August-Sept. Marlin on NOW !
Capt. Bob Baker
August 28, 2008
Boca Chica - Saltwater Fishing Report
Numbers of BLACK MARLIN raised per day seem to be increasing daily.
Yesterday was typical "Little Summer" day. Blue skies, sun, easy breeze.
Boats that are out Are targeting schools of bonito and skipjack, waiting for the tuna to appear underneath, then trolling the perimeter of the feeding frenzy , where the big blacks like to cruise.
We learned a long time ago the the real action is just outside the tuna/porpoise action. Sometimes a 1/2 mile or more outside. Like sailfish attacking a baitball, the marlin are looking for stragglers, weak or injured baitfish, and anything unusual that gives them an advantage.
Usually we troll a feather daisy chain or two, one long and one short off the stern. With rigging needles pre-strung with either 30 lb. mono or waxed rigging thread, we're ready when the bonito hook up, and don't waste any time getting them back in the water, rigged through the eye sockets with circle hooks.
I used to run my baits off the riggers , again one long , one REALLY short, with great success, but it also works fine to just run them directly off the transom.
With the outriggers up and out of the way, another angler can position in the bow with a spinning rod and fire surface poppers into the porpoise school, burning it at the highest speed of retrieve possible and waiting for that tremendous tuna strike.
Good numbers of DORADO also being taken daily.MARAUDER OR YO-ZURI -type subsurface tremblers give you a shot at about everything out there. Good to drag one short, beside a top running plastic, right behind the motor. This often results in a WAHOO strike this time of year, and we've had DORADO, TUNA, and even SAILFISH come in clos and hook up.
BLACK MARLIN will be hot until end of September, then BLUE MARLIN will begin to appear in the first weeks of DECEMBER.
NEARSHORE, ALL SPECIES ARE BITING WELL, AS USUAL. Roosterfish, cubera snapper, grouper, corvina, and many others are doing really well.
Lots of SIERRA MACKERAL too.
Some big (20 lbs. and up) SNOOK are being taken out of the estuary and river mouths on live sardines. Two beauties have been taken casting from the beach, alongwith a few nice RED SNAPPER.
Boca Chica Fishing Forecast:
Look for BLACK MARLIN to remain excellent to the end of September.
DORADO -good to excellent .
YELLOWFIN TUNA/BIGEYE TUNA-Excellent.
WAHOO-excellent to mid-December, with large daily catches of fish to 90 lbs. possible, with many in the average 40-50 lb. class.
INSHORE-ALL SPECIES - EXCELLENT.
More Fishing Reports:
