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| Around 10% of the world's total fish species can be found just within the Great Barrier Reef. |
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| Starfish can re-grow their arms. In fact, a single arm can regenerate a whole body. |
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| Starfish do not have blood. Their blood is actually filtered sea water. |
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| Starfish don't have brains. Special cells on their skin gather information about their surroundings |
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| Not all animals with the word fish in their names count as fish. |
| Though their names may suggest otherwise, cuttlefish, starfish, and jellyfish aren’t actually fish. Generally-speaking, fishes must have skulls, gills, and fins. Surprisingly, though, not all fishes have proper spines. |
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| In three decades, the world's oceans will contain more discarded plastic than fish when measured by weight, researchers say. |
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| As of 2020, there were 34,000 known fish species around world. That’s more than the number of species in all other vertebrates: birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians combined. |
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| Just how man species of fish are there? |
| As of 2020, there were 34,000 known fish species around world. That’s more than the number of species in all other vertebrates: birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians combined. |
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| Even Catfish are finicky |
| Taste Buds ? Catfish have a more refined sense of flavor than humans. Our 10,000 taste buds may seem like a lot, but catfish can have as many as 175,000. This helps them find the exact location of their next meal. |
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| A bit of Humor |
| My brother has 2 German Shepherds named Rolex and Timex. You guessed it they are Watch Dogs. |
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From Jan 01, 1999 To Sep 22, 2025
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Jul 28, 2003; 11:58AM - Cabo Fishing Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JULY 21 TO JULY 27, 2003
WEATHER: A little break from the heat this week as we started to get a breeze from the
southwest that cooled us off a bit. Along with a partial overcast, it was around five degrees
cooler all week than it was last week. We could actually sleep without the air-conditioner on!
Our daytime highs were in the mid 90’s and nighttime lows in the mid 70’s. (Black Mountain
Rag)
WATER: The water continues to warm as the summer moves along and we are now seeing
water temperatures at least 79 degrees almost everywhere, with most areas reading 82 to 85
degrees. The Pacific side was choppy the first half of the week and as the wind swung around to
the southwest, the Sea of Cortez started to chop up a bit as well. The water out to about 9 miles
was not a good blue, it was a bit on the greenish side, but warm. (A Taste Of Honey)
BAIT: Mostly Mackerel and Mullet this week at the normal $2 per bait. (Country Gentleman)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Slow on the Striped Marlin this week but picking up on the Blue and Black bite. We
were getting a good Sailfish bite as well with quite a few fish in the 80 class, up to around 120#.
Good areas were any of the normal areas like the banks and the 95 and 1150 spots as well as
where the color break was. Lots of flying fish and ribbon fish are showing as well as small
Dorado so there is plenty of bait in the water. Our favorite Sailfish lure this week was a
blue/white Islander run wayyyy back off the bridge rod. Striped Marlin were almost solely on live
bait and the Blue and Black Marlin were happy striking lures in Blue/purple and
Blue/silver/yellow. (Main Street Breakdown)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: There were nice Yellowfin available most off the week, except for Tuesday
when the just seemed to vanish! There was quite a run to get to the area, most of the fish were
showing with Porpoise at 22 to 30 miles out. There were smaller football fish in the 8-12 pound
class closer to home but the porpoise were holding fish in the 60-80# range. First boats to the
fish did best but as the wind kicked and more boats appeared the bite dropped off. Another thing
we noticed later in the week was the appearance just offshore of the Purse Seiners. We had one
that just drifted around in the daytime for the past three days less than three miles out, and the
porpoise we found close to Cabo were showing signs of having had nets set on them. (Cascade)
DORADO: Some bigger fish offshore and a lot of real little ones inside three miles in the green
water. If you found anything floating in the water, from a turtle to a small stick, there was likely
to be Dorado around. Live bait under the frigate birds was working as well, and of course
dropping back a live bait after hooking one up on the troll worked. (Boo Boo Stick Beat)
WAHOO: With the new moon there were very few Wahoo found, let alone caught. A few
boats reported strikes, but most of them lost the fish. (The Streets Of Laredo)
NEARSHORE: The inshore green water had the Panga bite drop off quite a bit on Roosterfish
and Snapper as well as the Jack Crevalle. A lot of the Panga action consisted of the small Dorado
as well as Skipjack Tuna and Bonita. (Jerry’s Breakdown)
NOTES: Tuna were fish of the week again and maybe if the Purse Seiners go away it will last.
Last week a Purse Seiner was reported to be setting net up in the Sea of Cortez and three days
after getting the report action was finally taken. When boarded there was a hold full of Striped
Marlin and Dorado, both classified as sportfish. There were several long fights with Billfish this
past week, one in particular is supposed to have involved a fish ranging from 1,000 to 2,000
pounds, depending on who was telling the story. The fish fought for 13 hours and pulled one
flying gaff free. At 9:30 PM the line broke as the fish was close to the boat. There were a lot of
3-4 hour fights as well, and this early in the season most of the fish got away due to either faulty
gear or inexperience. More of the big girls will be hooked and hopefully tagged as the summer
wears on. This weeks report was written to the cool sound of that master guitarist, the Country
Gentleman, Chet Atkins on a compilation titled “The Master and His Music”, released in 2001 by
BMG records. Until next week, Tight Lines!
