PANGA TRIP WITH CAPT. SALVADOR "PATA" PINO

Nov. 21, 2004, Larry Parker, Punta Palmilla, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

I fished two days out of Palmilla bay on a super panga with La Leona Sport Fishing, Julio Zumaya, manager, captained by Salvador Pino.

Both days at San Jose del Cabo we fished on the Cabo side in sight of Whale's Head, east of Los Arcos.

Fishing with sardines we caught 11 Yellowfin Tuna, 18 to 25 lbs., on Tuesday, Nov. 16th, and 2 Dorado.

Wednesday started out the same, taking 7 yellowfin tuna of the same sizes on light tackle, and 2 Dorado.

We started trolling back to Palmilla when Capt. Salvador spotted a huge movement of porpoise several miles long, and we and a number of cruisers and pangas joined in the chase. We stopped at a certain spot and dropped baits and hooked up immediately, one very large tuna that was lost after a 1/2 hour fight when the hook pulled, and a smaller tuna of 50+ lbs. was added to the hold.

We moved again to catch the porpoise and came up on a huge bait ball with large tuna crashing through it. We again dropped our tiny sardines back on 30 and 50 lb. line and both were inhaled by 2 giant tuna that almost spooled both reels, until we chased them down, and recovered enough line to continue the fight. The first fish pulled the hook after 1 1/4 hours, but the second held on to the boat after 1 1/2 hours fight. It was the biggest Tuna Capt. Salvador had seen in 35 years of fishing in Cabo--over 200 lbs., but refused to come close enough to the boat to gaff, nicking the line after 10 minutes of circling on the propellor, and breaking the 50 lb. P-Line on a last desperate run, a mile off Chileno. I can recommend Julio, and he speaks perfect English. La Leona Sport Fishing can be reached at 011-52-624-147-0644. He has a full array of cruisers and pangas. My highest recommendations for Capt. Salvador Pino (Pata).

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