April 19th to 24th, 2014

Overall Catch Success Rate, All Species Combined 80%
Numbers at a glance: Marlin 63%, Dorado 22%
 
BILLFISH: Easter week is always odd, in that the weather becomes unstable one day baking hot, the next chilly, one day calm seas, the next gusty winds and whitecaps – of course with conditions like this fishing is affected. It is also believed that this is the time of year when marlin breed – they are present in the area but at times cannot be tempted with any type of bait; it’s as if they have their minds on something else.  Nevertheless we had decent catch rates this week with marlin the number one catch with eighty percent of our charters finding fish in the 80 to 150 lb class. The changeable conditions meant that a boat could be top boat one day, only to be “skunked” the next.  Top boat this week was the 35 ft Cabo flybridge, Pisces Listo  with four striped marlin off of Destiladeras for  Joe & Sancha Sherman from British Columbia, Canada on April 20th.  Other catches worthy of mention in this less than perfect conditions are Rachel & Jason Rantaner from Fort Collins, Colorado who released three striped marlin board Pisces La Brisa at the 11.50 spot. Corey Olson from Grand Meadow, Minnesota caught three marlin aboard Yahoo at Destiladeras. Last but not least was Brad Schneider from Fredericksburg, Texas aboard Pisces C Rod with three marlin released and a dorado boated. Pisces anglers caught fifty three striped marlin with all but two released.
 
OTHER SPECIES: Dorado catches were fair this week, with the fish found between the 11.50 spot, Punta Gorda and Destiladeras areas, almost exclusively caught on lures trolled for marlin. Catches where of one to three fish sizes ranged from 10 lbs to some heftier ones, such as those caught aboard Pisces Andrea by Tony Senna from Pleasanton, Ca. that were 40 lbs. Not much else caught by our boats, but then again they were not fishing for inshore fish – the pangas that we sent did catch a few jack crevalle and bonitas.
LOCATION: Sea of Cortez, 11.50 spot, Destiladeras, Punta Gorda, Medano Blanco, straight out from Land’s End.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Up and down, sunny, windy, alternating between calm and whitecaps.
AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 74 F warmer than it should be for this time of year.