FLY FISHING PRODUCES SAILFISH AND TUNA

Dec. 26, 2004, Ed Kunze, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico Fishing Report:

Clean water is just off the beach at Zihuatanejo and the majority of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing boats are releasing 3 to 5 sailfish a day.

I guided Scott Kelly from Juneau, Alaska, for fly fishing with Capt. Martin on the Ixtapa Zihuatanejo panga Isamar. Before heading out that morning, from the Terrafin Satellite Surface Water Temperatures chart, I had noticed a well defined area holding 80.5 degree water, with the rest of the areas all in a scrambled egg pattern of 83 to 85-degree water. The body of cooler water paid off with a huge sailfish tagged and released, and a couple of fly caught yellowfin tuna. The sailfish was estimated at 120 pounds and the tuna were football sized.

There are lots of yellowfin here at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, with the majority of them in the 12 to 20 pound size. We did notice schools of 50 to 60-pound fish crashing on bait, but they proved to be elusive.

(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.