By Dave Dolan
Twelve anglers met up at the Tijuana CBX border crossing for the first Let’s Talk Hookup trip with Cedros Sportfishing.
If you have any apprehension about crossing the border, don’t worry about it on this trip. Rosie Flowers, the manager, meets you at the crossing and goes over every detail to walk you thru. Many know Rosie
from her career in the fishing industry. This woman is the model of efficiency. As long as she is running the show, just know everything will be done right.
The charter flight down the coast in a Cessna Caravan is a real thrill.. If you ever traveled the peninsula or taken a sport boat trip, this flight gives you a whole new perspective. I got to fly co pilot which was a real treat for this private pilot.
The town on Cedros Island is a small working settlement. The ride is
short from the airport to the lodge. The Sport Fishing Lodge is a beauty. Overlooking the ocean, private two to a room with air conditioning and bathrooms, and a nice dining hall make this a very comfortable spot. The meals were all top rate.
And this was a fishing trip.All of the fishing is done from center console super pangas. We fished the first after noon on arrival and then the next three full days.. I can only rate the fishing as epic. The first morning, every panga limited out on yellowtail before 9. The next day the job was done by 8. Some decided to stay on the grounds and just catch and release. You literally could not drop down a yo yo iron without getting bit. The surface irons also worked well. I think every boat was worn out on catching the yellows by mid morning each day.
Every panga switched to the other options to fill the day. The calico bass were there to be had. No trophy size were landed, but the catching and releasing was good. I really enjoyed the halibut fishing in tight to the shore. You could cast out a plastic to the shore, then watch the fish attack on the retrieve. There was also a mix of huge sheep head, white fish and even a few black sea bass caught.
After the catch, all the fish is filleted and vacuum sealed. The crew does a top rate job and
then the fish is frozen. Packed up in coolers, the fish stays this way on the return flight.
I have to describe this as more than just a fishing trip.Rosie and the staff at the lodge make this a very relaxing trip. Don’t try to carry any gear, the staff is there to take care of the job. Food is excellent. If you ask me or probably anyone else on the trip, what can be done better, the answer is probably “nothing”. What I really enjoy is that the small group you go with is the only others you will see on the trip. This is not a big lodge with a large turn over every day.
There is a reason this operation is booked pretty solid. Book well in advance or get on a list in case of a cancellation.Call Rosie at 619-772-7570 and she can get you set up for an unforgettable trip.
