ALL BOATS FISHING INSIDE OF 20 MILES

Feb. 19, 2005, Ed Kunze, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico Fishing Report:

We are certainly having one of our best Februarys of the last couple of years for fishing at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. Historically, February is one of the best fishing months of the year here, and this year is proving it so.

The 80 degree blue water is still only a couple of miles off the beach and no charter fishing boat is traveling further than 20 miles to find fish. Most of the sailfish are being taken between the 8 and 12 mile mark.

I was talking with the sportfishing captains this morning (Saturday) on the Zihuatanejo municipal pier, and we were recounting the number of fish they have released this week. Everybody was running out of fingers and toes. Adolpho, fishing on the panga Dos Hermanos, had the best week. He fished the blue water 4 days and never released less than 8 sails, with two days of 13 releases. Adolpho also fished for roosterfish 3 days and tallied numbers of 9, 5, and 4 roosters each day. They averaged about 30 pounds, with a few fish well over 50 pounds. He also averaged between 8 and 10 jack crevalle on those days. The big jacks were about 15 to 20 pounds.

Santiago, on the Zihuatanejo fishing charter panga Gitana, released 38 sailfish in the last 7 days. And, Cheva, the captain of the Dos Hermanos II, released 30 sailfish for his 4 days in the blue water.

Scott Mckane of New Jersey, fishing with Orlando on the panga Tequila, averaged 4 sailfish a day, while looking for the yellowfin tuna. They never found the tuna, but with the sails and a few dorado (mahi-mahi), he was really excited about the quality of fishing he has had.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Ixtapa Zihuatanejo may be found at Mexfish.com's main Ixtapa Zihuatanejo page.