EAST CAPE REPORT FOR 3 DAYS OF FISHING FROM LAS BARRACAS AND PUNTA ARENA

May 27, 2005, Russ Fritz, La Ribera fishing, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

We fished on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, and plan on Saturday too. Fishing has been successful, except for Thursday. It turned out to be a "short" day for us. Short strikes on lures, short bites on live bait, and short on beers in the cooler, so we came in after a short while.

Monday was a double marlin day with both tail wrapping during the fight, and pulled in dead. A single dorado, and a small tuna rounded off the day.

Wednesday produced 2 nice 25-pound tuna, a very respectable dorado, and more needlefish than we wanted.

All our fishing action was between Las Barracas and the Punta Arena lighthouse, within 3 miles of shore. We sighted as many as 12 'tailers' in a day, and numerous jumpers.

Last Saturday, we lost a large blue marlin while fishing 3 miles east of the lighthouse. My fault entirely, as I suffered from a lack of attention to detail. I neglected to inspect closely the eye of the hook, and pinch it securely closed. This might be a good reminder to other fishermen, to check those hook eyes when tying a leader, as I returned to the box of hooks to find about 20% with partially open eyes. In our case, it cost us a large blue marlin, and we know for sure, as when we reeled in the hookless line, my perfection loop was still securely tied.

Cold East Cape fishing water, 74 degrees, down from 84, moved north of the lighthouse yesterday, and pushed the marlin bite north towards Punta Pescadero. Lots of marlin were sighted there yesterday, with multiple hook-ups. Joe Minto's son Tony scored a nice striped marlin about 5 miles north of La Ribera.