Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: DRP79 on April 18, 2013, 01:50:35 PM
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I will be heading to Cabo in a couple weeks and was just wondering if anyone had any tips about fishing opportunities while there.
Things such as what I would be fishing for from shore, gear etc.
I have a 5/6wt setup but not sure if thats too light or what kind of flies etc.
Spinning rod with spoons/spinners?
Thanks.
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Good fishing for Dorado,wahoo,marlin and yellow fin tuna. Trolling surface lures at a slightly faster speed then for Salmon. Best bet is to book a charter boat. There is surf fishing from shore in certain locations such as on the south side of the San jose del cabo marina.Not sure what they were using,or what they were fishing for, they were chucking bait with stout spincast rods and waiting for a bite.
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Thanks Dennis. I have been looking into charters as apparently it is still marlin season which would be a blast. They seem reasonably priced but based on 4 people so hopefully I can find other travelers who would like to go as I am the only fisherman of my group.
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Try "Go Deep" charters in cabo, these guys are the real deal and love to fish. We went out on a 8 hr charter and then ended up staying out for 10.5 hours just because we were on the marlin bite! @ $750 a day they arent cheap but having quality tackle and a really nice 31' balckfin boat is really nice. Definatly is not your typical mexican operation.
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i have caught fish there. You can cast into the surf with metal spoons and reel rather fast. it can land you roosters and other variety of fish. If you get a charter then go try for roosters for sure! they are fun! good luck and have fun!
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Thanks Ali, I am hoping to do some surf fishing for sure and want to do a charter if I can get a couple people to go with me.
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I will be heading to Cabo in a couple weeks and was just wondering if anyone had any tips about fishing opportunities while there.
Things such as what I would be fishing for from shore, gear etc.
I have a 5/6wt setup but not sure if thats too light or what kind of flies etc.
Spinning rod with spoons/spinners?
Thanks.
I fished Cabo in January and will be heading back at the end of May. Are you staying in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo or elsewhere?
I stayed in San Jose and did some beach fishing with a 9wt fly rod. I also did 1 day guided out of Cabo San Lucas with Baja Anglers. I set up everything with Grant and fished with Arturro.
http://www.baja-anglers.com/home27/welcome
This was my first Sierra on a fly. Caught him on my 10wt Sage RPLx and it took me into my backing in seconds! After a couple dozen fish on, my poor Islander LX 3.8 was put aside as the clicker/drag was destroyed. Thank goodness for having backups!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8404807934_ddddec6e89_z.jpg)
It was a blast but expect big seas out of Cabo San Lucas as you are fishing on the Pacific side mainly. I caught a ton of Sierra on the fly. Had shots at a Rooster and Dorado but didn't hook up. I didn't bother for bill fish that trip.
When I go back the last week of May I will be fishing the East Cape with Baja Fly Fishing Company 1 day and will be doing some beach fishing as well. I have chatted with Mike Rieser and met with him at the Fly Show in Seattle this winter. Also check out his book if you are going to get serious about fishing down there. Great info and is available on his website.
http://www.bajaflyfish.com/
As for a rod, for fishing from the beach you are going to want an 8-10wt setup that can handle the salt water, and a reel with a lot of backing. You are generally fishing in surf so you need to be able to cast and manage your line. This photo was on a "low surf" day in around my resort in San Jose. In Cabo San Lucas the waves are generally a lot bigger as you get onto the Pacific.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8403719071_66a46bbbac_z.jpg)
As for flies, clousers are a good start and I have boxes full of them. All different colours, but your chartreuse is your main colour. I have them in different colours and sizes along with a few boxes of other patterns.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8587353329_e9145f815b_z.jpg)
I also did see a number of guys surf fishing with gear rods using poppers and bait fish imitation.
A third guide I have chatted with lots but he has been busy both of my trips so I haven't had a chance to fish with him is Jeff DeBrown.
http://www.thereelbaja.com
Let me know if you have any more questions as I have fished it and done hours and hours of research and reading. What dates will you be down there?
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Thanks for the great info. I will be in Cabo San Lucas from the 5-11 of May. So many choices as far as charters go.
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Expect really hot and dry weather in early May.
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Hi
Just got back from Cabo a few weeks ago fishing is excellent from shore I fished with Wesley
Cabosurfcaster (he's on face book).
