Cedros Tip and Tricks

[mtracy12]

Good morning,

Doing our first trip with Cedros Sportfishing in August this year and can't wait! Looking for any advice/tips/tricks that some of the veterans of these trips have figured out over the years in regards to any and all things... from how to minimize weight to bring the most fish home to anything that you have learned fishing wise for this time of year.

Greatly appreciate your alls help!

 

[hucklongfin]

I'll be there the week before Labor day. It'll be my 6th time there.

I'll take a UC Predator 76/JX Raptor w/50#, a Phenix psw909xhx/TranX 500 HG w/50# leader and a Phenix psw909xh/Lexa TWS400H-P w/50# leader.

Tackle wise, I can get by with a few 8/0 circle hooks for fishing Macs, 3-4 sabiki's for making Macs, a half dozen Salas 7x surface iron, 2 6xJr. Our group goes all in on YT but Calicos like the 7x too! It all fits in one plano box. I take a spool of 50# mono too.

 

[dwaynesda]

Been there many times. Swimbaits catch a lot of fish, but they get used up pretty rapidly. Hard baits such as surface iron and stickbaits do not have to be replaced as often. Be sure to bring some of those so you can keep fishing when your swimbait selection is depleted. You will get larger bass on the iron, but more fish on the swimbaits and stick baits. Favorite swim bait colors were Christmas tree (red and green), halloween and clear with red flake. Lead heads, both natural and red, 3/4 and 1 oz.

I went to Brazil a few years ago and used some Zman baits. They are tough as hell and only the piranhas were able to destroy the baits. If I was to go again, I would bring down a few packs of Zman SwimmerZ to experiment with. The only caution I have is DO NOT mix the Zman with any other plastic. They will destroy (melt) any swimbaits they come in contact with.

The bass are not line shy. Do not hesitate to use heavier line than normal. For swimbaits, I use an 80lb piece of flourocarbon as a leader

Good Luck!

 

[O'side yakker]

Listen to the replay of the Lets Talk Hookup radio show, Rosie and Jeff were on a couple weeks ago. They go over everything and answer all your questions.
As for me, when I went 2 years ago, I brought everything but the kitchen sink.
All I ended up using was my sabiki rig and a 40 lb setup with a pack of #2 hooks.
Also caught 3 species on the same pink and blue flatfall jig.
Bring gifts for your panga captain, like a hat or tshirt, or a nice mint colored surface iron.
Oh, and bring a seat cushion.
I will be there in early October and can't wait to get back!
Have a great trip.

 

[SPlator]

above tips all good advice. sabikis .. one for each day with a couple sinkers. calicos..swimbaits ,light colt snipers,hard baits. yellows yo yos/surface irons/right sized hooks for mackerel. also good tip to save a little weight for the flight home wear stuff you don't care about and leave it to the housekeepers.

 

[jbmiranda14]

I went this past October and fished with Corey Sanden at Cedros Island fishing charters. Never touched bait and caught fish on everything-- flatfalls, colt snipers, surface iron, stickbaits, plastic. Fishing with Corey was a blast and we caught almost everything on heavy bass gear. I spent the last day fishing just bass with Corey up at punta norte and we had an insane afternoon bite on MC weedless (gray belly!).

We fished #60 or #80 fluoro leaders to #65/80 spectra (kelp cutter style) on everything and I think the only lure I lost was a single surface iron (big yellow took me to the rocks). I only used 2 jig heads the entire time as well. Used my UC swimbait finatic 711MH and Tranx 400 about 75% of the time.

I'll be fishing with Cedros Sportfishing the first week of August and will probably take the same I did last time-- a #50 rig troll/live bait rig, surface iron rig, and two heavy bass rigs. I took way too many jigs and stickbaits last time so I'll probably cut back. Also pack really light on the clothes, they will do laundry. All my clothes, toiletries and reels fit in a regular backback. I took 2 pairs of light pants, 1 pair of shorts, 2 sun shirts, and some gym shorts and a T shirt for lounging around in the evening. Bring a wind breaker for the AM and be ready for the sun (sunblock, longsleeve, face buff, lip balm!).

Have fun, I can't wait for my trip!

 

[almud]

May want to add Rapala Blue Sardine diver size 15 and 20. DTX Diver works too. Size 4/0 J or Circle hooks for the macks.

Mint and Blue/white DW1 and Blue/White JRI6. Salas or Tady equivalents in use too.

 

[hucklongfin]

I take a Rapala magnum xrap 20 for trolling. I wasn’t kidding earlier about 8/0 circles… Eagle Claw 2005 for the Macs. I’ve had guys bum them off me since all they had were 4/0.

Last year all the pangueros (Mario, Martine, Chabo, Chivo, Javier) I fished with were throwing were Salas 7x… just sayin’! Blue/white mostly but Sardine, aka birdshit, killed it too. I used Tady 45’s and JRI 7’s after I lost my last 7x too but will just take 7x’s this year. Can’t argue with that local expertise! I’ll take extras to hand out to the guys as a tip.

