Captain Jeff Ross, fishing out of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, has been on a sailfish tear this winter. “We’re averaging a half-dozen sailfish each day,” he says. Some days his boat will strike gold with up to 14 fish.

Isla Mujeres is a five-mile-long island four miles off the coast of Cancun on the Mexican Yucatan peninsula. The world-famous fishing destination is only a short flight from major US cities. A renowned tourist mecca, the area offers diverse accommodations and entertainment in a safe and tropical atmosphere. It’s the perfect get away from winter cold. You can shovel snow off your driveway in the morning, hop on a plane, and enjoy a frosty umbrella drink and spectacular sunset in the evening.

The island sits at the confluence of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Deep, warm water and strong ocean currents are a perfect combination for sailfish, wahoo, dorado and tuna. “Most people come for the sailfishing,” Ross admits, but he suggests exploring the island’s other diverse fishing opportunities too.

A typical fishing trip begins at dawn with a short run to the grounds.

“We can go 12 miles and find excellent fishing,” Ross says. On a nice day he runs 15 to 45 miles north looking for birds, bait and signs of fish. “When the wind and weather allow us to fish north, we average 10 to 20 sailfish bites,” he says. 

In addition to sailfish, Ross targets wahoo, mahi and blackfin tuna. “We had a really nice blackfin this winter,” he adds. Ross expects blackfin tuna fishing to pick up later in the season. 

When he’s not trolling rigged ballyhoo for sailfish, Ross stops the boat to do some grocery fishing. He reports, “We’ve had really good catches of snapper and triggerfish.” Anglers can head farther offshore to deep-drop for grouper and queen snapper. 

The limiting factor is the wind. “January is always really windy,” he says. Even when the wind blows, he takes a half-day fishing trip close to shore. The weather and fishing historically improve through February and March.

Since 1995, Ross has spent the winter fishing out Isla Mujeres. He says the island offers, “Tremendous variety of things to do.” In addition to fishing, the tropical paradise boasts world-class diving, food, nightlife, and beautiful beaches. Famous historical sites of Tulum and Chichen Itza make a great day trip.

The post A Winter Sailfish Hotspot in Mexico appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

It was a first-time trip tapping Mexico’s famed Cabo San Lucas offshore fishing for Randy Romero and his wife Araceli. From a Cabo resort they booked a last-minute half-day charter on Aug. 17 through Pacific Time Sports Fishing. And on Aug. 18 they headed offshore with Capt. Jose Gonzalez and his mating son Juan on their boat the La Patrona.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Romero, age 30, from Milton-Freewater, Oregon, located east of Portland. “I’d never been there previously, and Araceli had never even been on a boat.”

But off they went, trolling for dolphin and billfish about 10 miles offshore. Late in trip they were heading back to the marina when they spotted a dolphin jump out of the water.

“We headed that way, and when we got to where we saw the fish leaped we had a strike from a big dolphin,” says Romero. “The fish started jumping, and running, and I started cranking on my reel.”

The more it jumped the more excited the boat crew got as they realized it was a giant of a dolphin, or dorado.

“They started calling it a dinosaur fish,” he added. “They called other boats on the radio, and they all started chiming in about the dinosaur fish we had on. It was wild and incredibly exciting.”

Romero fought the fish nearly 30 minutes, with the dolphin jumping repeatedly. Finally, they got close to their prize, and Juan gaffed it and brought it aboard.

“We all started high-fiving and jumping up and down,” he continued. “Capt. Jose said it’s biggest dorado he’s seen in 8 years chartering at Cabo – a real dinosaur catch, he said.”

The fishing fleet and marina were well aware of their catch, and a cluster of boats followed the La Patrona back to the marina to witness the weighing and congratulate the anglers and boat crew.

At the dock the fish measured 68-inches long, and weighed just a few ounces shy of 81-pounds. Randy’s fish is in a rare category of dolphin weighing over 80-pounds, with only a few IGFA fish recorded at better than 80-pounds.