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Jul 21, 2003; 11:32AM - 'Fly Hooker Daily Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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“FLY HOOKER” WEEKLY FISH COUNT
Striped Marlin: One tagged and released (#120)
Dorado: One taken (#45)
Yellowfin Tuna: Five taken (10-45#)
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 18, 2003
Peter Simon booked the “Fly Hooker” for today to give a few guys here for a bachelor party a
chance to do some fishing. Peter is a Fly Fisherman (note the capitol letters?) and brought his
own gear just in case he got a chance to get some action on the 10 weight. Unfortunately it did
not work out that he was able to get a chance to use his gear as you really need a target to cast at
in order to do the “normal “ fly fishing. What happened instead was that we pulled a Marlin
popper on the 13 weight rod and ended up hooking a #35 Yellowfin Tuna on the troll. Wait, I’m
getting ahead of myself a bit here. The bachelor party consists of six guys, one of the arriving
today while we were fishing and one of the guys not interested in doing any fishing at all. They
rented a very nice house up in the “Pedregal” for the time here and Mary picked them up this
morning. I went along since Peter wanted a chance to do some fly fishing. Juan and Manuel took
us out for an hour to the South before we put lines in the water and about 45 minutes later we
spotted some Porpoise out on the horizon. We were the first boat there and on the first pass we
hooked up on three trolled lures on regular gear and also on the Marlin popper trolled on the fly
rod. The first two Tuna to the boat were in the 20 pound class, the last one was a good #45 and
gave us a great tussle at the side of the boat. Peter was on the Tuna hooked on the fly rod and it
was about 10 minutes after we got the last fish on conventional gear in the boat that Juan was in
position to get a gaff shot on Peters fish. The fish was just in range when it did a sudden dive
down and forward, and as Manuel tried to adjust the boat, the fish dove. Juan grabbed the rod
and pushed it as far down into the water as possible but the prop on the starboard engine ran
against the fly line and the fish was cut off. We figured that fish at around 20-25 pounds and full
of fight! About that time other boats were arriving in the area but there were no more fish caught
for the next hour. We figured that the school had followed the lost fish into the depths. Late on
while we were heading back Manuel spotted as big turtle on the surface and as we passed the
spot, there were two large Dorado under the turtle. Right away Juan tossed out a live bait and we
did a slow turn around the area. Surprisingly, it was not the live bait that got hit, it was the
Marlin lure in “Mean Joe Green” color, moving at what had to be only two knots, off of the
bridge rod that got hit. This was the Bull and it took about 25 minutes to get the fish to the boat
before Juan was able to get the first gaff shot at the fish The fish struggled at the gaff for a
minute then pulled loose and around two minutes later I was able to get the fish to the side of the
boat for the second gaff shot. This time it took and the 45 pound Dorado was ours! Another
pass on the spot with no results and we continued trolling in. About 10 miles from the Marina at
12:30, we had a Blue Marlin come up on the same lure the Dorado had hit, and this fish took
about 100 yards of line and made one jump before the hook pulled loose. Quite the trip for a
group of four bachelor, and these guys were plenty happy! Thanks guys, and we are hoping you
did not spend too much money tonight while out on the town!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 19, 2003
I wish I remembered the names of the couple that fished today, but all I really know is that they
fished yesterday on one of the fleet boats and got nada, zero, zip, and they did not really want to
go another day. After explaining the difference between going out on a fleet boat and a boat
owned by a small business, they decided to give it another try. They were glad they did as they
tagged and released a Striped Marlin of 120 pounds (her first Marlin!) and brought two Yellowfin
Tuna to the boat. It was a long day, but the water was nice and the saw so much sea life that they
thought they were at “Sea World”! Thanks for the business and we were glad to make your trip
one to remember!
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Jul 21, 2003; 11:16AM - Cabo Bite Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JULY 14 TO JULY 20, 2003
WEATHER: Not just warm, it has been darn hot and starting to get pretty humid as well. We
are having nighttime lows in the high 70’s to low 80’s and daytime highs to the 100 degree mark.
I am not sure what the humidity readings have been but it has not been a problem to break a sweat
by not doing anything at all! We have had some cloud cover the past few days and there has been
a bit of rain up in the mountains but only an occasional sprinkle in our area. (Calling Elvis)
WATER: There has been a band of cool water along the coast where the temperatures have
been around 77 to 78 degrees out to a distance of about three miles. Once past there it has
warmed up to 83-84 degrees on the Sea of Cortez side. On the Pacific, the water has warmed up
a bit and we are starting to get some nice blue conditions around the San Jaime and the Golden
Gate Banks. The water in those areas has been in the low 80’s and it looks like summer is here.
There has been almost no wind this week and the water conditions have reflected that. A low
swell from the Northwest and a slight wind riffle in the morning has made it easy to see anything
floating or breaking the surface. (On Every Street)
BAIT: Mostly Mackerel and Mullet this week at the normal $2 per bait. (My Parties)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Very little change this week on the Billfish, except there are a few more Blue Marlin
being hooked up. The Striped Marlin are not quite as abundant as they were last week and while
there are signs at some booths around the Marina stating that the Marlin fishing is “Hot! Hot!
Hot!”, you would not be able to tell that by talking to the anglers and the Captains. Guess that
some people just have to stretch the truth a bit to get business! There are Marlin out there and an
occasional boat has come in with a couple of flags flying, but most of the boats have been lucky to
get a good solid bite this week. The Blues have been located at the Gorda, 1150, 95 and due
south of the Cape and the Striped Marlin seem to be concentrated closer to the beach and up on
the Pacific side a ways. For a few days, dropping live bait at either Punta Ballena or off the
lighthouse on the Pacific side worked well, as did slow trolling live bait in the same area, but that
action died off. (When It Comes To You)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: Looks like the Tuna are going to be the fish of the week! We have started
to find some of the bigger Tuna in the Porpoise this week, just what I was wishing was going to
happen. First few boats to the Porpoise were able to hook into fish that went as high as 150
pounds, with the fish getting smaller, then disappearing as more boats showed up. Most of the
fish were found between 20 and 35 miles to the south and around the 95 and 1150 spots, mixed
with the Porpoise. While there were football Tuna in the mix, the average seemed to be about
20-25 pounds, and there were quite a few fish in the 40-50 pound range as well. Large lures,
large fish, small lures, small fish seemed to be the rule, with more action happening with the
smaller lures. There were fish reported occasionally from other areas as well, but not consistently.
This bite really started to take off at the end of the week, the beginning of the week was a bit
slow. (Fade To Black)
DORADO: A repeat of last weeks report, the Dorado are still scattered, and the bite continues to
improve a bit. Bigger fish offshore, smaller fish inshore, live bait working well. (The Bug)
WAHOO: Almost no Wahoo this week. I did see a few flags and talked to a few anglers who
reported catching one, but there was no “bite” and everything reported was an incidental catch.
