Overall Catch Success Rate 85.19%
BILLFISH: Actually our overall catch success rate as reflected above was good, and finally we started to see a bit more action on marlin. Anglers reported seeing more fish, but again only a few were hungry. Nevertheless, nineteen percent of our boats did release billfish, which shows that numbers are climbing. At the end of this report on the 28th, “Falcon” was out with Michael Connolly on board and they actually managed to hook three striped marlin, unfortunately two got off but the third one they managed to get to the leader. They fished 15 miles out from Cabeza Ballena on the Cortez side and estimated the fish to be110 lbs; they also caught a 20 lbs yellow fin tuna for the table. This same day, Dale and Tara Darmante from New York, NY released one striped marlin aboard “Adriana” with their favorite captain of years Enrique “Kikon” Martinez. They headed offshore thirteen miles out from the 95 spot which is where they got the hook up. On the 26th Armando Ramirez and Kevin Whelan from Spring, TX released also released a striper aboard “Great Escape Jr”, when the fish took a live caballito. On the 25th, a group from Hartford, CT was out for just a half day aboard “El Gallo” and did very well to release a striped marlin twelve miles out from Chileno on the Sea of Cortez.
OTHER SPECIES: Tuna catches were again the top catch this week as dorado decreased, with just a few stray ones caught. On the 28th, Terry Smith and Jerry Meyer from Norman, OK released one dorado when it took a green/yellow lure forty miles from the 150 spot; they also boated two football size yellow fin tuna. On the 23rd, Michael and Carmine Caputo from Mont Clair, NJ caught one dorado and six yellow fin tuna thirty eight miles out from Cerro Blanco. Tuna catches are still about the same with thirty four percent of our boats catching between one to fifteen fish. We had two top tuna boats this week; on the 24th “C-Rod” did well for Ted Melson and friends from Forth Mills, SC landing fifteen yellow fin tuna, all football size at thirty four miles out from Cerro Blanco; all on cedar plugs. The other top tuna boat was “Bill Collector” which caught the same amount of tuna on the 21st for Mark Chiavetta and friends from San Jose, CA; they weighed between 15 to 20 lbs and they took a combination of cedar plugs and feathers. They were also fortunate to release one striped marlin after it took a live mackerel for bait at Migriño. “C-Rod” had a great day again on the 22nd, this time for Taylor and Scott from Aurora, OR who caught seven yellow fin tuna twenty seven miles straight out from Cerro Blanco; they had plenty fillets to take back home.
As to other species, we are still have sierra mania going on inshore with thirty percent of our boats catching between one to fifty four fish (majority released). This little tasty fish are everywhere close to shore and great fun to catch too. On the 27th, Shaun Green and friends from Mill Valle, CA had a lot of sierra action with a total of fifty four Spanish mackerel between 3 to 10 lbs; they also released one rooster fish. We had one wahoo this week, a 60 pounder for Ted Melson and friends from South Carolina aboard “C-Rod”; the fish took a black/red lure. Sharks are still in the area (be careful surfers!), this time the mako sharks were present at the 95 Spot. On the 27th, James Stoyko from Foster city, CA aboard “Valerie” released one mako shark estimated in the 100 lb class; this fish took a silver and black lure. A day before, in the same area “C-Rod” released another mako with, Ted Melson, out for his second day; as you can see he had a great time with Captain Abel. We hope to see you soon again!
Inshore we also had roosterfish, skipjacks, needle fish, lady fish and many bonitas
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Clear, sunny skies, a couple of cloudy days at the end of this report, but the sun is out again. Mostly calm sea days cool mornings.
LOCATION: Pacific Side – Cabeza Ballena, Migriño, 180 spot, Cerro Blanco, Elias Calles, Gaspareño, 150 Spot, Pedregalito
Sea of Cortez - 95 Spot, 11;50 spot, Chileno
AVERAGE WATER TEMP. 71 F
BEST LURES; Cedar plugs, tigrillo, rapalas, hoochis, petrolero, green/yellow, red/black, green/blue
Live caballito, mackerel.
Based on the catches of Pisces by Ale Almada & Tracy Ehrenberg.
