Z Fish Report (8/18/11)

The 83° blue water is just off the beach, and what few boats going out are traveling just 10 to 12 miles for the most productive areas. There are very few tourists here, and each boat is averaging about 1 sailfish and 1 dorado. The dorado are in the 20 to 25 pound range. This average could be much higher, but the captains are only spending a couple of hours trolling the bigger baits and are going for the sure bet; the oceanicos (skipjack tuna). The skipjack are averaging 10 to15 pounds, and are a blast on light line or fly gear.
Tropical Strom Greg passed by us in the middle of the week. We basically got the tail as it swept on around, giving us a good rain almost all night long, and no wind. It was really an ideal situation because it was nice and clear the next day.

Inshore, the roosterfish action is still holding up. It really has been a great year with, 7 to 10 fish a day per boat. I have never seen it last this long, but with the blue water so close, and having a strong current, the inshore is not getting muddied up as usually happened in years past. This is almost like November fishing…all summer long.

As a side note, and the effect of the sensationalism journalism in the States and how it is affecting Mexico, I got an email this week inviting me to fish Guatemala. I realize it is a great place for sailfish, but they are the same fish that pass right out in front of us here. They are more concentrated down there, and that makes for higher numbers a day. Anyway, the stuff you read in the papers just does not affect us here.

And if you were to choose to go to another location like Guatemala, the advertised cost was $7,600 (dollars!) for two people staying 4 nights (all inclusive except the bar tab) and fishing three days. And, you had to provide your own airfare on top of that.

Assuming you were staying here a full 7 day week, and fishing three days from a small cruiser; including your airfare, ground transfers, food, bar tab, etc. you could have 2 separate week vacations here. How many fish would you catch? With twice the fishing days, you would be approaching Guatemala’s numbers, and you would also have 2 separate weeks of vacations and not just 4 days.

After all, even though Guatemala is rated the No. 1 location in the world, we are No. 2, but to be $2,500 per fishing day for 2 people, compared to less than $1,250, and have more vacation time…just doesn’t make sense.

Ed Kunze
To order a copy of my fishing book about fishing here on the West Coast of Mexico: http://www.mexperience.com/store/vuitem.php?itemid=13&sc=KUNZE-13

  For a decent explaination to the seasons and best fishing for each species here in the Ixtapa /Zihuatanejo area check out this web site. http://calendarforfishing.blogspot.com/