Fish Report

JANUARY 15th to 21st, 2010

 

Overall Catch Success Rate 81%

BILLFISH: We have to be honest, in that fishing is not great for marlin right now. Compared to last year when we had 945 striped marlin total for January, this year's numbers look bleak in comparison. It is hard to say exactly why fishing is slower, but water temperatures are higher than normal and there is a lack of bait in the area, well that is mackerel, the meal of choice for striped marlin. Weather is getting a bit cooler, so hopefully when we get a cold snap the bait will show up, followed by the marlin. As with most things it is just a question of time. Best day for marlin was January 15^th when three of our boats had two marlin each. "Tracy Ann" released two at Pozo de Cota on the Pacific that took live caballito; they also boated four dorado for William West from Norwalk, Ca and Robert Harrok from Redondo Beach, Ca. "Valerie" had an identical catch this day in the same area, two marlin and four dorado for Judson Todd and Troy Barder from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. To round out this, our most successful marlin day, "Yahoo" released two, a little closer at San Cristobal fro Scott Steinberg and Mike Cuts, both from Chicago, Illinois. Other marlin catches were just of one fish and the locations were far ranging, from the Old Lighthouse to 27 miles off of the Finisterra, to 25 miles out around the 150 spot. Just twenty one percent of charters caught marlin this week giving us a total of eleven fish released.

OTHER SPECIES: Dorado have provided entertainment and have saved the day several times this period, along with the spectacular shows put on by both gray and humpback whales in the area in large numbers. Forty nine percent of boats were able to pick up between one and nine dorado, in the 15 to 35 lb class. Found in diverse locations and taking mostly lures, in assorted colors and the odd live bait. Yellowfin tuna catches were in between those of marlin and dorado with thirty one percent of boats catching between one and fifteen fish, rarely over 25 lbs. "Tracy Ann" had fourteen one day but had to go forty miles to find them for a group from Whitmore, Michigan. Next day out this same boat caught fourteen tuna but this time closer to home at 23 miles out from the Old Lighthouse for Herb Radke from Canada. Not a lot going on for other species with just one small wahoo caught and several roosterfish.

LOCATION: Mostly Pacific, though one day off of Palmilla.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: We had a couple of windy days, otherwise, clear skies and flat to moderate seas.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 73 F

BEST LURES: Live caballito for marlin, cedar plugs for tuna and assorted color lures for dorado.

Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg

 

FISHING UPDATE

PISCES FISH REPORT

January 7th to 14th, 2010

Overall Catch Success Rate 99%

BILLFISH: The billfish catches to start of the year have not been as good as we would desire, but again, we have not really started our winter weather, with it still being warmer than normal. Boats have reported good numbers of striped marlin but they are reluctant to eat. Nevertheless our overall catch success rate was almost perfect with dorado catches dominating throughout this period. We were very pleased though, to see Benny Gunnarsson & Parl Johan Sandberg who had traveled all the way from Sweden, catch and release three striped marlin and four dorado aboard "Rebecca" on January 14^th at Las Margaritas –making the Swedes our anglers of the week. This same day though, "Tracy Ann" also released three striped marlin just four miles from Los Arcos by Ron Lucia, William West & Robert Harrah, all from Southern California. When marlin were caught this week, it was most likely to be a single fish plus a few dorado if they did well. There were a few exceptions with double marlin days, such as two aboard "La Brisa" for Barbara & David Fiocca from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, two aboard "Cabolero", plus eight dorado for Joel & Beverly Carter & Jason & Lauren Friedlander from Starfordville, New York. The only other double fish day was aboard "Bill Collector" at the outer Golden Gate from Kevin McCluskey from Palm Beach, Florida. Just thirty one percent of boats caught striped marlin this week giving us a total of 21 striped marlin released. All of the striped marlin were caught on the Pacific between the Old Lighthouse and Golden Gate.

