ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
C
Page 164
H A P T E R
T
H I R T E E N
Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción Baja’s final fishing frontier, with short runs to unbelievable yellowtail and trophy calico action inshore and pelagics offshore THESE TWO spots on the outer coast of the Vizcaíno Peninsula are without question the most remote and challenging trailer-boat destinations in Baja. Although the roads to both were being gradually paved as of September 2007, there were still long stretches of punishing washboard—about 20 miles to get to Asunción (ah-soon-see-OHN) and about 40 miles for Tortugas. Beach-launching at Asunción ranges from dicey to scary to impossible, depending on the swell. Tortugas has an excellent ramp, but it’s a half-hour from town via—you guessed it— another washboard road. Are they worth it? That depends on what kind of trip you’re looking for, when you’re going, and how much of a beating your equipment can take. If you like the idea of pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a trailer-boat and you go into it with a good bit of time and a healthy sense of adventure, Asunción and Tortugas are ideal. The coastal waters from Asunción up to Punta Eugenia (ay-oo-HAYnee-uh) probably get less fishing pressure than any other part of Baja. Obviously, very few trailer-boaters make the trip, and there aren’t even many people who drive in to charter pangas. The local commercial panga fleets work mainly lobster and abalone, more or less leaving the fish alone. That leaves the San Diego long-range boats and a few big private yachts that fish the area en route to or from Cabo. From early October through sometime in late December or January, the yellowtail fishing here is as good as it gets. You’ll likely find yourself fishing alongside the long-range fleet, which makes the long trip down specifically for the unbelievable yellowtail fishing at Bahía San Pablo, Punta Eugenia and around Isla Cedros and the Islas San Benito. With the right weather, you can reasonably fish the latter three spots from Tortugas. Talk about pushing the boundaries of trailer-boating… This area is sort of a “headquarters” for all the yellowtail that migrate up and down the west coast of North America, and your 164 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 165
If you like the idea of pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a trailer-boat, the upper Vizcaíno Peninsula is your place. Crossing paths with the long-range boat Qualifier 105 at Isla Cedros.
chances of catching a 50-pounder here are better than probably anywhere else except Isla Guadalupe or Alijos Rocks. The whole area is also loaded with big calico bass; dorado, smaller yellowfin tuna, and sometimes marlin and wahoo are within 20 miles of the coast during fall and early winter. The weather is good too during this time of year—warm and relatively calm. The rest of the year, though, Asunción and Tortugas just aren’t worth the trouble. Chances are good you’ll get blown off the water, and, while there are still calicos to catch, the yellowtail and pelagics aren’t around. Finally, there’s no reason to sugarcoat this—the roads to either spot will beat the hell out of your trailer, boat, and vehicle. The unrelenting washboard is brutal on trailer springs, tires, and couplers, as well as on anything loose in your boat. Electronics mounting brackets break, screws back out, water jugs wear through, reel handles fall off, lures wear the paint off each other—it ain’t pretty. And even the strongest, coolest-running engines get hot crawling up long grades at 10 mph. Bottom line—unless you’ve got a stout trailer with good tires and at least two spares, a strong 4WD tow vehicle, and a boat without too many bells and whistles to break, this isn’t the trip for you. If your equipment is up to it, though, again, it’s a great adventure and you’ll probably find great fishing.
BAHÍA DE TORTUGAS Bahía de Tortugas is a big, well-protected bay less than 20 miles by water southeast of Punta Eugenia, the extreme northwestern tip of the Vizcaíno Peninsula; a little over 20 miles from Isla Natividad; and about 33 miles from Morro Redondo, the closest point on Isla Cedros. In other words, it’s a reasonably easy run to some of the best yellowtail fishing in the world. The town of Bahía de Tortugas, located on the northwestern shore of the bay, is surprisingly large, with more than 3,000 residents, two Pemex stations, three hotels, a well-stocked grocery store, and the only fuel dock/barge between Ensenada and Mag Bay. It’s not the prettiest or most charming of Baja’s villages by a long shot, but the people are friendly enough and you can count on finding supplies from potable ice to diesel fuel. I should preface this description by apologizing for the fact that it’s Chapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 165
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 166
not as complete as others. When I visited Tortugas in early September of 2007, Hurricane Henriette was one day from making landfall somewhere in southern Baja and was projected to track northward across the peninsula. Having been trapped in the past by heavy flooding around Vizcaíno, I wasn’t going to take any chances. I wanted to get back on the highway and north of Guerrero Negro before the storm hit, and that left me only half a day for research in Tortugas.
