DISTANT SUMMER STORM CLOSES CABO PORT
FOR A DAY AS GOOD MARLIN ACTION CONTINUES

July 15-21, 2005, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas sport fishing, Baja Sur, Mexico:

The Cabo San Lucas vacation area again saw good fishing this week for most boats, despite the port being closed on July 20th, due to swells caused by tropical storm Eugene, located 300 miles to the south west of Cabo.

Seas were fine past the lighthouse on the Pacific side, but the Port Captain kept the port closed, leaving many anglers frustrated and chomping at the bit.

Fishing water temperatures off Cabo San Lucas soared to 83 degrees in some places as Eugene approached, but by Friday, seas had cooled again as cool water and breezes from the Pacific bathed Cabo, postponing our true summer once again.

Top boat this week was "Que Sera" with six striped marlin for the Coleman party. Each fish was a first for the individual anglers. The lucky location for this group was the 1150 spot on July 15th.

This day turned out to be the best of the week. "Rebecca" had four this day at Punta Gorda from Ian Tawes, Rick Fulton and William Wagon, from San Francisco, San Mateo & Castlerock.

"Ruthless" equaled this amount for Dane & Eddie Elliot from Birmingham, Alabama, this time though eighteen miles in front of San Jose.

Later in the week "Karina" was the hot boat, releasing two Cabo San Lucas marlin apiece for Rick Foget & Kirk Strickland from Victorville, Ca.

The fishing moved around quite a bit. In fact on one day, July 18th, most boats ran past were they were up beyond San Jose, when actually this day most of the catches were closer to home near Cabeza de Ballena.

With the full moon this week it could be discouraging when so many fish were spotted and teased anglers, coming up and nudging baits before swimming off disinterested.

Overall the Pisces Fleet marlin catch success rate was decent at 73 percent. The overall catch success rate for all species combined was 85 percent. Pisces anglers caught a total of 94 billfish this week, consisting of 92 striped marlin and two sailfish. All but four fish were released.

There was not a lot happening on smaller game. Eighteen percent of our Cabo San Lucas sportfishing charters found yellowfin tuna and managed to land fish in the 15 to 40 lb class, usually on the Pacific side. Most catches were of one or two fish and occasionally up to nine for those that worked the school well.

Just eight percent of boats caught dorado and these were all incidental catches whilst trolling for marlin. Sizes were from 15 to 40 lbs.

Inshore fishing at Cabo San Lucas is still slow, just the odd rooster, sierra or triggerfish being caught.

Best fishing locations were Chileno to Punta Gorda, tuna from the lighthouse to San Jaime on the Pacific.

Cabo San Lucas had clear, sunny skies most of the week, one cloudy day from the storm, seas swells, now calming. Average water temperature 75 degrees. Sixty percent of the catches were on live bait, with 40 percent on lures, orange/black, purple for marlin, blue/white and cedar plugs for tuna.