The IGFA All-Tackle World Record dolphin is 87-pounds, caught in Costa Rica in 1976 by angler Manuel Salazar. That fish measured 69.50 inches in length. It’s less than two inches longer than Randy’s 68-inch dolphin from Cabo.

Only four other dolphin weighing over 80 pounds are in the IGFA records book. So Randy’s catch is in rare company.

To top off their Cabo fishing day, Araceli Romero delighted in battling a striped marlin, but losing it right at the boat.

“We had a great day with a beautiful sunrise, fun captain and crew,” said Randy. “When we first started fishing that day Araceli was getting seasick. Then we caught the dolphin and she forgot all about it. Then she fought her marlin, and never mentioned being ill again.

“We can’t wait to go fishing again, and Araceli is ready to go.”

The post A Near-World Record Dolphin appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Los Cabos region at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula is a sport fishing shrine that draws worshipful anglers from all over the world. The famed tourist destination includes Cabo San Lucas with its sprawling marina and easy access to the merger of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez, as well as the East Cape region a few miles north on the sparkling southeastern shores of Baja.

These waters harbor an incredible wealth of marine life, including gamefish ranging from billfish, mahi and wahoo in the blue offshore waters to roosterfish and grouper inshore. Here are some of the angling opportunities you’ll find around Los Cabos in spring.

Striped Marlin Mania

Few other fish attract anglers to the Cabo region like striped marlin. While this species feeds year around in these waters, the best time to fish for striped marlin runs from February through the end of June. While the stripers might show up anywhere, one of the best areas to find the acrobatic billfish in spring is the Golden Gate Bank, 15 miles north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side, where upwellings create rich waters that attract sardines and Pacific mackerel. You might find a school of these marlin attacking a dense pack of bait on the surface, and well-placed live bait such as a mackerel or caballito (Mexican scad) will often draw immediate attention.

Bird Brain

To be clear, the surface feeding activity by striped marlin described above does occur during every outing. On many trips, crews spend time trolling and, at the same, searching the horizon for the telltale clouds of birds hovering over schools of sardines and other baitfish driven to the surface by ravenous striped marlin and other pelagic gamefish. When a boat crew finds these birds, they race to the spot, and once within casting distance, the anglers fling live baits into the melee, often producing multiple hookups followed by releases—an extraordinary opportunity for anglers to achieve personal-best billfish catch-and-release totals.

Other Targets

Striped marlin might grab most of the offshore attention, but there are many other spring angling opportunities in this region, including dorado, yellowfin tuna and wahoo, often found in the same offshore waters.

Close to the sandy beaches of the Sea of Cortez on the East Cape, anglers also can target roosterfish in spring. This fish’s unique comblike dorsal fin slices the water as the rooster attacks schools of baitfish. Roosters often behave like the striped marlin, feeding on the surface.

When roosters don’t show themselves at the surface, one of the most effective techniques for finding them is slow trolling live baits such as mullet or sardines along beaches. Other inshore gamefish such as Pacific jack crevalle and sierra mackerel join in on the near-shore feeding frenzies. Both of these species eagerly bite anything moving, including trolled cedar plugs, tuna feathers and Rapala diving plugs in a variety of colors.

Other species to consider in spring include California yellowtail, cabrilla (leopard groupers) and pargo (Spanish for various species of snapper) These delicious fish can be found along rocky areas of the coastline, and will readily strike a live bait fished near the bottom.

Cabo Launch Points

Los Cabos Airport in San Jose del Cabo serves both Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape, and it is less than three hours by air from most major Southern California airports. A transfer to Cabo San Lucas takes less than hour, while the drive to the East Cape takes about one hour.

Cabo San Lucas features a huge, bustling marina; the IGY Marina company is the largest resident operator with 380 slips, many of them filled with sportfishing boats to meet the needs of anglers wanting to charter. Hotels ranging from economical to luxury 5-star properties surround the marina, and make it convenient to walk to your charter boat for an early morning departure.

