PISCES FLEET SPORTFISHING BOATS AT CABO SAN LUCAS
AVERAGING 1 TO 2 STRIPED MARLIN PER OUTING

Dec. 16-22, 2005, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas sportfishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

We had another excellent sportfishing week here in Cabo San Lucas with an overall catch success rate for all species combined of 97 percent.

Striped marlin catches were again high with 79 percent of Pisces charter fishing boats catching an average of one to three striped marlin, though some boats did even better.

Our Cabo San Lucas charter boat "Ni Modo" made the long run up to Finger Banks and released eight striped marlin for Bob, Beth Ann and Bobby Holland from Dallas on the 21st.

Charter boats fishing closer to Cabo San Lucas at Golden Gate did almost as well.

"Valerie" released six striped marlin at this location on the 18th for Mike, Casey and Austin from Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona. The next day out, "Valerie" scored another six, plus two tunas for the Vigil and Sisk families from McArthur, Calif.

Fishing on the 20th, "Valerie" slowed a little to five Cabo marlin released for the Hinkle family from Cissna Park, Illinois. The following day "Valerie" was the hot boat again, this time for four marlin, plus a Pacific sailfish released.

"Ruthless" had a half-dozen marlin on the 18th, for Ricardo from Las Vegas.

Fishing with Larry Fisher from League City, Texas, "Rebecca" had five stripers for Nancy Zidek and friends from Chicago at the Golden Gate.

The sportfishing pattern this week was similar to last week's, in that some fish were found close to Cabo San Lucas by the Old Lighthouse, whilst others were at the Golden Gate Bank, which actually produced more fish.

Live bait is still what is working best. Weights on the striped marlin are from 140 to 180 pounds, which is a good size. Pisces Fleet anglers caught a total of 120 striped marlin of which 113 were released.

It was nice to see the yellowfin tuna show up in better numbers and this week 26 percent of Pisces Fleet boats caught between 1 and 20 fish ranging in size from 10 to 50 pounds. Some of these tuna were at Golden Gate, but better numbers were found both at San Jaime and 20 miles off of the Old Lighthouse.

Our dorado catches at Cabo San Lucas have slowed to 10 percent with just the odd fish here and there caught in the 10 to 20 pound class. Inshore pangas at Cabo San Lucas caught a few stray dorado, sierras and skipjacks. We also had a couple of smaller wahoo plus one 50 pound Mako shark.

Cabo San Lucas weather conditions were clear, with sunny skies, seas mostly calm. The best fishing location was from the Pacific Old Lighthouse to the Golden Gate; best lures, live bait.