BLUE FISHING WATER AT 82 DEGREES JUST OUTSIDE THE BAY

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

Fishing at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo has been very good this last week. The 82 degree blue fishing water is at the entrance to Zihuatanejo Bay. I actually observed two free swimming sailfish and a hooked and leaping dorado of about 40 pounds less than 200 yards from the mouth of the bay.

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo charter fishing boats have been averaging about two to three sailfish a day, plus two 25 pound to 30 pound dorado a day. Plus, the fleet is averaging between two and three blue marlin a day. However, due to the fact the sportfishing fleet is geared up for the sailfish and dorado, there have numerous other marlin lost. The average marlin strike is about 1 fish per 3 boats.

Adolpho, on the panga Dos Hermanos, had a great day catching the large dorado with 10 fish.

Notable catches this week were made by Capt. Martin on the panga Isamar. Phil and Wendy Sollecito fished for two days, releasing 6 sailfish, a large dorado, and a small blue marlin of about 125 pounds. Bob Nelson from San Clemente is an annual client of Martin's and also fished two days. Bob released 5 sailfish and took two nice dorado.

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo fly fishermen are getting a lot of shots at the sailfish, and even a couple of dorado. Fishing with me guiding and Captain Felipe on the panga Yellowfin, Fred Miller of Denver had three sailfish on the fly. I also did a drop back with a live bait for his son-in-law, and he tagged and released his first sailfish. The bait and switch was done using a spinning rod, 5 feet of 100 pound test leader, a circle hook, and the spinning reel filled with 20 pound line.

(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.