Z Fish Report (6/16/16)

Elias Packard with his nice tuna

Offshore (average) surface water temperature - Includes from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line, on out to about 50 miles with the 1,000 fathom line being at 32 miles: Heavy cloud cover this last several days do not give us a decent satellite photo for the surface water temperatures or the blue water (chlorophyll). We are finally getting small amounts of rain, which helps relieve the heat factor, takes care of the dust problem, and washes the trees down so the leaves are a brilliant green.

Inshore (average) surface temperature. Probably the same as last week. From the beach to about 5 miles: 84°

Blue water: Is still mixed up, with clean water from the beach to the 1,000 fathom curve, and blue water out beyond that.  (Chlorophyll amounts and surface temps from Terrafin SST)

Offshore- The sailfish action has picked up quite a bit this last week, and should last through the end of this week. Next week, on the 20^th, the full moon phase kicks in and will slow down the sailfish action. However, the strong blue marlin bite and the yellowfin tuna action should remain strong. With only a couple of sport fishing boats a day fishing the blue water, we are still averaging 5 blue marlin a day (with most of them taken by the commercial pangeros). But, it does show if you were actually targeting blue marlin, your chance of success is greater than 50%.  

For example, Elias Packard of Fargo North Dakota, and Rick Jones of Utah, fished 3 days last week on the 38 foot Orion, with Captain Jamie. I reported two of those days in last week’s report. They released an estimated 800 pound blue marlin on the first day, hooking and quickly losing a second blue on the second day of fishing (but boated a very nice yellowfin tuna), and then they scored on a third marlin of about 250 pounds on the third day. That is three for three in my book, plus the sailfish.

Here is what Elias emailed me when he sent the tuna photo: Catching and pulling on a giant yellowfin tuna, several sailfish, and two caught marlin in a three day stretch was quite a feat.

There are still very few dorado.

Jean Claude Norbert is fishing with Adolfo,
And doing their usual thing 

Inshore: We are still doing well on jack crevalle, and more roosters were taken this week. Adolfo told me “buena pesca para total” which means good fishing inshore and also offshore. The roosters have come back in greater numbers this week, but there are still huge amounts of jack crevalle.

Ed Kunze                                                                         

 (Director of the Roosterfish Foundation, IGFA Representative)