Z Fish Report (4/24/14)

Next weekend, from the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4th of May is the 31^st annual dinosaur kill tournament fsailfish. For you Gringos who think the 30 kilo limit, which Paul Phillips and I mandated, will cut down on the killing of fish… Just wake up. The majority of the entries are Mexican Nationals and local captains…all looking for a way to win or place…By any method. They make deals with long liners to share the pot, fish the day before and turn in a blackened and dried out 750 pound marlin, etc.

It is all about money. And, any Mexican National or captain, who paid the entry fee will still kill all the fish, even if they are not in the money. The logic being “I am entitled to this fish, because I have a license and I paid the entry fee”. And, it is true. The Mexican regulations allow for 2 billfish per day per boat. Multiply that time 150 boats for three days, and the math speaks for itself.

I have seen over 750 sailfish killed in the three day tournaments in the past, and stacked like cordwood. With the 30 kilo rule, they are now hidden as fillets in ice chests.

Please remember… Kill a bill fish…No Tip. They have their tip on the deck of the boat.

Another thing, besides the negatives of the kill tournament, is it is the only time of the year there is a presence to buy fishing licenses…but only for the 3 day tournament. Imagine the thousands of dollars lost each year because there is nobody to sell the fishing licenses to the tourists, as mandated by Mexican Law, and also very acceptable to be paid by all tourists who fish here.

The blue water is defining itself well and the surface water temperatures are climbing to an average of 85° making for very hot nights, with little sleep. It is typical May weather, but a bit early. On the bright side, it only seems like the month of May is like this…it is the dead air, and an 85° breeze doesn’t have much of a cooling effect..

  

Offshore – Is basically the same as last week, with 3 to 4 sailfish a day into the spread and 1 or 2 caught fish per boat.

There are a few blue marlin showing up, with one incredible story on Wednesday with Arturo on the panga Janeth. They caught a big blue on a live black skipjack, and had it to the boat in only 20 minutes. Thinking it died, they laid it across the gunnels near the stern with head and beak overhanging one side, body down on the floor, and tail over the other side. Getting rigged to set out the rods again, about 3 minutes later the marlin comes back to life! And, it did not want to be in the cockpit of that panga. One rod snapped like a toothpick, another went sailing away, and Arturo was finally able to help it get out of the panga, getting a huge red welt across his forehead from a final tail slap. Strangest darned release I have ever heard of.

Also, when on the pier this morning I was talking to one of the tuna commercial fishermen on his panga. I noticed he had a kite on the panga. I told him they are very effective with live bait. He said all the pangeros are converting over to kites now, and agreed on how effective they are. And they are getting lots of tuna between 35 and 40 miles. The yellowfin are averaging 30 to 45 pounds.

 

A nice jack by Jim Shelton while fishing with Cheva
on the panga Dos Hermaons II

The inshore action is still the best bet, especially for light line trolling, spin casting and the fly rod. There are lots of sierras and black skipjack a few hundred yards off the beach with a few large jack crevalle and roosterfish close in.

The full moon did cause some problem with the high waves, but things have settled down again.

Dave Radosta of Iron Mountain MI and fishing partner Jim Shelton of CA spent a day with Cheva inshore on the panga Dos Hermanos II. This is what Dave emailed me: It was a tough day. Cheva worked hard but there was little to show. The total was 15 Bonito's and 2 Jack's. The roosters were not to be found. Dirty water, larger than normal waves and lack of bait near the shore was a tough triple whammy. See you in July!!!

Adolfo, fishing to the south in cleaner water Wednesday found the roosters again. So the problems with the earthquake are now minimal. He got a 60-70 pound rooster for his client Lad Shunnerson of Boulder, CO.

Ed Kunze (IGFA Representative) 
   

We now have PayPal for the Roosterfish Foundation! (roosterfish.org)

Shown below is the logo for the wallet sized laminated card for membership in the Roosterfish Foundation. Please contact me at roosterfishfoundation@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a member. 

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