BILLFISH ACTION GOES ON A TEAR AS SOLMAR
SPORTFISHING BOATS AVERAGE ABOUT TWO FISH PER TRIP

June 16, 2004, Benjamin Ortega, Solmar Fleet, Cabo San Lucas fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

When fishing conditions are right -- whether it's the moon, the water temperature, the bait, the correct lure, or whatever one wishes to apply -- that time is now in waters off Cabo San Lucas.

Billfish have gone on such a tear at Cabo San Lucas that if you didn't catch at least two stripers during the past week, you were relegated to the also-ran section of the weekly catch report.

Live mackerel was the prime enticer, as they have been all season thus far.

Take Oklahomans John Brunnemer and his first-time fishing buddy Calvin Kreger, for example.

In four days fishing the Las Destilladeras area aboard the Solmar III, they bagged four striped marlin, four roosterfish and one bull dorado of 60 pounds.

"Calvin caught his first striper, a 120-pounder, the first day, and his second one the next day," enthused Brunnerman over their good fishing fortune. "On the last day, he got that bull dorado."

And then there's Jack Sandino and Mary Lou Samson, each of whom caught three Cabo San Lucas stripers.

Sandino, a Nevada resident and veteran Cabo San Lucas angler, caught his marlin while fishing aboard the Solmar II in waters off San Jose. "It was my best fishing in Cabo San Lucas," he remarked.

Samson, of Seattle, WA, also fished the Solmar II, but at the Gordo Bank.

Those who double-digited on stripers at Cabo San Lucas included two Californians, Suzanne Ripley (no home town) and Jack Ramsey of Fresno. Ripley caught her marlin at the Las Distilladeras aboard the Solmar IV, and Ramsey got his on the Solmar III while working the Gordo Banks.

Gilbert, AZ angler Jason Pistilo fished the Solmar I, praising its crew with "keeping us on marlin all day" at the Gordo Banks, where he ended up with two stripers.

The Roswell family of Bridgeport, CT, described their first encounter with a marlin as their "best fishing experience anywhere," in taking a lone striper on the San Lucas V at the Gordo.

Captain of the week honors went to Jose Cesena of the Solmar II, who in five outings took seven striped marlin, three jacks, two dorado and two roosterfish.

Total catch for the period included 28 striped marlin, 19 released, 14 sierra, nine dorado, seven roosterfish to 45 pounds, seven yellowfin tuna and five skipjack.