Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 73%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 18%, Other Species 52%
BILLFISH: This week was another slow one for marlin with a gorgeous full moon not helping either. Pisces Rebecca was one of the few boats that had a good day on April 19th off of Punta Gorda. Jon Svendsen and Jean Hubler, repeat Pisces anglers, did very well to release two striped marlin, one a baby 60 lb’er and its bigger brother at 130 LBS with ballyhoo and a blue and white lure doing the trick. The day before this, Rebecca was again one of the few boats to find marlin, on this occasion at Medano Blanco, a nice fish over 180 LBS that took a live caballito. Not only did they catch this large striper they also caught a wahoo for the Feasler family from Michigan. Nobody could say that the crew on Tracy Ann doesn’t try; they headed out forty two miles with the Desmarais family from Connecticut on board and were rewarded with the release of a striped marlin. They were also kind enough to fish out a 30 LB turtle that was wrapped in a plastic bag and return it alive and well to the water. Pisces Valerie had an active day for Dennis and Tracy Bohrer from Wisconsin; first off they caught a 130 LB striped marlin at Los Arcos, and then had fun at Migrino catching nine triggerfish, three ladyfish and three mulejinos. Several other boats did see marlin and even hooked them, but getting them to the boat was another question. Pisces anglers caught a total of fifteen striped marlin this week.
OTHER SPECIES: Just a few yellowfin tuna were caught this week and were not anything to write home about at 5 to 10 LBS. A couple of sharks were caught this week, one was a 60 LB pilot shark aboard Valerie and a 150 LB hammerhead shark was released from the panga Poseidon by French angler Luc Trasleglise. We remind anglers that a ban on catching sharks will go into effect on May 1st; all sharks have to be released between May and July. More than half of the boats caught good quantities of smaller game this week. The most numerous fish to be caught were ladyfish, followed by grouper, triggerfish, babosas, mujelinos, then sheephead, skipjacks, amberjack and red snapper.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Clear, sunny skies, seas a little choppy with wind coming up in the afternoons.
LOCATION: Migrino, Margaritas, Los Arcos, Punta Gorda, Medano Blanco, Destiladeras, Pozo de Cota, 11.50.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 76 F
BEST LURES: Caballito, white/blue, ballyhoo, jurelito, green/white.
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing by Tracy Ehrenberg.
Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 85%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 31%, Tuna 6%, Other Species 77%
BILLFISH: Marlin numbers were up slightly from last week, but are still nowhere as good as we would like them to be. We checked last years’ fish report and saw that it was pretty much the same as this year. The weather is still pretty cold for this time of year and it has been rather windy on the Pacific side, which could be a contributing factor. Captain Orlando out on his 28 ft. Andrea started out the week well, as he heading to the 11.50 spot and Punta Gorda with Andres Villafante and friends from Mexico on board; they were very fortunate to release two striped marlin, one a baby at 40 LBS and the other perhaps it’s daddy at 140 LBS. They also caught and released a 90 LB pilot shark on live caballito. This same day Bill Collector had an action packed day, fishing a little further up in the Sea of Cortez at Destiladeras with our very own Melissa Espino and friends on board. They were able to release a striped marlin, hammerhead shark snapper and couple of triggerfish. We were surprised to see a couple of early season sailfish, but then again water is warmer than normal. Adam Padgett released a nice 75 LB sailfish twenty five mile out from San Jose aboard Pisces Listo. On April 11th the crew of the Tracy Ann were able to show off their marlin skills and were able to release a couple of striped marlin that were estimated at 130 & 160 LBS at the 11.50 spot from New Jersey anglers the Moore family. Another boat that had a two marlin day was Andrea for David Mays, who got both of his fish also at the 11.50 spot on live bait. There were plenty of boats that spotted marlin but just could not get a hook up. Pisces anglers caught a total of 19 billfish this week; all but one released.
OTHER SPECIES: Where the marlin lacked, the smaller game took up the slack with multiple catches possible of a variety of fish in a day. Let’s take the Andrea with the Zelms from Arizona aboard: they released a large 220 LB hammerhead shark, and caught a sheephead, 6 ladyfish, 2 grouper, 3 triggerfish and 2 pintos. Or Tracy Ann fishing at Migrino on the Pacific for the Murray party; they caught 12 grouper, 10 babosas, 2 sheephead, 6 red snapper, 1 ladyfish, 2 mulejinos and 1 sea bass in other words a total of 35 fish on a day trip. One of the most enviable catches was aboard Hot Rod who caught two wahoo for John Pritchard. There were some tuna catches this week but the fish tended to be small at no more than 15 LBS and catches of up to eight fish, usually at San Jaime. A couple of small dorado were also caught. To summarize plentiful catches of grouper, triggerfish, ladyfish, some snappers, sierra, skipjacks, yellowtail and sharks.
