EL GATO BLANCO FINDS RED SNAPPERS TO 15 POUNDS

June 20, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point, Mexico Fishing Trip Report:

El Gato Blanco fishes again after being blown out on 6/8-9-10-11-17. We left the Rocky Point harbor around 8:30 a.m. and headed south in bumpy conditions. We found bait about eight miles out of Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco).

The mackerel were boiling on top of the water in small schools all around. We had to chase them as they were very spooky. We would run up on them and cast into the school and pick up three or four each time. As soon as we got close they would dive done and then pop up near by but out of reach. After an hour-and-a-half chasing them we had to go so we could be fishing before high tide.

Made it out to the fishing reef about half-an-hour before high tide. We anchored up once and started fishing.

We caught Goldspotted Bass on the live bait, but were losing too many to the smaller fish. So I changed to cut squid for a while and picked up the smaller fish that were stealing my live bait.

We switched to live mackerel baits and started catching big red snappers up to 15 pounds. We also caught a Grouper-like fish that was about 20 pounds or so. The Rocky Point locals said they had never seen that kind of fish before and did not know what to call it.

On our last live bait, a giant Black Bass hit. My friend Hap Balmes and I tried to stop him from running and did, but for a short time that fish just did what he wanted to and ended up cutting the line on a rock.

Then we fished with cut bait until the current got too strong and caught more Bass and Reds.

We totaled 9 Reds, 15-20 Goldspotted Bass, and one Grouper-looking thing. There were 5 other fishing boats within view and one that moved anchor to get closer to my boat. They got so close that I could touch their boat with my rod. I asked them to move and they did. But we sure made them look bad as they caught one or two small Bass the whole time that they were on top of us. There were peanut Dorado under my boat and under sargasso patties. They would not bite. We flew back to port at Rocky Point on a flat sea with a full fish box. Water temperatures were at 77 degrees. Another great day on the Sea of Cortez!

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