlin schools race from bait-ball to bait-ball, devouring every single bait – a spectacle that draws big game anglers from around the world. The Magdalena Bay esteros stretch for miles and are like nothing else in Baja. They provide cover for an astonishing list of fish to target. Fishing trips may be arranged in both Puerto San Carlos and Lopez Mateos. i
Southern Baja species that may be caught :
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Amberjack Barracuda Barred Jack Billfish Black Marlin Black Snook Blue Marlin Bonefish Bonita Bonito Broomtail Grouper Cabrilla Cornet Fish Corvina Croaker Dorado Giant Needlefish Grouper Halibut Jack Crevalle Jacks Ladyfish
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOUTHERN BAJA
Marlin Needlefish Palometa Amarilla Pargo Pompano Red Snapper Resident Rockfish Roosterfish Sailfish Saltwater Catfish Seabass Sierra Skipjack Snook Spotted Bay Bass Striped Marlin Surfperch Triggerfish Tuna Wahoo White Sea Bass Yellowfin Tuna
Don Luis Bulnes Molleda
Cabo San Lucas’ Father of Sportfishing by Gary Graham
Mid-afternoon, March 29, 2018, a dedication was held to unveil a bronze statue of Don Luis Bulnes Molleda on the Malecón overlooking the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Bulnes, originally from Ribadesella, Spain, died in 2011; not only is he acknowledged to be one of the five Baja Pioneros, but he is also considered to be Cabo San Lucas’ Father of Sportfishing among his many other accomplishments. His daughter, Maria “Charo” Bulnes noted that he “had left a remarkable dynasty that will continue to be a positive influence on the area for generations to come.” His son, Francisco “Paco” Bulnes Malo shared memories of his father, recalling what a wonderful mentor and teacher he had been, adding how much he appreciated the time he had with his father which prepared him to confront the day-to-day responsibilities required by Solmar as it continues to expand. He was certain that his father would have been pleased to know that a monument had been erected on his behalf.” By 1970, Don Luis Bulnes had concluded that dorado and marlin had to be protected to attract future anglers to the Los Cabos area, and made certain these species were recognized in the FONMAR Fisheries Development Law. His epic work toward the preservation of the area’s billfish resource was acknowledged some 10 years ago when Bulnes received the Billfish Foundation’s most prestigious award for his conservation work in Mexico. “Today, based on his efforts and those he inspired in others, Cabo remains the epicenter of striped marlin fishing in the eastern Pacific," observed Ellen Peel, Billfish Foundation president. Don Luis Bulnes made Cabo San Lucas a better place for its people, and he helped make it a paradise for tourists and anglers from around the world. It’s fitting that a monument now stands on the Malecón to honor this man among men. i