O
Launching and Parking Several maps and books show or refer to a cement launch ramp right in town. As of September 2007, there was no sign of one. Although there was hip-high surf on the beach in front of town during my visit, I was told it was due to the big south swell generated by the hurricane and that the beach rarely had more than a little surge. If that’s true, it might well be possible to beach-launch a 21-footer with a good 4WD tow-vehicle. To get to the launch spot the local pangueros use, turn left from the main street entering town just past the Mercadito Polanco on your left. As soon as you turn, the street drops down a short, steep hill. After a quarter-mile or so, it essentially dead-ends at the launching beach. The good ramp in Bahía de Tortugas is actually at the El Rincón fish camp in the southwestern corner of the bay. Surprisingly, it’s a beauty—a steep, deep cement job, well-sheltered from everything but wind-chop from the northeast, which doesn’t have enough fetch to get very big anyway. You could easily launch a deep-vee 23-footer here, and probably a 25—if 166 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
VERVIEW: BAHÍA DE TORTUGAS
Main attractions: Adventure trailer-boating at its best— remote, beautiful, challenging, and waaay off the beaten path; world-class fishing for yellowtail and trophy calicos at Chester Rocks and Isla Cedros Hours from the Border: 15 to 18 Launching: Easy—good cement ramp suitable at most tides for anything you can tow out here; no dock; free Logistics: Not bad, once you’re there—gas, diesel, all supplies, services in town except maybe a bank; only difficulty is that ramp is a half-hour each way from town Accommodations: Modest hotels or boondocking Season: September-December; October and November best Boat requirements: Anything that can withstand the washboard; at least a seaworthy 20-footer for the 35-mile run to Cedros Vehicle requirements: Full-size 4WD with diesel or strong gas engine to avoid overheating on slow drive out Contacts: Motel Nanci, 615-158-0100 Hotel y Restaurant Veracruz, 615-158-0410 Hotel Rendón, 615-158-232
The El Rincón ramp in Bahía de Tortugas is usable at all tides in almost all weather with any boat you can manage to get there in one piece. The only thing missing is a dock.
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 167
The village of Isla Cedros has a breakwater-protected harbor, a pier with a floating boarding platform, most supplies, and at least one hotel and restaurant. The excellent yellowtail fishing around Morro Redondo is just a few miles away.
