The capitol of Baja Sur – the state than encompasses the southern half of the Baja Peninsula – is a city of 183,000, and an attractive destination for the traveling fly-fisher and family. La Paz has a rich history in sportfishing that in recent years has been overshadowed by other destinations. Cabo San Lucas has more glitzy hotels, nightclubs, large marina and golf courses; East Cape with its laid back atmosphere and the more remote and hard-to-get-to-Loreto. La Paz is more of a stand-alone city that happens to be the capitol and does not seem to put as much emphasis on tourism.

That is not to say that La Paz doesn't offer an enticing array of hotels, sportfishing fleets, dive operators, other water sports as well as the other amenities often associated with a large metropolitan city. You will find plenty of good restaurants offering almost every kind of cuisine. The Malecon – extending along the Bahia de La Paz and lined

with hotels, curio shops, internet cafes and ice cream shops – is the place to be on a Friday and Saturday in the spring and summer when the locals strut their stuff. This is city that has found a balance between the "touristy" feeling and a civic pride, which is seldom associated with any of the larger Baja cities.

For the fly-fisher, Bahia de La Paz and the smaller inner bay El Mogote are virtually untapped resources that are begging to be explored. In the past, the bay (as with many places in Baja) had been over-fished, but now is coming back into its own. Species to be encountered include bonefish, cabrilla, grouper, triggerfish, snook, snappers, ladyfish and roosterfish, all which can be found just a few minutes from your hotel.

Whether you choose to fish the beaches on foot or hire a panga, you won't be disappointed.

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 20 miles out to Punta las Pilitas. There, you will find deserted beaches with a rocky shoreline inhabited by an assortment of fish species. Working your way back towards town, you will find other beaches and coves with exotic names like Tecolote and Balandra. These offer diverse conditions including sandy beaches, rocky beaches and even some with thick mangroves.

Other options include further to the north as well as taking the 45-minute ride out to Los Arenas where many of the pelagic species can be found seasonally including dorado, yellowfin and skipjack tuna, striped and blue marlin, sailfish, wahoo and yellowtail.