SAILFISH COUNTS DECLINE DURING FULL MOON PERIOD

Oct. 3, 2004, Ed Kunze, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico Fishing:

The 80-degree blue water is still holding a few miles off the beach, and the current lines with debris washed out of the rivers, are still well defined off Ixtapa Zihuatanejo.

The full moon did slow down the sailfish fishing, with only an average of about one or two per Zihuatanejo fishing boat being caught per day. Steve Carlson, from the LA area, fished on the Vamonos II for 5 strikes from sailfish in the spread, but managed to only hook and release 1.

Terry Carter, of Cincinnati, is here to help Gary Graham and I guide for the Baja On The Fly Flyfishing roosterfish tournament. He fished his first day with Santiago on the panga Gitana. They raised 5 sails, with Terry hooking and releasing one. This was his 83rd sailfish released on the fly.

The 20 to 35 pound dorado are still holding in the current lines, and most boats are getting two to three per day.

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo inshore action for roosters and jack crevalle is heating up as the water turbidity clears. We are still getting some river runoff from nightly rains in the sierras, but the flows have slowed a bit, discharging less silt than the past few weeks.

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