you could manage to get it here in one piece. There’s no dock, but what do you want in Baja’s most remote town? To find the ramp, take the signed right turn (assuming you’re coming from town) for El Rincón, just a mile or two past the Pemex station. There are a few forks, but they all go the same place except for one with a small shrine about 6-1/2 miles from the turnoff. Stay to the right here. The ramp is about 8-1/2 miles and a half-hour from the turnoff. There are some sandy sections that you might or might not get through with 2WD, but you want 4WD out here regardless. I asked several guys at the fish camp, and they all said visitors were welcome to use the ramp and that there was no fee. There’s plenty of room to park; just make sure you’re not in the pangueros’ way. Frankly, your tow-vehicle is completely vulnerable here; there’s no one around to hear a window break. On the other hand, I got the impression that if you take a few minutes to introduce yourself, ask permission to use the ramp and park, and ask if your vehicle will be safe, it will be. At the fish camp of Punta Quebrada, about 11 miles north of town on more washboard—and closer to Eugenia and Cedros—there’s a small, well-protected cove where it looks like you could possibly launch a 21-footer over the beach. When I visited during a big, hurricane-generated south swell, there was twofoot surf, but in prevailing north or northwest weather, it might work. Frankly, though, with a boat capable of making 20 or 25 mph offshore, it just makes more sense to use the good ramp at El Rincón. Navigation Notes Shallow flats surround the El Rincón ramp for at least a few hundred yards in all directions. I didn’t see anything shallower than about four feet at less than half-tide, but be careful anyway. Give the rocks running northwestward from Cabo Tórtolo a wide berth, too. Make sure you’re well clear of that last wash-rock before breaking to port to exit the bay. Again, it’s a little less than 20 miles up to Punta Eugenia from the mouth of Tortugas, and a couple more around the corner to Chester Rocks. From Eugenia to Morro Redondo on Isla Cedros is about 15 more. The village on Cedros, which has a protected harbor and most services, is about five miles north of the big salt-loading facility near Redondo. During my visit, the whole area was flat as a farm pond, but this is nonetheless big, wild, unpredictable water that warrants a lot of respect. Chapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 167
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 168
Conceivably, with the right weather, you could fish the Islas San Benito from Tortugas as well. They’re about 60 miles from the mouth of the bay, but I’d go to Cedros first, fish for the afternoon, stay in the harbor, make the approximately 70-mile round-trip run to the Benitos the next day, stay at Cedros again, and then fish my way back to Tortugas on the third morning. I haven’t made the trip myself, and it’s obviously one only for seriously experienced small-boat skippers, but it would be a world-class adventure. Keep an eye out for dense kelp beds and occasional breaking waves in seemingly open water throughout the triangle formed by Punta Rompiente, the northwestern tip of Isla Natividad, and Cabo San Augustin on Isla Cedros. These waters are surprisingly shallow, and there are numerous high spots, as shallow as 30 feet, miles from the nearest land. The currents really rip through here, too, especially around Natividad. Access, Accommodations, and Logistics To get to Tortugas, take the obvious turn to the west off of Highway 1 in Vizcaíno. Although Tortugas has all services and supplies, there are no services whatsoever between Vizcaíno and Tortugas, and very little traffic. Stock up on drinking water (a couple gallons per person) and emergency food before leaving Vizcaíno, and be prepared to spend a day and/or a night in the desert in case you break down. The Mercado San Marcos, on the left as you’re leaving town, is reasonably well stocked, and the owner is a fishermen who keeps up with what’s going on out at the coast. He also travels the road fairly regularly. He speaks no English, but he draws a pretty informative map in the dirt. Also make sure all your tires are in top shape before leaving Vizcaíno. This road eats trailer tires for breakfast and truck tires for lunch. Don’t even try it without at least two trailer spares and one tow-vehicle spare. Three and two is better. Check all your pressures in town, including spares, and if you even suspect a leak, have it checked out at a llantera. There’s a good one on the right immediately after you make the right turn from Highway 1 onto the Tortugas road. (Also see “Trailering on Washboard” in Chapter 9.) The first 48 miles, out to the fork where the Asunción road takes off to the south, are paved. For the first few miles, the road is fairly narrow and rough with lots of potholes. After that, there are a lot of 60 mph 168 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
The interior of the Vizcaíno Peninsula is a lonely, wild, and forbidding place. Don’t attempt to cross it without emergency water and food in case of a breakdown. An apparently abandoned bulldozer near the AsunciónTortugas fork.
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
In September 2007, there were 40 miles of punishing washboard left between the AsunciónTortugas fork and the pavement extending east from Bahía de Tortugas. Take at least two trailer spares.