(You And Your Friend)
NEARSHORE: Some Roosterfish this week as well as the Jack Crevalle, but that was about it for
big fish action inshore. A few nice bottom fish were caught since the water has been so nice, but
there was little else happening inshore. With the water conditions so nice, a lot of the Pangas
were heading up to 10 miles offshore, looking for action on the Pelagic fish. At the end of the
week the Pangas were starting to find small Yellowfin Tuna and a lot of Skipjack just off the
Arch. (Heavy Fuel)
NOTES: The action has not been hot on any one species and as a matter of fact, has been pretty
“lukewarm” overall. We are in a time of transition with the warm water moving in. There is a
little bit of everything out there but not a lot of any one species, unless you happen to hit on one
of the Tuna schools as the first boat. Another week or so and we should be seeing a lot more
action, and a lot more big fish! Fingers crossed please! This weeks report was written to the
music of one of my favorite bands, and guitar player extraordinary, “Dire Straits” and Mark
Knopfler on the 1991 Warner Brothers release, “On Every Street”. Until next week, Tight Lines!
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Jul 14, 2003; 11:27AM - 'Fly Hooker Daily Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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“FLY HOOKER” WEEKLY FISH COUNT
Striped Marlin: One tagged and released (#120)
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 10, 2003
I met Chuck and his son Manny yesterday as they were wandering the marina looking at the
boats. They had already talked with a friend of mine who had recommended the “Fly Hooker”
and Chuck decided to go fishing with his son today. Maybe it would have been better to wait
another day. There were a lot of fish hooked up by other boats today, but it was not the “Fly
Hooker’s” day for good luck. Juan said that they saw quite a few fish but were only able to toss
bait to two fish and neither one of the Marlin were hungry. They also tossed bait to some Dorado
they found under the Frigate birds and again, the fish would not eat. The boat came in with no
flags flying. Sorry guys, we wish things had been different.
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 13, 2003
Kevin Brown is fishing the “Fly Hooker” again this year and he has two friends with him. Juan
and his brother went to the Pacific side of the Cape this morning and worked the area off of the
lighthouse. They saw quite a few Marlin on the surface but could not get any of them to bite.
They worked their way around the Cape when the wind started to blow at noon and finally at 1
P.M. found a hungry fish. Both Kevin and Juan said that all of a sudden the bite turned on and
boats all over the place were hooking up. Definitely a tide thing, as this was the day of the full
moon. The fish was fought for around 30 minutes, on live bait and 40# line, before it was brought
to the side of the boat, tagged and released. Good gong guys, sure wish you had a little more
time and could get some more fishing in.
“FLY HOOKER” REPORT FOR 14 JULY, 2002
Today was boatwork day and we got the deck painted, the wood oiled and the fighting chairs
re-upholstered. She is looking good now!
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Jul 14, 2003; 11:23AM - Cabo Bite Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JULY 7 TO JULY 13, 2003
WEATHER: Warm breezes, warm days and nights, no rain...looks like summer is finally here.
Just to anchor the fact, this week a Hurricane developed way to the south and had everyone on
edge for a while, wondering what it would do as the water up in our area warmed up. Our
daytime highs this week got over 100 in the sun and in the evening cooled down to the low 80’s,
plus there was a bit of humidity to go with it. Sure am glad the air-conditioning is working for
sleeping in the evenings! (The Entertainer)
WATER: The water keeps warming up! It has been pretty warm all week on the Sea of Cortez
side with temperatures starting at 79-80 degrees at the beginning of the week and ending in the 82
to 83 degree range. The bigger change was on the Cape and the Pacific side. We started the
week with the Pacific water temperatures in the low 70’s and ended the week with 80 degree
water almost everywhere within reach with the exception of the San Jaime Banks where it was 78
degrees. The winds we were experiencing have died down a little and the Pacific side was
fishable this week with only slightly choppy conditions in the afternoons. We were still getting
the afternoon breezes but they were not strong enough for long enough to get any serious surface
conditions started. (Euphonic Sounds)
BAIT: Mostly Mackerel and Mullet this week at the normal $2 per bait. (Swipsey)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Right place, right time, right fish and bingo, you’re hooked up. There were fish all
over the place this week but some boats got skunked and others caught three or four. There were
concentrations of Striped Marlin off of Punta Ballena in the middle of the week and off the
lighthouse on the Pacific side at the end of the week. Fish were reported all over the place but the
bite was not consistent. I believe every boat that went out this week saw Marlin. There were
finally steady reports of Blue Marlin as well, which we expected as the warm water moved in.
Not all the boats got strikes from the guy in the blue suit, but there were enough of them out there
so that you saw most of the boats putting new line on their reels this week. The striped Marlin
bite was an even mix of lures and live bait while the Blues were almost all lure strikes. Most of
the Blues were found around the 95, 1150 and Gorda Banks. (The Easy Winners)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: Football Tuna in the Porpoise was what most of the boats finding Tuna
were getting, hopefully there will be some of the big toads moving back in the area also. Boats
working to 30 miles to the south were finding the Porpoise and the bite was working well for
those guys using dark colored feathers in the 6” size, along with cedar plugs. The fish were
running 8-15 pounds, this was also an area producing a few nice Blue Marlin strikes (wonder
why?). (The Cascades)
DORADO: There was some scattered Dorado action this week, a bit better than last week but
still not wide open. I saw some nice fish in the 40-50 pound class and almost everyone I talked to
(captains and mates) reported that they had seen Dorado out there, but they were not biting well.
Most of the fish were taken on live bait tossed under Frigate birds found working, but a few of
the big boys were hooked on trolled lures. (Bethena)
WAHOO: The full moon had to have something to do with the increase in the number of Wahoo
flags flying this week. There were fish reported from the 95, 1150, Gorda Banks and just
offshore all along the Cortez side. Quite a few strikes and most of the fish were lost due to either
pulled hooks or the leader being cut. Most of the fish landed were in the 40-50 pound class with
a few larger ones in there and almost all of them were hooked on dark colored lures run for
Marlin. (Heliotrope Bouquet)
NEARSHORE: Inshore fishing picked up this week with the Roosterfish coming back on and the
Toro (Jack Crevalle) biting well. There were a few Yellowtail early in the week from the arch
area but that fell off as the water warmed. With the water warmer and surface conditions better, a
lot of the Pangas went offshore this week, looking for bigger Dorado as well as Striped Marlin, so
it was difficult for me to get a good feel for the inshore catch. (Solace)
NOTES: I kept saying my Mantra from last week and maybe it helped. The continuing increase
in surface temperatures seems to be getting the action to turn on and is bringing fish in with it. If
anyone is considering coming down to fish, the next few weeks should see some good results.
