Z Fish Report (1/3/13)

The 82 degree blue water has moved out to about the 6 mile mark, basically following the 100 fathom line. Yesterday (Wednesday), we had a very unseasonal rain storm bringing us 2 inches of rain from about 3:00 AM until 7 AM. This pushed the blue water out off the beaches a bit. Even though we love the rain, it did change the fishing patterns for the fish and we are back to getting things figured out again.

Mike Orcutt and Abel with Mike's 1st ever sailfish. Plus, it
was taken on the fly

However, considering we were in the full moon phase, the offshore fishing was still very decent this last week with the boats maintaining an averaging about 2 to 3 sailfish a day each. The fishing for sailfish and dorado should improve considerably over the next week or two. After all, it is Mid-January, and the peak month of the year for sailfish here on this coast.

Plus, what all of us captains have noticed is the black skipjack tuna have once again moved into the area in huge numbers. This means the big blue and black marlin are not far behind.

We did have a showing for a day on the smaller 12-20 pound yellowfin tuna about 12 miles off Zihuatanejo Bay. But, they breeze in and out, and you basically need to be at the right place and the right time.

My big highlight of the week was when fly fishing client Michael Orcutt of Great Falls Montana and I went down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero this morning (Thursday), with Adolfo Jr. as our deckhand. Mike had never caught a sailfish before, and Adolfo Senior wants me to teach Jr. about fly fishing. We did a first for both of them. Adolfo teased his first ever sailfish to the boat with the hookless teaser, and Mike did a perfect job of setting the hook and landing his first ever sail. We were using one of my wife’s red and white crease flies with a small (5/0) tandem hook setup on Mike’s 12wt.

It was a great day for me, because it tells me the law enforcement of the long lines is really working. These last couple of weeks was the first time in a few years I have actually looked forward to going after sailfish on the fly rod. It is obvious we have to “catch” a sailfish 4 or 5 times before we can successfully tease it to the boat with the hookless teaser and within casting distance of the fly angler. And then there is no guarantee the fly angler will get a hook up. We have been doing that again, and the good times may be returning.

We ended the day with only three fish raised, teased two to the boat and Mike hooked both. The second fish threw the hook after the line made a half hitch around the lowest eye guide on the rod, and literally pulled the rod apart. Mike was left holding the butt section of the rod and the reel, with the rest of the 4 piece travel rod in the water. We call that Murphy’s Law No. 87 for fly fishing for sailfish.

Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, told me the inshore sierras are still showing up in numbers up north at the Ranch, with some huge jack crevalle also showing up.

Mike Orcutt also spent a day with Adolfo Jr. and I down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero for roosters and jacks right after the full moon. We teased 8 roosters to the boat, and several jack crevalle.

Ed Kunze (IGFA Representative)

PS: Next week I will try and do an overall summary of the long lines and the future, with a flash back of the man who started the catch and release program here 14 years ago. And how Paul Phillips, through his Fintastic Sailfish Catch and Release Tournament, was also instrumental in helping to get the long lines banned. I am just too tired to do it this week. I have been doing a lot of fishing and having fun again.

For a better understanding of our seasons and species of fish here in Ixtapa /Zihuatanejo, please click on the link to my web site and scroll down on the left side bar for “Calendar”… http://www.sportfishing-ixtapa.com/index.html