A PAIR OF WAHOO LANDED WITH MARAUDER LURES OFF PUNTA PESCADERO

Aug. 7, 2004, Bill Burkett, Los Barriles, Fat Cat, East Cape, Baja California coast, Mexico Fishing:

Fat Cat fished three times during the week. We had planned to fish more, as we had visitors from So. California the first three days. However, thunder storms across the Sea of Cortez created south east winds and seas too rough for comfort in a 22 foot boat (even if it is a catamaran).

We did fish on Sunday 8/2 for very slow results. Started fishing about 10 miles east of the lighthouse at Punta Arena in 84 degree water looking for blue marlin. After not seeing anything all morning, we moved in closer to shore in hopes of locating some dorado. Slow trolled small dead ballyhoo, but caught only needlefish and bonito, so put lures back out and started trolling again. The day was saved with a 40 lb. wahoo on a small skirted lure with no wire.

The weather forced us to seek other entertainment the next day. So, we took ATV's some 30 miles north on the Pescadero road to the new development at Muertos Bay (the developers call it Bay of Dreams) and had a real nice lunch at the Giggling Marlin restaurant. Everyone really enjoyed the trip.

After our guests left and East Cape weather got a little better, my wife, Silvia and I again tried the area east of Punta Arena on Thursday for Blue Marlin.

It was day 2 of the East Cape Bisbee and day one had brought quite a few blues from the area, so we thought we'd try there again. We found water temps down to 81 degrees close to shore and slowly warming to 83 degrees 10-12 miles out. We hooked a striped marlin after about an hour of trolling, but released it a couple of hundred yards from the boat. Had a double hookup on stripers later and managed to legally release one of them. We never saw any sign of a blue, but noted that the Bisbee hookups were mostly coming from further south near the Gordo banks.

The next day we fished close to shore. Started fishing north at Punta Pescadero at the edge of the reef in 83 degree water, looking primarily for wahoo. We were pulling two Marauders and three smallish skirted lures. After about a half hour of trolling we caught a 30 lb. wahoo on a orange/black Marauder--I love it when a plan works!

Put the spread back out and had trolled about another hour when the purple/black Marauder got struck. Not a wahoo! A beautiful sailfish starts jumping behind the boat with the Marauder hanging from its jaw. Before I can clear the rest of the lines a second sail has hooked himself and we have two fish dancing behind the boat. The fish on the Marauder finally threw the hook, but we released the other.

Because of some storm activity around us we started trolling back towards Los Barriles. We got just south of Pescadero and hooked another wahoo (this one bit a skirted lure) of about 15 lbs.

As we trolled just outside the mooring line (where all the boats park) at Los Barriles we hooked another sailfish. This fish was also released after a spirited fight.

As we were approaching our mooring we caught and released a small dorado to complete our great day. And best of all we were never more than a half-mile off shore all day!