On the other hand, the East Cape has no marinas. Instead, each beachside resort has its own fleet of sportfishing boats that anchor in the typically calm waters in front of the resorts. Some properties build small piers where passengers can board and de-board, while others use pangas to ferry guests to and from the larger boats.

Charter Options

Back in Cabo San Lucas, for more than four decades, the Ehrenberg family has run the Pisces Sport Fishing charter operation in Marina at Los Cabos. Their boats are equipped with high-end rods and reels spooled with fresh line, available in various sizes from 30- to 80-pound-test trolling outfits. They also provide bait-fishing outfits with either 30- or 50-pound-test line, plus lures, leader, terminal tackle and more.

“Pisces Sport Fishing has gotten off to a record-breaking pace in 2022,” says Rebecca Ehrenberg, Pisces vice president of conservation, “In January, our fleet released 2,361 marlin, with excellent catches of 315 tuna and 181 dorado (mahi), combined with 282 wahoo and other inshore species. Our bookings through June are rapidly filling up. Our spring season should be remarkable.”

Read Next: Cabo San Lucas Fishing

Few destinations can match the Los Cabos region for the remarkable array of spring fishing opportunities to catch saltwater gamefish.

The post Los Cabos, Mexico: Spring Fishing Bonanza appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

From Los Cabos International Airport, it’s a two-hour drive up to La Paz, which offers a more laid-back Baja experience than Cabo, as well as luxurious hotels, superb dining opportunities and a host of things to see and do besides fishing.

Last summer, my brother, Joe, and photographer/adventurer Jason Arnold, had a chance to sample of some of the fishing in the waters around La Paz as guests of the La Paz Tourism Board and Costa Baja Resort and Spa. Located just 5 minutes from downtown La Paz, this bayside resort includes a full-service marina, golf course, and five dining venues, among many other amenities.

Read Next: Wild Kayak Fishing on Baja’s Central Sea of Cortez

We fished for two days, first aboard a super panga charter with the Baja Mosquito Fleet. The second day, we fished with Baja Pirates. On both days, we enjoyed great fishing for dorado (mahi) and inshore action in the channel between Isla Ceralvo and the Baja coast between El Saltito and La Ventura. Here are highlights of our La Paz adventure.

The post Mexico Fishing Destination: La Paz, Baja California Sur appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

During its earliest days, ­saltwater fishing seemed as exotic as big-game hunting: expensive, wildly adventurous, maybe even dangerous. But with global development, ­abundant air-travel options, and advances in marine technology, anglers of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages and skill levels can access—and enjoy—once-remote destinations and challenging, sought-after species.

Fishing has become more family-friendly, and just in time to encourage a revival of the sport.

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, leads the drive to recruit women and children to fishing. While focusing primarily on the abundant freshwater resources and opportunities in the United States, RBFF also addresses prospects for coastal saltwater fishing.

In May 2018, the ­organization released its Top Mom-Approved Places to Fish and Boat in the U.S., which included two coastal locations: Grand Isle State Park in Louisiana and Pōka‘ī Bay in Oahu, Hawaii.

To enhance that list, I compiled recommendations from Sport Fishing staffers: Some ­destination ideas emanated from personal experience, others from reputation. All offer not only excellent fishing opportunities, but also options for day trips, kids’ activities, adventurous dining and comfortable accommodations. (The destinations, which include specific lodges as well as general regions, are listed alphabetically. Pricing is included where feasible.)

1. Bahamas—Abacos (Elbow Cay)

Family Attraction
Favorites include island hopping, boating, sailing, fishing, shelling, water­sports—such as snorkeling and scuba diving—and beach options. Elbow Cay, which lies just off the main island of Great Abaco at the northern end of the Bahamas, is known as the “Hollywood of the Abacos,” home to Tahiti Beach and the last candy-striped lighthouse in the world. Accessible and ­navigable by private boat or easy to fly to from South Florida cities, the Abacos offer a variety of lodges, upscale resorts and rental homes.

