Fishing Report for March 1st to 10th, 2010.

Pisces Fish Report

March 1st to 10th, 2010

Overall Catch Success Rate 89.4%
BILLFISH: This week we saw a marked improvement on billfish catches with forty percent of charters catching marlin, up considerably from last week’s fourteen percent. Our little 28 ft “Andrea” was on a roll this week, being our best marlin producer with a total of seven; they even caught two the same day, plus a mako shark, for Jeff Crawford and Ryan Hunt from Burlington, Vermont. They fished very close in at just two and a half miles from Pedregal on March 7^th.  However, as mentioned in our last few fish reports, the fish are not sticking to one location. “Andrea” did well close in as mentioned above, but then went a couple of hours up the coast the next day to get another marlin at Golden Gate for Jay Harvey and friends from Senela, Illinois. We had a couple of other boats that also caught two marlin in a day; “Attitude Adjustment” on March 7^th, was fishing four miles off of Los Arcos with the Walker family aboard from Beaumont, Texas when they were able to release two striped marlin, just over 100 lbs, that took live bait. They then came closer to shore to catch seven sierra.  “Yahoo” out on March 8^th, fished a completely different location, this time in the Sea of Cortez at the 95 spot  with Dan Sheard and John McGraner on board, both from New Jersey, who were fortunate to release a striped marlin each that had taken live mackerel.  Despite the improvement on the marlin front we did have some slow days, such as March 9^th when several boats drew a blank.  Pisces anglers caught a total of 25 striped marlin this week of which all but one was released. A couple of boats spotted swordfish but had no luck in getting them to bite.
OTHER SPECIES: After marlin, yellowfin tuna were the next most likely catch on the big game scene. Even though less boats caught tuna, when they did the quantities of fish were higher, with catches of up to eighteen fish in the 18 to 30 lb class.  With better catches tending to be offshore; “C Rod” caught the eighteen mentioned above but had to go 38 miles offshore to do so, for Tom Johnson and friends from Phoenix, Arizona.  A combination of rapalas, feathers, and regular lures all worked. Of course the tuna did not stay put, but were also found in the Sea of Cortez and other diverse locations. Dorado catches slowed down quite a lot this week with just seventeen percent of charters catching an odd fish here and there.  Inshore fishing remains good and in fact there were some days that were so windy and rough, it was practically the only option.  The most abundant inshore catch was sierra, as well as some triggerfish, roosterfish, skipjacks and jack crevalles.  Not to mention large squid up to 40 lbs and a few small mako sharks.
LOCATION: No one set location though Pacific tended to be more productive.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Partly overcast, windy, seas on the rough side, now calming, rain on March 6^th.
AVERGE WATER TEMP: 69-70 F
BEST LURES:  Live bait for marlin, hoochis, rapalas inshore, assorted feathers.
 Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg

Dutch Angler, Wout Van Etten gives this Striped Marlin a smooch, although where not to sure the Marlin is to happy about it!