Page 169
stretches, but also some areas where the edges of the pavement are crumbling away. If you meet an oncoming vehicle on one of these, you’ll have your right-side tires in the dirt. Near the end of the pavement, starting about 40 miles out, there are some very badly potholed sections where you’ll want to slow all the way down to 10 mph or so. Plan on about an hour to the AsunciónTortugas fork. After the fork, the washboard begins, and it’s bad. On the way out in September 2007, it took me about 3-1/2 hours to cover the approximately 40 miles to the beginning of the pavement that runs east from Tortugas. But that included three stops to cobble the side-guides on my trailer back together and one to change a trailer tire. On the return trip, when seemingly everything that was going to break had already broken, I made it in a little over two hours. That time I was really pushing it. I’d say 2-1/2 to three hours is a reasonable estimate. In September 2007, the pavement extended about 18 miles out from Tortugas, and road crews were actively extending it; the dirt stretch is likely shorter by now. The entire 105-mile trip from Vizcaíno to Tortugas took me a little under five hours outbound and about 3-1/2 hours coming back. There are now two Pemex stations in Tortugas, both of which sell diesel. One is on your left just as you enter town; to get to the other, take a right in the middle of town immediately before the police station on your right. It’s a hundred yards up the hill on your left. Both have plenty of maneuvering room. The best market is the Mercadito Patrón, on your right a little past the Pemex as you enter town. They have a good stock of groceries as well as potable cube-ice, and they open at 7 a.m. The Mercadito Polanco, a little farther in on your left, is pretty good too and also sells ice. They told me they opened at seven, but they didn’t. There are at least three hotels in town: the Hotel Rendón, the Hotel Veracruz, and the Motel Nanci. We stayed at the Motel Nanci, which was passable and had hot water and ceiling fans but wasn’t exactly sparkling clean, even by small-town Baja standards. Also, while the owners clearly mean well, they’re perhaps too friendly and helpful, at least for American tastes. On the other hand, they own a fenced, gated storage yard across the street that’s big enough for a 21-footer hooked to a full-size pickup, and Chapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 169
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 170
they’re more than happy to let you park in it for the night. The owner and a guy who lives just down the street that I’d been introduced to by a fishing guide in Asunción seemed genuinely concerned about leaving my rig on the street overnight. According to them, there’s a lot of drug-related petty theft in town. At any rate, to get to the Motel Nanci, assuming you’re entering town from the east, turn left off the main street immediately past the Mercadito Polanco and descend a short, steep hill. The motel is a bright blue building on your left a hundred yards or so toward the water. In September 2007, a double was $32.
To get to the Hotel Veracruz, turn right in the middle of town just before the police station on your right. It’s on your right just after the Pemex on your left. To get to the Hotel Rendón, continue straight past the police station. Take a left, then a right, then another left, and it’s on your right after a couple blocks. That sounds confusing, but just take the obvious main route at each intersection. Both the Veracruz and the Rendón appeared to have off-street—although probably not secured— parking for truck-trailer rigs. Unfortunately, I just ran out of time and couldn’t look them over carefully. Again, the El Rincón ramp is a good half-hour from town. That’s not too big a deal; many of us drive more than that to get to the ramp when 170 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 171
The rugged coastline near Bahía de Tortugas is a calico fisherman’s paradise, with mile after mile of virtually unfished kelp beds and boilers. The fall yellowtail fishing is equally good.
we’re at home. If you’re set up for self-contained camping, though, there’s plenty of room along the bay just short of El Rincón. It’s open country with no shelter from the wind or sun, but it’s a pretty area and definitely close to the ramp. I’d be a bit nervous myself about camping there, based on what I heard about petty crime in town. Another option is to anchor off the beach in town. Both the owner of the Motel Nanci and my other acquaintance said there was all-night vigilancia (security) on the water and that my boat would be safer on the hook than on the street. When I was in Tortugas, there was enough surf that you wouldn’t want to nose up to the beach, but I was told by several people that the surf was a result of the hurricane to the south. Still, it would be easy enough to pay a panguero a couple bucks to ferry you out to your rig. I didn’t have time to figure out where to wash down, although I suspect the Motel Nanci would let you use their water if they have a faucet close enough to the street. Where to Fish The best-known yellowtail spots within range of Tortugas are Chester Rocks, just around Punta Eugenia, and Morro Redondo on Isla Cedros. Both areas have extensive kelp beds; work just outside the kelp. In the fall, most of the fishing is on the surface with flylined or slow-trolled live mackerel, trolled Rapala-style plugs, or surface iron. The kelp in both of these areas is loaded with big calicos. The popular long-range “skiff trips” from San Diego typically visit this area, and it produces more than its share of trophy-size fish. Of course, the kelp beds and boilers all along the coast of the peninsula and around Cedros are good as well. Natividad isn’t as dependable. The continental shelf is only six miles or so straight out from the mouth of Bahía de Tortugas, and there are typically plenty of dorado and yellowfin around in the fall. Just look for a likely area on a recent sea-surface-temperature chart and go from there. There are certainly plenty of mackerel in the bay, and it shouldn’t be hard to figure out either from a local or from one of the big sportfishers passing through where to make bait.
