By Paul Lebowitz

Miguel Angel gunned the engine of the ancient Bronco to build momentum. His battered Ford coasted across the dry loose sand at the top of a broad, northwest Baja beach. A flat-bottomed, 17-foot long open-topped boat clattered along behind on a set of sacrificial skids.

Angel halted the truck on the wet sand where the highest waves just lapped at the rims, pulled a loop of thick tow rope from the hitch, jumped back in and drove off the beach. When he returned he beckoned for us to join him at the panga. We piled in fishing poles and a tackle bag, then took up position at the stern. A wave lifted the bow. We splashed the boat into knee deep water where it floated in the foam, slithered over the rail, and took a firm hold of the seats.

The slender panguero grasped the oars and propelled the boat ever closer to the breaking waves. A 3-ft high curler misted over the bow. We all laughed as droplets of spray settled on our hats and shoulders, and then we were in the clear. Angel fired up his salt-crusted Evinrude and pointed the panga out to sea. Soon we’d fish an ocean empty of other boats; the nearest launch ramp was a good 30 klicks distant. 

Between San Diego and San Quintin some 190 miles south of the border there are only a handful of launch ramps, and many of them aren’t up to the engineering standards we enjoy up north. Aside from the newer facilities at La Salina and the upscale Hotel Coral, owners of anything other than the smallest boats have to be highly skilled to successfully negotiate ramps that can be steep and narrow, usable only during certain tides, or face the open ocean.

‘Braving’ the waves like we did with Angel opens up most of the wonderful northwest Baja coastline. Of course, conditions dictate where this is possible. When a big swell is crashing the beaches, access options shrink to sheltered coves, of which there are plenty.

Good surf sense helps do-it-yourself types get on the water with lightweight Zodiac-style inflatables or go-anywhere kayaks. Adventurous anglers that prefer to leave the beach launching in experienced hands can opt for one of the many small sportfishing operations that hearken back to a more rugged age.  

Sure there’s a trade-off in comfort – you’ll certainly get wet wading out to the boat or cresting the surf – but the memorable experience of daring the breakers adds to the thrill of a fishing trip. Of course you can stop at knee deep to cast from the beach.  

Some of the best fishing to grace Baja is right here in Mexico’s Pacific Northwest, just a few hours drive from Southern California along Mexico Highway 1. The craggier spots draw savvy calico aficionados who know the boiler bass grow big. Flurries of yellowtail pop in Bahia Todos Santos. Farther south, a rich upwelling zone supports an excellent cold water rockcod fishery. For the shore caster there are the plate-sized surf perch down at San Quintin. Possibly the most intriguing of northwest Baja’s fishy treasures are the thick 50 to 60-lb. white seabass of the little visited Camalu shore.

The most northerly stretch of the Tijuana – San Quintin coastal corridor is seldom thought of as a place worth wetting a line. The low-lying beaches from Tijuana to Cantamar pale in comparison to areas farther south but make a fun destination for a quick day-long trip. Such is panguero Angel’s home, touristy Puerto Nuevo. Where else can you dash down to Mexico in the predawn darkness, enjoy a morning of fishing, spend the afternoon feasting on lobster and your fresh catch, and sleep that night in your own bed?

Sandy beaches abound on this stretch of coast, a worthy place for the surf percher. The inshore kelp beds and soft bottoms in between fish like a continuation of Southern California. La Salina marina and its modern ramp lie at the southern end of this zone.

It gets more interesting once Highway 1D climbs along the cliffs and then drops back down to sea level at Ensenada. Bahia de Todos Santos stretches out to sea, defined by the northwest jutting Punta Banda peninsula and the bay’s namesake isles. Beautiful Hotel Coral stands proudly north of town. Anglers who don’t plan to use the Coral’s newer ramp will want to continue south through the busy city of Ensenada (Baja’s third largest) down to Maneadero, where a spur road heads west to Punta Banda.  

A few more minutes take anglers to Campo La Jolla and Campo Villarino, a pair of RV campgrounds with good access to the bay. Vonny’s Fleet HQ is just across the street. Vonny’s beach-launched pangas carry anglers into Bahia de Todos Santos for bass, rockfish, and seasonal yellowtail. The beaches here at the foot of Punta Banda are typically easy launches for small boats and kayaks which can fish their way northwest along the peninsula. Places to grab a post-fishing bite or rest your head at night are plentiful in the area.

