East Cape Guides - On The Water Report - August 16, 2014

Hola Amigos,

We are definitely in the midst of an El Nino year. Weather has been a bit screwy with small storms moving through dumping rain on the now green hills of the East Cape. Water temps are very warm ranging from 86-88 with water over 90 degrees offshore. We fished through a 4 hour rainstorm and had a triple tuna bite going while being pelted by a downpour 200 meters off of Los Frailes. Fishing has been challenging at times but the tuna bite down at Frailes continues to produce 20-40lb. fish with a few larger tuna being landed further south. Our largest was 43lbs. landed off of Vinorama. We are also seeing more white bonito, which is great for sashimi. Dorado are being caught inside and south of Punta Arena with some larger fish being landed 8-12 miles offshore from La Ribera to Frailes. Billfish has slowed on the excellent blue marlin bite we had in July but the stripes and sails continue with a few shots everyday. Inshore bite is a mixed bag of jacks, pargo and a few amberjack. Overall the fishing has been up and down, but the bite continues everyday, some days better than others. I'm looking out at the Sea of Cortez right now and it is greasy calm with clear skies. Clients Dean Lawver, Larry Janos and Norm "The Fish Slayer" fished 6 days and filled their coolers with tuna to 43lbs., dorado to 37lbs. and C&Red multiple stripes and sails. Here are some photos from the week on the water...

Buena pesca,

Mark

Elephants and Pea Shooters

Here's side story with dedicated billfish angler, Dennis Kilroy. Dennis asked me to fish with him on the Mi Pistola. I offered to us my gear but he was clear he wanted to use his tackle for our day on the water. Dennis has a collection of vintage Penn gear, 30t and a 50tw internationals and Pen rods from the 70s. Most of these real were only half filled with 50lb. line. I scratched my head as we put out the spread, all top-of-the-line Black Barts, Zukers, etc. Dennis had mention that he landed and release a blue the day before and, "I asked on which rod?" He pointed to a vintage Penn Senator rod with a 30t International that must have been 40 years old, half filled with 50lb. braid and a short topshot of 50lb. mono. I then asked, "how long was the fight?" He replied five hours. Well, off to the grounds we went and sure enough we hooked into a 300lb. blue on the same rod. The photos tell the story of vintage light tackle on blue marlin...enjoy.

Pain

More pain

Pain

More pain

DONE!

The vintage rod

East Cape Guides Report - August 1, 2014

Well, we have had some high highs and low lows these last few weeks. The weather has be unseasonably wet for this time of year with green hills instead of dry desert. We did have a small chaotic chubasco come through last Wednesday blowing the fleet off the water. It only lasted a few hours but it hit just as the boats were leaving the dock and we were in the middle of it about 4 miles off of La Ribera. 50MPH winds, sideways rain, lightning, sick clients, it was a bit loco. All is calm now as water temps are warming up from last week in 86-88 degree range with 90+ degree water 40 miles offshore from the Terrafin reports. Fishing has been a mixed bag with a really great run of blue marlin last week, tuna from 30-60lbs. just south of Frailes and we found some footballs under the porpoise 40+ miles out. Dorado have been up and down with mostly small dodos coming to the dock and the occasional report of the large 40+lb. fish landed offshore. Striped marlin and sailfish have also been a moderate catch. Roosterfish have been landed and released in front of the Cabo Riviera and some larger units down at Frailes. It's looking like the bite is prime to ramp up soon.

Blue marlin on the hook

Bloody decks!

Steve Jensen with a big Sea of Cortez sailfish

Kyler Ostenberg with a 38lb. roosterfish