Fishing was none stop Roosters mackerel and jacks one guy even caught a Dorado all from shore.
He supplies all the gear and picks you up from downtown cabo 6am.
John
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Hi
Just got back from Cabo a few weeks ago fishing is excellent from shore I fished with Wesley
Cabosurfcaster (he's on face book).
Fishing was none stop Roosters mackerel and jacks one guy even caught a Dorado all from shore.
He supplies all the gear and picks you up from downtown cabo 6am.
John
HI John,
Im in Cabo from 18th to 25th this month. So bloody excited esp to surf fish as ive read so much about it.
May i please quiz you on where you surf fished exactly?
Ive bought my own gear and feel that my 7ft pack rod will be slightly inadequate :-[ but that wont stop me from giving it a right royal go! Did you mainly use spoons or surface lures too?
Got any pics to brag with? Would love to see them!
danny
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Hi Danny
Fishing from the shore is really a lot of fun and there are tons of fish of huge sizes to be had.
I would invest in a larger rod though 10-12 ' feet as you have to cast far
And have to deal with huge waves at times btw be carefull i had to pull another guy
Out of the surf he seemed more concerned with his lost flip flop than nealry drowning.
I would really go with a guide its cheap and they know the best places to fish.
I went with wesly cabosurfcaster well worth thw money $120 for 4 hours and he has all the best gear.
I recenty picked up mt own surf rod an Century 1505 for next time .
If you need anymore questions send me a PM and I'll give you my phone number .
John
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For lures go BIG and go here
http://www.jansen.mx/jnsn/eng/contacto.php
They have all the lures and gear and at a decent price
Although if your needing a new rod there as are rather heavy.
If you do a search on trip adviser there is a guy who has a rod and reel
You can borrow for a small donation $25 I think to a local charity
It can be picked up from a local bar I think.
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Fantastic, thanks for the response John.
Yeah i know i'll should have a longer rod but given its not too much of a hassle to bring my 7ft'er down im gonna give it a shot anyway, nothing to lose right? And a crap load of bragging rights if i can pull in a nice rooster lighter gear. : )
Ive checked out the guy who has gear for $25 but its booked out that week unfortunately.
And ive seen this wesly fella - will definitely be hitting him up if my solo efforts fail me.
Thanks again and will update everyone upon my return.
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Fantastic, thanks for the response John.
Yeah i know i'll should have a longer rod but given its not too much of a hassle to bring my 7ft'er down im gonna give it a shot anyway, nothing to lose right? And a crap load of bragging rights if i can pull in a nice rooster lighter gear. : )
Ive checked out the guy who has gear for $25 but its booked out that week unfortunately.
And ive seen this wesly fella - will definitely be hitting him up if my solo efforts fail me.
Thanks again and will update everyone upon my return.
Hey mate,
I am going to have a solid 4-5 days of surf fishing with Wesley in August, definitely check him out.
Look what they landed this morning:
(http://i.imgur.com/whOLvpe.jpg)
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What a whopper :)
I'm going back next march then again in the summer for the BIG roosters.
I've got some pics of fish I caught but not sure how to post them?.
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What a whopper :)
I'm going back next march then again in the summer for the BIG roosters.
I've got some pics of fish I caught but not sure how to post them?.
If you are on a PC then go to www.imgur.com and drag the images onto the website, then click upload. You will then see a 'direct link' section on the right hand side of every image (it will be like www.websiteadressdjshabfhjdasbf.com/image.jpg)...come back here and click the insert image icon (just below the bold buttom, top left above this chat box), it will insert two IMG tags, post the link to the photo in there. Alternatively just post the website link for the images once uploaded here and I will do it for you :)
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What a whopper :)
I'm going back next march then again in the summer for the BIG roosters.
I've got some pics of fish I caught but not sure how to post them?.
Here ya go mate
(http://i.imgur.com/Iy3wX48.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/AEq1kqr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kzupiau.jpg)
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I was a few weeks early for Roosters but now I know for next time. I had a great day out with Wesley. Beautiful weather but a pretty low tide according to Wes. I thought the waves were big but I was assured that they were quite small, lol.
My first catch of the day was a pelican. The bugger flew into my line just as it hit the water and I didnt even realize it had happened. I was excited to get a tug on the line and was bringing it in when I noticed the bird. I was thinking, he better not steal my fish. Then a minute later, I realized that he was my fish. Got him into where the waves were breaking and after 1 good wave, he came loose and was on his way.
