MEXICAN PANGA SKIFF WITH CAPT. TONY NUNGARAY
LANDS A 620-POUND BLACK MARLIN AT CABO SAN LUCAS

Aug. 19-25, 2005, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

It was a pretty exciting fishing week here in Cabo San Lucas, with some really nice fish caught.

The Cabo San Lucas fish of the week has to be the 620 pound blue marlin, caught aboard a 22 foot panga "Little Hooker."

Despite it being a little boat, they had veteran Cabo San Lucas captain and black marlin specialist, Tony Nungaray aboard, who has a secret spot for large fish, out beyond Punta Gorda. Tony was aboard with Michael Theodore and friend Ernie, slow trolling a live skipjack. The first thing they saw was a 400-pound black marlin that jumped out of the water, before their bait was slammed by a much larger fish. Poor Ernie was the one up at the rod and had to sweat, huff and puff for one-and-a-half hours before the fish was brought alongside dead. The fish was hooked in the back and was lassoed around the head, meaning it couldn't get enough oxygen circulating through its gills. The three guys on board did very well to hoist the huge marlin on board without capsizing the boat.

When 19-year-old Brennan McNatt from Tustin, Calif., showed up to fish in Cabo San Lucas, his largest fish to date was a 2 pound trout, so you can imagine his surprise when he hooked up to a large blue aboard "Ruthless" on August 19th. Brennan aboard with friends Jaime Nichols and Ambrio Brown, also caught and released two striped marlin. Back at the dock the fish weighed in at 500 pound and we were told it took a green and yellow lure 9 miles off of Pedregal.

We had several Cabo San Lucas sportfishing boats that caught both blue and striped marlin the same day, but the top striped marlin boat was "Que Sera", skippered by Mike Deane assisted by Jobe Villavicenio, with seven striped marlin released on August 20th by Luis de Saracho de Culiacan, Mexico.

Chris and Barbara Poynter were thrilled with their first marlin catch aboard "La Brisa:, the fish was a good size 142 pounds.

"Karina" had the most sailfish, with three on August 21st for Jose Uceda.

The port of Cabo San Lucas was closed on the 22nd, due to Hurricane Hilary to the south of us causing rough seas; we had quite a few people sea sick the next day, but those that stuck it out did well.

Alan Macady had his doubt about going out and wanted to cancel, as he thought it was too rough, but by 11.15 a.m. we had him underway and boy was he glad he went. He managed to release a black marlin and a sailfish and boat three tuna.

Our Cabo San Lucas fishing locations were at both ends of the spectrum from Golden Gate on the Pacific to Gordo Banks on the Sea of Cortez.

Our overall Cabo San Lucas fishing success rate for all species combined was 82 percent, with a 76 percent of boats catching billfish.

Pisces anglers caught a total of 61 billfish this week, consisting of 45 striped marlin, 8 blue marlin and 7 sailfish. All but three fish were released.

There was not a great deal happening at Cabo San Lucas on smaller game, with just a few dorado and even fewer tuna. Dorado were caught whilst trolling usually just a single fish in the 15 to 40 pound class. Tuna were of football size and again were picked up trolling. We did have a couple of nice wahoo, with the largest 60 pounds aboard "Libre".

Cabo San Lucas fishing weather was hot, sunny, partly cloudy, rain on Monday, seas on the rough side now calm. Average water temperature 84-85 degrees. Live bait was for stripers and sails, green/yellow lures for blues.