Thank goodness the Blue Marlin are beginning to show up! This weeks report was written to a
slightly different kind of music, “Ragtime”. I love this music but listening to a full CD can be a
little extreme. This weeks CD is from Madacy Entertainment Group, released in 1997 and is
listed in their “Classical Treasures” grouping as “Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag”
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Jul 7, 2003; 10:50AM - 'Fly Hooker Daily Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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“FLY HOOKER” WEEKLY FISH COUNT
Striped Marlin: One tagged and released (#120)
Dorado: Two taken (15-20#)
Yellowfin Tuna: Two taken (10-12#)
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 1, 2003
Russell Wood and his wife were our anglers on the “Fly Hooker” today and we sure wish the
fishing had been better. They had been waiting a long time for this trip but the weather and water
did not care. The water was a bit choppy and there was not a lot of action from the fish.
Basically, they got skunked. Juan and Manuel tried hard, that is for sure, but sometimes it doesn’t
matter. Sorry Russell, we hope for better fishing next time!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 2, 2003
Greg and John are repeat clients from San Francisco and they are here on this trip with the
families. This means that they need to return with some fish so everyone believes they went
fishing! They went on a Panga yesterday and got a 20 pound Jack Crevalle and lost a Roosterfish
and are hoping the offshore action will be better. They were originally scheduled for June 30 but
we asked them if they were willing to put that trip off until today in the hope that conditions
would get better. Well, the wind did die down on the evening of the 30th, so conditions have
improved, but who knows about the fishing? Juan and Manuel ended up fishing 25 miles to the
southeast and finally found some fish. Two small football Yellowfin, the largest around 12
pounds. Later on the hooked a very small (about 8 pound) Dorado and held it behind the boat
until friends showed up! Then John and Greg were able to hook up a couple of larger 15 pound
Dorado on their own gear and get them to the boat. Enough fish for the family dinner and a little
action, not bad compared to what has been going on. Also, that made us the top boat on the dock
for the day! Thanks guys, and it was nice of you to invite Tom along for the day, even if all he
did was drink all the beer and eat all your lunch!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 3, 2003
Rick Anderson, his wife and son were our anglers today, and they were hoping for a big fish for
the son. It seems that they have done quite a bit of offshore fishing, trying it almost everywhere
they have gone on vacation and have yet to hook into something big for him. Well, this was not
the trip that it was going to happen on either. Juan and Manuel tossed bait to one Marlin all day,
that was it, and that fish did not want to eat. Rick’s wife slept most of the day and so did his son.
I wish the fishing was better this week, but I can’t control it. Eventually you guys will find a big
one, and I hope for your sake it’s soon!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JULY 4, 2003
Happy 4th of July everyone! Today’s group of anglers was a last minute trip, and it is strange
how things work out. Last evening we were listening to the group “Rhydim Forze”, our local
reggae band and met “Maddy” who was walking around with the tip bucket for the group. She
was very nice and we got to talking a bit and when she found out we had a charter boat she said
that she wished that she had met us yesterday, as a group of her friends had already chartered a
boat after going through one of the timeshare tours. Sigh, a day late again! Well, this morning
Juan and Manuel were done working and cleaning on the “Fly Hooker” and were leaving the
Marina at 8:30 when Juan noticed that his brother on the “No Problem” was having a problem. It
turned out that they had blown a hydraulic steering fitting and needed another boat to take their
group out. Not having a trip, Juan volunteered to take them on the “Fly Hooker”. I only
remember two of the guys names, Kevin and Adam, and there were two others as well. Now, I
did not learn any of this until they came in, but Kevin and Adam shared the honors with a tag and
release on a 120 pound Striped Marlin. At least these guys got a fish! Now, it turns out that
these were they guys that “Maddy” had been talking about last night! The group is from Denver
where they are all bartenders, and they know our friends Rod and Karen, who had recommended
the “Fly Hooker” and had given them one of our cards. Unfortunately they left the information at
home so did not know how to contact us. Small world! By the way, on the 2nd, Kevin had
jumped into the swimming pool at the private house they were staying at and had split open his
head from just above the scalp line to the center of his skull, the stitches looked like Frankenstein
stuff, and we joked that the scar would make him look like one of those guys on “Star Trek”! He
still went out today and shared in the catch of the Marlin, and he was the only one to get sick,
probably a bit concussed! Good folks, this group, and they invited Mary and I out to the house
for dinner, but we had already made other plans. Thanks guys, it was great getting to meet you
and we are glad you were able to hook into a “Big One”!
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Jul 7, 2003; 10:44AM - Cabo Fishing Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JUNE 30 TO JULY 06, 2003
WEATHER: This week the weather was almost a repeat of last week with the wind blowing
every afternoon again. Most of the wind was from either the southwest or west at 10-14 knots
and started around noon and lasted until around 9 at night. Our daytime highs were up in the mid
90’s and our nighttime lows in the high 70’s. No clouds to speak of so no rain. It’s starting to
get warm enough to use the air-conditioning! (Jamaican Winds)
WATER: Again, almost a repeat of last weeks report with a concentration of cold water just off
the Cape. Water temperatures to 67 degrees along the shore on the Pacific side and warming up
to 73 or 74 degrees at the Golden Gate and San Jaime Banks. The water on the Pacific side has
been rough due to the strong winds, at least the closest 15 miles has been rough, I’ve heard from
private boaters that once you get past that, it gets pretty nice. Off the Cape the water has been
70-72 degrees out at least 20 miles, and you have had to go 35-40 miles south to get to 78 degree
water. It is not smooth out there either! The best water conditions in terms of both calmness and
temperatures has been n the Sea of Cortez, and the further North you go, the warmer it becomes.
74 degrees between the 95 and 1150 spots and over 79 degrees past the Gorda Banks towards
Punta Gorda. Mornings have seen good water conditions out there but in the afternoons it has
sometimes been a rough ride home it the wind is from the southwest. (Theme For A Rainy Day)
BAIT: Mackerel and Caballito at the normal $2 per bait along with a good supply of Mullet.
