Z Fish Report (12/13/12)

The blue water is staying on the beach, with an average surface temperature of about 84°. As predicted, coming out of the full moon phase, the overall fishing picked up.

Photo by Mike Bulkley on the super panga Huntress

The offshore fishing is seeing 2 to 3 sailfish a day per boat, and dorado are making an occasional showing.

Francisco, on the Huntress, about to release Carrie's sailfish

Mike Stelma and Carrie from Seattle had a good day on Monday fishing with Capt. Francisco on the super panga Huntress releasing three Sails and losing a large Dorado at the boat.

And another release by Mike Stelma

Flip Himmelreich of Spokane Washington held his 8th annual “Over the Hill Gang” offshore tournament this last week, with Flip emailing me this information about the tournament:

“The weather and sea conditions were excellent and the Staff at the Sunscape Dorado Pacifico were wonderful as usual. Over all the results were better than last year with 17 Sailfish and 2 Dorado landed in the 2 day tournament. Only four boats and 8 anglers participated this year, so the average per boat/angler was higher. The winning Captain was Adan on the Gitana II with 5 sails and 1 Dorado. Dorris Alexander, a first time entrant and the only female, won the Top angler Trophy with 4 Sailfish and 1 Dorado. All but 1 of the 17 Sailfish were tagged with NOAA tags and released!! “

Left to right are the winners in the "Over the Hill" tournament.
Santiago, Dorris, Charlie, Adan, Steve, Jose, and Flip (director)

The inshore is seeing a lot of jack crevalle and sierras. Mecate, on the cruiser Aqua Azul was slow trolling a large live mackerel around the Solitary Rock, a half mile out in front of Zihuatanejo Bay, with the hope of hooking a large rooster or jack crevalle. They ended up with an estimated 15 kilo (33 pounds) Chula. The English name for the tasty Chula is Kawakawa, and is relatively rare, even though we get quite a few here. Mecate was telling me he had never seen one this big, as a large one for this area is about 10 pounds. I looked it up in the IGFA World Records, and the existing record is 29 pounds. They ate the world record, and didn’t have a clue.

Allen Himmelreich fishing with Santiago on the super panga Gitana

The roosters are still concentrating in the areas with a bit off colored water. We have been fishing the river mouths, as the nutrient rich fresh water seeps through the sand bar built up in front of the river mouth. This chlorophyll creates its own micro eco-system and gives us ideal conditions for roosters. Sometimes when you find them, it is an entire school of fish, and all of them are extremely hungry.


An incredible experience: Dorris shot this photo with her free hand, because the other was holding a rod with a roosterfish. Paul has a rooster on his rod, and Adolfo is actually holding two rods, with both hooked up.



Dorris and Paul with two of the four roosters hooked up
at the same time. All four were released.

This is what Paul Phillips had to say about his and Dorris Alexander’s trip with Adolfo last week: “Took off for points south at about 6:30, ran down to the Puerto Vicente area and the search for the Roosters started about 8:00, we knew we were close too. But, we couldn't find them… kept looking until about 11:30. Then the circus began. The 1st one busted the line on the strike, and the next thing we were in the school, with 4 fish on in 10 seconds. A Chinese fire drill, executed with perfection. At this point Dorris & I wanted our 12 wt. fly rods…..left at home. We landed and released all four, then added 2 more to the kitty before crying UNCLE and heading home. As usual Dorris got 4, I got 2 and busted 1 off. Adolfo and 'Gorilla' are a great team."

Ed Kunze (IGFA Representative)


For a better understanding of our seasons and species of fish here in Ixtapa /Zihuatanejo, please click on this link: http://calendarforfishing.blogspot.mx/