BILLFISH BITE IS MUCH QUIETER IN RISING WATER TEMPERATURES

July 30, 2004, Nancy Chaloner, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico Fishing:

A much quieter billfish week than last, with the number of striped marlin caught at a low of twenty two, blue marlin at seven and sailfish at two. This change is quite common at this time of the year as the water temperature rises and the fish start to spread out towards the Pacific side, the full moon might as well have been a factor.

We had several Cabo San Lucas anglers that would argue to the contrary such as Fritz, Laura and Clark Weiss from Houston Texas, who along with captain Leon Camacho aboard the Ruthless caught and released a striped and a blue marlin on Tuesday. Fritz was out again on Wednesday with Bob Seiler from San Antonio this time with Benito on the Valerie and again were able to catch and release one striped marlin a piece.

Noah Michel from Los Angeles caught the only two sailfish seen last week just a half mile off the Cabo San Lucas lighthouse on the Pacific. Cabo San Lucas hosted the Light Tackle World Championship on July 22nd through the 24th, first place was taken by Mr. Lou Bevalagua and Mr. Grant Hartman with four catch and release striped marlin on light tackle, congratulations!

Pisces anglers had an over all Cabo San Lucas fishing catch success rate of 83 percent this week.

OTHER SPECIES: Small game was the way to go this week at Cabo San Lucas, with some dorado weighing in at over sixty pounds. Our good friend Rod Brawley from Merced, California brought his son along this trip and the two aboard the Rebecca were able to catch three yellow fin tuna between thirty and sixty pounds as well as two dorado again from thirty to sixty pounds.

Also visiting Cabo San Lucas from California were Brian and Noah Michel and Ryan Winthrop, they made it look easy on their day out on the Ruthless with three huge dorado between forty to sixty pounds as well as two yellow fin tuna and two sailfish. We saw many tuna caught this week and quite a few between 50 and one hundred pounds. A large rooster fish was also caught up the Sea of Cortez by Mr. Perez this week, we are not sure of the weight but it is the biggest I have seen this season.

CABO SAN LUCAS WEATHER CONDITIONS: Hot, Hot, Hot and no relief in sight! There were a few windy days earlier on in the week but nothing out of the ordinary. The forecast calls for more of the same this week.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: Finally the Pacific is warming up, reported readings as high as eighty-eight just off the lighthouse. Two tropical disturbances that passed Cabo San Lucas to the west have helped the Pacific side jump six to eight degrees in one week. We should see great Cabo San Lucas fishing on both the Jaime and Golden Gate banks later this week.

BEST LURES: Yellow, orange and green were the colors attracting the dorado, feathers and cedar plugs for the tuna.