Z Fish Report (1/10/19)

And now you know why the Spanish word is dorado - the golden one. Rob
McCrea , of Vancouver, Canada took this dorado, and a nice  sailfish with
Jesus (hey-soos), on the panga  Dos Hermanos III

Offshore (average) surface water temperature - Includes from the 5 - 6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line, then to the 1,000 fathom line being about 32 miles: 84°

Inshore (average) surface temperature. From the beach to about 5 miles: 84°

Blue water: (Chlorophyll amounts and surface temps from Terrafin SST) Almost blue water from the beach to way out. (see below photos).

Offshore: We are in trouble. This was the beginning of the best two weeks of the year for sailfish. We have warm water, even though there does seem to be a cooling trend, and we are averaging only 1 sailfish a day per boat. The new moon was this last Sunday, on the 6^th, and should have triggered the bite. WTF is happening?

And, it was great to go to the pier in the mornings this week and see pangas lined up side by side to pick up their clients, with several cruisers backed up and waiting for theirs, for a bit later departure. But, it will not last long if our bread and butter sailfish are no longer here.

As an IGFA representative for more than 15 years, it has been frustrating to me. The IGFA is all about conservation, yet the IGFA is a U.S. based operation. Mexico will not acknowledge the IGFA, at least as far as the need for enforcement to protect the species.

Optimists (usually the captains themselves) say the currents are changing, and the fish will be here soon. Realistic people understand the problems of long lines and over fishing, with no law enforcement. The captains also understand this, but it is just too hard for them to accept that their brothers and cousins have been taking away their livelihood. Like the buffalo, they assume “there are so many, our life is secure for many generations to come.”  The long lining pangas are family members, and the sport fishing captain’s hands are tied.

With my 20+ years of living here, and respected by the captains, I fall into the realistic category. However, a gringo, no matter how many years he has lived here, and no matter what common sense has been preached for 20 years for catch and release by the sport fishing captains, which is now practiced, I am out of the loop. They want to handle the problem themselves. NO OUTSIDERS. They think outsiders can’t possibly understand the situation.

As Gringos, we have a tendency to see things in black and white. Yet this situation is 100% grey. And, they are right. Several years ago, when the late John Dean, who set up the web page for Alfredo for the Esturion boats, and handled their bookings, tried to be involved with the long line controversy. They were fishing one day, and saw a long line. When they pulled up alongside, picked it up out of the water to cut it, Alfredo was crushed. “John, we can’t cut this one. I recognize the knots. It is my cousins.”   

Think of the implications. How does a captain recognize the line and knots used on a particular long line? To me, it is double speak, and we, as outsiders, will never be able to understand or help the situation.

The only thing I can say now, in absence of fish in the best fishing period of the year for sailfish is “KILL A BILLFISH, NO TIP:” I don’t care who the captain is, or the circumstances. The captain will benefit monetarily by the kill. He will either eat it, or sell it. There is no need for additional compensation.

Another example is the farsighted mind of Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos. With no family members involved in the long line industry, he approached me to teach his 15 year old son, Adolfo Jr., the aspects of inshore spin fishing and fly fishing, including offshore fly fishing. Adolfo knew his son’s future was inshore, spin or fly fishing.

Above and below: On the panga Dos Hermanos  with Adolfo

This came about shortly after Cheva, Adolfo’s partner on the panga Dos Hermanos II, and I delivered a boat trailer to a friend up in Manzanillo. When Cheva and I arrived at the municipal pier, all we saw were long line pangas. There were over two hundred in the area. They didn’t even try to hide the illegal long lines. They were protected by the local government, with “shark” permits. It did not matter there was not a single long line with a stainless steel cable leader for sharks, all had mono leaders for sailfish and dorado. And, the local mayor even owned a few of the pangas equipped with long lines for sailfish.

Adolfo, is arguably the best captain in the port here, for any species, and the undisputed absolute best captain for roosterfish in the Americas, which is their only habitat. He asked me, a gringo, to teach his 15 year old son, Adolfo Jr. Which I did on weekends with clients, and school holidays when he was available.

Adolfo’s logic was sound.

1)  He had Jesus (Hey-sus) as his deckhand for 10 years. He couldn’t supplement Jesus as his deckhand until Jr. was ready. When Jr. was 18, Adolfo bought the third panga, Dos Hermanos III, for Jesus to captain, and Jr. became the deckhand for his dad.

2)  Adolfo would probably have been tougher on his son than I was. He demanded perfection, which Jr. had not yet achieved.

3)  Jr. learned and learned well. He is fantastic with the teaser rod for all species for fly fishing. His spin casts go a mile, and onto the beach, beyond the foam.

4)  In a few more years, Jr. will take over, and he will be ready.

Above and below: Well earned tiritas at Lily's for Knute
Olsen,  his son Agustus  and dad. They are from Montana 

Inshore: like last week, it is the best bet this week, and probably next week also. We are getting lots of large jack crevalle, several of the tasty sierras, and lots of the hard fighting black skipjack tuna, which are much larger than years past. And, even though it is getting too late in the year for roosters, and the inshore water is very clear, there are still a few roosters around.

Rob also fished a day with mark Deison down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. The
clear water made for tough fishing, with only a nice jack to show for a hard day.

Due to the clear water, the best action is now taking place a few hundred yards off the beach, with a lot of fish being caught.

Ed Kunze

(Director of the Roosterfish Foundation, IGFA Representative)