Overall catch success rate, all species combined: 90%
Numbers at a glance: Billfish 67%, Tuna 12%, Dorado 3%, other 26%.
Overall catch success rates are still high, just as last week, but the amount of species caught has shifted once again. As cooler water temperatures set in, we saw dorado numbers drop from almost twenty caught last week, to only two this week. Marlin numbers have still remained very strong, with 113 striped marlin caught and released in this week alone. Crews are still going to the East Cape, to find them though.
Colton Stahl and his dad catching and releasing two marlin. These were 2 of 9 caught in total from two days fishing aboard Tracy Ann and Ruthless.
Our top marlin boat this week was the Pisces 31ft Tracy Ann, with 24 striped marlin caught and released in six days. Their best day was June 7th, with 7 striped marlin caught by anglers Colton, Randall, and Terry Stahl, and Lane Palmer from Texas. They caught the marlin with sardines at Destiladeras, on East Cape; the largest being about 140 lbs, and all of them released. A few days earlier, the Tracy Ann and anglers Molly Margheim and Ryan Montford, from Wichita, Kansas, caught 6 striped marlin from 80 to 120 lbs, also at Destialderas. This time the crew used caballito live bait, and again released all the fish.
The Pisces 31ft Rebecca, caught 16 striped marlin this week, with the most fish caught in one day: 9 striped marlin by sole angler John Kennedy, who was celebrating his 62nd birthday on June 8th. A spectacular once-in a lifetime birthday present from the Sea of Cortez, I think! John did a great job to catch and release all 9 marlin, which averaged about 130lbs, with the largest caught of about 180 lbs! All fish were caught on sardines at Destiladeras.
Pisces 35ft Valerie came after this, with 15 striped marlin caught in the week, the most being 6 marlin in one day, June 7th.
John Kennedy celebrates his 62nd birthday aboard the Rebecca with 9 striped marlin caught and released
The 55ft Flora T also had a good week, with 10 striped marlin caught and released in two days. Anglers from Dallas, Texas, caught 7 striped marlin on June 8th (our most productive fishing day for all boats this week, and also the 1st day of the Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament: Cabo Summer Slam). The marlin were caught on sardines out at Destiladeras and were all released except one. They also caught a thresher shark on mackerel, which they released along with a small 10 lbs skipjack, that hit on a feather lure.
Again this week, we saw 60ft Shambala catch one of the only dorado seen, a 12 lbs fish which hit on petrolero lure out of the Old Lighthouse. Anglers, the Richer family and Maautou’s also caught and released 1 striped marlin of about 160 lbs, which hit on petrolero lure as well.
The Rebecca caught the other dorado this week, but this one was too small only about 6-8 lbs, so the anglers decided to release. It hit on a cedar plug lure outside of the lighthouse. Anglers from Alabama also caught 1 yellowfin tuna of about 10 -12 lbs on cedar plug in the same location.
Panga fishing produced this beautiful yellowtail!
Other species caught were jack crevelle, rooster fish, sierra mackerel, triggerfish and a few yellowtail. Panga Anamar for example, caught a beautiful jack crevelle of about 40 - 45 lbs, which angler Alan Stirling, from Scotland, caught on caballito bait close to the Old Lighthouse. He released the jack crevelle along with a 35lbs roosterfish caught on caballito as well. This same day, panga Poseidon caught 1 sierra mackerel of about 9 lbs, on caballito bait close to Cabo Real on the Sea of Cortez side. Anglers John and Mary Cannon ket the sierra for eating, but released a nice 14 lbs jack crevelle which also hit on caballito bait.
Pisces boats caught 265 fish total this week, with 113 being marlin, 30 being tuna, 2 dorado and 120 being smaller game fish. All but two marlin were released, and catch limites well respected.
LOCATION: Destiladeras, Old Lighthouse, Punta Gorda.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Sunny and calm mostly, with some swell and wind on Pacific side at times.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: Depending on location, low temps ranged from 69 to 75 F, and higher temps ranged from 76 to 86 F
BEST LURES: Caballito, sardines, mackerel, cedar plugs, feathers.
Based on the catches of Pisces Sportfishing Fleet by Rebecca Ehrenberg