Fishing Information
On the flats—including the famed Marls west of Marsh Harbor—anglers can catch trophy bonefish and permit on fly. Offshore, troll for wahoo, marlin and mahi; on the reefs, anglers bottomfish for groupers and snappers. Best offshore months include April, May and June, though wahoo migrate through in winter and spring. On the flats, target May through October.

Other Activities
Brendal’s Dive Center on Green Turtle Cay, north of Elbow Cay, offers an adventure that includes snorkeling on the reef followed by hand-feeding stingrays and turtles. Afterward, enjoy a picnic on the beach prepared over an open fire, with taste treats including lobster, grouper, chicken, conch salad and coconut bread. Also on Green Turtle, stroll the pastel-colored village of New Plymouth. One island south, Nipper’s Beach Bar and Grill on Great Guana Cay sets the quintessential Caribbean scene on a white-sand beach. Secluded Tahiti Beach, at the southern tip of Elbow Cay, is accessible only on foot, bike or by boat, and optimal for shelling. Ferries and chartered boats transport visitors throughout the island chain. Visit theabaconian​.com/ferry-schedules.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
On Elbow Cay, try Firefly Sunset Resort or Hopetown Inn & Marina. Around the Abacos, investigate Abaco Beach Resort; Treasure Cay Beach, Marina and Golf Resort; and Bluff House Beach Resort and Marina.

Booking/Contacts
Book at least three months in advance for the best options. A typical five-night stay with two days of fishing and airfare varies, but Bahamas sources estimate $3,500 to $4,500 per person.

2. Costa Rica—Crocodile Bay Resort

Family Attraction
Crocodile Bay lies at the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, touted as one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. While providing first-class inshore and offshore fishing, Crocodile Bay also offers more than 30 rainforest expeditions and ocean safaris. All rooms come with air conditioning and surround a tropical garden with a pool, hot tub and swim-up bar. An on-site spa delivers a wide variety of services. Flights from multiple U.S. locations deliver anglers to San Jose—Costa Rica’s capital—in two to three hours. From there, small planes ferry them to Puerto Jimenez (a 45-minute flight). Lodge trucks pick up arriving fisher­men for the remaining five-minute ride.

Fishing Information
Aboard the lodge’s fleet of Strike sport-fishers and center-console Boston Whalers, anglers can fish inshore for roosterfish, pargo (snappers, including seven different species), groupers and jacks. Offshore, target blue, striped and black marlin, Pacific sailfish, wahoo, dorado (mahi) and yellowfin tuna. Try winter months for blue marlin, and summer for striped or black marlin. Tuna, mahi and sailfish can be found throughout the year.

Other Activities
The Osa Peninsula features a quarter of a million species of animals; in the waters of Golfo Dulce swim massive pods of dolphins and humpback whales. Off-site tours include canopy zip-lining, horseback riding, surfing, waterfall ­rappelling, visiting a chocolate farm, panning for gold, cross-country biking, paddleboarding and more.

Booking/Contacts
An all-inclusive five-night package (excluding international flights) with two days of fishing ranges from $3,185 to $5,285 per person, based on double ­occupancy. High (dry) season falls December 16 through April 14. The resort advises anglers to book six months out or more during the high season. Contact Lynn Alban at lynn@lynchcreektravel​.com or visit crocodilebay.com.

3. Florida Keys—Hawk’s Cay Resort

Family Attraction
Hawk’s Cay Resort, on Duck Key between Islamorada and Marathon in the Florida Keys, encompasses 60 acres and features a hotel as well as 250 fully equipped two- and three-bedroom villas for families and groups (some villas offer dockage). On-site, guests will find six restaurants, five pools (including a pirate-ship pool), a spa, and a full-service marina providing scuba, fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking and kiteboarding charters. Anglers fly to Miami (a two-hour drive) or Key West (an hour-and-20-minute drive) and rent a vehicle.