This was all the action we got at the beach, which was beautiful. We then moved off to a more rocky area that some boats were also fishing through. We got into 4-5 fish and ended up landing 3 red snappers, 1 smaller one was let go and then 2 keepers in the 10lb range were destined for the dinner table.
We then headed back over the rocks, Wes with 2 fish in one hand and 2 12' rods in the other. He was like a gazelle going over the rocks while barefoot to boot. I had both hands and runners on and felt like I was walking a tight rope. Wes is very easy going and very knowledgeable and I would not hesitate to book with him again.
I still have to upload the pics but will post them when I do.
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Bringing up an old thread.....
For anyone interested in fishing the Cabo area (and others) either fly, gear, surf, boat... tons of great articles on http://www.fishthebaja.com/ (also two seasons of their show is on youtube).... if you scroll to the bottom of the page, on the right hand side, there is a drop box with Archives of articles/blogs from 2009 onward. Wesley is one of the guides/friends in many of the pics too!
Here's a couple I found interesting:
estimated 5-600lb Black Marlin capsizes this 35′ Sportsfishing boat http://www.fishthebaja.com/2013/02/
HUGE Great White caught in Sea of Cortez!
http://www.fishthebaja.com/2012/04/
Check out the pix of this guy reeling in a 36″ Northern Pike and a 56″ Pike weighing 55 pounds eats it.
http://www.fishthebaja.com/2012/02/
Record Marlin caught off Cabo San Lucas (SERIOUSLY??? 20 friggen 8 hours fighting it?!? 1200 lbs landed with 60lb mainline - WOW!)
http://www.fishthebaja.com/2011/10/
Surf Fishing Setup Rods, Reels, Line, Lures and Surf Fishing Belt…
http://www.fishthebaja.com/2011/02/
BIGGEST Fly reel I've never seen! LOL
http://www.fishthebaja.com/2010/11/
Lots of reading (some advertising from his sponsors, but we know the bills need to get paid ;) )
One lucky guy to make a living being hosted by these places!!!
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Thanks for the post tons of great info .
Were heading back at the end of October giving me enough time to save up for a new surf rod .
Shame there's not much use for them here .
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Thanks for the post tons of great info .
Were heading back at the end of October giving me enough time to save up for a new surf rod .
Shame there's not much use for them here .
Looks like equipment available for a $25 donation to local charity.... Needs to be booked in advance!
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g152516-i209-k6215911-Surf_fishing_Melia_cabo_real-San_Jose_del_Cabo_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html
From that link:
"Fast retreive on the artificial lures. You can get fishing tackle in Cabo at Minervas or Jansen Tackle. If you need a Surf rod and Reel I have new equipment available. Its a 13' Surf rod and reel 22lb test line with lures, swivels, knife and fanny pack. We make this equipment available to any TA readers for the week they are in Cabo. All we ask is a donation for a Local charity that helps the poor in Cabo. (Our Angel Tooleys project smiles)
Contact me for reservations. We suggest a $25 donation if interested. No business in Cabo offers Surcasting equipment. This is top of the line equipment."
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A little more info on the equipment.... same guy.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g152515-i84-k4330555-o70-Surfcasting_equipment_now_available_in_Cabo-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html
Great news! I purchased an excellent surfcasting rod and reel for any one on this site to use for the week when they are in Cabo. Tyler the manager/owner of Desperados will give the equipment to anyone who would like to use it.
The only thing we ask is that a donation be made to TOOLEYS (Lyndie) Food Drive ($25). This gives anyone a great chance to fish in this world class location and also help out a terrific cause. We encourage anyone interested to give it a try. Its a great opportunity to fish the surf.
Just bring some lures to use. Surfcasting does not require a liscense. Any questions send me a message. Have fun...Rocky
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I see I forgot to post those pics of the snappers. Ill take a look for them. Ill be looking to book another trip for the spring early summer and I find myself looking for places with the best fishing opportunities. My GF doesnt think the same way but its become one of my criteria, lol.
I would have no issue going back to Cabo and spending a morning or two on the beach with Wesley again and will do so again at some point but I want to check out the Mayan Riviera as well. In research, I see there are some nice opportunities to fly fish on that side. Im not really a fly guy yet but I would not pass up the opportunity.
