CABO MARLIN KEEP BITING DURING A WINTER FULL MOON

Feb. 17-23, 2005, Benjamin Ortega, Solmar Fleet, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

A full moon period is supposed to be an off time to fish for striped marlin, according to angling legend. It also is held that when the water temperature drops below 70 degrees, so does the catch.

Apparently, no one communicated this to the marlin population off Cabo San Lucas this past week, as these fish put on one of their better bites of the winter season.

Wichita, KS angler Don McKlosky certainly punched a big hole in that legend when he caught four Cabo San Lucas stripers and released three more while fishing aboard the Solmar IX off Cerro Colorado.

David McCluskey of Granby, CO followed with three stripers weighing between 145 and 172 pounds. Each was caught on live mackerel fished off the Gordo Banks from the Cabo San Lucas charter fishing boat El Torito.

And right behind McCluskey was Edward Brown of Franklin, MA, who said he had a "great day" of fishing at Cabo San Lucas in taking a pair of stripers, both of them released. He fished the Faro Viejo on the Cabo sportfisher San Lucas V.

And then there was Chris and Marla Stanton of California. They shared in taking two marlin while fishing the Solmar II at the Faro Viejo.

Alicia Jauregui of Gilroy, CA, and Fernando Pasqual of Madrid, Spain, made the billfish scoreboard by making single striper catches. Jauregui caught hers while fishing the San Lucas V off the Cabo San Lucas Old Lighthouse.

Pasqual released his striper, which he hooked on a live mackerel east of the Gordo Banks while fishing the Solmar IV.

John T. Smith of San Clemente, CA fished the San Lucas IV off the 95 Spot, where he boated two dorado (mahi-mahi) and three yellowfin tuna, all caught on live mackerel.

Mario Arballo of the Solmar IV won captain of the week honors for taking 13 striped marlin, nine yellowfin tuna, ll dorado and 16 sierra in five outings.

Total catch for the week, including releases, by the Solmar fleet was 57 striped marlin, 19 dorado, 24 yellowfin tuna, 33 sierra, 12 jacks and seven wahoo.