Z Fish Report (7/22/10)

The surface water temperature satellite photo from Terrafin shows a scrambled egg pattern from the shoreline to out over 50 miles, bouncing around between 82 and 84 degrees. However, this has had less of an affect on the fishing than the blue water having moved out to about 20 miles. The clean water is still found at about the 6 miles mark, but the game fish are mostly being taken in the blue water, meaning runs of 20 to 28 miles.
          The boats not making the run are only averaging about 1 sailfish or a striped marlin a day each. The boats going the distance are each averaging about 3 fish a day. Sometimes it is 2 sailfish and 1 striped marlin like Adolfo had on the panga Dos Hermanos, or 2 striped marlin and 1 sailfish like Cheva on the Dos Hermanos II.
           The blue water has been pushed out this week due to the large volume of fresh water coming from the numerous nutrient rich streams and rivers we have here on the coast. This last week has seen rain almost every night, and even a couple of day time rains. Some of the early morning rains were very intense, with one particular 2 hour deluge of about 6” between 5:00 in the morning and 7:00.
           The Terrafin satellite photo measuring the chlorophyll (pigment from organic plant life) of the water also shows the results of this occurrence with high concentrations of chlorophyll in the vicinity of the rivers and streams, and out about 5 to 6 miles. (The less chlorophyll; the deeper blue the water.)

            And, because of the high concentrations of chlorophyll and stained water coming out of the rivers, the good roosterfish action we were having early in the week was disrupted substantially. It has come down to finding clean water, and you find the roosters. Paul Ruzumna, of Chicago, fly fished with Cheva and I on the panga Dos Hermanos. We first tried casting to the 2-3 pound green jacks (cocineros) in the boiling waters of the rocks at the White Rocks. Then we went after roosters, finally getting one of about 18 pounds about noon. (See 1st photo).

The other two photos show the boiler rock Cheva maneuvered the panga around to get decent casts for Paul with the fly rod. The intensity of the waves can be seen in the photos, but that is where the fish have cornered the bait, and it is all in a day’s work for Cheva.
Ed Kunze
IGFA Representative