GREAT CABO ACTION--Scenes from John Lanz' excellent seven days with Angelina Fleet at Cabo San Lucas. Photos courtesy John Lanz.

A DOZEN MARLIN AND SAILFISH RELEASED
DURING ONE-WEEK FISHING TRIP TO CABO

Aug. 28, 2004, John Lanz, Cabo San Lucas fishing trip report, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Cabo reels are smoking! Trip totals: In seven and a half days of Cabo San Lucas fishing caught 13 billfish 12 released. We probably had 30-35 shots at billfish.

Big Game: 1 Blue Marlin est 200-250#, 6 striped marlin 90-140# and 6 Sailfish 60-80#.

Small game: Dorado 32, 24 and 8 pounds and some dink YFT and Skippies and bolito. Fished mainly Cortez side. Fished with Angelina Fleet mostly on Carmelita III Capt Hector Cota.

The Cabo San Lucas fishing and weather have been great.

Day by Day:

8/18 Fished on Angelina I...Almost a Grand slam, hooked a nice blue after he whacked my teasers then he dropped back and grabbed the guacamaya zuker 3.5 had him on for about 5 min before he spit the hook. Ended the day with a Striped Marlin and Sailfish C&R

8/19 Fished on the Carmelita III... C&R One Sailfish on a green/yellow zuker 3.5 and C&R a Striped Marlin on live bait.

8/20 Carmelita III...1 dink Dorado released.. 1 dink YFT and a bunch of skippies and a half dozen Bolito on our way up to the Golden Gate. When we got to the bank and trolled around the floats hoping for a wahooo but a Striped Marlin popped up and we enticed him with a live bait after we C&R him we were on the way back and found a pair of finners and hooked up one and the other sunk out. While I was fighting the one... the dead bait had slid up the line and when the marlin would jump or get close to the surface the dead bait would be slapping on the water like a Kite bait. The other marlin came back and was after the bait hanging from the line, quite the show. Ended the day with 2 Striped Marlin C&R.

8/21 Carmelita III...was due for some salado (bad luck) hooked a nice dorado on the petrolero but he spit hook. hooked a Striped Marlin on petrolero he spit hook, we spotted a bunch of small fish getting chased and we hooked a Wahoo he spit hook as I was reeling the lure in another one grabbed it and he spit hook, pinche wahoo trashed my skirt on the petrolero. At the last minute of fishing time a Sailfish saved the day and grabbed what else... the trashed petrolero! Ended the day with One Sailfish C&R

Aug 22 Day off...recover from mucho fiesta Sabado noches.

8/23 Carmelita III...finally get some fresh Dorado a nice little 24# on the grn/blk Zuker 5.5 and a large Striped Marlin on the same lure he really nailed it and was bleeding badly so he ended up going to the less fortunate of Cabo.

8/24 Carmelita III...Boy did I stink it up today. We had 8 shots at various bill fish today and on the Blue I got to excited, set up to early and pulled the live bait from his mouth. Saved again from a skunk by a live bait C&R Sailfish.

8/25 Carmelita III...Hook up a nice Blue right off the bat(blk/purp wide range senior), who put on a great show but got away while giving chase to avoid getting spooled...all of the adrenaline... none of the work..lol. Live bait a finner and C&R a small Striped Marlin. A 32# Dorado on the Petrolero and a 8# Dorado on a grn/blk Zuker 5.5

8/26 Carmelita III...Sailfish C&R live baited after hitting Petrolero. A small Blue Marlin C&R live baited after hitting Petrolero 4 times estimated 200-250#. I really put my Shimano Torium 20 to the test and we had to chase her quite a bit even with spectra to avoid getting spooled. Cast live bait to 2 different tailing Striped Marlin but couldn't complete the slam(not hungry). To end the morning another Sailfish hit a blue/yellow wide range and was live baited C&R. Have to catch plane in afternoon so we head in at 11:30am ...talk about ending on a high note.

Sharp eyes might spot some “secret weapons” in the pics. Not my best Cabo San Lucas fishing trip for pictures (no monsters) but I will take red hot action like that any day. My custom Baja Rattlers worked like a charm.

Thanks to Sombra (Fred Archer) my teaser bar guru (your book was the best 30 bucks I ever spent) and my friend Grant Hartman (of Baja Anglers) for the nuggs of knowledge on “secret weapons” and especially Grant for that hot tip on THE honey hole.

Many thanks to father/son Mario y Carlos Chong owners of Cabo San Lucas' Angelina Fleet angelinafleet@hotmail.com for giving me the great prices for multi-day charters on the little old Carmelita III and thanks to Capt. Hector (Chivo) Cota and mate Miguel Davis for the awesome time!