Marlin catches getting better and weird fish caught this week.
Capt. Tracy Ehrenberg
May 22, 2009
Cabo San Lucas - Saltwater Fishing Report
MAY 14th to 20th, 2009
Overall Catch Success Rate 71%
BILLFISH: Cabo continues to reel from the media hype around swine flu, drug wars and a slow economy, meaning that the number of tourists and anglers visiting has dropped dramitacally, hence less boats are going out and less fish are being caught. However, we did have a smattering more of anglers this week who enjoyed Cabo as you used to be; basically a slower pace. The main catch this week for the boats that actually had trips was striped marlin, even though it is hard to get them to eat as they are enjoying a bonaza of squid and other bait, making them less interested in what's being offered by anglers. Most of the marlin action centered around the 11.50 spot, with the top boat this week "Mucho Bueno" for releasing four striped marlin on May 18th for John, Rhonda & Christopher Pace from Midland, Texas. A couple of days before this "Ruthless" released three for Riles Riley and friends from League City, also Texas. Of course, old time client and friend Gerald Richmond could not be outdone, releasing two marlin and fiancee Clara Lang, also released her first marlin, aboard "Rebecca" on the 15th, giving them three for the day. Other boats caught one or two, whilst others were teased by marlin that came up and nudged baits and lures, before swimming off slowly, deciding they didn't like the menu. Fifty four percent of charters caught marlin this week giving us a total of 26 fish, of which 24 were released.Sizes on the marlin are 110 to 150 lbs average, though we also had one that was easily 200 lbs released. The catch of the week though, was not a marlin but an odd fish that had everybody stumped.......on May 19th, the Minvera IV was fishing 11 miles south of Cabo around 1.00 pm when they saw a red stain in the water, thinking it was a squid they drew near, but then grew very puzzled. They had never seen anything like it, they saw a creature about 35 inches long in the water, that would turn belly up and then try to submerge. It had large luminous eyes and to be honest looked like a seal crossed with a baby marlin that had swallowed a chicken. Non plussed they decided to bring it on board and were easily able to pluck it from the water. They put it in the bait tank where it remained alive until shortly before getting to the dock. Curiosity was high and none of the locals could identify, so Pete Thomas from the LA Times helped out as well as local scientists to finally get it identited as a rat fish, we are still at a loss though to know what type it is, as everything we have seen refers to the spotted variety, which this obvisouly isn't.
(See photos below)
OTHER SPECIES: Not a whole lot going on with smaller game this week, or boats were just concentrating on marlin. Dorado catches dropped dramatically with just one caught by our guys and no tuan. Inshore they did catch some sierra and large squid could also be picked up.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Hot and humid early in the week, with even a brief tropical rain fall on Monday night, that lasted maybe five minutes. Now turing cooler again, skies mostly clear, seas calm.
LOCATION: 11.50 spot in the Sea of Cortez, Faro Viejo.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 71 F
BEST LURES: Marlin are taking both live caballito and lures, such as guacamayos, orange/yellow, black/red.
Based on the catches of Pisces By Tracy Ehrenberg
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