STRIPED MARLIN SEEM TO BE READY FOR A BIG RUN

June 3, 2004, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

BILLFISH: Actually a nice week for fishing and I believe that we are on the threshold of a fabulous striped marlin bite. Boats saw up to eighteen striped marlin in a day, but perhaps just one of this number would bite. The fish were over quite a widespread area from Chileno to Punta Gorda anywhere from three to eighteen miles offshore. The fish up on the surface were not that hungry; around thirty percent of the catches were on lures, while the rest took live bait.

Our overall catch success rate was seventy-three percent, with fifty-nine percent of vessels catching striped marlin. Almost without exception even the boats that did not catch, saw and baited several fish. A contributing factor to lower catch rates this week could have been the full moon. The marlin were of a good size, with several in the 200 lb range and we even had a couple close to the 250 lb mark.

"Ni Modo" was our top boat this week; the 42 ft Ocean had a couple of stupendous days, catching seven marlin each day on May 28th and 29th, with all but one of their fourteen marlin released. The crew attributed much of their success to their recent change to circle hooks. The lucky anglers first day out were Omar Placencia and Jesus Garcia from Montebello, Ca. Next day out the Latinos were again lucky, the anglers this day were Karla Landeros and Luis Alvarez from Chula Vista, Ca along with Cecilia & Rafael Laguna from Metepec, Mexico. Mark Sydow and family from San Franciso had a nice day too on the 28th, releasing four stripers aboard "Valerie". Pisces anglers caught a total of 69 striped marlin this week of which 66 were released.

OTHER SPECIES: Not a great deal happening on smaller game. Cabo San Lucas dorado were spread out and not that numerous, the average weight was 30 lbs and only about ten percent of boats picked up a solitary fish whilst trolling for marlin. Tuna fishing wasn't much better, in fact only a few boats caught them with the catch being one or two fish and more rarely up to a half dozen in the 15 to 20 lb class. However we hear that are up at the East Cape area and should be moving into the Cabo San Lucas area soon. Just a couple of wahoo, moderate in size at around 40 lbs. There was a 70 lb mako shark aboard "Andrea" for Anthony Andrews and Dan Broussard, both form the Houston area; they were also fortunate to release a couple of striped marlin. Inshore an increase on roosters in the 10 to 30 lb class. Fair amounts of skipjack and some sierra.

CABO SAN LUCAS WEATHER CONDITIONS: Quite strange weather - the latter part of the week we had thick fog and really cold winds, mostly on the Pacific, but also extending up into the Cortez. The weather then changed from one to the next, the chilly winds dropped and the heat came on as if by a switch. Skies were clear, water is blue and seas mostly calm.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP:70-73 F, though there were a few spots that were 80 F on the Cortez and it was a low as 69 F on the Pacific.

BEST LURES: Live bait, petroleros.