While I may, at some point, start bringing my own gear. I think that a guide with good local knowledge is well worth it for at least the first trip out.
Anyone with more knowledge on fishing on the Mayan side, feel free to chime in. Something sounds quite fun about hitting a large tarpon on a fly.
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Bringing your own gear in my opinion is always the best plan.
Nice to see that someone will
Lend you there Rod and reel while your there though.
I just enjoy the freedom of getting up every morning at 6am and hitting the surf.
If you are planiing on taking your own gear i whould recomend the Bazooka rod holder .
I found one at Pacific Angler for $89.00.
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I always bring my own gear because I trust my gear. Two custom built surf rods by Anyfish Anywhere, UK. Their 11' Estuary (1-3 oz) and their 12' Universal (2-5 oz). Two high speed Daiwa Saltist spinning reels with manual bails - you have to manually close the bail - nothing like an automatic bail closing before the lure hits the water hence snapping your line. The reel you bring is very important. It must have a high retrieval rate. I believe my two reels retrieve 48 and 53 inches of line per crank. You want your lure skipping across the surface in order to be effective.
Last year Alaska Airlines charged $20 for two rods and a tackle box.
I made my own tubes using plumbing tube from Home Depot. One end is glued shut, the other has a screw top. Not fancy but rugged enough and relatively inexpensive. I tape the tubes together. I put a piece of sponge in the bottom before I slide my rod in, then another on top.
50-65 pound braid with a 40 pound mono or Fluoro leader about four feet long. Heavy duty swivels are used to join the lines;
If you want detailed info on gear suggestions including rods, reels, line, swivels, tackle, and how to pack/carry your gear while walking the beach read either of the links I have provided below. They're both written by the same guy; an extremely knowledgeable and well respected Mexico surf fishing guide.
http://surfishmexico.pbworks.com/w/page/19215735/Surf%20fishing%20Mexico%20in%20solitude
For the above page there are many topics, use the navigator in the right margin to read the entries.
http://www.stripersonline.com/t/483607/a-gear-list-for-the-freelancing-tropical-surf-fisherman
Good luck.
I headed to SJD soon. Can't wait.
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The surf fishing Mexico article pretty much describes the experience beautifully.I can not wait to get back there.
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Last year Alaska Airlines charged $20 for two rods and a tackle box.
I just flew with Alaska & didn't have to pay extra for my gear.
I tell them "it is not 'luggage'" and they seem satisfied with that.
After telling the woman that it was fishing rods in the tube, she said "ok, that's what I needed to know".
I made my own tubes using plumbing tube from Home Depot. One end is glued shut, the other has a screw top. Not fancy but rugged enough and relatively inexpensive. I tape the tubes together. I put a piece of sponge in the bottom before I slide my rod in, then another on top.
I have the same tubes - home-made from pvc with a screw top.
50-65 pound braid with a 40 pound mono or Fluoro leader about four feet long. Heavy duty swivels are used to join the lines;
Use the same setup but with a shorter leader - 2 to 3 feet - 50 lb mono.
Unfortunately, I bought some new heavy duty ball bearing swivels before heading out but didn't notice they had split rings on them.
Total pita - I can undo the rings by hand by pulling on the line.
I use an albright knot and go straight braid to mono - not ideal but no other choice.
I have been using 4" buzzbombs with limited success but understand you want to have your lure on the surface.
I have a couple of "popper" style lures but how do you cast them since they have little weight?
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Hey mate,
I am going to have a solid 4-5 days of surf fishing with Wesley in August, definitely check him out.
Look what they landed this morning:
(http://i.imgur.com/whOLvpe.jpg)
I am so totally jealous!!!!!
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Hi Easywater, thanks for joining the conversation.
I just flew with Alaska & didn't have to pay extra for my gear.
I tell them "it is not 'luggage'" and they seem satisfied with that.
After telling the woman that it was fishing rods in the tube, she said "ok, that's what I needed to know".
That's interesting. I wish Alaska was consistent with the application of their own rules. How many tubes did you bring with you? Did you bring a separate tackle box (and was it free too?) or did you put your tackle in your checked baggage?
I have been using 4" buzzbombs with limited success but understand you want to have your lure on the surface.
I have a couple of "popper" style lures but how do you cast them since they have little weight?
