WITH TAILHUNTER INTERNATIONAL AND THE JACK VELEZ FLEET

April 8, 2005, Mike Gravert, La Paz, Mexico Fishing Trip Report:

I fished with Johnthan Roldans Tail Hunter adventures, fishing with the Jack Velez fleet with Joel as my captain.

Fishing out of La Paz on March 30th, I caught a 80-pound plus roosterfish caught on the north side of Isla Espiritu Santo.

The fish hit a slowed trolled live sardina on a 7-foot Shimano Tallus rod with a Avet JM6 reel, lined with 30-pound Trilene Big Game.

I came down to fish at La Paz just to target the Rooster. After three days of searching and on my last day of fishing for the week, it turned into a beautiful bay. With birds overhead we searched the bay from a far, and at that moment Joel shouts "Pisguiao! In the crystal blue water as the sound of tumbling small boulders rolled in the surf, you could see the combs on their backs breaking the water to snatch the bait.

We quickly put fresh bait on the lines and began to feed out the lines. As I was feeding out line, wham, my reel stared zinging. 1,2,3,4...bam, I hit 'em. After 15 minutes of the fish just taking line, then stopping, then taking more, I said, "All I want to do is see this fish."

After another 10 minutes, I had worked it within 20 feet of the boat. Oh my God, this thing was big. Trophy? I asked the capitan? Yes, he said, trophy.

The fish was landed after a couple more runs. I screamed at the top of lungs THIS IS WHAT I CAME HERE FOR! The skin mount of this fish was given to my friends at the Paradise World Bar and Restaurant next to the Los Arcos in La Paz to hang in their place. A reproduction mount will be hanging on my wall for a lifetime. This was truly the greatest thrill of the hunt for me.

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