WEATHER: Partly overcast, windy, seas average.
LOCATION: Punta Gorda and 11.50 for marlin, lighthouse to Migrino for smaller game.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 74 F
BEST LURES: Live bait, petrolero.
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing by Tracy Ehrenberg.
Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 84%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 19%, Tuna 5%, Small Game 80%
BILLFISH: Marlin have been conspicuously absent from Cabo the past couple of months with just a few caught each week and though many more were sighted, getting them on a hook was a real challenge. Nevertheless towards the end of this report we began to see more of them and more anglers were rewarded with hooks ups and some even had multiple marlin days. It looks like things are about to change! Pisces Bill Collector had an outstanding day for Todd Huerkamp and Laney Dobbs from Texas, fishing of Punta Gorda, where they manage to release THREE striped marlin on live bait, in the 100 to 130 LB class. Yahoo had given up on the day and was heading back in when they were able to hook two striped marlin just three miles off of Lands’ End for Scott and Jim from Chicago. Andrea was the only other boat to have more than one marlin in a day, with a double header for Dane & Blake Wilson from Montana. Our boats caught a total of twenty six marlin this week, with many others spotted but not tempted. However, Pisces anglers caught plenty of fish this report easily adding up to over 1,000 fish, between all the different smaller species. In a way it’s been good that the marlin have been slow, as captains have been forced to try new techniques and fish for other species, developing skills that may have rusted a bit when the marlin is so plentiful. Some of the best catches were the mixed bag days that was perfect for families fishing over Easter as everybody on board got to catch something. A group visiting from New Jersey, fishing aboard Bill Collector and managed to release a striped marlin as well as a 150 LB pilot shark for the group headed up by Don Michael. Lake Schiefelbein and family had a great time on Ruthless released a striped marlin at Migrino then caught eight groupers, six ladyfish and a yellow tail. The Staver family from Chicago must have been tired after their outing on Valerie with a 160 LB striped marlin released as well as twenty one triggerfish, two groupers and a roosterfish to boot.
OTHER SPECIES: Eighty percent of our charters caught small game fish this week, though a few boats did get “skunked”, mainly those that opted for a half day. Those that took the full day had a bonanza on triggerfish – fun on ultra-light tackle- roosterfish, snappers, lady fish, Barbosas (slimeys), jack crevalle, sheephead, skipjacks, jack crevalle, sierra and various types and sizes of grouper. One of our pangas released a 150 LB hammerhead shark for Tom Kledzinski from Chicago, who also caught three skipjacks. Twenty eight foot Andrea had a busy day with anglers from Reno, Nevada on board, with a pilot shark released, fifteen ladyfish, three babosas and a grouper. Pisces Tiburon (which means shark) aptly released a large hammerhead shark for Mark Shmiedl from Ohio as well as good numbers of trigger and lady fish. The Saline’s and Bienkowskis from California fished together on Andrea and released a 100 LB thresher shark, eleven ladyfish, a grouper, yellowtail, ten triggerfish and two babosas. Tracy Ann had a nice day catching eight groupers, two of the unusual and beautiful sheephead, plus trigger and ladyfish. Yellowfin tuna catches were slow with just five percent of boats finding this species. Bill Collector was able to catch fourteen up to 25 LBs at San Jaime for Sam Sheriden and friends from Canada. The Richter party from Fayetteville, North Carolina were out with the crew on Knot Workin’ who are tuna aficionados – they got the anglers into the tuna and managed to land eight up to 40 LBS. Pisces Adriana caught a really nice 56 LB grouper for the Stephenson’s from Colorado who also caught another grouper, two sheephead, three red snapper, eight ladyfish and a couple of triggerfish.
WEATHER: Quite windy and overcast some days on Pacific, now clear and flat. Calmer seas on the Cortez.
LOCATION: Pacific for smaller game and tuna, Migrino, Margaritas, San Jaime, marlin starting to show up on Cortez side between Santa Maria and Punta Gorda.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 73 F
BEST LURES: live caballito, ballyhoo, bait chunks, cedar plugs.
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing by Tracy Ehrenberg.
