GOOD DAY OF FISHING FOR TIN BOAT DORADO

Aug. 27, 2006, Torrance Eddy, Buena Vista, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Another day of good fishing at East Cape. This time, yesterday Saturday, I had some good catching to go along with it.

I got underway at about 7 a.m. and did some very slow trolling close to shore between Palmas de Cortez and Rancho Buena Vista. Then I slow trolled the blue water between Buena Vista and Rancho Leonero pulling a Mann's 30+ and a 5.5 inch silver black Rebel Fastrack at 3-3.5 m.p.h.

I caught two needlefish. They were both caught on the Fastrack and were either smallish giant needlefish or very large regular needlefish. You can't know if a lure works unless you give it some serious hours. While there is nothing better I know in Southern California for Halibut and Sandbass, the Mann's 30+ has yet to show me anything here. Both fish were about four feet and therefore, released, but not before enabling me to put a half-inch long, deep cut in my index finger, actually on the hand above the finger. For years, I've carried a first aid kit. It sure came in handy. I was able to clean and dress the injury using antibiotic ointment, tape and one of those yellow fishing gloves. This kept me fishing for the rest of the day. Those gloves are surprisingly cool even in the 90 degree, 75 percent humidity environment

There was virtually no wind and I didn't want to make my return run until the water surface had some texture to it. So, I caught ten triggerfish on cut bait, from the head and tentacles of Humboldt squid, releasing ten of the smaller ones. By then, about noon, the breeze had come up and the water looked a whole lot better. So, I headed back by going a little over a mile directly out from Rancho Leonero and then hanging a left turn in the general direction of Los Barriles. During my seven hours on the water, no other boats fished anywhere near me. About a mile after the turn, a Tuna school came within 100 yards at very high speed with large bait fish flying very fast in their attempt to get away. But it departed as quickly as it arrived and I was unable to join the action.

Within two miles of Los Barriles, I ran into a school of small 5-10 pound Dorado and picked up three fish, two on trolled Rebel Fastracks and one on a spin cast Krocodile. I lost just as many as I took.

I love fishing and even catching. But equal to them are the observations of wildlife. And well toward the top of that list is the sight of a dorado slowly swimming under the boat. I don't think I have the ability to assemble the words to begin to describe that sight.

It is now Sunday, and I can barely move. I am 65 years old and can do almost everything I could do at 20. But as often as not, with a price. Preparation, loading the boat, mounting the motor, pushing the boat into the water and the reverse of that process take their toll while the fishing and catching never cause fatigue in me.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from East Cape and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for East Cape may be found at Mexfish.com's main East Cape page.