Cedros Outdoor Adventures Fishing Report for the Week of July 10-14, 2023
Nick Ekdahl

My brother Kris, college friend Mike Caffrey, his brother John, and Mike’s son Connor all booked the Premium Guide Service at COA for the week of July 10 through 14, 2023. This was the fifth time for Kris and me, and the first time for the Caffreys. We had been telling the Caffreys how amazing the fishing is down at Isla de Cedros, and I was certainly hoping the hype was realized for them.

There was no need to worry, as they had a spectacular afternoon of Calico Bass fishing and even caught some very nice Yellowtail; one of which was Connor’s first and it ended up being the biggest of the trip! Kris and I prioritized quality over quantity, as we both caught some large Calicos on the first day. Hook Up Baits were the ticket.

The next full day, Paul, our Pangero, drove us over to Isla Natividad since the bite was happening there. We drove around the island slow trolling live bait and fast trolling Rapalas. Kris and I both hooked up on Yellowtail, and then we started looking for Calico action. Paul took us to one of his many “Secret Spots”, and again the HUBs were working well, especially in Yellow Green and Red Gold patterns. We moved to a couple of other spots and were getting bit on the way down, and we caught so many quality bass on one spot we were laughing… This was what we came down for, and we were definitely rewarded.

Back at the Baja Magic Lodge, we had a nice dinner and settled back with a cold beer and a shot of tequila to watch the sunset and phase into stargazing, a very pleasant evening. This was the routine for the next two days with the difference being that John fished with us so that Mike could do some bonding with his son Connor, who has just graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy.

On the second full day of fishing, we stayed local to Cedros. Paul took us to another of his “Secret Spots” for calicos, and this was the only time wind was somewhat of an issue. We used it to our advantage to set up and drift over a calico-infested rock, and every time we all hooked up. Doubles, triples, and even a quad hook up occurred! Kris, myself, John, and Paul all scored our Personal Best Calicos! More Yellowtail were in the mix as well.

 

On the last full day of fishing, we woke to glassy conditions, so we zipped over to Natividad in short order and were catching championship size calicos again with the HUB’s. Then I made the fateful drop. Iwas fishing a Gold Red HUB with a Shimano 4000D Bait Runner on an 8’ 6” Okuma Cedros spinning rod, a trusted combo that has landed me many fish. I dropped the bait and as it was lazily spiraling down, it got hit hard. This was no calico; I was overmatched and line was ripping off my reel! Paul got the boat in gear and we started to chase the fish down. I followed the fish around the panga twice before it settled in the bow. Finally, it began to tire, and I was able to see its deep color; sure enough, it was a quality Yellowtail!

The last morning was great, as we only had a couple of hours to fish. We trolled the Rapalas, and it wasn’t long before we had our first hook up, followed by four more! In just two hours, we had five nice Yellowtail – a very productive end to our trip.

Nothing but big praise for the Baja Magic Lodge, hotel, dock, and transportation staff. Big Mike made sure all our needs were met, and it was an awesome stay. We will be back again!