BAHÍA ASUNCIÓN Bahía Asunción is a windy little lobster and abalone town roughly midChapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 171
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 172
way between La Bocana to the southeast and Tortugas to the northwest. It’s much smaller than Tortugas, and has no diesel and only a sketchy beach launch. On the other hand, as of September 2007, it was a far less punishing drive than Bahía de Tortugas. The yellowtail fishing probably isn’t quite as good as it is out of Tortugas, but the calico fishing is better, and the offshore fishing is at least as good. Asunción is also home to the friendly, generous, and extremely knowledgeable fishing and diving guide Manuel Arce, who is himself a very good reason to visit the place.
Yep, that’s the launch spot. It doesn’t always look this bad, but even in good conditions, you’re dealing with surge and lots of submerged rocks just beyond the beach.
Launching and Parking The primary launch at Asunción is on the east (feels like south) side of the point that extends south (feels like west) from town. To get to it, follow the main drag through town to the end VERVIEW BAHÍA ASUNCIÓN of the pavement, take a left, and aim for the big white buildings of the local Main attractions: Same as Tortugas—remote, beautiful, challengpacking plant. As usual, there are seving, and rarely visited; great yellowtail and calico fishing, especially eral forks, but it’s easy enough to find at famous Bahía San Pablo your way through. Hours from the Border: 13 to 15 Pass the packing plant on your Launching: Dicey at best—over the beach with lots of rocks and right, and just ahead of you is a steep surge; free dirt road that descends though a manLogistics: Tough—difficult launching; semi-sheltered anchorage; made cut in the coastal bluffs to a fairnear-impossible to beach boat; gas, basic supplies and services in ly sheltered cove. Manuel Arce’s place town; no bank; no diesel is immediately to the right (south) of the cut. If the tide is fairly low, you Accommodations: Rustic hotel, rental houses, or boondocking can drive forward down the cut and Season: September through December; October and November best turn around on the rock and hardBoat Requirements: The shallower and tougher the better; nothing sand beach. If it’s high, you have to bigger than a 21-foot glass deep-vee back down the cut. There are usually Vehicle Requirements: Full-size 4WD with diesel or strong gas a few pangas and pickups right at engine to avoid overheating on slow drive out the bottom just to make it all a bit Contacts: more interesting. A 4WD vehicle Manuel Arce Aguilar, 615-160-0241 is mandatory. calicoloco@hotmail.com or kalicosloco@yahoo.com Even in the best conditions, there’s Motel Verduzco, 615-160-0004 a good bit of surge on this little beach, Shari Bondy, 615-160-0289, BajaBNB.com and it’s not very steep either. In other words, launching here means dousing
O
172 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
:
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
At low tide, you can drive forward down the slot through the bluffs and get turned around on the hardsand beach. Nothing bigger than a 21-foot deep-vee could be launched here.
Another view of the Asunción launch. The steep dirt slot through the bluff requires 4WD, and the shallow pitch requires getting your vehicle wet. Manuel Arce’s house is to the left of the slot.
