Z Fish Report (2/28/13)

The inshore waters from about Petatlan on down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero are starting to get stained with a high chlorophyll count, and the temperatures have dropped below 80 degrees this week. North of Zihuatanejo, the clean and favorable 80 degree water is still on the beach. The offshore clean water is still holding from about the 100 fathom line at 5 miles, on out to the 82 degree blue water at about 12 miles. I believe the stained water is an effect of the full moon, and soon will clear up again.

Photo by Mike Bulkley on the super panga Huntress

Under a full moon, the offshore fishing for sailfish took a hit this week with the per boat daily averages dropping to 1 to 2 fish a boat, with only about one boat in five getting a nice dorado. Yellowfin tuna have been holding up, but it is still a 30 mile plus run to get to them.

Early in the week, we also had some nasty wind, making for an uncomfortable day on the water, but Cheva on the panga Dos Hermanos was still able to get two sailfish for his client Randall Sue of Houston, TX. However, considering the port closures up at Mazatlan and the reports coming from Baja, they could only wish to have the two days of wind we had. They have been lucky to just be able to get out and fish for two days a week.

The inshore fishing also had a bit of a turnaround this week. The best bite has been from about the white rocks on down to Valentine (pronounced balen – teen), where the water starts to get stained. The main action has been lots of sierras, jack crevalle, and black skipjack. Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos, made the long run to Vicente Guerrero and told me there was a huge amount of large jack crevalle down there, but they wouldn’t eat anything they threw at them. He said the water was ugly, but the fish are there. He feels with the full moon, it is more of an afternoon bite, but he couldn’t stay around and had to make the long run back to Zihuatanejo.

Ed Kunze (IGFA Representative)

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  

I have also made two new informative web pages for people coming here for their first time. The first is for when you go to the municipal pier in Zihuatanejo in the morning to find the boat you will be fishing on: http://municipalpier.blogspot.mx/2013/02/the-municipal-pier.html

The second is for people who are looking for a place to stay: http://edkunze2.blogspot.mx/2013/02/places-to-stay.html