RESULTS OF PELICAN REEF YELLOWTAIL FISHING TOURNAMENT

April 6, 2005, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Fishing Report: First Annual Pelican Reef Yellowtail Tournament:

Pierce and Valerie O’Shaunghessy, and Scott Crouch, owners of the Pelican Reef restaurant in Mulege, BCS, Mexico, hosted their first annual yellowtail tournament on Monday, April 4, 2005. Approximately 40 Mulege anglers signed up for the event, each hoping to win one of the seven prizes that were donated by the Pelican Reef restaurant; Miguel and Claudia Quintana, owners of La Tienda; and by Vic and Debbie Gasperini, owners of the Punta Suenos resort.

Mulege sea conditions were about ideal, as the fishing water was nearly as smooth as glass, 65 to 66 degrees, and no wind. Some very thick fog banks early in the morning were the only impediment to those who were first to get out on the water. The fog burned off by about 9 a.m. and we had fantastic fishing conditions thereafter.

Most of the early anglers headed straight for Punta Prieta, just north of the Mulege harbor entrance, to take on live bait. One angler mentioned that the area looked "like a parking lot!" Even Marty Robinson, who had been skunked using MirrOlures on the three days prior to the tournament, took some bait aboard. We will forgive you Marty! A lot of the boats then headed for Isla Santa Inez, Punta Chivato, or Isla San Marcos. A few went out to Punta Concepción or farther south to the mine or Mateo’s hole, about a mile south of the mine.

Fishing could best be described as "tough." The yellowtails were not on the bite anywhere. I fished off the mine for a couple of hours and ran into numerous boils of yellowtail feeding on the surface but none would hit the iron I threw their way for about a half-an-hour. Another boat from Punta Chivato had the same lack of luck. Bummer! Ralph Lane and Ed "Too Tall" Jarecki, fishing in Ralph’s boat, were the only ones I know of to score down south. They boated a beautiful grouper, if a grouper can legitimately be described as "beautiful," and a couple of yellowtail.

Judging from the returns from those who ventured north, they had an equally hard time getting anything at all into the ice chest. I must admit that, when I came across a floating dead porpoise, the thought to lasso it and enter it in the contest did enter my mind!

Notwithstanding the lack of fish, the tourney was a rousing success. Everyone, including the spectators, had a great time. Those who were on hand when John Macy retrieved his boat were treated to a show of outstanding seamanship and boat handling. With his trailer in the water, John put his boat on the trailer on the first pass without even touching a side rail. He didn’t even have to hook up the bow hook as he pulled the boat out of the water! His efforts won him the "Best Docking" award, a Pelican Reef t-shirt!

After the weigh-in and judging, Ed "Too Tall" Jarecki filleted the fish and everyone migrated up to town to the "Pelicano" for food and libations. Restaurant chef Scotty Crouch pulled out all the stops as he greeted the restaurants’ guests with sashimi that he made from the fresh yellowtail that was caught during the tourney. He then served a delicious pasta salad, his "world famous" barbecued baked beans, and copious amounts of fried fish. Wonder where he got the fish? This was served with gourmet tartar sauce. Add plenty of cerveza and you have an above average fiesta, Mulege style.

It is an understatement to say that a great time was had by all. Thank you Pierce, Valerie and Scotty. You guys are tops! We can hardly wait for the First Annual Dorado Tournament which will be held on June 15th & 16th with the award dinner on the 17th at, where else, The Pelicano in Mulege! See you there.

Tournament Winners List:

Largest Yellowtail: 23.5 pounds, 1,000 pesos, lures and a Pelican Reef t-shirt, Marty Robinson.

Second Largest Yellowtail: 22.5 pounds, 500 Pesos, and a Pelican Reef t-shirt, Ed "Too Tall" Jarecki.

Third Largest Yellowtail: tie at 20 pounds, 300 pesos and a Pelican Reef t-shirt, Valerie O’Shaunghessy (self-disqualified) and Gary Bendix.

Largest "Other" Fish: 24 pounds, broomtail grouper, Ralph Lane, Pelican Reef t-shirt.

Second Largest "Other" Fish: 15-pound red snapper, Mitch McGee, Pelican Reef t-shirt.

Most Unusual Fish: 12-year-old Cole McGee, lizardfish, Pelican Reef t-shirt.

Best Docking for Spectators: John Macy, Pelican Reef t-shirt.

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