Bahia de La Paz

Offers you a variety of fishing opportunities as well as its close proximity to other areas featured in the No Nonsense Guide to Fly Fishing Baja Sur. Your non-fishing family members can enjoy the sights, scenes, and shopping in this vibrant city while you  rent a car or hire a cab and travel a scant twenty miles out to Punta las Pilitas. There you will find deserted beaches with a rocky shoreline inhabited by an assortment of species of fish. Working your way back towards town, you will find other beaches and coves with exotic names like Tecolote and Balandra.  These offer a diversity of conditions such as sandy beaches, rocky beaches and even some with thick mangroves.  However, the areas closer to town have been fished extensively and will not provide wide-open action. With that said, you still never know what you might find. If fishing from a boat interests you, there are panga's available in town as well as at Playa Tecolote. The channel in front of the Malecon (the walkway adjacent to the sea in front of the hotels and businesses) can provide action under the diving birds. And the false bay, El Magote, is rumored to have some resident bonefish. Cruisers are also available to take you offshore for big game action.

Types of fish (Beach)

Over the rocks you can find cabrilla, pargo, triggerfish, pompano, croaker.  On the sandy portions of this area, resides an assortment of jacks, roosters, pompano, ladyfish, giant needlefish, sierra, and corvina.

Types of fish (Inside the Bay)

Roosters, bonito, sierra, jacks, corvina, triggerfish, snook and bonefish are reported taken here.

Types of fish (Offshore)

Marlin, sailfish, tuna, wahoo and dorado are located just a few miles outside the bay, beyond the islands.

Equipment to Use (Beach)

Rods: 8 to 10 Wt. 9’

Line: Full fly line (300 grain) shooting head system for sandy area and  intermediate or floating with sink-tip  for fishing around the rocks.

Leaders: Non-tapered  16 lb. fluorocarbon 6 foot in length.

Reels: Direct or Anti-Reverse model with a disc drag system, designed for saltwater use that has a quick take-apart feature for cleaning.

Other: Remember Polaroid Sunglasses, Stripping basket, and some kind of foot protection, for walking on the rocks. Float tube or small inflatable pontoon boat if desired.

Equipment to Use (Inshore)

Rods: 8 to 11Wt. 9’

Line: Full fly line, (300 grain) shooting head system or intermediate line overlined by 1  rod size. 

Leaders: Non-tapered  16 lb. fluorocarbon 6 foot in length to start

Reels: Direct or Anti-Reverse model with a disc drag system, designed for saltwater use.

Other: Polaroid Sunglasses, Float tube or small inflatable pontoon boat if desired.

Equipment to Use (Offshore)

Rods: 10 – 14Wt 8 ½ - 9

Line: Full fly line,(600 grain) shooting head system or  intermediate  line overlined by 1  rod size.  . If you decide to try for  billfish bring that 14wt with a good quality reel with lots of backing.  If you are not interested in I.G.F.A. rules try using a 36’ bite tippet of 125lb.

Leaders: 20 lb. with shock tippet if  fishing for billfish

Reels: Direct or Anti-Reverse model with a disc drag system, designed for Saltwater use

Other: Polaroid Sunglasses, Butt plate for fighting the big guys

Flies to Use (Beach) Hook size 2 – 3, length 1 ½ - 4 inch, Baja Babies, Clousers, bendbacks, Deceivers in white, gray, brown, blues and green, sardina and mullet patterns, Baja Deep Divers

Flies to Use (Inside the Bay) Same as above.

Flies to Use (Offshore) See Thru Deceivers, Baja Deep Divers, clousers, Sea Habits and Billfish Babies are the tickets in this area.  For billfish, Popovics cotton candy, Bill and Kate Howe big game fly,  jesters.

When to Fish (Beach) Low light in the mornings and afternoons can be very productive. Incoming  tides seem to produce better action and midday is best for sight casting opportunities.

When to Fish (Inside the Bay) I prefer early mornings and late afternoons.

When to Fish (Offshore) All day can be good. At slack tide try to be where you have seen the most fish that day.

Accommodations Lots of choices along the Malecon as well as away from the water.  A full range of shops and services are available here.