Sea of Cortez Summer Peak: Tuna, Marlin, and Roosterfish Report

This is Artificial Lure with your Sea of Cortez fishing report. We’re sliding into true summer mode now. Air temps along the Baja side are running warm and dry, mid‑80s to low‑90s in the afternoon with light morning winds and a typical afternoon breeze kicking up chop. Nights are still comfortable, dropping into the low 70s. Skies mostly clear, so plan on strong sun and glare on the water. Along the central gulf, sunrise is right around 5:30 a.m., with sunset near 7:40 p.m. That gives you a long window, but the best bite has been early morning into mid‑morning, and then again late afternoon as the light drops. Midday is workable for bottom fish, but the pelagics push deeper and get picky. Tidewise, we’re on a moderate cycle, not those huge spring swings. That means softer currents, especially around the islands and inside the bays. The more aggressive surface action has lined up best around the morning incoming and the evening outgoing, especially near points and reef edges where the bait stacks. Water temps are in the high 70s to low 80s, and that’s turned the gulf into a buffet line. Reports from captains working out of La Paz, Los Barriles, and down toward Cabo Pulmo have been steady on school‑size **yellowfin tuna**, scattered **dorado**, plus **striped marlin** and the odd **sailfish** offshore. Inshore, the usual Sea of Cortez lineup is showing: **roosterfish**, **jack crevalle**, **pargo**, **cabrilla**, and plenty of triggerfish for anyone looking to fill a cooler. Offshore boats have been hanging small yellowfin most days when they find birds and spinner dolphin, with double‑digit counts possible on the better pods. Dorado numbers are improving, mostly schoolies with a few legit bulls if you put in the miles. Billfish are catch‑and‑release, and some boats are raising several marlin a day when they work temperature breaks and color lines. Inshore, roosters have been cruising the beaches and points, especially where there’s clean, green‑blue water and a little surf. Jacks are mixed in, hammering bait balls tight to shore. Structure fishing around rocky points and island edges has been good for cabrilla and pargo, with slow‑worked offerings right in the rocks producing the larger models. For lures, keep it simple and proven. Small to mid‑size trolling feathers and cedar plugs in blue/white, purple/black, and zucchini are still money on tuna. A couple of skirted trolling lures or rigged ballyhoo‑style plastics in dark over natural colors will cover marlin and sailfish. Dorado are smacking bright chuggers and smaller plastics in lime, orange, and pink. Inshore, big surface poppers and stickbaits in natural baitfish patterns are drawing violent strikes from roosters and jacks when worked fast and erratic. Metal jigs and 2–4 oz bucktail or lead‑head jigs with soft plastics are doing work on bottom fish; drop them right on the structure and hop or slow‑roll them back. For bait, live **sardina** are still king when you can find them—perfect for tuna, dorado, roosters, and just about everything else. Live mullet or caballito are prime for big roosters and jacks off the beaches and rocky points. Cut squid and chunked bonito will get bit by tuna and also keep bottom fish chewing when the live bait runs thin. A couple of hot spots to circle on your chart: - **Cerralvo/Isla Espíritu Santo area near La Paz** – Working the island edges, seamounts, and nearby high spots has produced tuna, dorado, and billfish offshore, with cabrilla and pargo tight to the rocks. Early and late around current edges and bird activity is key. - **East Cape stretch from La Ribera to Los Barriles** – Classic summer Sea of Cortez. Slow‑troll live baits or medium lures just off the beach for roosters and jacks, then slide deeper to temp breaks for tuna, dorado, and marlin. Watch for frigate birds and dolphin. That’s the word from the gulf for now. This is Artificial Lure reminding you to hydrate, respect the sun, and handle those fish with care. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more reports and stories from the water. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn