Aboard the Red Rooster III
Lee Palm Sportfishers has been running long-range adventures to Baja California longer than any operation in San Diego. The Red Rooster III is the fifth vessel in our line of succession — and every bit of experience we've accumulated goes into making your trip an adventure to be remembered with pleasure for years to come.
Built exclusively for long-range sportfishing, the Red Rooster III pairs speed and range with genuine comfort: sixteen private, air-conditioned staterooms; a spacious salon and galley with a wet bar and satellite entertainment; refrigerated fish holds that carry your catch home “first-day fresh”; and a bridge packed with first-rate electronics — scanning sonar, dual GPS, satellite weather imaging, and a sat phone that posts daily fishing updates for family back home. With three powerplants and 18,500 gallons of fuel, she can run from San Diego to the Hawaiian Islands and back on a single fueling.
What we chase changes with the calendar. The final destination is always the Captain's decision — here's what each season offers.
Our marathon trips fish from the beach as far south as Cleofhus Bank and offshore to the Shamada Seamount. The yellowfin grow to tremendous size out here — several world records have come from these waters — and the wahoo fishing is the best to be found anywhere.
Hard-fighting yellowtail and tuna over San Martin, the San Benitos, Cedros Island and down to San Pablo Bay. Eight-day trips reach Magdalena Bay and Alijos Rocks, where yellowfin to 200 pounds have been landed.
Albacore, bluefin and yellowfin can be 30 miles out or 300 — there's no telling in advance. The Rooster has the range to reach them wherever they run, with San Martin and the San Benitos as freelance options.
The greatest variety of the year, all within 600 miles of San Diego — San Pablo, Uncle Sam Bank, Thetis Bank, the Magdalena Bay area and out to Alijos Rocks. A longtime favorite among our regulars.
From our home port in San Diego, the Red Rooster III ranges the length of the Baja peninsula and far into the open Pacific. Tap a mark on the chart — or a destination below — to learn its story.
Distances and bearings are approximate — the final fishing destination is always the Captain's decision.
The largest island on Baja's west coast — 22 by 9 miles, home to about 3,000 people, a cannery and a large salt works. Nearby Scammon's Lagoon is one of the main breeding and calving grounds for the California gray whale, seen in great numbers along this coast in winter.
A small group of islands inhabited only seasonally by Mexican lobster fishermen — and reliably productive grounds on our 6- and 8-day runs.
The summit of a nearly 12,000-foot mountain, with only the last 112 feet breaking the surface — a rugged, desolate pinnacle rising out of the open Pacific.
One of the largest naturally protected bays in the world, and a hub of our fall fishing grounds.
A major port of entry and vacation destination at the tip of the peninsula, with many first-class hotels and resorts.
The ultimate long-range destination — a top area for giant yellowfin tuna and trophy wahoo.