Fishing Information
Anglers can target backcountry species such as tarpon, redfish and snook; nearshore species such as groupers, snappers and king mackerel; and offshore gamefish such as sailfish, tunas and dolphin. Near the resort, kayak anglers can fish bridges and rock piles. While some species, such as tarpon, migrate and become more accessible during peak seasons, others can be found year-round. The marina accommodates vessels up to 110 feet, so anglers can bring their own boats or charter a Hawk’s inshore or offshore guide.

Other Activities
Besides the various outdoor activities already listed, the resort features an on-site educational dolphin experience and a kids camp with hands-on environmental-education programming. Adults and kids of all ages can enjoy any of eight lighted tennis courts, or enroll in tennis clinics or camps. Families also have access to a basketball court, soccer field, putting course and volleyball.

Booking/Contacts
Room rates start at $249 in the low season, September through November ($399 for a villa). Room rates during high season—from Presidents Day through Easter and on all major holidays—start at $349 and $499. A daily resort fee for internet, parking and access to a variety of amenities costs $42. Fishing charters start at $500 for a half-day inshore trip. Call 877-484-9342 or visit hawkscay.com for packages and specials.

4. Maryland—Ocean City

Family Attraction
While temperatures in the South mostly remain warm throughout winter, average highs for Ocean City, Maryland, can dip into the 40s. But from spring through fall, visiting anglers and families find enormous diversity at this mid-Atlantic hotspot, from outstanding white marlin and bigeye tuna fishing each summer to beach-and-boardwalk outings, as well as visits to nearby Assateague Island and its famed wild ponies. Most visitors fly to Baltimore or Philadelphia and drive two to three hours south, along the Delmarva Peninsula to Ocean City, however US Airways serves the proximate Salisbury/Ocean City regional airport.

Fishing Information
Each August, Ocean City hosts the White Marlin Open, when boats of all sizes run to the offshore canyons to troll primarily for whites and bigeye tuna. Other popular catches include mahi, blue marlin and sharks. Anglers can also fish from the surf or from smaller inshore charter vessels on the Assawoman and Sinepuxent bays, targeting striped bass and flounder.

Other Activities
Iconic shops, including Dolle’s Candyland with its saltwater taffy, line the city’s 3-mile-long boardwalk, which dates back to 1902. The town also offers putt-putt golf, 18-hole golf courses, Ocean Downs Casino, go-cart racing, waterslides, ghost tours, watersports, bicycle rentals, and the ­country’s oldest continuously ­operating merry-go-round. Other local summer specialties include Maryland’s renowned steamed blue crabs.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Three Ocean City hotels offer extra amenities for families. Francis Scott Key Family Resort features on-site putt-putt golf and an indoor swimming pool. Castle in the Sand, on the ocean, provides free kids’ activities, a beach volleyball court, and a game room. The Carousel Hotel boasts an indoor ice rink, movies on the beach, indoor and outdoor pools, and family photo night.

Booking/Contacts
For peak-season summer visits, book six months to a year out; during shoulder seasons, a week to a month should suffice. Lodging costs vary widely, but during summer, expect to pay $350 to $500 per night for ocean-access hotels. Offshore fishing charters range from $1,500 to $2,500 per day and up to $5,000 for overnight trips. Two-hour bay charters range from $15 to $18 for kids and $25 to $30 for adults. Visit the following websites for more information: ococean​.com, visitmaryland.org and fishandhuntmaryland.org.

5. Mexico—Los Cabos

Family Attraction
Los Cabos technically includes both Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja California ­peninsula—gateway to the Pacific Ocean—and the East Cape region on the Sea of Cortez, one of the most biologically rich bodies of water on the planet. Fishing options range from roosterfish and snappers to blue and striped marlin, tunas and mahi (dorado). Other activities include golf, scuba diving, surfing, ATV rides, whale-watching and turtle-release programs. One airport serves both regions: The Los Cabos International Airport is a short, affordable flight from many U.S. hubs.

