ALUMINUM BOAT FISHING FOR SIERRA AND POSSIBLE BARRACUDA

Dec. 17, 2006, Torrance Eddy, beach launched boat Reina Maria II, Buena Vista, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Yesterday, I took my last East Cape fishing trip before leaving before Christmas.

I invited my lovely, French Canadian neighbor, Chantelle to go with me. And of course, I had engine trouble.

While trying to get the motor started, a man and his son, Rod and Matt, came by while trolling from a small inflatable powered by a 4 h.p. outboard.

I called them over and told them where I had caught lots of Sierra over the last couple of months, over the 20 foot deep areas from Los Barriles to Rancho Leonero.

We gave up on my motor after half an hour or so. Meanwhile, the man went home for some more gas to give him enough to stay on the water longer.

While pulling my boat out of the water, Rod cruised by and I offered him the use of my boat using his motor. But he suggested that all four of us go out fishing.

So off we went. It was 9:30 a.m. by now. We fished on my usual line between Los Barriles and Rancho Leonero.

On the way out, we caught one sierra so we could throw the skunk overboard.

On the way back, we had a double strike but both fish got off. Then my line was hit another time right near the boat. This fish got off as well. Three fish coming unbuttoned just didn't make sense with Sierra.

Earlier in the morning, my Mexican panguero friends Elias and Joaquin Aguilar returned from night fishing and included in their catch was a Cortez Barracuda. So, I think those three strikes late in our trip were not Sierra but Barracuda.

East Cape weather had very little breeze at the beginning to 15 m.p.h. wind with 1 foot wind waves at the end, the wind coming from the southeast. The air temperature was 70-75 degrees and the water was not cold.

(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.