OTHER SPECIES: Dorado saved the day this period when it was hard to get a hook up on marlin. Eighty four percent of boats caught between one and nineteen fish in the 15 to 25 lb class. Again, the dorado were caught on the Pacific with the top boat "Rebecca" with Lisa Jenika, Andy White, Craig & Jake Michelson aboard, all from Great Falls, Montana….they were fortunate to catch 19 dorado up to 30 lbs, with 17 released. The dorado are taking lures, with many color combinations working. Our anglers caught a total of 213 dorado this report. Yellow fin tuna catches were fair with thirty one percent of boats landing between two and twelve fish in the 12 to 25 lb class. Top tuna boat was "Tracy Ann" with a dozen fish out of Golden Gate for Frederick Moller from Sweden. Our total tuna count was ninety four fish. We had quite a lot of wahoo this week but the catches were of a single fish and generally small at around 25 lbs; the largest caught this week was a 40 lb'er. A couple of mako sharks were released as well as one reported as a "sardine" shark. Sierra started to show up as well as a few skipjacks and bonitas.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Picture perfect with the exception of a couple of windy days towards the end of this report. Blue skies and seas; calm until the wind picked up.

LOCATION: Old Lighthouse to Golden Gate, some days boats didn't find marlin, but pangas inshore picked up the odd one here and there.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 73 F

BEST LURES: Live bait for marlin, green/yellow, red/black, petroleros for dorado, cedar plugs and assorted lures and feathers for tuna.

Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg

Fish Report

DECEMBER 18th to 31st, 2009

Overall Catch Success Rate 94%

BILLFISH: We finished out the year on a good note, with a high overall catch success rate for all species combined, however the marlin catches could have been better, but then again this was a rare "blue moon" month, in other words two full moons in one month, which will not take place again for another 19 years. Marlin tend to eat less around the full moon, as they have an opportunity to feed during nighttime and are less hungry during the day. This didn't stop "Bill Collector" though, they did amazingly well on December 18^th, catching and releasing fourteen striped marlin for Stephen Palmer from London, England, fishing alone (crew aboard) at Los Arcos with live bait. We also heard of another huge blue marlin, this one was caught aboard a boat aptly named "Blue Marlin" and was 800 lbs. We don't have all the details but did see the photo. We had a few smallish blue marlin on other boats such as an approximate 200 lb'er released aboard "Andrea" after taking a purple lure at Gaspareño for Mark Schafer from Edmonton, Canada. John Haskell from Omaha, Nebraska also released a small blue aboard "Tracy Ann" as well as a striped marlin on December 18^th. A couple of days later this boat caught and released a baby blue marlin, no more than a foot and a half long for regulars, Billy and Joan Daughdrill , from Pensacola, Florida. The weather still continues to be warmer than normal accounting for blue marlin still in the area and a resurgence of dorado. The average catch was one striped marlin but others did better; "La Brisa" released four marlin, close to the Old Lighthouse for Julia, Greg & Jordan Jung, fishing with Ross & Glenn Aske, all from Austin, Texas on December 21^st and "C Rod" released three and got twelve tuna and a dorado for the Carey family from St. Louis, Missouri. Fifty two percent of charters caught billfish this week consisting of 45 striped marlin, 3 blue marlin and 1 sailfish, all released.

OTHER SPECIES: Dorado reclaimed is throne as king of Cabo sportfish this week, with a whopping 421 caught by our anglers, giving us a seventy eight percent catch success rate for this species. Catches ranged from one, up to the top day, of twenty nine, aboard "Tracy Ann" for the Daughdrills from Pensacola, Florida. Not all fish are being kept with a lot of the smaller fish returned to the water. We were surprised by rain, pretty heavy, on December 28^th, which lasted most of the day but which the dorado seemed to like, as it washed stuff down into the sea, making them easier to find, congregating under debris. Dorado were found along the Pacific coast from the Old Lighthouse to Golden Gate, quite close to shore taking both live bait and assorted color lures. Weights were from 12 to 40 lbs. Nineteen percent of boats caught yellow fin tuna with the highest catch of 22 fish in a day being aboard "Rebecca" from Thomas McLaughlin, from San Francisco. The fish took a combination of lures and live bait just outside the Golden Gate; others were found 7 miles off of the Cerros de Arena. Weights on the tuna are smallish at no more than 25 lbs. We had quite a lot of wahoo this week, but fish were usually 25 to 35 lbs and rarely over 40 lbs, though Howard Kessler from New York did get a 50 lb'er at Migriño aboard "Tracy Ann". Roosterfish have started putting in an appearance as have sierra and mako sharks up to 50 lbs.

LOCATION: Pacific: Lighthouse to Golden Gate, fairly close to shore.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Just beautiful, mostly clear skies, calm seas.

BEST LURES: Live bait, guacamaya lures, petroleros.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 75 F

Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg