New Pisces record, 620 marlin caught in one week!!!
Capt. Tracy Ehrenberg
November 8, 2008
Cabo San Lucas - Saltwater Fishing Report
October 29th to November 7th, 2008
Overall Catch Success Rate 96%
BILLFISH: We have an action packed report for you this week, with what turned out to be the best week ever for striped marlin in the history of Pisces Sportfishing. Our anglers caught a stunning 620 six hundred and twenty striped marlin this week, of which 615 were released along with 6 sailfish. Not only that, but the week culminated in the Western Outdoor News Tuna Tournament, with Pisces "Bottom Line" taking the biggest purse in the event. Golden Gate on the Pacific was where striped marlin were thick, with even seasoned Cabo veterans amazed at the sheer numbers of stripers. Clint Brooks and Ross Loveland from Oregon released 14 marlin on October 29th aboard "La Brisa", a 31 ft Bertram; this same day "Cabolero" a 31 ft Cabo released 15 marlin for Gary & McKenzie Smith from Destin, Florida. Next day out 28 ft "Adriana" with friends Joseph & Martha Angel, from Chesapeake, Maryland, aboard, released 16 marlin & 1 sailfish. "C Rod", 38 ft Blackfin also had 16 marlin this day as well as 6 dorado and "Bill Collector" 32 ft Cabo had an enviable 20 striper plus 10 dorado. Halloween didn't scare the fish off, with "Cabolero" again proving their worth with 23 striped marlin released for the same anglers from a couple of days before; so two anglers in two days on this boat, totaled 38 marlin……outstanding when you think people sometimes spend years trying to catch a billfish. Steven Schorer from Potomac, Maryland released 18 striped marlin aboard 61 Viking "El Gallo" on November 2nd, all on live bait at the Golden Gate. "Bill Collector" went on to have 19 and 20 marlin respectively on consecutive days, November 3rd and 4th. Eighty nine percent of charters caught billfish this week. Weight on striped marlin is currently ranging from 110 to 140 lbs.
OTHER SPECIES: The highlight of this week was the Western Outdoor News Jackpot Tuna Tournament held on November 6th and 7th, with 97 teams competing from humble pangas to super yacht sport fishers. We love this tournament as it is accessible to anybody with an entry fee of $700.00 and various daily jackpots ranging from $250.00 to $5000.00 per day. The two day event is a lot fun with events every night and the rules simple, meaning there is no tension on the participants. Catch a tuna over 40 lbs on a rod and reel and be back at the dock by 6.00pm and no problem if your buddies help you reel it in. First day of the even it looked like "Bottom Line" a 50 ft Hatteras was in the lead with a 143.40 lb tuna caught by Mike Means from Lake Zurich, IL, with a blue jet head lure on the Cortez side, but at two minutes to six, a basic panga "Dr Pescado" roared up to the scale and dropped a fish off that tipped the scales at 145.40 lbs caught by Jaime Rendon from Cabo. They told us that they caught the fish 25 miles offshore just before San Jaime on a live caballito with a kite. The smaller boat was not in all of the jackpots do despite having a slightly larger fish; the Bottom Line took the lion's share of the monies that day. This first day produced many qualifying fish and the excitement was high as the first boats pulled in with 45 lb fish and hung around until a larger one came in and ruined their chances. Next day out, final day, excitement was high and the majority of boats headed to the Pacific. It wasn't much after 5.00 pm when Bottom Line again pulled up to the dock with a 101.6 lb tuna caught by Ralph Liberatore from Kildeer, IL, they had been patient and worked the same area all day. Everybody was impressed that they had produced another large fish, but just a half an hour later "Reel Rum" showed up with what would prove to be the largest tuna of the competition. We could see by the size of the tail sticking out of the wheeled fish box, used to transport the fish from the boat to the scale that they had something. After two attempts at hoisting up the monster, it was found to weigh 244 lbs caught by Ryan Donovan from San Marcos, Ca. they caught is 30 miles straight out from the Old Lighthouse on the Pacific in an area with no birds, no porpoise, no action….they were actually lamenting the fact that they were probably in the wrong place when the fish hit a green, squid lure taking almost three hours to reel in. In the dorado and wahoo division, no fish met the minimum weight of 40 lbs the first day so as the rules dictated it was lowered to 25 lbs for the second day.
Here are the results and winnings:
1st Place Reel Rum 244 lb tuna $70,380.00
2nd Place Dr. Pescado 145.50 lb tuna $11,800.00
3rd Place Bottom Line 143.60 lb and 101.6 lb tuna $271,346.00
Dorado Division: Picante Dream 40.10 lbs $64,000.00
WEATHER: Mostly sunny, two choppy days, now calm.
LOCATION: Golden Gate for marlin, San Jaime to Lighthouse tuna.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 83 F
BASED ON THE CATCHES OF PISCES BY TRACY EHRENBERG
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