CATCHING CHIHUIL LIVE BAITS AT THE INNER GORDO BANK

Nov. 29, 2004, Ed Kammer, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico Panga Chihuil Bait Fishing Report:

The depth at Inner Gordo Bank is 48 feet and the chihuil live bait is caught in a 200-yard circle around that point. Without the other boats, a good GPS and depth finder are necessary. The chihuil are down about 3 to 6 feet deep and must be caught within a couple of hours of daylight. It is necessary to work the chum in one hand, while tossing match head size chunks into the water and then fish the hand line with the other.

The chihuil's bite is very light and that is why you need the line going through your finger tips. By the time you feel the bite on a small rod the chihuil is gone. An entire book could be written about this chihuil fishing process. The diversity of the fishery here is what I find so interesting.

On one occasion last season we went out with Niko who works for Eric. We bought Sardines to catch Bonito. We used the Bonito to catch chihuiles. We then used the chihuiles to catch the Wahoo. We came in with 5 Wahoo that day by noon!

We are catching Tuna and Dorado every day on the way back to Palmilla beach from the Wahoo Grounds. We keep the 23 foot panga at Palmilla Beach.

If you have never fished for the chihuil for bait, it is the most challenging bait I have ever caught. Even the local Americans shake their heads when they discuss the process and can hardly believe that my partner and I can catch them.

It is only after watching Eric's crew (Jesus, Tony and Chame) that I got the hang of it fishing for chihuil. Chihuil catching equipment consists of a small piece of wood wrapped with 6 pound line and the smallest hook you have ever seen tied on the end.

We go to the inner Gordo Bank at daylight and chum with Bonito or any oily fish and then use the hand lines over the side on our knees (man are my knees sore!).

The trick is to pull slightly on the line so you can feel the little chihuil bite and gently pull them to the boat and net them with a bait net and into the live well. On a good day we will get 5 or 6 chihuiles, but today only two chihuiles in and hour and a half! Don't even think about it, as all of us wise Americans have, of using a small spinning rod for this process! This chihuil fishing brings grown men to their knees and the hand line is the ONLY WAY!

The chihuiles are about 6 to 10 inches long and look like a member of the jack family with yellow fins. They are very hard to catch , but for every chihuil bait you will get a wahoo bite. Today two chihuiles and two wahoo. We rig them on 60-pound wire with two, 5/0 or 6/0 hooks and slow troll them at Iman bank or La Fortuna. As you can see from Eric's report they are catching some every day and they are in the 30 to 60-pound range and exceptionally good eating.

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