Page 173
the entire undercarriage of your tow vehicle. It’s also not a place where you really want to nose up to the beach to load gear or crew. Not only is there surge—or small surf—but there are also rocks all over the place. The bottom line is that unless you run a very tough boat with a good high transom and a very shallow draft—something you can drive right up on the sand/rocks in knee-high or better waves—you need shoreside help because getting your tow-vehicle driver aboard is near-impossible. That’s where Manuel and his wife Brenda come in. If you engage Manuel as a guide, Brenda, who is damn good with a truck and trailer, will back you in, rinse the salt off your rig, park it at their house, and then pull you back out as part of the deal. Otherwise, they’ll help you launch, park your rig, pull you back out, and let you use their water to wash down for free. Give them at least $5 for the help, though. However you get in the water, trim your engine(s) up as far as you can while still maintaining enough reverse power to back out through the surge. According to Manuel, the slot between the rocks is too narrow to turn around even a 20-footer. Even with him on board, I dinged my prop on a rock when I was backing out. Again, this is the most challenging launch described in this book. Over on the other side of the point, there’s another sheltered little cove that the pangueros use when the swell direction or wind makes the primary spot unusable. When I was there, it was actually more sheltered than the primary spot, with almost no wave action at all, but very shallow. It’s at least worth a look, though. Navigation Notes The launch cove is a minefield. Just trim it all the way up and watch for the rocks as best you can—or, better yet, take Manuel Arce along as a guide, at least on your first day out. There are also lots of rocks—submerged, awash, and exposed—between Isla Asunción and the end of the point. You can get through, but be very careful. Chapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 173
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 174
For that matter, be very careful everywhere around Isla Asunción, as well as around Isla San Roque five miles to the northwest. Numerous reefs with breaking surf surround both. You can pass safely between San Roque and the coast, but keep a close eye on both your sounder and your surroundings. Picturesque Bahía San Pablo, famous for yellowtail fishing, is about 15 miles northwest of Punta Asunción. Access, Accommodations, and Logistics While the drive from Vizcaíno to Asunción is shorter than that to Tortugas, it requires similar precautions as there are likewise no services at all along the way. (See “Access, Accommodations, and Logistics” for the Bahía de Tortugas section.) The first 48 miles of the trip follow exactly the same route; at the Asunción-Tortugas fork, take a left instead of continuing straight. In September 2007, the first eight miles beyond the fork were partially paved. The road surface had been smoothed and covered in what appeared to be a very thin layer of asphalt. I know nothing about paving, but it certainly looked like it was all ready for the final step. Hopefully, it’s completed by now—and maybe extended a few more miles—but at that time there was no sign of men or equipment. At any rate, the next 18 miles were dirt, although not too bad since the grader had recently been through. The dirt portion took me about 45 minutes each way, plus about 10 minutes for the paved portion. Total driving time from Vizcaíno was a little under two hours, although, again, the dirt was in good shape. I suspect it would be more like 2-1/2 hours normally. With such a challenging launch, this would be a good place to consider leaving your boat in the water rather than pulling it out every afternoon. The local panga fleet moors just outside the launch. You can anchor in the same area, but set only one anchor so your boat swings freely with the pangas. Either pack some kind of dinghy for getting back and forth, or strike up a deal with Manuel or one of the pangueros. The only hotel in town, the Motel Verduzco, is on the right side of the main drag, Benito Juarez, assuming you’re coming into town from the access road. It’s your typical small-town Baja hotel with hot water, ceiling fans, and passable bathrooms. In September 2007, a double was $27. There’s no off-street parking, and Manuel Arce seemed to think it 174 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
In September 2007, the first eight miles past the AsunciónTortugas fork were being paved, and it appeared that the pavement would soon be extended further. Workers had left makeshift roadblocks to keep people off.