(Take You There)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Scattered Striped Marlin within a 20 mile arc of Cabo San Lucas and a bit better
concentration out at the Cabrillo Seamount and north of the Palmilla. The fish are not
concentrated near to us right now, and the ones that are being found do not seem to be in an
eating mode. A few boats are getting two fish a trip, most of the boats are tossing bait to four or
five fish a trip and around 20% of them are getting bit. The cool water has not helped the bite on
Blue Marlin, but there are some strikes being had. I had an angler report that he caught a 73
pound Swordfish on Wednesday out on the Pacific side of the Cape. (Midnight In San Juan)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: Not many boats are finding the Tuna this week and the ones that have done
well have been making 40 mile runs to find the fish. Most of them have been footballs in the
10-15 pound class. Cedar plugs and dark feathers have been the ticket, and since not many boats
have been in the areas the ones that are there have done very well. (Every Moment With You)
DORADO: A few scattered fish were found close in off the Punta Ballena to Palmilla area and
they were not large fish, mostly in the 10-15 pound range. Not until you got up to the Gorda
Banks was there any good action on Dorado, and then it was still scattered. Once again, there
was very good action a long ways from home as boats reported numbers of large fish past the
Cabrillo Seamount. Unfortunately, that is beyond the range of most of the charter fleet here in
Cabo unless you are willing to pop for a 1K trip, then it is still 2 hours out and two hours back, all
cruising. Fish that were caught out there were in the 30-60 pound class and most of them were
hooked on the troll. (Kissin’ On The Beach)
WAHOO: The only fish I saw or had reported to me this week were ones found in that warm
water outside the Cabrillo Seamount, and there were some good fish in the mix, up to 90 pounds.
Elsewhere, the bite was not happening. (She Never Said Why)
NEARSHORE: Slow inshore fishing this week as well, with most of the action being supplied by
Jack Crevalle and a few Yellowtail reported as well. Slow trolled live bait for the Jacks, live bait
dropped down mid water for the Yellowtail and a few nice Grouper for those dropping live bait to
the bottom and bringing it up 10 feet. The Roosterfish closed their mouths this week, they are
still there but the cool water got them off their feed. (Mobimientos Del Alma)
NOTES: No predictions!!! But I really hope the warm water continues to come to us from the
north on the Cortez side, we could certainly use it! As you can tell from the species report, the
action this past week was taking place well offshore, and you needed a fast boat and a lot of time
to get to it. Most of the fleet was not able to get to those areas so the overall catch was down
and a lot of boats returned from a day of fishing having only seen a few Marlin to toss bait to.
Wind, die down, Water, warm up, Fishing, turn on....this is my Mantra for the week! This weeks
report was written to the smooth guitar sounds of Earl Klugh on his 1991 Warners release
“Midnight in San Juan”.
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Jun 30, 2003; 12:02PM - 'Fly Hooker' Daily Reports
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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“FLY HOOKER” FISH TOTALS FOR THE WEEK:
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JUNE 25, 2003
We had a great group on the boat today and I was along as well. Mary grew up in Seattle and
this week she has her girlfriends and their husbands visiting, Chrissy and Ritchie, Michelle and
Lorrie, Sue, and Michelle and Lorries neighbors Donna and Richard. Fishing today were
Michelle, Lorrie, Chrissy, Sue, Richard and myself. Juan and Manuel took us 12 miles to the
southeast and while the actin was not red hot, it was steady with some quality fish. Fist off the
bat we saw Porpoise and mixed in with them were some very large Tuna, they looked like 100
pound fish to me. We made a lot of passes around them but could not get them to bite. The girls
had a blast watching them and Sue almost lost her voice (again)! It was not until after leaving
them and being about a mile away that we had the first strike of the day, a nice 30 pound
Yellowfin Tuna that Richard brought in. Sashimi in the boat! It was a blind strike however, and
we did not get another one there. About thirty minutes later we had a Striped Marlin come in and
hit the bridge rod lure and take some line. Juan quickly dropped back a bait but the fish must
have taken off after feeling the hook in the lure. It was shortly after that the next strike occurred
and this time it was Michelle’s turn in the chair. She made short work of a 15 pound Dorado and
we now had two different species of fish in the box. We continued on for a while before the next
strike and it was Sue’s turn in the chair. This fish made a great long run at the beginning, enough
of a run that I was thinking “Marlin”, but then it turned and ran at the boat. Sue cranked as fast
as she could and eventually caught up with the fish, then it turned and made another run. No
jumps, and fighting on the surface, I began to have an idea of what she was hooked up to. When
the rod tip started bouncing when she had the fish close to the boat the next time, I was sure!
Sure enough, Juan was able to put the gaff into the 60 pound Wahoo! Hooked right at the tip of
the jaw, the fish did not have a chance to chew through the mono leader, now that’s what I call
“good luck”! With a third off the Wahoo sticking out of the fish box and now able to fly three
different flags when we returned, we continued to troll. A little bit later it was Chrissy’s turn to
fight a fish as we hooked up to a very nice bull Dorado. This fish jumped all over the place and
she really had her work cut out for her. It took about 15 minutes to get the fish to the boat and
Juan gaffed it as soon as he could. The gaff started to pull out just after the hook fell out of the
Dorado’s mouth and he had to bring it in the boat while still very much alive. Everyone jumped
up on the engine covers as Juan danced the deck with the big bull, trying to get in a good swing
with the bat to subdue the fish before he was able to bounce himself back out of the boat. I
looked up at Manuel as this was going on and he was laughing his head off! Juan finally got a
good swing in and the fish was placed in the fish box. We now had a 30 pound Yellowfin, a 60
pound Wahoo, a 15 pound Dorado and a 40 pound Dorado in the box! Juan spent the next 15
minutes cleaning up the mess on the deck as we continued to troll. About an hour later we had
another Marlin appear in the lures and Juan again dropped a live bait back. I was excited because
this was to be Lorries fish, and he had been very patient, hoping for a shot at a Marlin. The fish
was excited and lit up, but would just not eat! The bait was dropped back again, tossed in front
of the fish, a dead bait was tossed out to entice the Marlin, basically everything we could do, we
did, and still the fish refused to eat. Oh well, that’s fishing. We continued on and a little later we
were in front of the bay, getting ready to pull in the lines when up popped three Marlin tails!
Another chance at the fish, but we had the same luck, they just did not want to eat. Everyone was
excited, seeing the fish and trying to catch them, but it was not to be. As a consolation prize,
Lorrie fed the leftover bait to the Pelicans on the way in, getting them to take the fish from his
hand. Thanks guys, I had a great time with you!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 27 JUNE, 2003
Today the “Fly Hooker” had a half day trip, from 10 am to 2 p.m., a group of four anglers that
were part of a larger group, fishing a total of four boats. The mid-day, half day trip resulted in a
skunk, but the anglers were happy just to get out on the water. One of the four boats managed to
get a Dorado, so the group had fish for dinner.
