Overall Catch Success Rate 96%
BILLFISH: This week we saw a huge improvement on striped marlin catches, with the success rate for this species jumping to seventy four percent. As predicted once the cooler weather hit, we expected striped marlin to take off and this report started off with a bang, with mackerel moving into the area, being chased by striped marlin. One of the top days was December 6th, when "Cabolero" released 14 striped marlin, 1 sailfish and a dorado off of the Old Lighthouse for Jay Lanigan, Gol Stroan and Dave Brown, all from Golden Badge, New York. This same day "Rebecca" released eight striped marlin and boated two dorado fro Henry King, from Close, New York and rounding out the day for the New Yorkers was "Tracy Ann" with seven stripers released and three dorado boated for Jerry Giovina, from Staten Island, fishing with Tom Lindsey and Michael O´Rourke. The weather did not remain that cold and we have had some warmer nights again, nevertheless there is no doubt that the striped marlin season, with ridiculous numbers of fish being caught, is getting underway. Other notable catches were those of "Valerie" on December 3rd, when they released an approximate 200 lb blue marlin as well as a striped marlin and then boated two dorado and three tuna, 18 miles off of Cerro Blanco for lady anglers, Jennifer Fagen from Earlham, Idaho and Any Strawn from Awanda, Colorado…way to go girls. "Andale" had eight striped marlin released and two dorado boated on December 7th off of the Lighthouse and Los Arcos, for the aptly named John Fisher from Sykesville, Maryland. There were many catches of between one and five marlin in a day with a dorado or two to boot, with the majority of fish caught between the Old Lighthouse and Los Arcos. Pisces anglers caught a total of 117 billfish this week, consisting of 115 striped marlin, one sailfish and one blue marlin, all released.
OTHER SPECIES: Dorado are staying late into the year, as normally by this time they start to slow down, however, they were again the number one catch this week, with eighty one percent of vessels catching between one and thirteen fish in the 15 to 25 lb class. The sheer numbers were lower this week with 184 caught total, but still they were the fish most likely to be encountered. Just eleven percent of charters caught tuna, but then again most were not looking for them, preferring to enjoy the striped marlin and dorado catches close to home. One boat that targeted tuna did very well; "Spartacus" caught 38 of them 35 miles out from Cerro Blanco, as well as two striped marlin, closer to shore, for John Gordon and friends from California (smaller fish were released). There were some nice wahoo again this week, with weights topping out at 50 lbs. Some roosterfish close to shore as well as Sierra. "C Rod" had a fabulous day on the 5th, with a 90 lb mako shark, eleven dorado and one striped marlin released for George Bond and friends from Fort Worth, Texas.
LOCATION: Pacific, Old Lighthouse to Elias Calles.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Perfect…clear sunny skies, calm seas.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 78 F
BEST LURES: Live bait for marlin, green colored lures for dorado, cedar plugs tuna, purple colors for wahoo.