Continuing west from Vonny’s, the highway climbs over the ridge and descends into La Bufadora. For anglers, the attraction here isn’t the TJ-grade tourist gauntlet that leads to the Blowhole. No, it’s solid fishing for plump rockfish and the odd summer or fall yellowtail. The real prize here and all rocky points south are the big, tough calico bass that lay claim to the boiler rocks. Pitch your plastic right into the foam and hold on tight.

Ok, it’s not that easy. The usual cautions apply. Be careful when fishing near rocks. Pangas are available in La Bufadora at Dale’s Dive Shop, which sits above a beautiful placid cove well suited to kayaks and small boats.     

Back on Highway 1, the real, rural Baja begins south of Maneadero where the road narrows to a lazy, twisting two-lane byway. Crossing another sierra gets you to the narrow valley of Santo Tomas. The dirt road that leaves the highway to follow the Rio Santo Tomas west leads 18 miles to the ocean and rustic Puerto Santo Tomas.  

This place, as well as Castro’s Camp farther south in Erendira, typifies the fun easy-limit rockfishing WON Baja repots editor Gene Kira describes as the classic ‘freezer-filler’ stop. Tasty reds and lingcod are plentiful on the offshore structures, and there’s catch and release action too in the shallows. Kayakers and small boaters here should beware of strong onshore winds that often whip the ocean into froth. 

Both Puerto Santo Tomas and Castro’s Camp offer inexpensive, no-frills accommodations and limited food service. Castro’s super-pangas are a cut above the normal Baja fare, with new outboards, gps, and even fishfinders. This old-style Baja sportfishing camp has been in operation for decades, benefiting from a paved road from Mexico Highway 1. Take the turn-off signed EJ Erendira. 

Another hour of southward travel ushers the angler into the small town of Camalu. WON Editorial Director Pat McDonell discovered Lee Moreno’s small panga sportfishing operation here a few years back. It was a big head-turner, because Moreno’s hotspot experiences an incredible seasonal bite on huge white seabass. McDonell said there’s nothing tricky about the technique either. From Camalu, turn west at the Pemex station and follow the sportfishing signs. Call in advance – space is limited.

Mexico Highway 1 returns to the sea at San Quintin, the end of our northwest Baja beach launch tour. It’s a good place to stop; it’s the last major source of services before Highway 1 heads into the desert interior.

There’s a large bay here of the same name. It’s shallow; better fishing is outside in open water or out by Isla San Martin five miles offshore to the northwest. Look for seasonal yellowtail, white seabass, calicos, and rockfish.

Kayakers and small boaters can take to the waves at beaches north and south of town. They’re famous for Pismo clams (off limits to Norte Americanos) and unusually large surf perch (go get ‘em!).

‘BRAVE’ THE WAVES TO EXPAND YOUR NORTHWEST BAJA FISHING HORIZONS – There are only a handful of launch ramps between San Diego and San Quintin. Adventurous anglers don’t let that stop them. Instead, they launch right from the beach.

NORTHWEST BAJA FOR THE DO-IT-YOURSELF TYPES – Who needs a panga? With a fishing kayak or small inflatable Zodiac-style craft of your own, you’re free to launch nearly anywhere you can survive the surf.

LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE DRIVING – Quite a few of Baja’s ramps are steep and narrow or face right into the open ocean. In such challenging conditions, many private boaters opt to leave the driving to the panga operators who face these challenges every day.

BIG RED – Quality rockfish are a staple in much of northwestern Baja, where cold, nutrient-rich waters well to the surface.

KAYAK GHOST – Huge white seabass patrol the sea lanes down around Camalu. Wilderness Systems pro staffer Chris Fierro caught this one in nearby Colonet.

SHORE-BASED FUN – Shore casters can get in on the action too. Many northwestern Baja beaches are home to larger than US average size surf perch.

TODOS SANTOS YELLOW – Flurries of yellowtail pop in the Bahia de Todos Santos off Ensenada. The forkies are also found seasonally all along the coast.

ROCK BASS – The boilers rocks of Punta Banda and other isolated points south belong to big calico bass. Leonard Tobey plucked this one from an Arbolitos rock. They come much larger.