Fishing Information
Cruise the East Cape beaches on ATVs or run the coast in small pangas for roosterfish, snappers and dorado. Just offshore, the summer in the Sea of Cortez means good numbers of blue and striped marlin, sailfish, tunas and dorado. The Puerto Los Cabos Marina in San Jose del Cabo provides quick access to the famed Gordo Banks, which produces huge yellowfin tuna, blue and black marlin, as well as wahoo. Cabo San Lucas hosts one of the largest fleets of sport-fishing boats in the world. Striped marlin are king in Cabo, with blue and black marlin frequenting the area, along with large tuna and dorado. (World-class tournaments, including the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament and Charter Boat Classic fall in October and November.)

Other Activities
Los Cabos hosts a rising culinary scene, and many resorts and restaurants offer cooking classes. Arts, sports and cultural events run year-round. Outdoor adventures include those mentioned above as well as hiking, biking, bungee jumping, ultralight hang gliding, sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and even camel rides on the beach. Many families opt for whale-watching: Every year, female humpbacks migrate to the Sea of Cortez to conceive and nurse newborn calves.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Many of the region’s top resorts—including but not limited to Solaz, Grand Velas Los Cabos, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, and the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas and Spa—offer family amenities such as kids and teens clubs, spas and golf courses. Travelers should book at least a month or two in advance. High season runs from December through April.

Booking/Contacts
A wide range of pricing is available at the many resorts, condos and hotels (visitloscabos.travel). For charter information, visit piscessportfishing.com, picantesportfishing.com and redrumcabo.com.

Tour operators can be reached through ­cabo-adventures​.com/en, caboexpeditions​.com.mx and wildcanyon​.com​.mx.

6. North Carolina—Crystal Coast

Family Attraction
The Crystal Coast of North Carolina comprises 85 miles of shoreline and sounds along the southern end of the Outer Banks. From Emerald Isle to Harker’s Island and the Down East area, this region includes 11 separate communities. Each has its own vibe and experiences, including inshore and offshore fishing, of course, as well as paddle sports, culinary tours, shelling, wild horse and dolphin viewing, beach yoga, eco‑tours, and sightseeing cruises. Visitors usually fly to New Bern, about a 40-minute drive north of the Crystal Coast.

Fishing Information
As in many coastal marshlands, inshore fishing on the Crystal Coast excels with redfish and trout the prime players, joined by flounder, black drum, bluefish, cobia, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and even striped bass. The prime season for redfish and trout stretches from May through November. (Action slows from January through April, with marginal expectations for stripers and bluefish.) Offshore, anglers target blue and white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, and bluefin, blackfin and yellowfin tuna. Giant bluefin tuna migrate through this region in December and January, chasing baitfish fairly close to shore. Peak season for king mackerel is September through December, and summer is time for dolphin and marlin species. Charters of all sizes and shapes, including party boats, work out of the region’s ports.

Read Next: Shark Fishing With Kids

Other Activities
Some of the top family opportunities along this coast include visits to Fort Macon, a restored Civil War-era fort with a coastal education center in Atlantic Beach; outings to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores; boat rides to see the wild horses on the Shackleford Banks; and forays to the Cape Lookout “Diamond Lady” lighthouse.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Options range from campgrounds and bed-and-breakfast properties to resorts to condo or home rentals. The Peppertree Atlantic Beach Resort features condo-style units with full kitchens and porches. It offers mini golf, tennis, volleyball and other activities. The Fisherman’s Inn, on the Atlantic Beach causeway, offers lodging with dock slips.

Booking/Contacts
Visit crystalcoastnc.org.