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 28 JUNE, 2003
Steve Ellis and his wife Lisa, son Tyler and Tyler’s friend Justin fished the “Fly Hooker” today.
The trip was to get Tyler a big fish, as the family has fished a number of places in search of a “big
one” for him. The water was a bit on the rough side as Juan and Manuel took the boat to an area
about 20 miles to the southeast of the arches. There were Porpoise in the area and they did hook
up two Yellowfin Tuna. Steve got one of them to the boat, around 20 pounds, and the other one
came off. No Marlin were sighted on the trip, and a lot of boats returned to the Marina without
flags today, thank goodness they caught fish! Nothing big, sorry about that Tyler, but one of
these days it will happen!
GEORGE’S FISH REPORT FOR 26 JUNE, 2003
Can’t help it, I have to give a report on my fishing for the day! My friend Tom Berry, his
girlfriend Jackie, brother-in-law Paul and sister Gina are in town until Monday, they arrived last
night. I keep Tom’s 21 foot Pro-Line in my driveway and we put the boat in the water last night,
getting it ready to fish today. Tom, Paul and myself left the Marina at about 6:30 this morning,
wanting to get Tom and Paul hooked up to some big fish. I started out on a southeast heading,
hoping to be able to make it to the area where we saw the big Tuna with the Porpoise while on
the “Fly Hooker” yesterday. With the water as rough as it was we turned and headed to the
northeast instead! We worked out way to the 95 spot and had no action at all. Next target was
going to be either the 1150 area of the coast off of Red Hill, depending on the reports on the
radio. Hearing about a few fish being found off the 1150 spot, we ended up going there. There
were about 30 boats scattered around, half of them trolling and half of the pulling live bait. None
of the trolling boats were stopping and the information coming over the radio was that the few
fish that had been caught were taking live bait. Tom and Paul quickly pinned on live bait, Paul a
Mackerel and Tom a Caballito. They were using some 3X circle hooks with Pauls tied directly to
doubled #30 test line and Tom’s to a short 2’ flouro-carbon #80 leader. Both of them were using
Trinidad 30’s on Calstar roller rods. It took a while, but the first fish was Pauls. We were hoping
for a Tuna but were not too disappointed when the 25 pound Dorado began jumping all over the
place. Looking around, none of the other boats around us had hooked up, so we were doing
good! As soon as that fish was in the box, the baits went out again. Every once in a while you
could see the Porpoise get excited and the Tuna would bust the surface for a few seconds. As
long as I was seeing meter marks on the depth sounder I stayed in the area. At about 12:30 the
fleet boats started to leave, the wind started to pick up a bit and the bite started to get better. The
next strike was Paul again, and this time we knew it was a Tuna. Tom quickly changed his bait to
a Mackerel and we were quickly hooked up to a double. These fish had the rods bent over and
both guys into the harnesses and belts. It took about 25 minutes before Pauls fish came to color
and a few minutes later I placed the gaff in a very nice 35 pound Yellowfin. As Tom continued to
fight his fish Paul checked his leader and dropped back another bait. A few minutes later Tom
had his fish to color and again I gaffed the Tuna, a fish that was the twin to Pauls. At this time
the wind and water was starting to pick up and there were only three boats still in the area, it was
2 p.m.. Tuna busting to the right, and there were some big ones in there! I turned the boat, Tom
pinned on another Mackerel and then as he was holding the bait in freespool with the clicker on,
talking to us about the fight with the last fish, he got slammed, and slammed hard! The line was
screaming off the reel when he put the drag lever to the on position and there was absolutely no
change in speed! Now we had a big fish on! This fish was a nice one, but by the way it was
acting, I was not sure it was a Tuna. A few minutes before the strike, we had seen a shark pass
behind us and I thought he may have hooked up. The first run was a screamer on the surface,
then the fish charged the boat. Another screaming surface run and another charge to the boat.
Tom said that he was getting spooled, I said not to worry, he had plenty of line on the reel. Then
I looked at the spool and turned the boat, putting it into gear. The water was rough and we could
not do much more than 2 1/2 knots into the seas, and it was a little while before the fish stopped
taking line. This was the strangest fight and after an hour we were able to see why. Tom’s fish
came to the surface, tail towards us and he pumped him in. When he was close enough I put the
gaff in the shoulder and Paul and I pulled the 100 pound Yellowfin into the boat! The line had
dug into the tail during the first or second run and Tom had been fighting the fish from the
backside the whole time! Great job Tom, and on #30 test line! Paul still had a bait in the water
and as we were admiring Tom’s fish, his got slammed! To make a long story short, it was a
repeat of the action on Tom’s fish, and Paul said he could feel the tail beating as he applied
pressure. After 45 minutes he had the fish about 50 feet from the boat and had the drag maxed
out. Applying just a bit more thumb pressure, the line parted. We checked it when he reeled it on
and it appeared that there had been a weak spot, probable caused by the tail against the line.
Unfortunately, he had changed from the double line to single after the 35 pounder, if he had still
been running a double line, perhaps he would have gotten the fish in the boat. Then again, maybe
he would not have gotten bit. Oh well, that’s fishing. It was time to go home and the wind was
howling, the seas were breaking, with curlers. Gusts to 22 knots, 3-5 foot breaking seas and it
was impossible to head directly back to Cabo against this type of water. We were 22 miles from
the Marina and instead we headed quartering downswell towards Punta Gorda, hoping that as we
neared shore the seas would die down and we would be able to turn towards home. We were
soaked, the prop only came out of the water once though, and eventually we were in calmer water
and able to do better than 4 knots of speed. We had planned to be in by 4 p.m. but it was 8 p.m.
when we arrived at the fuel dock, tired, sore, safe and happy! A great experience and some great
fishing! Thanks for letting me share it with you!
GEORGE’S FISH REPORT FOR 27 JUNE, 2003
Today it was Paul, Gina and myself on the Pro-Line and we were out to get Gina hooked up to
a nice fish. After our experience returning yesterday afternoon we were a little gun shy about
venturing offshore right away and decided to work inshore for the first few hours in the morning,
waiting to see what developed. I started us out by getting five Mackerel and five Mullet as live
baits, hoping that we would be able to hook into one of those nice Roosterfish I had been hearing
about. We turned towards the lighthouse on the Pacific side as we passed the arch and we made
it as far as outside Playa Grande Resort before I turned the boat around. We headed down to
Punta Ballena instead, the water was a lot calmer there and we did not want Gina to get seasick.
