MEXICAN COMMERCIAL LONG LINES WORKING INSIDE SPORTFISHING WATERS

Oct. 30, 2004, Tadeo Hernandez, Flota Bibi Fleet, Mazatlan, Mexico Fishing Report:

The catch for this week, including released fish, on the cruisers was 9 fishing trips, 12 Sailfish, 3 Dorados, and 10 Skipjack Tuna.

The best Mazatlan sportfishing is 15 to 25 miles offshore from the lighthouse hill.

Mazatlan weather has changed and the days are cooler now, but still very sunny and nice. The harbor was open everyday except for Tuesday. Temperature is currently 84 F and 66% humidity, it is 5 pm so you can take a guess on the temperature around noon, still very warm! Water temperature average is 85 degrees. Best lures this week: fresh mullet, silver mechuda and the "Petrolero" (oiler) which is purple and black.

I went offshore Panga fishing yesterday, not too far, probably 10 miles out for Dorado, Skipjack Tuna, and hopefully some Sierra. I was aboard the "Erika" with Captain Nano and my girlfriend Carolina Medina.

We had 2 Mahi-Mahi and 6 Skipjack Tuna. The bite was OK, but specially good for her as she caught her first ever Mahi-Mahi.

The Dorado I caught was a random strike in clean blue water about 6 miles offshore. Carolina's Dorado was caught about 4 miles offshore in blue-green water. There was a long strip of floating objects, like wood, branches from trees, and some trash too. Lots of birds were around and then I saw two Dorado swimming together in the opposite direction of the boat. They were very fast, like an arrow. We circled around and nothing. Then we went all the way through that strip and we had the strike at the end of it.

Between the first and second Dorado (about 10 miles offshore) we found a long line full of hooks (locally called "Cimbra" or "Palangre"), which we had to be careful about because it could get stuck in the propeller (it actually got caught on our fishing lines). These people doing the Palangres are supposed to be at least 40 to 50 miles offshore in order to protect the sportfishing business in Mexican waters. They don´t care and authorities do little about it.

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