EXCELLENT BLACK SEA BASS FISHING SOUTH OF PUERTO PENASCO

Nov. 5, 2005, Mike Auditore, El Gato Blanco, Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico Fishing Report:

My boat El Gato Blanco left the harbor at Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) about 9:15 a.m., Nov. 5, 2005, with four aboard.

We headed south from Rocky Point in slightly bumpy seas. About five miles out I saw some birds working and decided to stop and try for bait. Every drop we would have Macks or sardines. We even pulled in two Bonefish which we let go.

In less than 30 minutes of fishing we filled the live well with Macks and headed south another 44 miles. Along the way we saw lots of Skipjacks boiling on top of the water. We slowed down a bit to see what size or if anything else was busting with them. I decided to move on since Skipjack was not what we were looking for. Besides they're only good for bait and we had plenty.

About 35 miles out of Rocky Point, we ran into large swells and had to slow down a bit to about 23 miles an hour.

Once we reached the fishing area where I wanted to anchor, we could see Stu and his boat trolling around a little to the north of us. They were picking up a few Skippies as they were boiling all around. I dropped anchor and set up in a decent looking bottom. We dropped down two live Macks and as I was setting up another rig the first Black Sea Bass hit and the fight was on.

My friend Robbit had been dreaming about this for a while. He could hardly hold on to the pole so I assisted a little and in about 20 minutes up pops a 135 pound Black Sea Bass. He was worn out, so I and another friend gaffed it and pulled it into the boat. Nice fish!

Not less than a minute after that I noticed a pole that we set in the rod holder so we could get that first Black Sea Bass in was being hit hard. I grabbed it and the fish I could tell was much bigger than the last. It was Kenny's pole, his first trip to Rocky Point, so I told him to put a fighting belt on and handed over the rod. Now this was a fight and a half. The fish stripped 230 pound line off a 50/0 2 speed Penn International. The pole was bending into the water we gave drag and then would reapply it.

Next thing happens the pole snaps. By this time Kenny is tired out so I grab the line wearing a pair or leather gloves and hand line the beast in while Ken reels. After about 45 minutes up pops the biggest Black I have ever caught. I gaff it and Ross and Robbit have a hold of the gaff with me. As we are pulling this thing up about halfway into the boat the gaff breaks and the fish falls back into the water and at the same time the hook on the top part of the drop rig goes right through Ross' glove and hand.

Now we have a problem. The fish is still hooked pissed off and Ross is being pulled in the water by the fish. I pull out a knife as fast as I can and cut Ross loose. With Ross moaning and Robbit and I still holding what's left of the rig that's attached to the fish we manage to float the fish between the two engines. I grabbed some rope and after a few attempts run the rope through the mouth of the fish and out his gills and tie it off to the grab rails.

Now we have a 16/0 circle hook in Ross's hand that needs to be removed. So first I cut his glove off and next try to clip the barb or the eye of the hook so we can slide the hook back through his hand. A 16/0 stainless steel hook is very strong and we did not have bolt cutters, and getting to the barb was difficult at best. So we decided to file the barb with a Leatherman.

It took one-and-a-half hours and a lot of pain to file it down to the point where Ross could pull it out without further damage. We disinfected the wound, bandaged him up and took a breather. After a beer or two and a stiff drink for Ross I ask Ross if he wanted to keep fishing or go in. The answer was FISHING!

Now all we had to do was to try in get that big Black Sea Bass in the boat. I ran another rope through his mouth and out the gills and three of us all wearing gloves were able to drag it through the back door. The fish was so big it would not fit into my fish box. This fish weighed over 275 pounds.

We had drifted off anchor about a mile so I brought the anchor up with my windlass and went back to close to the same spot we caught the two Blacks.

Ross and I dropped down on the drift. Our live baits were getting hit by smaller fish. We pulled up to check the baits and found them to be chewed up in places.

Robbit dropped down with smaller bait and hooks and caught a nice 5 pound Red Snapper. Ross and I dropped down again with live Macks on 16/0 hooks. No action for about 10 minutes and the Ross's pole get slammed by another big Black Sea Bass. I reeled it up enough to get off the bottom and out of the rocks and put the rod in a rod holder and Ross reeled in bad hand and all a 150 pound Black. What a fishing day!

That was it for all of us. We motored home to Rocky Point in small chop at 35 miles an hour.

Back at the launch we had many Rocky Point people taking pictures, looking in awe at the fish. One person asked who the captain was and bowed and blessed me. Another jumped into the back of the pickup where the fish were and laid down next to the fish and had his wife take a picture. We gave a lot of the fish away to the needy. Everybody was happy.

(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.