FISHING IN SAN CARLOS
By Karl Bunn,

Imagenes de Sonora magazine. If you are thinking about a fishing trip, think of San Carlos , with its long history of great fishing in the Sea of Cortez . Sport fishing in San Carlos became popular in the early 60's, when word got out about the abundance of big game fish in the crystal blue waters off the coast.

There is a great variety of sport fish, depending on the time of the year. With as much as 30 degree variation in the surface temperature of the water from winter to summer, the species of fish that one can find change from month to month. When the warm southerly winds of summer replace the cool northwesterly winds of winter, the marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo begin their yearly migration north, into the Sea of Cortez . Usually by May, the dorado, or mahi mahi, as it is also known, has arrived. The dorado is an awesome predator, capable of swimming at great speeds. It receives the name for its gold color. These are extremely beautiful fish and great fighters. If you have never caught a dorado, you will surely be surprised by their strength and stamina.

As the water continues to warm, the flying fish move north and the next to arrive are the marlin and sailfish. Marlin undoubtedly is the big daddy of sport fish. Three types of marlin can be found in the Sea of Cortez ; blue, black and striped. The striped marlin is the most common to these waters and has been reported to reach 700 pounds, although is usually under 300 pounds. Blue marlin also inhabit these waters, reportedly reaching a size of over 1800 pounds. Hooking into one of these babies is every angler's dream. They will run and jump, and just plain wear you out, but what a show, and what a thrill one gets as that beautiful fish flies out of the water testing both, you and your equipment! The thrill of landing one of these monsters is unmatched by any other fish!

Sailfish are very common in this area, and are very similar to the marlin in appearance. They are smaller in size and have a larger sail-like dorsal fin-hence their name. These fish are also great fighters and can reach weights of almost 200 pounds, although most are 100 pounds.

Tuna and wahoo usually arrive in June, following the schools of baith fish north. Yellowfin tuna is the most common in the Sea of Cortez , but one can also encounter a some bluefin. This fish is a thrill to catch and one usually ends up hooking more than one at a time. Yellowfin tuna can reach weights of up to 400 pounds, but those found in these waters are young and mostly under 50.

All year around is bottom fishing season, with everything from snapper to flounder. One of the favorites is sea bass. These fish are more plentiful and seem to be bigger during the winter months.

Another winter fish is the yellowtail. These can be caught either by bottom fishing or by deep trolling. San Pedro island is one of the best areas to fish for these, but they can be caught close to share as well. Considered, pound per pound, to be one of the toughest fish around, they will give even the most seasoned fishermen a great fight.

San Carlos has many fishing guides for hire, as well as several charter boat services to get you to the fish. The fisherman will be interested to know that there are three annual catch-and-release fishing tournaments held here yearly –a ladies-only tournament on Memorial Day weekend, an open tournament in mid-june, and an invitational tournament on Labor Day weekend. Good luck and fun fishing!