As I wrote above I bring two rods. Lures range in weight from 1.5 - 4 oz. My bucktail jigs are the lightest (1.5 - 2.0 oz) and I use my lighter rod for those.
I also pack a selection "handmade" wooden plugs; because of their surface area and ocean winds it can be difficult to get distance. For a ton of information on surf casting including purchasing wooden plugs, rods, reels, etc. check out:
http://www.stripersonline.com/f/204/plugs-want-to-sell (http://www.stripersonline.com/f/204/plugs-want-to-sell)
Here's a peek of a portion of my wooden plug collection. Some are quite beautiful and will never touch water.
(http://www.stripersonline.com/image/id/6267902/width/900/height/900/flags/LL)
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Just a single 10 ft rod in a single tube.
No tackle box as I only brought a few things in my checked luggage: 5 lures, my 50lb leader roll, swivels and some pencil lead.
Here's what I have for lures:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/P1010116_zps346117b0.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BCfisher/media/P1010116_zps346117b0.jpg.html)
The blue one on the left has given me a decent hookup but I got spooked when hundreds of bait fish ran into me & I let the pressure off (foolishly had the barbs pinched).
I've only fished once when the conditions looked good (baitfish boils close to shore) so I haven't really given it a chance.
The hookup I had was when I cast right behind a baitfish boil & retrieved through it.
I got some standard swivels today from the fishing store & I am going to try the popper on the right with some pencil lead.
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By the way, I'm not in Cabo but way further south just north of Manzanillo.
The beach runs east/west with a long point that sticks out on the west - makes for beautiful sunsets.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/P1010055_zpsb47194c4.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BCfisher/media/P1010055_zpsb47194c4.jpg.html)
Here I am chest-deep in the water - boils right in front of me the other day:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/th_P1010030_zps91c26d3d.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/P1010030_zps91c26d3d.mp4)
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Hola Easywater, I say use that silver lure, the one in the centre of your photo above. Cast it out and reel like a mad man. If you're lure isn't skipping across the surface the fish won't be interested. You have to mimic the bait fish which swim fast, really fast. We have been to Puerto Vallarta many times and have chartered a boat three times. The Captain (same one every time) would yell at me "reel faster, reel faster!" We were on big boils of Jack Crevelles. It was so much fun.
Good luck, keep sending notes and pictures. It's great!
Adios amigo,
Dennis
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Have fished for the past 10 years or so in the Los Barilles ( East Cape Area ) 1/2 way between Cabo + La Paz . About an hour drive north of the airport on the Sea of Cortez. Great fishing of the beach, fly or gear and blue water for the big boys ! . Usually we go in October after hurricane season but trying May this year for a change. You can rent a house on the beach very reasonably (www.vrbo.com), rent an ATV and fish the beaches dawn to dusk except for afternoon siesta ! Several fishing resorts in the area if you do not want to rent a house . May can't come soon enough for me !! 8)
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Well, I got schooled by the locals in the art of beach fishing yesterday.
I have seen a large group of pelicans down the beach about 1km for the last couple of days and decided to go down and check it out.
The locals take a large bucket of small baitfish (3" to 4") down to the beach and hook one of the fish through the nose on a bare hook.
Then a guy paddles out on a surfboard with a couple of lines to about 100 feet from shore and drops the lines.
Not sure if there are weights on the line or if the fish just swim around.
They are using a large spool of about 30lb test and put the spool in the bucket.
They relax and have a beer waiting for the fish.
When they hook a fish, the spool starts spinning in the bucket and they reel the fish in.
Mostly Jack Crevals (Toros) but I saw a gar (giant needlefish) and heard of a few dorados from shore.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/P1010149a_zps8e13b3f8.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BCfisher/media/P1010149a_zps8e13b3f8.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/BCfisher/P1010150a_zpsa4da1027.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BCfisher/media/P1010150a_zpsa4da1027.jpg.html)
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They relax and have a beer waiting for the fish.
Hey! that's exactly how I fish in Mexico! ;D
Sounds and looks like you're having a ball EasyWater. Glad you found some locals who shared their knowledge. I chuckle when we spend tons of $$$ on rods, reels, tackle.... and the locals use a bucket and a spool of mono.
Looks sunny and warm in Manzanillo. Back here it's trying to snow; another good reason to enjoy a beer.