EAST CAPE FISHING TRIP TO HOTEL PLAYA DEL SOL

Oct. 27, 2005, Paul Oldaker, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico Fishing:

I just got back from an East Cape fishing trip to Hotel Playa del Sol with Bruce Kelso from Broomfield, Colorado, and Leo Beemon from Durango.

Fishing on Thursday, October 20, Wind and surf are up. No sardina's are available. Go north to avoid wind on a boat named Cutty Sark. No action all day.

Fishing on Friday, October 21, Montezuma's revenge! First time for me in Baja. We think a can of cashews from the store. No fishing.

Fishing on Saturday, October 22, we get the Victor Antonio, an old slow boat. No sardina's are available so the fleet gets at least two Humboldt squid in Bahia Palmas. They then cut up the mantle for chum and bait. Off to Cabo Pulmo on the slow boat. Sea and wind have calmed down a lot. We get a couple bites, but no fish.

Fishing on Sunday, October 23, the Victor Antonio blows a head gasket so lots of oil on deck. Rescued by Chureya, a cruiser from Palmas. Captain is Lupe. Mate is Andreas. Pick up a football tuna in Pulmo. I get a 110 pound sailfish trolling in the afternoon.

Fishing on Monday, October 24, we get the Chureya again. Good captain. His mate today is Manuel who I met at Buenavista a couple years ago. Seas are light. We find good tuna under porpoise 35 miles out, off Frailes. Bruce gets a 60 pounder. I get a 50 pounder and a 45 pounder. The rest are in the 20-30 pound range. No footballs. Most on bleeding mackerel color (chivato) daisy chain hoochies and natural cedar plugs. The two biggest were on squid and caballito bait. Only two other boats in area. When we fill the ice chests we troll to the north. Leo gets a 90 pound sailfish who really did not put up a fight. A great day!

Fishing on Tuesday, October 25, we get the Chureya again. We say marlin and he heads to the south tip of Isla Cerralvo where Bruce gets his first 100 pound striped marlin who was sunning himself. We trolled up the east side of Cerralvo I think towards the 88 bank. One other fishing boat in area from La Paz. Headed south to the shark traps. Finally another 100 pound sailfish for Leo which is just as lazy as the first. We find porpoise and put out a cedar plug. The 30 pound tuna hits a purple/black wide range style marlin lure. I get the fun of fighting him. A good last day.