Z Fish Report (5/9/19)

Offshore (average) surface water temperature - Includes from the 5 to 6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line, then to the 1,000 fathom line being about 32 miles: Exactly the same as the last several weeks. 83°

Inshore (average) surface temperature. From the beach to about 5 miles: About 80°

Blue water: (Chlorophyll amounts and surface temps from Terrafin SST) Clean from the beach to out past 30 miles.

Offshore: I was in California this last week, to visit my 94 year old mother, for a week early Mother’s Day. She is doing incredibly well, and independently taking care of herself.

I was concerned about this last week’s sailfish kill tournament, which has been going on for more than thirty years. The news was surprising. I talked to Cheva, captain of the panga Dos Hermanos II, for some time.

The winning sailfish was only 38 kilos, which is about 84 pounds. In years past, it took a fish of 50 kilos, to just be in the money. Most of the fish averaged between 20 and 25 kilos. The winning marlin was a blue, weighing in at 104 kilos (229 pounds).

Cheva told me 4 to 6 sailfish or small striped marlin were taken each day by the average boat, which is really decent fishing.

As expected, there were over 200 boats entered. But, just as I was envisioning the sailfish stacked like cord wood on the pier at the end of each day, he told me few fish were killed. Taking a step in the right direction, there was a catch and release prize of 10,000 pesos for sailfish. I am sure that saved the lives of a bunch of fish.

Inshore: With few clients, there is little information Cheva told me the roosters are not around, but there is plenty of inshore action for chulas, sierras, and jack crevalle. And, a lot of the action is close by, taking place at the point and on down to Playa Larga.

Ed Kunze