Another great week of fishing in San Carlos! It is looking like another epic year of yellowtail fishing. On Saturday we got out for my first real day of jigging at the island. We pulled up and no one else was jumping up to put their lines in. Almost before we were in place I had my line down. Within ten seconds I had the first yellowtail on. On the second drop I picked up a bonita and on the third another big yellowtail. Unfortunately this one broke off, along with another dozen for our group that day! We landed six yellowtail though, along with over fifteen large sierra and another fifteen large skipjack. I was very sore and even bruised afterwards. I would jig with nothing less than a 50 pound line and 80+ pounds fluorocarbon leader and be ready to hold on!Do you think that the water has cooled off and all the summer big game has left? We had a marlin jumping in the calm water off the south tip less than a mile from the island. Then we were at the north tip and had another one jumping by the boat. So we started trolling for marlin AND yellowtail. We headed back to the south tip and headed in closer for the bonita. I started to pull in the big lures and we saw one jumping inside us less than a couple hundred yards off! I have never seen one in that close.Water up to 73 degrees has moved up the coast and the southern current is still going. It looks like there should be numbers of dorado just twenty miles from town. Thirty miles out the water is up to 74 and even higher when you get out fifty miles. We might be making a run in search of tuna tomorrow!Yesterday we were in close off of San Antonio. We caught seven bonita but were mainly after the yellowtail. We caught one nice fish, breaking off another on a light spinning rod. The fish were everywhere in boils on the surface. They were tough to catch though as they were focused on small baitfish a lot of the time. The guys 'running and gunning' to the schools and jigging fared better than most trolling. We found lots of fish boiling just on the seamounts (Social Security Reef) just outside the harbor. You can find them out there any time of the day right now, but the fish might be biting best around certain times of the tides. We found the bite in the morning and between one and two in the afternoon at the island. So you never know when you might get lucky!We are always looking for people to share charters at a very reasonable price so let me know if you would like to get out on the water.On a final note, we saw a marlin jumping just two miles off San Antonio yesterday. We also passed one feeding inside of that. Have a big game rod ready. Maybe you could join the record books with a December marlin. Will let you know if we find dorado and tuna down south!tight lines.

Kayaking Estero Soldado

Bryan from San Carlos Aquatic Adventuresour favorite fishing captain sent this yesterday.
The snowbirds are arriving and I don't mean you! You may have seen some of these creatures flying around town, prancing around the estuaries, paddling in the water, or combing the beaches. They may stand on two legs and squak a bit, but they flew here with their own arms (or wings). Some of them have flown from as far North as yourselves. Many right now are still on their way farther south, but some will stay and rest their wings for the season, and more reserves are on their way. Like you, they agree that it is cold up there and that it's time to be someplace sunny and warm! So what is one of their top destinations? Why the Estero Soldado. If you haven't been down to the estuary then you are missing out on one of San Carlos' most beautiful spots. I had the pleasure last week of meeting Mauricio Cervantes who is working on turning the estuary into a national park. He is working on funding to complete the Visitor Center. The Visitor's Center is located on the east side of the estuary on the road to the Delfinario. This is another great scenic drive on maybe one of the best roads in Mexico. The gate may be closed to the visitor's center but you can always access the other nature trail to the estuary from the parking lot on the east side of Condominiums Pilar (the white condos next to Condominiums Delfin on the east side of the bay). The trail is a little grown over from the rains so help make it a trail again! You can easily loop around and follow the beach back for one of the best beach walks around. Still, the best way to see the estuary is to get on the water.Usually we depart from the beach with the hopes of catching the local pod of dolphin that routinely patrol the beach there. The bay is usually very calm, warm, and full of life. The majestic Bocachibampo mountain looms in the distance and draws you into the beauty of the estuary. Hopefully you can time theflooding tide and drift into the estuary. You can travel either way around the island just inside the mouth that creates a scenic loop. You will find many of the 123 bird species that visit and live in the estuary in either direction. To truly appreciate the beauty, bring a pair of binoculars (and a bag to protect them). Take your time and approach the birds slowly and from a distance. Look closely as there are many species that are easy to miss. My father taught me many of the species, so he by far is the expert, but if he's not around to take you then I'll spout out as many bird names as you could care to know! I don't think the birds really care if you know them by name though. We can help you identify their unique behaviors and why they do the things they do. Though some are just passing through, many stop and nest or feed on the rich marine life in the estuary for most of the winter. It is a great way to get out and enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife in the San Carlos area and even get a little exercise. I've had every shape and level of athlete (or more commonly non-athlete) complete the trip. Don't let this activity slip by you this winter! It can also be a great Christmas present!!!Check out pictures of the birds in the photo gallery if reading this is as adventurous as you are going to get!