Baja California Road Trip: Fishing and Camping with a Folding RIB in your Car
Baja California is an exciting part of Mexico to explore and reconnect with raw, unspoiled coastline. Given the lack of facilities along the peninsula, but the vast amount of ocean on either side, utilizing a Fore Runner folding RIB allows you to access and fish untapped areas.
While the joy of Baja is the exploration, we will give you a launching off point on where to start your journey! There are lots of fish to be caught down the peninsula on both the Pacific and Sea of Cortez side. Since there are only a few areas with launch ramps, a boat that can tuck into your car provides a huge advantage when you stray outside of the main zones presented in this article. The whole of Baja is hundreds of miles long with lots of hidden zones to camp and fish -- this opens drastically when you have a capable four wheel drive car.
PACIFIC SIDE:
On the west coast of Baja is a windy, cooler ocean with traversing pelagic fish and great bottom-fishing as well. The fishing is quite similar to California in the north in terms of species of fish to catch and methods. Always do your research on making sure you are legally fishing areas in Baja such as your Mexican fishing license and appropriate permits for coastal and island areas. Also always follow posted catch limits per species of fish.
Some accessible areas to start your search would include launching at places like Ensenada Harbor or La Bufadora (just to the south of Ensenada). There are launch ramps at both of these spots and they exist close to fishable zones like Islas de Todos Santos where occasional yellowtail and barracuda runs hold up. The bottom fishing here can be great as well when local inshore pelagics aren't around. Heavier jigs tipped with squid or double dropper loops with 6-12+ oz of lead can get bit well for the various rockfish living on structure near this islands. Targeting 120-300+ depth on rockpiles is a good way to get into quality sized rockfish. Further south is Punta San Quintin. Beach launching your folding Fore Runner 290AS or 340AS will allow you quick access to great fishing to be had in this area. There is also a launch ramp tucked back into the bay here as well. We would recommended camping in gated zones down here for safety though. The fishing in San Quintin area can be excellent -- there is an excellent, but nuanced white seabass fishery here, with occasional good runs of yellowtail and bluefin tuna in the earlier summer or late spring months as they work north towards the Southern California Bight. For the latter species of fish, having an appropriate weather plan for your folding RIB will be critical for staying safe, but fair weather days will allow you to reach some of these grounds. Finding warmer, clean, blue water just offshore should likely coincide with travelling pelagic fish. Again, if they are not present, there is excellent bottom fishing here for quality sized vermillion rockfish. Find rocky structure on your charts or depth finder to identify where to drop your lines. Further south than this exists more good fishing, yet it requires more capable cars to navigate the dusty, technical roads. This is where a beach launched Fore Runner can come in handy. The lack of launch ramps and difficult roads makes trailering a boat not feasible. Finding a safe camp zone with sheltered coast can open up significant, unpressured fishing along this whole coast. Finding structure and kelp will be key to fishing success in this region.
SEA OF CORTEZ:
On the east coast of Baja exists excellent, warmer water fishing for amazing quality pelagics and nearshore fish. There still remains to be a lack of launch ramps in this region, so beach launching in remote regions becomes even more viable to tap into high-quality fish. You can outfit your Fore Runner boats with Railblaza and SeaSucker fishing rod holders. Some of the main, well known zones include Bahia Gonazaga and Bahia de Los Angeles. There are launch ramps and great campsites in both of these zones. In the spring, great runs of yellowtail move around, which can be caught on surface irons when they are up feeding or breezing. The coastal fishing is excellent as well -- tossing a stickbait up near the rocks will let you catch some cabrillas, jacks, and other fun-fighting fish. There is a lot of space to explore in this area if you search around for structure and signs of life. Although with the Fore Runner if the back of your car, you should be able to drive into much more remote areas and still have the benefit of being able to fish off a boat and get to more remote regions. The regions from Bahia de Los Angeles to Loreto are remote and can be accessed through rough terrain and 4-wheel drive roads plagued by occasional steep climbs and sandy riverbeds. Exploring through here can reward the angler with quiet isolation and wide-open fishing, although it takes preparation and a capable vehicle.
Baja is a magical place that should be explored by the intrepid angler; those who do will be engrossed by the bounty it provides. Take care of the land and fish it offers and it will continue to reward you. If you are interested in checking out a perfect boat for Baja explorations, reach out to us and we can get you dialed for your next adventure. #adventureunfolds | www.forerunnercraft.com
Comments