Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 94%
Marlin 70%, Sharks 20%, Dorado 13%, Tuna 12%, Other 20%
MARLIN: We are so pleased that fishing has stayed on track and continues to improve after a season of scarcity during the last few months. Even with a big moon the fish were not deterred and gave a good showing all week. To give you an idea of how great it’s been let’s look at the aptly named Brett and Melissa Fisher from Texas; they managed to hook, fight and release SIX striped marlin, ranging in size from 100 to 160 LBS aboard Tracy Ann at the 11.50 spot. Hot Rod had a hot day on May 16th, when they released five striped marlin up to 160 LBS as well as landing a tasty wahoo for the table with a group from Washington D.C. aboard headed up by Richard Battaglia. A couple of days later they again were able to catch five marlin with Wes and Susan Sellew on board. Another boat that did well was Bill Collector with four marlin released, also at the 11.50 spot for the McLaurin and Smith families from Livingston, Texas. Not to be left out were the Rebecca and Ruthless each with four marlin apiece released on May 20th. Other boats released between one and three marlin with those not catching generally people that got seasick and who wanted to come back early. Live bait was absolutely the way to go and the best location was the 11.50 spot on the Cortez side. Marlin was the top catch this week, with seventy percent of our boats catching, giving us a total of 109 fish of which 107 were released – several fish tagged.
OTHER SPECIES: We continue to see a variety of sharks being caught in the same area as the marlin all of them are being released. Andrea a 28 ft Uniflite released two thresher sharks up to 100 LBS, a 70 LB pilot shark and also released a striped marlin for Glen McLaughlin and Sara Madsen. The varieties of shark caught this week were pilot, hammerhead, thresher, mako and lemon and twenty percent of our charters hooked them. Dorado catches were a little better this week at thirteen percent and this should increase as we approach summer. Bill Collector caught five small dorado, two small tuna and released a pilot shark and a striped marlin for Art Muff and Nicole Scarduzio. Tuna catches were slow with just a few fish caught around the 10 LB mark. Inshore the fishing has slowed down somewhat with the pangas being hit or miss, nevertheless twenty percent of the boats caught a trigger fish, skipjacks, grouper, sierra, jack crevalle and small roosters. Mid week there was a flurry of wahoo activity for boats fishing a bit closer to Cabo with some fish up to 60 LBS. George from Cleveland out on the panga Tres Amigos caught a 40 LB wahoo, two tuna and thee jack crevalles.
LOCATION: 11.50 for marlin and shark, Cabeza de Ballena and Lighthouse for smaller game. Difficult to fish the Pacific as the wind blew hard all week.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Clear sunny skies, windy on Pacific, seas calm to moderate.
AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE: 78-80 F
BEST LURES: Live caballito, rapalas & cuchis.
Based on catches by Pisces Sportfishing by Tracy Ehrenberg.
Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 80%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 12%, Tuna 61%, Dorado 11%, other 12%
BILLFISH: We had anglers strictly interested in targeting the Striped Marlin this week, did not care the tuna season is good! Some of them were successful in reeling such a magnificent fish, other anglers unfortunately were not that lucky, however they tried and promised to return to Cabo and give a shot again! The fishing stills at least 30 miles out and more, over the Pacific Ocean. The Pisces “Andrea” 28ft boat released a Striped Marlin, weight estimated 110lbs. and six tunas for Tom Stein, Steve Magner, Phil Healey and Kevin Salts from Lafayette, Indiana. The other Pisces 28ft “Andrea” did its magic as well reeling in 120 lbs. Striped Marlin almost reaching Todos Santos town at Elias Calles, for William Chapel's group visiting from beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana. On February 08th “Ruthless” 31ft Pisces Bertram got tight lines with a Striped Marlin released and brought six tunas as well (18-20 lbs.) twenty five miles out of the Herradura for Brad Hall, Holly Meyer, Kevin Smets, Jane Riehl and Chinyere Abosi from Los Angeles, California. Pisces 35ft “Listo” got a good size 180 lbs. Striped Marlin which was successfully released for James Heller, Josh Karr, Randy Hughes, and Jason Jiongo from Redding, California at El Faro spot. Of course “Tracy Ann” our 31ft vessel released a160 lbs. Marlin and two dorados in Punta Lobos for Cory Pardon, Lana Nogosek, Dan and Robin Sedevie visiting from cold Minot, in North Dakota for sure enjoying our mild winter. Twelve percent of our Pisces anglers released a total of 8 Striped Marlin.
OTHER SPECIES: Yellow fin tuna still being the primary catch with football sizes and still quite far out over on the Pacific; Pisces “La Brisa” 31ft vessel caught sixteen tunas, between 10 to 20 lbs. twenty six miles out of the Cerro for Donald Frederick and Sue Johnson from Houston, Texas. “Rebecca” 31ft Pisces got tight lines for Duane Moyer's group from Gilberts Ville, PA reeling thirty five tunas (ten released) outside of Punta Lobos using feathers and cedar plugs. “Valerie” 35ft Pisces brought thirty five tunas (ten released) in front of La Ballena, for Mike McCoy from Iowa. “Adriana” 28ft Pisces vessel went outside of the Golden Gate with Peter Menge and Lisa Rudick from Manitoba, Canada and brought eleven yellow fin tunas, estimated weight 20 lbs. On February 10th the “C Rod” 38ft vessel brought a Wahoo of 20 lbs. very lucky as being the only wahoo catch, indeed happy anglers Katherine and Hudson Swaffard, Harris English and Helen Marie Bowers visiting from Saint Simmons, Georgia. “Shambala” 60ft Hatteras had a run to Punta Lobos and got tight lines for the persistent group from Florida, Clayton Hummel, Abby Figueroa, Carlos Vasquez, Dan Kirkpatrick and Jeffrey Stewart and brought fifteen yellow fin tunas and the “Tracy Ann” 31ft Pisces ran forty miles out of the Old Light House for Daniel Carpenter from Montgomery, New York and reeled fifteen tunas as well. The Dorado catches are being spotted with live bait such as caballito and we are seeing the football sizes from 18 to 20 lbs. excellent for a good dinner time. “La Brisa” 31ft Pisces boat brought one mahi- mahi from Todos Santos for Jonathan Colton and Natalie Kresich from San Francisco, California. “Ruthless” Pisces 31ft brought another one between the 95 spot and 11.50 spot for the Padalia family from Tallahassee, FL. And Bill Collector 32ft vessel brought four tunas and one Dorado 36 miles at the 210 spot for Mark Chiavetta and friends. Sixty one percent of the Pisces anglers brought 397 yellow fin tunas, the eleven percent brought 8 Dorado and the other species the twelve percent, consisted in one wahoo and small trigger fish and skip jacks that where released.
LOCATION: Golden Gate, La Ballena, 190 Spot, 240 spot, 37 miles of the Old light house, San Jaime, Elias Calles,150 Spot, Punta Lobos, Todos Santos
WEATHER: Clear Skies, Calm winds
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 73F- 76F
BEST LURES: Cedar plugs and feathers for tuna, Live Bait: Caballito, Mackerel for Striped Marlin
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing by Ady Moya.
