Overall Catch Success rate: 98%
Billfish 74%, Dorado 23%, Tuna 28%, Other 9%
The season’s fishing is not slowing down any time soon. Almost 100% success rate for our boats this week, with a total of 108 boats out, and 106 catching fish! Numbers: 291 Billfish released, which included striped marlin, blue marlin (between 200 – 300 lbs) and sailfish. The striped marlin have moved much closer to Cabo now too, with most catches this week, of up to 15 stripeys released per boat, caught no further than the Old Lighthouse area. There were 160 Tuna caught this week; including a cow-sized 220 lbs yellowfin caught on 33′ Sea Bum (Captain Tito Oloascoaga’s – Pisces 35′ Knot Workin’, secondary vessel). Pisces 31′ Tracy Ann also hit the dock with a nice 181 lbs tuna. Other YFT caught ranged from 15 to 45 lbs mainly. This week also marked the start of the Pelagic Rockstar Tournament, which targets Yellowfin Tuna. Pisces 38′ C Rod is currently in 3rd place with a 97.1 lbs YFT, and the Chinito Bonito Team (winners of last year’s tourney, taking over $100,000 USD) currently in 1st and 2nd place with a 162.7 and a 94 pounder; with the last day of fishing today. Dorado numbers this week did go down somewhat, with 40 fish caught total. Other catches this week included wahoo mainly, some skipjack and bonita and even a pair of roosterfish sprinkled in.
One of our top malrin boats this week was Pisces 42′ Hot Rod, with 15 Striped Marlin released weighing approx. 90 to 130 lbs each and hitting on live mackerel mainly. Angler aboard was Glenn Arbo, fishing out of the Old Lighthouse area a few miles offshore.
Our 31′ Bertrams did very well with marlin again this week, all releasing several marlin per boat. Anglers Lennart Arrenius and Ulf Christiansson, some of our favorite Sweedish anglers, made their days in Cabo count aboard Pisces 31′ Ruthless. They fished three days and went 21 for 30 on Striped Marlin released. They also caught 7 dorado. The Ruthless crew used live and dead mackerel bait mostly.
Most boats used these same fishing techniques for their marlin catches out of the Old Lighthouse; 31′ La Brisa released 10 stripes and kept 1 dorado of about 20 lbs for anglers from Houston, TX. Pisces 42′ Yahoo released 13 striped marlin and 1 sailfish in two days of fishing. Pisces 72′ Tag Team released 4 striped marlin between 60 and 100 lbs, and kept 1 dorado of about 20 lbs – this one hit on ballyhoo. Pisces 32′ Bill Collector released 6 striped malrin between 100 and 130 lbs each, again hitting on live and dead bait.
Pisces 37′ BBII was one of the few boats to head to Golden Gate, and they did well for it, 7 striped marlin released, hitting on ballyhoo and 3 dorado as well; all in the 20 lbs range. Anglers were John Hurst, Mike Hogan and Ross Kline.
We also had quite a few blue marlin catches this week, with the largest of about 300 lbs caught on Pisces 28′ Andrea. Surprisingly enough, this blue was also caught out of the Old Lighthouse and hit on live mackerel bait. Angler Gabe Benavides also released 4 Striped Malrin of about 100 to 130 lbs each.
PIsces 40′ Chasin Tail also did very well this week, with multiple striped marlin releases and a good day, which featured 1 striped marlin released about 15 miles of the Old Lighthouse, 1 yellowfin tuna and 1 blue marlin of about 200 lbs. PIsces 32′ Bill Collector and Pisces 31′ Tracy Ann also released striped marlin and 1 blue marlin each of about 200 lbs. One hit a cedar plug lure, and the other a black, blue and yellow lure that Mr. Harrell Minzenmayer brought along with him to Cabo.
Many boats caught yellowfin tuna of about 20 to 45 lbs each at the largest, in numbers from 5 to 10 to 12 yellowfin per boat. Tuna hit on feathers, hoochis, and cedar plug lures mostly. The 33′ Sea Bum did well towards the end of the week, releasing 2 striped marlin, and landing 7 yellowfin of about 20 lbs each close to Golden Gate. They also kept a nice 25lbs wahoo. Then of course, Nov 2nd, they landed the big one. Captain Tito had been frustrated this week, as he had lost two big tunas on Pisces 35′ Knot Workin, estimated between 150 and 200 lbs on two consecuitve days, so he was determined to finally hit the dock with a cow. and he did. Angler Mario Ruiz fought their 220 lbs yellowfin for almost 4 hours, using 80# test adn 100# leader.
Pisces 31′ Tracy Ann hit the dock the previous day with an 181 lbs yellowfin that they fought for almost an hour and a half. Anglers Harrell Minzenmayer and Rolla Ogle also caught 6 other yellowfin, between 15 and 30 lbs each, close to the 95 Spot.
And last but not least, Pisces 35′ Bill Collector 2 and wahoo king, Captain Gil Castro caught wahoo almost every day, and of good size, six in total. The largest was about 40 lbs. With others ranging from 15 to 30 lbs each. The wahoo hit on rapalas mainly. Pisces 31′ Cabolero caught one of the only roosterfish of the week, a 10 pounder that hit on dead mackerel at the Old Lighthouse. They also released 1 striped marlin, kept 3 dorado, 3 yellowfin and released 2 skipjack. Anglers were from Hobe Sound, FL.
LOCATION: Pacific Side mostly from Old Lighthouse to Los Arcos for Dorado and Striped Marlin, 95 Spot, San Jaime for Tuna.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Good weather conditions with minimum swell. Overall calm seas, with only one or two days with high winds.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 80-83
BEST LURES: Mackerel, caballito and ballyhoo bait, cedar plugs, feathers – lime green, petrolero, guacamayo.
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-Written by Rebecca Ehrenberg based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing