FIRST MARLIN OF THE FISHING SEASON FOR BILL ERHARDT'S BOAT

June 5, 2004, Bill Erhardt, Loreto, Mexico fishing:

Fishing in Loreto for the three weeks I have been back from the East Cape has been slow, but it may be picking up. Yellowtail are still around but they are smaller, north of Loreto rather than south and biting deeper down than a month ago. My first 4 trips in quest of striped marlin and dorado netted exactly one dorado, about 10 kilos.

Friday, however, fishing 10 miles east of Isla Catalan I caught 2 nice dorado, about 25 and 40 lb., and my first marlin of the year in the Loreto fishing area. The marlin was a small striper, 90 to 100 lb., and offered less resistance than the bigger dorado, but at least it was armed with a bill.

I fish on my own boat and fish alone. The water temperature when I put in at Puerto Escondido south of Loreto at 5:30 am Friday was 77 degrees.

A rough 2 1/2 hours later when I got to Catalan the water temp on the west side of the island was 79. It was so rough that I tucked into a protected cove for an hour or so hoping it would lay down a bit. Winds were out of the south at only 10 knots, or so, but there were residual seas.

It did lay down a bit and east of the island when I got there around 9:30 the water temp was 80. I trolled S to N 5 miles or so east of the island, picked up a dorado, moved out to about 9 miles east of the island, made another pass and picked up the marlin and bigger dorado.

Water temp there at midday was 81. The water was greenish and there were scattered small clumps of weeds. Nothing approaching the size of a paddy that might hold fish.

I am going out again tomorrow. Haven't decided yet whether to try outside Carmen or go back to Catalan. The billfish here have not been very hungry, at least until this week. I have seen 25 to 30 since I have been back from the East Cape, trolled my most enticing lures past the noses of about half of those and the marlin I caught Friday was not only my first Loreto billfish of the year but the first bite I have had. The occasional dorado, and the nice size they have been running, makes it interesting, however.

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