SAILFISH OR STRIPED MARLIN LANDED BY
77 PERCENT OF PISCES FLEET CHARTER BOATS

July 1, 2004, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico Fishing:

BILLFISH: This past week was an excellent time to be fishing in Cabo San Lucas, with an overall catch success rate of ninety-five percent for all species combined. Seventy-seven percent of charters caught striped marlin or sailfish. We are beginning to hear of blue marlin hook-ups at Cabo San Lucas too.

A couple of guys came by the office and told us they had caught a 500 lb blue marlin, but couldn't remember the name of the boat they were on. A few of our boats have had encounters with blues, but as of yet no solid catches.

Cabo San Lucas weather is really warming up now and the seas are teeming with life; turtles, manta rays, dolphins, whales and even sharks are being spotted. The numbers of striped marlin are pretty impressive, top one day total has to go to "Ni Modo" for seven stripers released on July 1st for David Keene and Rick Hosmser from Manhattan Beach, Ca. This was the only notable catch this same day "Tracy Ann" released four, as well as landing a couple of dorado for Mark & Beth Ann Risen from Texas.

The last day of the month gave us exciting fishing: "Rebecca" released four for Mathew and David Bartlett from Port Aransas. Charlie, Austin and Jen Wade from Hopkinton, Ma, did very well to release four stripers and a sailfish, also landing a dorado for dinner, aboard "Adriana".

Not to be left out Michelle Porter and friends from Upland and Canyon Club, Ca had a superb day with Rey on "La Brisa"; they released four striped marlin, along with a long desired sailfish and boated three dorado. Fish tended to hit on lures but prefer bait. Average weight on the stripers is from 120 to 180 lbs. Some Cabo San Lucas fish were caught as close to shore as three miles, whilst others were up to eighteen miles offshore. Pisces anglers caught a total ninety striped marlin and six sailfish, all released.

OTHER SPECIES: A nice increase on both dorado and tuna this week at Cabo San Lucas. Dorado was caught more frequently, but when found tuna yielded a more numerous catch. A little over half of the boats caught dorado in the 20 to 50 lb class, with catches usually being a single fish; some exceptions were boats that caught up to eight. Twenty-four percent of boats caught tuna, and catches averaged from two to nine fish per boat; most were on the small side at 25 to 40 lbs, though we did hear of one 160 lb being taken too. Wahoo catches were sporadic at Cabo San Lucas, with just a few taken on lures in the 40 to 60 lb range. Inshore triggerfish, jacks and some roosters occupied pangas.

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING LOCATIONS: Off of San Jose 5 to 17 miles, La Laguna, Red Hill, 95 spot, 18 miles off Chileno, 24 miles of Pedregal for tunas.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Hot, sunny, clear skies, seas calm.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 76-80 F

BEST LURES: Live bait, petrolero, green/white, guacamaya.