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trphyhntr

Sonora Fishing 12-10

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You don't have to be all that deep to catch fish that size. Here's a gulf grouper I caught in maybe 70-80 feet of water.

 

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A clam diver who was with us said he's seen as many as 10 that size on the same reef all at once.

 

These yellowtails were about the same depth.

 

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This leopard grouper was in no more than 30 feet of water.

 

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All that said, it's true that there are more 100-120 pounders out deeper especially around underwater caves. But you can do pretty darned good within a couple of miles of shore.

 

That video points out some of what's wrong in the Sea of Cortez. Long liners and net fishermen are taking tons of fish every day and earning poverty-level incomes. Consider how much they could earn guiding sport fishermen to catches like that. And then there's the hospitality business that goes with it. Cleaning and packing your fish, serving you grilled seafood on the beach and providing pangas, motors and whatever fishing equipment you didn't bring can be an experience sport fishermen would love and the locals would find much more profitable. Maybe they would even develop a conservation ethic, similar to what we have in the US, where limits are agreed upon and enforced by the local fishing/guiding industry. Under present conditions, it's every man for himself and the fish stock, although still adequate, is declining.

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Awesome pics Larry! I would love to get into some of that wonderful variety of bottom critters the Sea of Cortez has to offer...Grouper, Cabrilla, Pargo, Bass, Snappers all sound like a blast to catch. Plus I can always go for some Hamachi!

 

I agree that something has to give for there to be a sustainable fishery for the folks living along the Sea and a few of us gueros. I recently read a story about how the commercial ban on fishing the N. Sea of Cortez now has the fishermen in El Golfo de Santa Clara participating in the illegal totoaba swim bladder trade, along with the drugs. They are killing more totoaba and vaquita than ever before. How sad!

 

I have no problem releasing the majority of the fish I catch, but I always like to keep some. The problem with the commercialization of sport fishing is the expense. Once the word gets out that there are gringos willing to pay top dollar, a good deal goes out the window. Its human nature to take a mile when given an inch when it comes to making money and it would totally suck if the expense of fishing in the Sea of Cortez gets beyond the reach of the average guy who just wants to go fishing with his buddies or his kids. San Diego has pretty much priced a lot of us out of going multiple times a year. My income has increased significantly since I used to do a lot of saltwater fishing but unfortunately so have the prices of those trips! It's almost $400 for a 1.5 day trip now. That's insane for such a short time on the water fishing. That is why Mexico is so inviting to me, along with the variety. I am good with rustic accommodations, but the more modern these places get, the more expensive and cost prohibitive it becomes for the average joe. That's what I'm most afraid of.

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i paid arturo 300 and i tipped him 40. we only fished for like 3 hours, but thats just cuz the boat was plugged with jellos and we knew there was 2 hours fish cleaning and 6.5 hour drive home ahead of us. pretty steep considering i can get the best captain and panga in cabo san lucas for 250, but im not complaining.

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Sorry I had to dig this up...2019 Lobos?

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I'm still down to go.  Made a trip to PP last year and was going to head to Lobos, had a date all lined up and the wind blew our trip up.  I need a re-do.

 

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I tried to call both Arturo phone number an Tom Albers number from Facebook.Tom Albers is out of service and Arturo's number said not accepting calls.I emailed both of them on Facebook.Does anyone have updated numbers.I am wanting to go with Arturo first with staying in my pop up camper.The last time I was at lobos was probably around 1969.I was about 6 years old.We started at lobos then started going to Libertad and then went to Santo Tomas.We liked surf fishing the most and Santo Tomas had the best corvina fishing.

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