The post Top Family Fishing Destinations appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

day 7

One 211-pound yellowfin tuna saved the day to an otherwise slow afternoon at the banks. If you check out a topography map of the Baja Mexico Coast, along the Pacific Ocean, it’s hard to miss the banks, ridges and drop-offs that start about 25 miles offshore. That’s big yellowfin tuna country all the way into February.

Average depths that we fished ranged from 55 to 65 fathoms. Hopscotching north along the Baja Peninsula, we trolled and anchored whenever the conditions were favorable.

At the first bank we started, there really wasn’t much happening. Capt. Ekstrom explains it this way: The yellowfin tuna come up onto the shallower banks during certain times of the day. It’s hard to predict when the trophy tuna will show themselves on the sonar — that’s why it’s vitally important to always “soak” mackerel baits.

Angler Gunner Kruse “hung” his tuna just minutes after Ekstrom called out over the speaker that some “cows were underneath the boat deep.” The fish swam erratically around the boat, twisting the main line into the anchor a number of times. You can bet Kruse thanked mates Blake and Jimmy for the tangles they prevented.

The tuna fought far from the boat, straight up and down, and even circled the boat a number of times. Finally, the tuna battled fervently just below the top thermocline, trying to stay in that cooler mid level water. But Kruse won the battle, and Eckstrom was there to photograph the fish along with the three gaff men.

The photo included with this blog post is a picture of Capt. Ekstrom hanging off the side of the boat to take a picture of the 200-plus-pound tuna.

Moving between banks, we were always on the lookout for schools of dolphin or kelp paddies. We jumped between banks often because there was no current and little signs of life, about the worst conditions you can ask for, says Ekstrom.

The first school of porpoise that we ran into had under-10-pound yellwofin tuna mixed in, so we didn’t spend much time with them. At another point, Ekstrom spotted a school of porpoise about 8 miles ahead of the boat with his binocs. When we reached the birds and dolphins, it was disappointing to see no tuna with them.

Our constant companion, the sea lion, was always there to chomp pieces of fish in our chum line. We named him Bobo. That sea dog seemed to follow our boat and was ready for fish-freebies whenever we anchored. We also met a local Mexican fishing crew, setting lines for sharks from their panga. We passed them some of our chunk baits, along with some muffins and potato pancakes for lunch. They left happy!

One event that happened after last night’s blog post was a flurry of dorado fishing action. At about 9 p.m., with half the boat sleeping, three anglers started catching dorado as they schooled underneath the boat. There was a call out over the radio to grab a rod and get fishing, but the school left just as soon as it came. I awoke to fish flopping at the deck, but was about 2 minutes late to the action. By the time I had my bait out in the water, the fish had moved on.

The post A Long-Range Journal: Day 7 appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

mp long range

Usually when California anglers talk about “scratch fishing” it means the fishing is slow, and therefore anglers have to pick and scratch away to get fish to the boat. Things change when you purposely scratch fish because your targets are yellowfin tuna that top 200 pounds.

We fished a ridge along the Lower Banks today, about 50 miles from Cabo San Lucas. Just 25 miles from shore most of the time, we were able to see the outlines of mountains like sketch drawings along the horizon. There was never a morning or evening bite, but many hours of soak time where we urged our mackerel baits away from the boat. The theory was, the farther the baits were from the boat, the more likely to get bit. Casting a mackerel was tough with the 100-pound tackle we used.

There was lots of maneuvering along the rails as we followed our mackerel whichever way they swam. The only way to prevent tangles with other lines is to keep the line tight, and to keep following your bait along the rail.

About 5 anglers hooked the fish of a lifetime today.

