ROOSTER!!!!

[Mark Bové]

I am going to be fishing Roosters in June and September in the Sea of Cortez. I am figuring out what guide and lodging I will be staying at, I think yellow dog will book that though. I also need some help with flies, leaders, and lines. If someone has a good place to buy a few that would be great, because once I see it I can tie it. I have a 9' 10 weight loomis for my go to stick with a galvan t-10 on it. I will also bring a 12 if anyone thinks that a day billfishing would be worth it. I will also bring a 10' 9 weight and a 9' eight.

For the guys who have done it before: how many shots do you typically get a day? Do you need a guide to find the fish and beaches? What other species and fishing is fun down there.

Mark

[Steelie Mike]

The Fly Shop in Welches should be able to hook you up. Mark Bauchman has that neck of the woods/tropics dialed in.

[alpinetrout]

I took three trips to Baja before I landed my first rooster from the beach. It's not easy, but sometimes people get lucky and get one without really paying their dues, so it could happen. It's comparable to permit fishing, so if you're looking for lots of action, I'd suggest targeting the other species that are down there. The number of shots isn't the issue, it's getting them to eat a fly.

Oh, and I'd reconsider the September trip. That's prime hurricane season down there. I caught the outer edge of one in August a couple years ago and it destroyed the fishing for nearly a week.

[Mark Bové]

What are the other species down there? I hear there are pompano, are they african pompano, pompano, or permit? I take it jacks are the main thing I will be catching, but the rooster fish is what I want most.

[alpinetrout]

There are African Pompano there, although I've never caught one personally. There are also small Gafftopsail Pompano. There are jack crevalle, green jacks, ladyfish, lookdown, croaker, and pargo, which are all fairly common. Rare, but sometimes around are snook, there's the occassional bluefin and golden trevally, Cortez halibut, bonefish when the stars line up just right, triggerfish, and all sorts of other random stuff.

The main thing is those roosters are going to be harder than ever to catch this season. Everybody saw Running Down The Man and started booking their trips because they made it look easy, even though they were talking about how hard it is during the film. Those fish are going to be seeing more flies and being more spooky than ever with all the extra traffic.

[gt]

here today, gone tomorrow, is about how saltwater fishing works. you have to MOVE around alot to find fish. from the beach that can be a real challenge. if i were spending the time and bucks to make this trip, i would be lining up a boat with someone knowledgable in the ways of flyfishing.

10wt will be the go to stick almost exclusively. if you are in a boat, dorado can become a target with a bit of trolling around to locate them. in that case the 12wt can come in handy as you can rig it for trolling: 6' 30# straight leader, quality black ballbearing swivel, chunk of t14, running line, streaker for the fly, about the 5-6 wave behind the boat. once you hook one, keep it in the water and the rest will follow right up to the boat where you can cast at them, great fun.

[Richard]

I am going to be fishing Roosters in June and September in the Sea of Cortez. I am figuring out what guide and lodging I will be staying at, I think yellow dog will book that though.

Mark, Yellow Dog folks would have answers, good ones, to all of your questions. If you're going to book through them, that would be your best resource. Seriously.

[Pez Gallo]

Mark...alpine trout is right on the money with his description of roosterfishing: it's as tough as fly fishing gets. I live here at the East Cape and spend every free moment chasing roosters from the beach. Connecting with true "Grande" roosterfish from the beach takes a serious physical and emotional commitment. Count on miles of walking and lots of running ( hopefully ). I have been guiding fly anglers here for 8 years. Only a small percentage have been able to connect with "trophy" class pez gallo from the beach.

The effects of "running down the man" are already evident here. It's early in the season but there have already been lots more anglers prowling the sand. Most of the guys I'm seeing are young ( 20's or 30's ), they are excellent fly casters, and they fish hard. It's gonna be a tough season out there with competition like that!