Two Mullet went out and after about 30 minutes of slow trolling mine took a hit. Line screamed
off the reel, then it went slack. I reeled the bait in and we saw that it had been sliced almost in
half by a big Sierra. Out went a new bait and later on, just past Chileno beach, Paul had the same
thing happen to him. A few minutes after that we saw a few splashes just out a way and turned the
boat out. As we did that we got another hit. This time the fish took the bait and left us a bare
hook. All right, enough of the dilly-dallying around, the water looked flat outside and we wanted
a big fish so in came the lines and we powered the boat up and cruised out to the 1150 spot.
When we arrived 45 minutes later there were about 25 boats scattered out and working the area.
We spotted the Porpoise and put out two live baits. Just like yesterday, we did not see any boats
hook up while trolling, but we did hear the reel on one of the boats go off for a short second or
two as they took a strike on a lure. It was beautiful water but the action was very slow, we did
not see anyone fighting a fish. After three hours we finally thought we were going to get lucky
when Tuna erupted only 30 yards off of our port stern! No luck though, and we were marking
fish on the sounder. Instead, about 15 minutes later we had a big bull Dorado come in and try to
eat both baits, tangling the lines up. We got that straightened out and reset the baits and a few
minutes later hooked up to a slightly smaller bull. It took Gina about 15 minutes to get the fish to
the boat and we finally had her a nice fish, this one about 20 pounds. The wind had started to
pick up and Paul and I looked at each other, nodded, brought all the lines in and cruised back to
shore. Gina got her fish, did not get sick, we did not get beat up and were back in at 4 p.m.! A
nice day of fishing all the way around. Thanks for letting me share it with you!
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Jun 30, 2003; 11:52AM - Cabo Fishing Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JUNE 23 TO JUNE 29, 2003
WEATHER: The wind picked up again this week and was from the southwest, giving us almost
nowhere to hide once it started blowing hard at 14-16 knots with gusts to 22 knots. Fortunately
it did not really get going until past noon and everyone was already on the way in. This started on
Tuesday and continued throughout the week. Our nighttime lows were warmer this week, most
evenings it did not drop into the high 70’s but stayed in the low 80’s. Our daytime highs were in
the mid to high 90’s, but cooler offshore. (Now That You Know)
WATER: The winds we have been getting have made for some choppy conditions in the
afternoons on the Sea of Cortez but on the Pacific side it has been choppy all the time. The
beginning of the week had water as warm as 80 degrees out front but as of this morning we were
reading 72 degrees. The wind combined with the increased flow of the California current pushed
the cooler water around the Cape again. Right now you need to go either 30 miles south and get
your butt kicked on the way back in or go 25 miles east to the 1150 area in order to find 78
degree water. (I’m Gone)
BAIT: Most of the bait available has been Caballito caught by boats snagging them in the Marina
or Mackerel that they have bought from the bait barge out in front. There have been lots of
Mullet available as well for those seeking Roosterfish inshore. All these baits have been the usual
$2 per bait. (Bailando/Aquatic Park)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Lots of Striped Marlin were spotted early in the week as they packed up at the Cape
getting ready to follow the warm water north. Not many of them were hungry but a few boats
were able to get more than one fish to bite. Most boats just had an experience in futility in getting
these fish to bite. As the cool water moved in the fish moved back up the Sea of Cortez and by
the end of the week the fish were scattered again but the bite was a bit better. A few Blue Marlin
were hooked early in the week, but not many of them were landed and they were not large fish,
most less than 250 pounds. The Striped Marlin bite was best on live bait and the Blues were
striking lures in blue/black and green/black. (Bella)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: Good news and bad news here. The good news is that there was a
concentration of fish holding on the 1150 spot this week and there were some nice ones in there.
Fish to 200 pounds were landed and there were quite a few in the 35 pound class as well as a
few in between. The bad news is that it was a late bite and by the time the action had started to
pick up most of the fleet boats had to leave, and the wind started to kick in as well, making it a
rough ride home. The key to success was slow trolling live Mackerel in among the Porpoise and
then being in the right place at the right time. Many boats were skunked but a few were coming
up with some nice fish. There was also action 25 miles to the south of the Marina on football
Tuna in among Porpoise, and these fish were running 20-25 pounds. As normal, the early boats
to the fish got the best action. feathers and Cedar plugs were working well on these fish.
(Deeper, Dig Deeper)
DORADO: The fish were scattered for the most part. Some nice fish were found in among the
Tuna at the 1150, some more nice ones were found from Punta Ballena to San Jose out to a
distance of three miles. Pangas fishing off the beach for Roosterfish were picking up one or two
smaller fish, most of them less than 15 pounds in size. (‘Trane’)
WAHOO: There were a few nice fish found this week and almost all the action was within three
miles of the beach on the Sea of Cortez side. Not all fish were getting hits but I saw fish to 100
pounds and quite a few in the 40-50 pound class as well. Best lures were dark colored 9’ straight
runners, and a few lucky fishermen caught Wahoo on slow trolled live bait. (Mingus)
NEARSHORE: Roosterfishing was just starting to take off great at the beginning of the week
with quite a few fish in the 30-50 pound class being found on the Pacific side of the Cape, up
around the Sunset Beach area to the lighthouse. The cool water moved in and the bite dropped
off a bit. The fish were still there later in the week, but were not biting as well. Some nice sized
Sierra were being caught in the same area, and there were also some big Jack Crevalle cruising the
beach. On the Sea of Cortez side the bite was on for big Sierra in the vicinity of the Hacienda Del
Mar Resort, a lot of large 10 pound Sierra were found there. With the wind kicking up the way it
did, not a lot of bottom fishing was going on, but a few boats were hooking up with some large
grouper on live baits dropped on rockpiles in 150-200 feet of water. (Hannibal)
NOTES: With the ebb and flow of the cold water across our area, I just don’t know what to
expect anymore. I just postponed two days of charter clients we had early this coming week until
later in the week, hoping that the weather lays down and the fishing picks up. There are good fish
out there but timing is everything, and since I like repeat clients we decided to wait a few days.