 

[mtracy12]

This is awesome and greatly appreciated - looks like I definitely do not need to pack anywhere near the amount of tackle that I anticipated, so thank you for the heads up!

Figure I will overpack on the surface iron and leave some with my capt at the end of the trip - good to know about the yo yo side of things as well... I will definitely not overpack there with how much weight they add.

When you all were there - was much time spent yo yoing or was most it mostly surface iron fishing?

 

[almud]

Went twice last year. Mainly surface iron, trolling Rapalas or Macks and a little bit of flylining. Did not target Calicos but caught a few nice ones. Tried stick baits for halibut but I did not hook one. Other boats did better on halibut.

 

[jer dog]

above tips all good advice. sabikis .. one for each day with a couple sinkers. calicos..swimbaits ,light colt snipers,hard baits. yellows yo yos/surface irons/right sized hooks for mackerel. also good tip to save a little weight for the flight home wear stuff you don't care about and leave it to the housekeepers.

Just bring a 4 inch piece of A pool
Noodle with you , and wrap your Sabiki
Around it after to put your sinker in the
Middle, this works great .
I have seen dorado color jigs work good to.

 

[SeaCitizen]

Mint colored jigs. 4/0 and 45.

3/4 and 1oz weedless leadheads.

4/0 circle hooks.

3, 8, and 12oz torpedo sinkers.

sabikis

all the ugly, discolored, and old plastics you have. if you have to buy new ones, calico hunter orange in 5" is good. no need to buy the big ones, I've seen 7" calico swallow 7" viejos there before. 20-40 per day if you're fishing calico

thumb tape

The fish are so aggressive and that you can throw pretty much anything at them. good opportunity to "flush the toilet" on old funky gear you haven't been able to use up.

 

[mtracy12]

Awesome - thank you again, all this is greatly appreciated!

I definitely was planning on taking way too much tackle... especially yo yo gear and also clothes...

 

[Tunahead]

All my past Cedros trips were on sportboats.
I used my Calstar 760L/Avet HX 5/2 most of the time with 80lb PP spectra/50lb Izorline top,
OR my 700MH/Avet LX 80lb PP/40lb Izorline.
No bass fishing ...all big yellows on dines,
or MInt Green or Blue/White Tady 9's. FYI
GL on your trip.

 

[padsfan]

Everything works there. Keep it simple and bring what you’re comfortable with using, as long as it’s ready for big fish!

 

[mike m]

Knock-off blue sardine flat falls
Mint jigs
Laser sardine Daiwa SP Minnows - the big ones
80lb fluorocarbon leader, 65lb spectra

 

[O'side yakker]

This is awesome and greatly appreciated - looks like I definitely do not need to pack anywhere near the amount of tackle that I anticipated, so thank you for the heads up!

Figure I will overpack on the surface iron and leave some with my capt at the end of the trip - good to know about the yo yo side of things as well... I will definitely not overpack there with how much weight they add.

When you all were there - was much time spent yo yoing or was most it mostly surface iron fishing?

Your Panga Captain will do anything you feel like doing.
But do not ignore them, if they sort of pause and tell you, "you know, today is not a good day for that. "
They know the local weather ,tides and conditions very well, and they want you to succeed and not be frustrated.
Im looking at their website at least once a week to see the new photos!

 

[The Dr.]

I went last August for the first time. 4.5 days of fishing. We didn't even make bait until the last day. We did better than most boats just casting surface iron and stickbaits.

I literally fished a JRI-4 and DW-1 surface iron for 4 straight days and caught a nice mix of YT to 35lbs, calico to 6lbs and insane amounts of bonita and cudas.

 

[SouthBayTom]

Cedros Sportfishing provides shampoo, body wash, and daily fresh towels so no need to bring. Consider taking less clothes and have them wash your stuff as needed - just leave a buck or two per item. Leave it on your bed in the morning and it's back fresh and clean in the afternoon.

Pro tip: don't miss the carne asada dinner and those burritos for lunch!!

 

[almud]

Cedros Sportfishing provides shampoo, body wash, and daily fresh towels so no need to bring. Consider taking less clothes and have them wash your stuff as needed - just leave a buck or two per item. Leave it on your bed in the morning and it's back fresh and clean in the afternoon.

Pro tip: don't miss the carne asada dinner and those burritos for lunch!!

1000%

 

[mtracy12]

Really appreciate everyone that has chimed in on this - all extremely helpful and cant wait to get there!

 

[Fedge101]

Anyone else on the 8/22 - 8/26 trip? My son and I are on that one.

 

[Fatrat310]

We will be there the weekend of August 6

 

[PullOnThis]

I’m there October 9th

 

[jbmiranda14]

I am there 7/30 to 8/3