One might think there is more than enough water to fish but the truth is there are but a handfull of areas that are the real "money" water. Even a few extra anglers on the beach changes the dynamics in a big way. There is no doubt that these fish will be tougher than ever to catch with all the extra flies being thrown at them. The guys that made "the movie" are buddies of mine and I think they did a really great job. However, I do think that the fishery may be forever changed as a result. Add to the mix all of the development slated for the East Cape and we may be seeing the last days of the "old school" beach scene.

See you on the beach fellow rooster chasers....

[H8B8]

Mark,

I've been going down to the East Cape for about 8 years now. Up until just the last couple of years, the only folks you'd see on the beach were Gary Graham's guides on ATVs and maybe the odd DIYs. Now I think there about 3 or 4 guide outfits, each with representation at the major hotels, and many more people coming down. I'm sure the video will help to promote this fishery even more.

Pez Gallo made a good point. There is only so much good Rooster water within access of the hotels. Especially since the Feds recently outlawed ATVs in a good portion of the Buena Vista access areas to protect the Tortugas. You may want to rent a VW bug if you want to access some outlining areas and fish on virgin sand (but don't get stuck)

As stated, Roosters are tough and "hit or miss". I've had trips with no hookups but plenty of shots/follows every day. Last year, I landed one about 8lbs. Two years ago my brother landed 3 of them over 4 days, including our largest ever as seen in the photo attached. This fish has been the only rooster over 20lbs landed by us in 8 years of fishing from the beach. Your chances for a monster will greatly increase if you hire a panga and tease them.

For lines, I just use a floating running line with a 27ft. clear intermediate shooting head. I've heard the Rio Outbound tropical fishes great if you don't want to build your own line.

Be sure to practice a 2 handed retrieve before you go if your not used to it.

Mike

[Pez Gallo]

Mike,

That's a really awesome fish...good work!! That spot has been kind to me over the years too.

[Philster]

Hmmm... Catching a rooster off the beach is no big feat. That is as long as you are satisfied with a rooster 12 to 18 inches long:cool: An 8 weight will be well bent by one of the little guys and they are soooooo cool. Exact miniatures of the big boys. Perfectly proportioned. Great little fish.

Bigger ones off the beach are a beeaatch as everyone has stated. My biggest and best off the beach have been when young ladyfish are all over the place, and I cast a white cotton candy that's about 12 to 14 inches... Yes... I use a twelve weight for that... The good news is you can catch some serious brutes, both roosters and jacks blindcasting such a fly. I love sight fishing... from a boat prowling the shallows. On foot? Like Pez said, it's great for the 20 and 30 year olds... Running and gunning sounds fun, until you get there, and it's double-95s. Temp and Humidity. Blech... Plus, lets face it, you don't even want to know how many big jacks and roosters you DON'T see.

Blind casting the big stick for hours on end requires some conditioning and practice for at least a month before you go unless you want tendonitis. Keep your leader super short, use a teeny style line (over 500 grains) and use a high quality 5/0 or 6/0 and learn to effortlessly lob that combo 50 to 60 feet. It's not that much work believe it or not.

Personally I'm only good for a few hours a day headhunting with the big stick and cotton candies. It's much more enjoyable for me to just walk along, throwing a size 2 Olive and white flashtail clouser on an 8 weight. You'll catch jacks from 16 inches to 2.5 or 3 feet. You'll catch the occasional small rooster. And every once in awhile, if you do it enough, you'll luck into a rooster more than two feet long who didn't get the memo that they're supposed to be tough. If the smaller fish don't get your blood going, you're way out of my league!

P.S. Gary Graham of Baja on the Fly used to have some guys who were good at working the beaches from a boat for roosters. might want to give him a call...

[Philster]

Oh yeah. Strip like your life depends on it... They seem to enjoy terror in their victims. the hormones must add a flavor they really dig. Doesn't matter what you're throwing, unless you've teased it up with a popper to the point that it's insane, it wants a fast moving target...