PISCES FISH REPORT
OCTOBER 27TH TO NOVEMBER 3rd, 2012
Overall Catch Success Rate for All Species 100%
BILLFISH: For Cabo standards billfish catches were on the low side this week with just sixteen percent of charters hooking up to marlin and sailfish. It appears that the mass migration that we usually see between November and December has not started yet; when striped marlin get spotted at Mag Bay by boats on their way back to Cabo from California, we know they are headed this way soon. A lot of the bigger boats head north in summer to comply with insurance requirements that want them out of the hurricane zone. With the dorado catches so outstanding a lot of anglers are content to have plenty of action on a sure thing, rather than search for a billfish location. Top billfish boat for us this week was Pisces 28 ft Uniflite “Adriana” who managed to release two blue marlin, when others were having a hard time even locating a striper. On October 30th, John Meyne, from Las Vegas was aboard when Adriana hooked a 250 lb blue marlin, just one mile off of Santa Maria, on a blue and white lure. The fish was released and they want on to boat two dorado and a skipjack. The second blue marlin for this vessel was caught by British angler Michael Taylor, from Bracknell, Berkshire in the same area, this time on a green lure and estimated at 270 lbs. The only boat to have a double marlin day was Pisces “Valerie” on November 1st when they released two striped marlin between 100 & 120 lbs and caught a small wahoo and eight dorado for Tim McNeil and Karl Reid from Whitecourt, Canada. This boat was one of the only ones to release a sailfish, during the week also. It seems that the billfish catches were closer to shore this week, seldom more than four miles out. Pisces anglers caught a total of 11 billfish this week consisting of 7 striped marlin, 2 sailfish and 2 blue marlin – all released.
OTHER SPECIES: We might as well call this the dorado report, seeing as ninety percent of our boats caught an average of ten dorado per trip. The majority are being caught on the Pacific between the Old Lighthouse and Golden Gate and average 20 to 25 lbs. Our total dorado count this week was a whopping 557 fish, many released – a testament to the fact that Dorado is a species reserved for sportfishing and is not legally allowed as a commercial catch. This fish is a lot of fun to catch and is tasty to eat, but there is a huge push by the commercial fleet to get it removed from the list of species reserved for sportfishing. If that were to happen then we would have commercial boats, with their destructive fishing practices, right on our doorstep and the non-selective techniques that they use would decimate billfish populations as well as kill countless turtles. So please be aware of this and do not order dorado at any restaurant in Cabo – it cannot be sold commercially, so if it’s on the menu it’s illegal. We know it’s good to eat, but if there is a commercial demand, people will continue to sell it illegally and give strength to the commercial fisheries argument. You can catch your own dorado and take it to get cooked at a restaurant, but it cannot be sold. Conservation has to start with you.one person makes a difference. Besides the dorado, we had a few wahoo with Pisces “Tracy Ann” getting two in one day plus seven dorado for Mike McGuirk, from Newbury Park, Ca at La Ballena on October 30th. Tuna catches were on the slow side, though we had some pangas that found them mixed with skipjacks close to Santa Maria, where they caught up to five football size, plus up to seven skipjacks in a day. The W.O.N tuna tournament is coming up with fishing next Thursday and Friday; we know the big tuna are there and we are keeping a close eye on “Wild Hooker” a boat that has been doing particularly well on this species and we expect to see in the prize money.
LOCATION: Santa Maria 1 to 3 miles, Pacific up to four miles out, Old Lighthouse to Golden Gate.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Perfect! It is November; best weather of the year, clear, sunny skies, calm seas.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 81 F
BEST LURES: Green combos, tigrillo, white/blue, petrolero, live bait.
Based on the Catches of Pisces By Tracy Ehrenberg