LOCAL ANGLERS PREPARING FOR THE FISHING TOURNAMENT

Nov. 11, 2005, Rick Barber, Mulege, Mexico Sportfishing Report:

This is fishing tournament week at Mulege. I've been one busy puppy along with all the rest of the guys on the Tournament Committee. The Mulege sportfishing area had great weather and smooth water early this week and a lot of the guys and gals got out to do some scouting around to try to find "that secret spot."

Clare Juhl went out fishing on Sunday with Marlin Larsen and they had some good luck and some bad luck. First, Clare hooked a marlin that about stripped him. He got a bird's nest as he was reeling the fish in but he reeled over it and managed to tag and release the fish. He then decided to let all his line out to clear the nest. As he was reeling the line back in, a sailfish nailed his lure right near the boat and proceeded to take off for Guaymas, stripping the reel and Clare lost the fish, his lure and all his line. I'll bet his drags had a bit of a glaze on them as well!

Also early this week, Bill Perrigo, of Kenai, Alaska, hooked another very nice sailfish, also of about 125 pounds. This was his second sail of the week. He was fishing off Punta Chivato on his brother's boat.

Paul Rista went fishing out of Mulege on Monday and got an 8 foot marlin for his efforts. Paul likes to smoke fish so that one gave him plenty of meat to put in "Old Smokey."

On Wednesday, Gary George from La Fortuna Park boated a large marlin and a nice 20 pound dorado. I didn't know those things were still around.

Well, Mulege fishing water is still in the high 70's, 78 degrees when I went out on Tuesday, and fairly clear so I guess there's no real reason why there shouldn't be a few stragglers left hanging around.

Speaking of my going out fishing on Tuesday, I had a pretty good day. I wanted to do a little drift fishing off the Point and scrounged up some nice sardines from my father-in-law. I got out there about 7:00 or so and sent a couple out with some weight to take them down. There was a lot of current so they didn't get down to the bottom but that didn't stop a nice sailfish from slurping up one of the sardines. He, or she, gave me a nice fight and I released him, or her, to fight another day. Then, about 10, I went over to the beach between Point Conception and Punta Aguja to drag some hoochies around a bit. I guess the Sierra hadn't switched to regular time yet because I bagged seven of the critters in less than an hour. They were very nice sized also, approaching 5 pounds apiece. Nice day on the water!

A couple of the Mulege sportfishing guides took clients out to Isla San Marcos to see if they could locate some yellowtail. Not a problem said Mateo as he managed to fill the ice chests for his clients. Not only yellowtail but marlin and sailfish as well. They're getting to be pests out there nowadays. I may have to revise my personal ban on not killing billfish. I smoked a chunk of meat a few weeks ago that had been given to me and, like I said, I may revise my thinking but probably only once or twice a season. Dad likes them too.

Many of the fishermen around Mulege are getting their boats ready for the tournament. Gary & Traci MacFarland just got a new, to them, panga and have been itching to try it out. They got the bottom wet a couple of times this week just to get some old gas out of it and to make sure everything worked. After a few "tweaks" they were ready to go on Friday.

I'll have a Mulege fishing tournament report next week, but the initial feeling is that it's gonna get wet out there. The forecast is for 4-6 foot swells and wind out of the north. That makes for hard, wet fishing.

Manuel Diaz and I tried, but Barquito was just too small to handle the water on Friday. Since Saturday is supposed to be worse, I don't think I'm going to be entering any 'tails this year. Oh well. That's why they call it fishing and not catching... right?

See ya on the water when it calms down.

(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.