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 175
wasn’t a good idea to leave a rig on the street. If you stay at the hotel, he’ll let you leave your boat in his yard at night, where it’s guarded by the biggest Rottweiler I’ve ever seen. He likely won’t ask for any payment, but pay him at least $5 anyway. Another option is camping on the bluffs out near the launch. It’s a gorgeous setting and free, but pretty windy and without a lot of privacy. Ask Manuel or Brenda, in the house just south of the launch, where to set up. There’s also a bed and breakfast of sorts, operated by Shari Bondy and Juan Arce Marron. They have three rental houses in Asunción, which in early 2008 started at $50 a night for two people. All can accommodate more than two, though, and per-person rates are also available, as are weekly rates. Additionally, they rent rooms in their own house for $30, and offer dry camping nearby for $5 and RV camping for $15 (early 2008 rates). Finally, they rent a rustic house in the lonely fish camp of San Roque, eight miles to the north, which in early 2008 went for $30 for two people plus $10 per additional person. It has five separate beds. With the right conditions, you could launch over the beach at San Roque with no more trouble than at Asunción, but the road is fairly rough. Instead, it Chapter Thirteen: Bahía de Tortugas and Bahía Asunción | 175
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 176
would make more sense to launch in Asunción, have someone in your group drive up to San Roque, and leave your boat anchored off the beach there. The San Roque rental house includes a kayak, so you could paddle back and forth to shore. In September 2007, the only real restaurant in Asunción was Tres Hermanos, right next door to the hotel. At night, an outdoor kitchen called Hot Dogs Moyra’s serves hot dogs, hamburgers, burritos, etc. a few blocks toward the point from the hotel on your left. One of these two places gave both my father and me some serious Montezuma’s Revenge. The Mercadito Miramar, on the right a few blocks before the hotel on your way into town, and Abarrotes Leon Floriani, a block past it, are the best grocery stores, and both stock plenty of lunch-type food as well as potable cube-ice. The Miramar also has international phone service for around $1.50 a minute. There’s an internet place nearby on the same side of the street. Manuel will let you wash down with the freshwater hose in his yard. Obviously, ask permission first, and pay him a few dollars even if he doesn’t ask. The water in Asunción, surprisingly, is piped in from Vizcaíno rather than desalinated locally, so it’s fairly cheap. But it’s still not free, and the chance to wash down right at the ramp is a big deal. The gasolinera is right across the street from the Miramar. Apparently, gas is virtually always available, and diesel sometimes is, but don’t plan on the diesel. There’s only one llantera, on your right just at the entrance to town, and during my visit it wasn’t open on either Saturday or Sunday. Where to Fish Regardless of what kind of fishing you’re looking for, fall is the time to fish this area. The action heats up in mid-September and typically runs through late December or early January, but October and November are the best. Fortunately, the best weather comes in the fall too. In The Baja Catch, Kelly and Kira note that the southernmost kelp bed on Baja’s Pacific coast is at Isla San Roque. Curiously, in light of global warming and all that, the kelp extended quite a bit farther south in 2007. Isla Asunción, in fact, was ringed with dense kelp beds, and there was heavy kelp around the point, as well. All of it was loaded with calicos, as were the kelp beds in the bays to the north. The coastal and island boiler rocks throughout the area are also teeming with big bass. 176 | The Angler’s Guide to Trailer-Boating Baja
Manuel Arce, right, will help you launch and retrieve, let you store your boat in his yard, and let you use his freshwater hose to wash down. Happy hour on the bluff above the launch.
ch13-v3#-108
2/28/08
8:38 PM
Page 177
The best bet for yellowtail fishing, according to Manuel Arce (who, as of late 2007, charged $30 to $50 for guide services) is dramatically pretty Bahía San Pablo, 15 miles north of Punta Asunción, although he says that at times yellows can be caught pretty much anywhere in the area. Start with the many high spots in San Pablo and Bahía San Roque, just to the south. Leopard grouper, broomtail grouper, black sea bass, sheephead, whitefish, and white seabass are also commonly caught from the reefs. The blue water comes fairly close to the coast here; the 100fathom curve is less than 10 miles from Punta Asunción and the 500-fathom curve is about 15. Look for dorado, school-size yellowfin tuna, and the occasional wahoo and striped marlin during the fall. Not many people fish offshore out of here, so don’t expect to get much guidance. Just check the sea-surface-temperature charts at the internet place in town and make your own calls. Bait is usually easy to catch somewhere in the bay. Often, it’s just off the launch spot, but ask around.