Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 58%
Numbers at a glance: Marlin 38%, Other 28%
BILLFISH: After
a great couple of weeks of increasing catches and improvement in
billfish rates, this last week was a bit disappointing, as we were
slammed with huge ground swells causing the port to be closed to small
vessels on a couple of days. Added to this were some strong winds and
full moon; a recipe for tough fishing. This was frustrating for crews
and anglers alike, but that said we still had marlin catches throughout
the week with some days better than others. We also heard of an eleven
foot sailfish being caught and a small black marlin. When fish were
caught the most likely encounter was with striped marlin. Catches
started out at the 95 spot and 11.50 spot then gradually moved up the
Sea of Cortez to Punta Gorda and Destiladeras. The most any boat got
was two marlin in a day, usually on live caballito, though there were
some lure fish too. The size on the stripers has increased slightly at
120 to 160 lbs. Tracy Ann and La Brisa
were two of the better boats this week with five marlin each. Even
though this report is a bit glum, we are not discouraged as the wind has
died as we write this, the sun has come out and the moon is getting
smaller. The last day of this report nearly every boat had at least one
marlin released. Pisces anglers released 27 striped marlin this week.
OTHER SPECIES: Most boats concentrated on marlin as that was the best odds of a catch this week, we did however get a couple of dorado. La Brisa
released a 45 lb. mako shark for Lovene Helt & Michael DeMeo from
California. This boat was also the only one to catch a wahoo this week,
of average size at 35 lbs. The port was closed a couple of days for
pangas, which fish, so less smaller game was caught. There were a
couple of grouper, bonita, jack crevalle, needlefish, skipjack,
triggerfish and sierra caught.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Windy, cloudy, big swells, rough seas – now calming and getting better.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 73 F
BEST LURES: Live caballito, ballyhoo, orange/black, blue lures.
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing by Tracy Ehrenberg.
