MIXED FISHING FOR BILLFISH, JACKS, AND RED SNAPPER

March 2, 2007, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, Larry Edwards, Cortez Yacht Charters, Aries Fleet:

Our regular Mazatlan fishing reporter for the Aries Fleet at Marina El Cid was unavailable this week so I turned to the very professional man at the office, Geronimo Cevallos, the manager of everything good at the marina.

According to Geronimo's perspective, the fishing offshore of Mazatlan was better than the week before, but still a little slow.

Fleet boats produced about a billfish per boat day, along with a few quality sized dorado in the 40 pound range.

Geronimo reflected much more excitement with Mazatlan's inshore fishing last week, saying it was "all you want" for the jack crevalle and very good fishing for the huachinangos, or red snappers, which were in the 10 to 12 pound average sizes.

Geronimo said, "For the Mazatlan anglers that fished lighter lines, they had excellent action throughout their fishing day." He didn't have the exact fish count numbers but said it was still good fishing for this time of year.

Mazatlan vacation area of Mexico had weather this week that was mostly sunny, with warm with air temperatures from 51 degree nights to 84 degree daytime highs.

Sea conditions along this part of the Mexican coast were calm, with very little swell this week with inshore fishing water temperatures about a half-degree cooler than offshore, at 72 degrees.

The best offshore fishing area was about 25 miles and farther off Mexico's Pacific coast, out to the southwest of Marina El Cid.

Rigged baits worked best this week for the billfish and dorado. Shrimp heads were best for the Huachinango, and live bait, pencil poppers, yellowtail jigs, etc., were all working well for the jack crevalle, or toro in Spanish.