Monday, February 05, 2007

Cabo Weekend pays off. 2007 fishing looks GREAT!


Just returned from some fun in Cabo with Carl on the Non-Taxing. The count for the weekend fishing was… 1 wahoo, 1 dorado, 7 tuna, 1 marlin.

Saturday: One small wahoo approx 18-20# and one tiny dorado thrown back. The wahoo took a blue and white marlin lure on the outrigger trolled on 20# test. The small dorado did not have the grist to pull much on the drag of the center line stinger with the cedar plug.

We fished in rough water and were rewarded by some nice breaching humpback whales! Mostly in the area up near Gordo Bank. Lumpy water and some wind pushed us to the inside some where we tossed live bait at two marlin. No joy. One of the marlin had a really large tail sticking up and would have been a good fight. We call that a sickle. When we returned to Cabo we watched a great sunset over the rocks just before entering Cabo harbor. I tried to take a photo with my cell phone. Not to bad. You be the judge.

Saturday: We fished out on the Pacific side and found calmer water and plenty of dolphin. Eventually the dolphin and birds led us to 7 small but delicious yellowfin tuna in the range of 7 to 15 pounds. (more phone photos) Most of this action was 20 to 30 miles west to southwest of Cabo.

While on the troll returning towards Cabo a marlin was spotted very close on the starboard side. The deckhand scrambled to cast a bait from the bow. Carl gave a good cast off the stern to the starboard side. The marlin did not go for it at first. It “sunk out’ we thought. The baits that were cast were allowed to drift behind the boat.

So while two baits were slow trolled the lures were reeled up. Captain Ken was on the controls. Carl was still clearing lines when the marlin came back and took the bait.

I got to feel the pick up and bite. It gave a very nice jumping, tail walking display for the first 3 minutes going north and south. Then it settled down to a hard fight deep. Meantime up on the surface we watched whales jump and play less than 1 mile off the stern while fighting the fish. Carl drove the boat for the entire fight. Ken was the leader man. And Jesus, the deckhand? He went up on the bow and fished for another marlin to play!

Results: 1 marlin on 12# test line. Released at 33 minutes. On live bait. Approximately 16 miles off Cabo.

Weight Slip submitted to DRYC Anglers and to MDRA. The consensus by Captain Ken and Carl (who have seen a lot of fish) was that it was close to 110 pounds if it had been taken. A perfect size fish for light line angling.

It was a special joy to be able to fight the fish from first hook up to the last. Feeding it and setting the hook and watching as it took multiple tail walks back and forth. Two local boats where right there in the area and we took the fish out from between them both. Those paying customers got a good show from my fish. Hope that they found one later in the day.

Ken got all the leader line and released a healthy fish on the starboard corner. We got a good photo that will come later from the disposable camera that was on board. The fish never left the water. It's color was bright.

We made it back to the docks in time to get a taxi to the airport, watch a little of the opening quarter of the super bowl, and catch our plane.

Another Fish Wish Granted. A terrific Cabo Weekend.

Sincerely, Keith <”>