Z Fish Report (12/22/11)

The 80 degree blue water is still on the beach, but the offshore action is taking place about 18 to 20 miles out. We are averaging about 1 or 2 sailfish a day per boat in the blue water, plus an occasional nice dorado or two.

Michael Stelma with a nice Dorado caught while fishing

with Capt. Francisco on the Super Panga Huntress about

25 miles south of Zihautanejo.

In closer, the best dorado action is about 3 to 4 miles off the beach, with boats getting 2 to 3 of the twenty pound class fish a day.

Adolfo Jr. leadering a nice jack crevalle for Fred Pfaffle

The inshore action for light line and fly fishing anglers is still excellent. The sierras, jack crevalle, a few roosters, and black skipjack tuna are keeping the anglers rods bent for way more time than they are waiting for a bite.

Adolfo and Cheva on the two Dos Hermanos boats have both been going north to the areas from Pantla to Salidita and even up to the Ranch. They have been doing excellent on dorado, the hard fighting jacks, and a few roosters.

Wednesday, with fly fishing clients David Knowles and Fred Pfaffle of Portland Oregon, I decided to go south to Puerto Vicente Guerrero. After clearing the point, we went even further south to a couple of rocky high spots I know which come to within 25 feet of the surface, and are about a mile off the beach. It was incredible! There were acres of breaking fish. There were rainbow runners, large sierras, jack crevalle, green jacks, black skipjack tuna, etc.

Within the first 10 minutes, and before the instruction time was over for first time saltwater fisherman Dave, he was hooked on to a huge fish. With Adolfo Jr. teasing, and Jose Pino running the boat, all we saw was about an 8” wide back of golden brown as the fish turned and ate the fly. From the way it went to the bottom, and pulled the panga wherever he went, it had to be about a 50 pound pargo; which would have been a world record for the fly rod, on any pound class tippet.

A double hookup on the bow with the fly rods

While Dave was up on the bow fighting his stubborn fish, Adolfo was still casting the hookless popper, and bringing 4 to 5 fish at a time back to within casting range of Fred. After being cut off about three times by the large sierras on the 30 pound fluorocarbon, I went to a 50 pound bite tippet. That did the trick, and get fish he did.

Jose at the tiller and Adolfo Jr. holding one of Fred's nice jack crevalle

In the meantime, Dave is still up on the bow with Jose maneuvering the boat so the lines don’t cross, and finally after 2 hours and 20 minutes, the hook straightened on the big pargo.

David Knowles - 2 hours and 20 minutes of concentration
on a fish we never saw.

Everybody took a few minutes break, and then back at it again. After about a half hour of not much action, Dave hooked up on an at least 20 pound plus jack crevalle. He stayed with it for another 45 minutes and had the fish close to the boat. And then the hook pulled. I examined the fly, and tested the hook for sharpness. The 4/0 hook was perfect. I told Dave he was “snake bit”, and we headed back for the hour and a half ride to the port. Dave will sleep well tonight, and be very sore tomorrow.

Ed Kunze
IGFA Representative

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/