Overall Catch Success Rate All Species Combined 93%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 75%, Dorado 20%, Tuna 38%
BILLFISH: This week we had a few spots of unsettled weather, but that didn’t seem to affect the heat or the fishing, as boats busily reeled in a variety of billfish or smaller game fish. July is actually one of the best months of the year for fishing, a time when catches are plentiful and different billfish can be caught. This week we saw steady catches of striped marlin and an increase on both blue marlin and sailfish. Although a lot of the fishing switched to the Cortez side, Pisces Bill Collector did well twenty five miles out from the Old Lighthouse, for Chris Cimino from Chicago who was extremely fortunate to release TWO blue marlin, one just over 200 lbs the other just shy of 300 lbs, plus two striped marlin and a yellow fin tuna. One of the blues took a live cabillto the other a green and yellow lure. This same day, July 4th, Ruthless also released a blue marlin this time at the 11.50 spot and Pisces Andrea with Mike Scarlet on board from Frisco, Texas released two sailfish and a striped marlin. The day before several boats had smaller blues, such as C Rod who fought their fish for three hours before they could release it on 40 lbs test, for Michael Connor from Jupiter, Florida. Michael Marvin from San Ramon, California, got sea sick aboard Listo, but still managed to release a blue marlin at the 11.50 spot, before heading in early. British anglers had a great time aboard C Rod, when Jamie Sixsmith from Yorkshire released his first ever blue marlin and then with dad John and Fu Lam Lee from Wales, they landed five tuna. Captain Abel was on a roll and went on to get his third blue marlin of the week, a 290 lb’er, this time at Punta Gorda for Chap Harriman from Bryan, Texas who also caught eight tuna. Bradley and Craig Russell from Australia had a blast on La Brisa releasing a 250 lb blue marlin and a striped marlin both on live caballito at Punta Gorda. One of the most active days was had by Pisces Rebecca with Ed & Neddie West on board from North Carolina; they released two striped marlin, a sailfish, a 100 lb pilot shark and caught two dorado – what a day! Seventy five percent of our charters caught billfish, consisting of 38 striped marlin, 11 blue marlin and 17 sailfish.
OTHER SPECIES: It really was an international angler week for us, with fishermen from England, Wales, Australia and believe it or not Finland! Mikko Rehtila fished with Jari Junnila & Keyo Hakkinen aboard La Brisa where they were our top tuna boat, catching a total of twenty eight (sixteen released) as well as releasing a striped marlin. The best tuna catches were at San Jaime on cedar plugs, but on other days schools were also spotted the opposite direction off of Punta Gorda. The weight on the tuna was seldom over 25 lbs, with the average catch being around six per boat – Listo did get a couple of larger ones at 70 and 80 lbs for Bobby Jones from Cypress, Texas. Nevertheless thirty eight percent of our boats caught tuna giving us a total of 203. Dorado catches are starting to get better and we saw an increase this week to twenty percent. Most were caught whilst trolling for billfish and not really being targeted, however, Panga Gloria fished close in on the Pacific and managed to catch a dozen up to 20 lbs plus nine skipjacks for our angler from Finland, Mikko Rehitla. Other catches were of a couple of pilot sharks, a solitary wahoo, a couple of roosterfish, jack crevalle and needle fish.
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, hot, some brief rain and thunder showers, seas moderate with 5ft to 6ft waves some days.
LOCATION: San Jaime, Golden Gate, Old Lighthouse, 11.50, Cabrillo, Punta Gorda.
WATER TEMP: 79-85 F
BEST LURES: Caballito, cedar plugs, green, guacamaya