Z Fish Report (1/19/17)

A great photo of Brian Hetland's sailfish as it comes to the boat for the release

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: 86°

Inshore (average) surface temperature. From the beach to about 5 miles: 86°

Note the spin gear Dave Otto used to tag and release the below sailfish

Blue water: All up and down the coast, the blue water is on the beach. (Chlorophyll amounts and surface temps from Terrafin SST)

Brian Hetland also got this striped marlin on spin gear (as well as his sailfish),
while fishing with Jesus (Hay.Soos) on the panga Princessa Marcy Jesus
snapped the underwater photo

Offshore- The sailfish action has improved with 5-6 per day per boat being raised, and 3 or 4 being hooked. Several small (very small) striped marlin have also been showing up, so something has changed their normal migration pattern. While trolling for the billfish, there are also few large dorado mixed in.

Above: Altan with Cheva showing the small size of the stripped marlin being
taken in the area. Below a sail they caught and released

The yellowfin tuna, abundant last week, have disappeared again.

Altan from Skabenga Lures of Montana fished with Cheva on, the panga Dos Hermanos II, a couple of days for several sailfish and even a couple of the juvenile striped marlin.

I also got this email from Hugh Himmelreich of Spokane WA with the results of his tournament last week: Just back from our 11th annual OTHG tourney in ZIHUA .  11 anglers in 5 boats caught 58 football tuna, 3 sailfish, 3 striped marlin, and 3 dorado. Probably would have done better on the billfish if we hadn't concentrated on the tuna.

Chris (left) and Mark Denison

Mark Denison, from his fishing lodge at La Barrita, fished with Chris Kontogianis and Dave Otto of Kennewick WA down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. They raised 5 sails, hooked 3, and tagged and released 2.

Do you think Brian Hetland likes spin rods offshore? It is for a reason
They are a blast. Shown here on the panga Princessa Marcy

Inshore: With the clear water on the beach, the gamefish are having a hard time to surprise the baitfish and get them concentrated against the beach, the game fish have gone to deeper water, where using their sensitive lateral lines to pick up minute vibrations, the dimness of light makes it easier pickings for them.

However, Mark Denison got it figured out with fly fishing client Ben Miller from Montana. One of the advantages of fishing down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero is if the bite turns on later you are never more than a 15 minute run back to port. The boats out of Zihuat will have been making the run back to port already, when the bite turns on. In the morning, with the water too clear to get any action, the waves and wind churned up the shoreline in the early afternoon, and the roosters moved in. Here is what Mark and Ben did today (Thursday):

Ben with one of 3 small roosters, and then lost a couple of 40-45 pound
class larger ones.It makes for a day to whet your appetite to come back for more

Started off in Playa Escula but the water was too calm and clear.  Made a run back to Loma Bonita, several small roosters chased the hook in front of La Barrita.  Worked our way back to Calvarillo where we hooked three small roosters.  Continued working down to mouth of Papano River without any luck. One chaser in the whole stretch.  From the Papaonoa River to the island, we hooked up on two large roosters, losing both after fifteen minutes of fighting, both in the 40 to 45 lb range.  One large rooster made several attempts at the hook in the 55 to 60 lb range.  So they are here, just hard to find. The choppy water and wind helped substantially in the afternoon. 

Ed Kunze                                                                         

 (Director of the Roosterfish Foundation, IGFA Representative)