What can truly be considered “trophy hunting,” the yellowfin tuna all weighed from 170 to 270 pounds. Anything over 200 pounds is considered a cow. Tonight, at dinner, I sat with three anglers that were celebrating their catches. They were some of the lucky ones — Tom Walker landed a 262-pounder, Phile Wade a 195-pounder, and John Finneran a 172-pounder. All fish were caught on 100-plus-pound tackle using stand-up techniques. That means there was no fighting chair and the boat was anchored. They deserved the praise they received over delicious pork and beets dinner. In fact, all the food on this trip is unbelievable, and it’s something all the anglers look forward to before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

While scratching around throughout the day, 4 or 5 striped marlin were hooked but only one made it to the boat. They are mostly considered a nuisance. Even though tourists out of Cabo target the marlin, they only get in the way on long-range boats. They’re not kept and they mess up the expensive and time-consuming leaders used for tuna. Other incidental catches included blue sharks, plus a couple of sea bass that resembled the snowy grouper I’m familiar with on the East Coast.

Today was also the first time I got to see the kite rig deployed for tuna. Similar to the kites used for sailfish off Miami, this rig employed a balloon and kite from a kite rod. The actual fishing rod used to catch tuna was attached to the rig via an outrigger clip. What was different was the long range boat Royal Star employs a double trouble rig below the kite. That’s a pair of sardines hanging off different leaders attached to a single swivel. The swivel attaches to the main line of the fishing outfit. It gives the angler two chances to hook a tuna without having to re-bait, and surprisingly it doesn’t often tangle.

Tonight, we’re anchoring on the same bank that we fished this morning. We’re hoping an early morning bite could lead to some more trophy tunas. If there’s no action by morning’s end, Capt. Ekstrom said he’ll have us head north to the ridges and other banks that follow the Baja Peninsula. Tomorrow morning, at about 4:30 a.m., we’re hoping the bite is wide open!

The post A Long-Range Journal: Day 6 appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

mp day 5

Dawn broke with us headed toward Magdalena “Mag” Bay, off the coast of Mexico. Capt. Ekstrom has no problem traveling through the night, with different deckhands taking turns at the wheel during the sleeping hours. Each of the operators has a captain’s license.

Today was a travel day, but we stopped in offshore waters if we saw signs of fish activity. Ekstrom slows whenever he sees floating kelp paddies, diving birds, schools of porpoises, dead seals, turtle or whales, or other flotsam in the water. Between spots, we trolled Marauder plugs in case wahoo were around.

Floating debris was pretty much non-existent today, but we did make a stop at some floating tuna pens holding massive bluefin tuna. We didn’t fish inside the pens, but instead marked tuna schools outside the structures. Inside the pens, the massive bluefin tuna are fattened up with sardines to get ready for market. “They’re basically giant kelp paddies that hold fish on the outside,” said angler Mark Rhodes.

Motoring around a couple different pens, plus the boats pulling the pens, Ekstrom marked tuna down deep. We didn’t have luck bringing them to the surface, or getting them to feed, but we did hook a couple of dorado (sometimes called dodos), skipjacks and small yellowfin tunas. Most of the tuna were shorties and were released.

We spent most of the day telling stories, trolling and rigging tackle. Team 3 was trolling for so long today without a bite that they finally gave up and forfeited their position. It became a running joke on the boat.

Mate Blake Wasano gave us a quick seminar of what to expect if we hooked into large yellowfin tuna. “The captain will call out what pound tackle to use, and that could be 50-, 80- or 100-pound tackle,” he says. “Make sure your knots and drags are ready to go. We have two rods ready to go if you’re about to get spooled.”

These backup rods feature 200-pound tackle and a buoy that connects to the harness mounts on your own reel. If an angler is about to get spooled, he has two choices: 1) Lose all your expensive braided line (which anglers here generically call “Spectra,” whether it is or not) and the fish or 2) Hook your setup to the backup rod and throw your own rod and reel overboard. Next, the angler fights the fish from the second rod until he gets enough line back to fight from their own rod once again.

The bite was slow today, so there are no giant tuna reports to mention. We ended the night catching tons of mackerel to refill the baitwells in Magdalena Bay. In the morning, we’re hoping to find some giant tuna to tangle with. I don’t want to have to throw my rod overboard, but I will.

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