Let’s see what happens! This weeks report was written to one of the best albums ever put out by
Carlos Santana, his “Blues For Salvador” album, released in 1987 by CBS/Columbia Records.
My favorite cut on the album is the live 1983 take of “Now That You Know”. Listen and enjoy,
and until next week, I hope you have “Tight Lines”!
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Jun 23, 2003; 10:40AM - 'Fly Hooker' Daily Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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“FLY HOOKER” FISH TOTALS FOR THE WEEK:
Striped Marlin: 4 fish released (3 tagged) (# to 130)
Wahoo: 0 fish caught
Dorado: 6 fish caught (#15-#25)
Tuna: 1 fish caught (#120)
Needlefish: 2 fish caught and released
Jack Crevalle: 2 fish caught and released
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR JUNE 18, 2003
Bob Nelson Sr., his son Bob Nelson and Bob’s sons Aaron and Travis are our anglers today
and Friday. Today was a lucky day for the boys as both of them got to fight fish while the old
men just got to watch and take pictures. I never did find out which caught which for sure, but I
think it was Travis that got to fight the first fish, a Striped Marlin of about 120 pounds. Lots of
surface action and about 30 minutes of fighting left him with an ache in his arm and some nice
photos of the fish in action. Juan had the leader and the fish alongside the boat when the leader
wore through and the fish swam away so the fish was not tagged, but it was a good catch and
release. I think it was Aaron who caught then next fish. Juan and Manuel had the boat about 17
miles to the east when they spotted Porpoise and went to investigate. The Porpoise were the big
black ones so they did not have a lot of confidence in getting anything there, but imagine their
surprise when one of the outrigger lures was inhaled! An up and down fight that lasted around 30
minutes lasted another 5 minutes at the side of the boat as Juan tried to maintain control of the
fish and finally he was able to place the gaff in the Yellowfin Tuna, estimated to be at least 120
pounds! Way to go guys, I’ll never pass up the chance to make at least a couple of passes around
those kind of Porpoise again. A very good day on the water and a cooler full of Tuna to take
home, but we are hoping that the old guys get fish the next time!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 19 JUNE, 2003
Our friend Don Cole gets a chance to fish with his boys Bill and Joe and Bills 10 year old son
Carson. The idea today is to get a Marlin for Carson, he wants to be able to fight the fish all on
his own without any help from anyone. He was so excited this morning and of course, being 10
years old, full of questions! Guess what? He did it! Juan and Manuel were able to find a hungry
fish and it took Carson about an hour to bring the fish to the boat, without help from anyone. The
fish was estimated at 100 pounds and was tagged and released, way to go Carson! Guess you will
have some bragging rights at school! I was so excited for Carson that I forgot to ask who caught
the other fish but there was another Marlin tagged and released as well. All the fish were close to
home and they never were more than 7 miles from port.
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 20 JUNE, 2003
This is the second day of fishing for the Nelson family and they saw a lot of Marlin today but
had a hard time getting them to bite. Bob finally got a chance in the chair and it took him about
30 minutes to get his fish, caught on live bait and estimated at 120 pounds, to the boat. I think it
was on this trip the Juan and Manuel went to the arch on the return and tossed live bait, catching
two Jack Crevalle to finish up the day. Not a bad two days of fishing with a total of two Striped
Marlin and a big Tuna! Thanks guys, we hope to get a chance to fish with you again!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 21 JUNE, 2003
John Landwehr, “Mom”, Shane and Cathy were our anglers for today and they are fishing
tomorrow as well, at least John and Shane are. Another daughter was supposed to fish today but
she was not feeling well. The Landwehrs really want to catch some Dorado to take home with
them and Juan and Manuel must have been wearing their lucky shirts today as they were able to
make the request come true. Juan told me that they ended up about 12 miles offshore to the east
and there were Dorado allover the place, with Frigate birds diving on the fish. It was a run and
toss bait situation an they only caught two fish on lures. Running to where the birds were
working and tossing live bait in the water got them a lot of hookups and they ended the day with
5 Dorado between 15 and 25 pound and they lost 4 others, one of them a big bull. They also had
a Striped Marlin hooked up for a while but it got away. John would like to try for Marlin and
Tuna tomorrow, with an emphasis on Tuna, so we will see if crossing our fingers works!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 22 JUNE, 2003
It was Manual’s day off today and the arrangement Juan had made for another guy fell through
so I was pressed into service as deckhand today. I was no Boy Scout this morning, having had
only three hours of sleep, a clean, new white T-shirt on and no sunglasses, but I tried my best!
We were cruising out and about 1 1/2 miles from the Arch when I spotted a Marlin on the
surface. Juan pulled the boat around and I tossed out a live Mackerel. The fish saw the bait and
charged in, taking it right away. I gave him 8 seconds, pushed the drag lever up to strike, let the
line come tight then struck him and we were hooked up. Shane was ready and John had the
camera out as I looked at my watch and realized that it was not yet 7 am! This fish did everything
Marlin are known for, sulking down deep, tailwalking, greyhounding leaps to the side and away!
John got some great shots of the fish in the air. After 22 minutes of fighting the fish, a Manta Ray
swam across the line and we were cut off. Shane had blisters on his fingers but was really
pumped up. We scanned the water as we put the lures out, sure that in a few moments we were
going to be hooked up again. In the next four hours we spotted three sharks, that was it.
Eventually we ended up in the area where the Tuna had been caught four days ago but the water
was empty. Maybe I would have more luck than Juan so I got behind the wheel and turned us
toward shore. Outside Red Hill I found the Black Porpoise and we worked them for an hour. It
sure looked fishy as there was a small flock of birds working the feeding Porpoise, but we did not
have a strike and I neither saw any fish nor marked any on the sounder. Not wanting to get
skunked and needing to get something in the boat for John and Shane, we asked them if they
wanted to try for a Grouper or Snapper in the rocks off of Punta Ballena. They said they were up
for anything so when we got there we pulled in the lines and tossed out some live mackerel. We
got bit almost instantly, but the fish turned out to be Needle Fish, which John likened to Alligator
Gar. John’s was the bigger fish, perhaps 6 feet long and Shanes was about 5 feet long. We had a
couple of other hits but that was it for the day. Sure wish we had not got cut off by the Manta,
but perhaps next time things will work out different! Thanks guys, we really enjoyed your
company!
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