A 40-MILE SPORTFISHING RUN FAILS TO FIND YELLOWFIN TUNA

Jan. 30, 2005, Ed Kunze, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico Fishing Report:

The blue water is just off the beach at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, but earlier in the week the full moon had put a bit of a brake on the good action fishing we had been having. However, by week's end, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fishing picked up again as boats averaged a couple of sailfish each per day, plus a very good showing of 20 to 35-pound dorado.

Frustrated by only raising 3 or 4 sailfish a day earlier in the week, client Rich Pietila of Odessa, Texas asked Martin on the panga Isamar to go 40 miles and see if they could get some action on the yellowfin tuna. They did not find any tuna, but on the way back they saw a lot of sailfish at the 30 mile mark. Using only hookless lures, as we do when fly fishing, they would tease the fish to the boat, but dropped back with a live bait on a 30 pound rig. They tagged and released 6 in a very short time. The next day they targeted this group of new fish, and what a day they had. With more than 30 fish raising to the spread, they tagged and released 12.

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo roosterfish fishing is still very slow and will probably not pick up again until July. Inshore, the small game fishing at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo is decent and we are even getting quite a few chulas. A chula or kawa kawa is a small tuna, with teeth, and tasty white flesh.

(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.