Cabo San Lucas Sport Fishing is Like a
Box of Chocolates
by: Richard Chudy
As Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you’re going to
get.
Not too many things get me more excited than the prospect of hooking
and landing big fish. The mere thought of setting the hook on a 300
pound marlin, hearing the scream of the drag as the fish pulls off line
and watching the acrobatic leaps that follow really gets my heart pumping.
Fortunately for me, a two and a half hour flight and a 30-minute drive
is all it takes to find myself in the “billfish capital of the
world”. What more can a sport fisherman ask for?
Well, for starters, variety. Just like biting into a randomly selected
piece of chocolate, when you set out the trolling lures here in Los
Cabos in search of the next big one, you just don’t know what
it will be. Different seasons bring different possibilities as does
different sides of the Baja peninsula. The diversity of game fish here
never ceases to amaze me and even a slow day on the water offers the
opportunity to see some of the oceans greatest creatures. Whales, porpoise,
sea turtles and bat rays that often school by the hundreds and perform
what almost appears to be a choreographed routine of synchronized jumps.
On a spring trip to Cabo in late march of this year, my partner Dolores
Peralta and I had another opportunity to experience the diversity of
life in these nutrient rich waters.
Jacqueline “Jacquie” Lee, owner of Guerita II, set us up
for two days of fishing with Captain Efren Beron Zamora and crewman
Jesus Alfredo Espinoza. Efren has a lifetime of experience as an angler,
guide and captain and has a love of the ocean that rubs off on crew
and passenger alike. The Guerita II is a tournament rigged 34-foot Crystaliner
equipped with everything the avid angler could need or ask for _ Shimano
Tiagra 50 wide LRS & Penn International reels, Shimano Black Steel
IGFA rods and an outstanding selection of lures, this wide-beamed fishing
machine boasts top-of-the-line electronics to help get you on the bite
fast.
We arrived at the docks at 6:30 in the morning, a little late for Captain
Efren’s liking as he planned on running out about 30-40 miles
in search of warm, blue water where he hoped to put us on striped marlin
and tuna. While waiting on our arrival Efren had already loaded up on
live bait from the pangeros that supply the fleets and with no delay,
we were on our way. Winds this time of the year can be unpredictable
and on this day, the winds helped build a fairly large swell. We motored
our way out to sea on a bumpy but dry ride to the fishing grounds. Once
he found the water conditions that best provided the chance for large
billfish, he switched driving positions to the tall tuna tower while
Alfredo began to set out our spread of lures. Purple and orange Zukers
set out at the fifth wake behind the boat, trolling feathers in pink
and white and Mexican flag patterns on the third wake and a dark colored
Marauder set close to the boat.
A few hours passed as we crisscrossed areas where colder water met
warmer, Efren’s eyes trained on the surface scanning for signs
that fish were near – circling and diving birds, the tail of a
marlin cruising for its next meal, a pod of porpoise balling bait. None
of the usual signs appeared until Efren’s eagle eyes spotted a
feeder, a marlin actively working the ocean surface. A quick turn of
the boat and a punch of the throttle controls placed us in the perfect
position to present our spread of lures to the fish. The marlin took
notice and struck one of the lures back at the fifth wake. The jigstrike
started our adrenalin flowing and we scrambled to the deck to ready
for a battle. The marlin let loose the lure just as Alfredo cast a live
bait back to entice a bite. After a few tense moments, the marlin took
the bait, the reel left in free spool in order to give it time to fully
take the bait. Flipping the reel into locked position followed by three
to four strong and sharp lifts of the rod tip set the hook on a good
sized striped marlin.
Dolores took her position in one of the two fighting chairs mounted
on the stern and within seconds the marlin was giving us a show. Several
vertical leaps and violent shakes of its broad head and the fight began.
The key to landing marlin is the hook set. Everything depends on whether
or not the hook was in the right position when the hook set is made.
Many times, the marlin takes the bait only partially and the hook never
pierces the mouth fully when the set is made. Unfortunately, this was
one of those times. Shortly after the first series of jumps was made,
a second series began and on this series the hook was thrown and the
fish was lost. Spooked by the encounter, the marlin sounded and was
soon nowhere to be found.
We continued on in search of another marlin, my turn in the chair coming
next. A short while later, a starboard reel started to scream. Nothing
was visible on the surface so the likelihood of it being a marlin was
slim. From the strong pull and speed of the fish, we thought it would
be a tuna and sure enough it was. The fight lasted only 5-10 minutes
and soon we had a twenty-pound yellowfin on deck.
The trolling continued and for several hours and we had nothing to
do but occasionally switch out lures and scan the horizon for signs
of life. Efren spotted a true prize in the form of a swordfish. While
these great eating game fish can be found here most of the year, they
prefer colder water so spring is generally the best time of year for
this sought after species. Although the sword made a turn towards our
spread and a live bait was cast directly in front of it, this fish was
apparently well fed and no matter how appealing the presentation, it
would not take the bait or strike a lure. As they say, that’s
why they call it fishing and not catching. The balance of the day produced
only suntans and relaxation.
On our second day on the Guerita II, we arrived at 5:30, determined
to beat Efren and Alfredo to the boat. Once again, Efren had made it
to the boat well before us and once again, he had already baited up.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he must have slept on the
boat just to make sure we wouldn’t arrive before him! We headed
out, stopping off to check in with the port authorities to present our
manifest and fishing licenses. A recent change in fiscal policies keeps
the revenues from fishing licenses within the state where the activity
is taking place. This restructuring has apparently heightened the diligence
of officials responsible for ensuring that everyone on a boat possesses
a valid license, even those not fishing. Makes sense that if you get
to keep the money, you’re more likely to make sure everyone is
playing by the rules and buying their licenses. Those that did not have
licenses in hand were sent back to the docks to get them or there would
be no fishing that day.
This day we decided to switch to the Sea of Cortez side of the cape
and concentrate our efforts on some of the in-shore species that Los
Cabos waters offer up. One of the benefits of a pre-dawn start is the
experience of viewing some of the most spectacular sunrises you’re
likely to find anywhere in the world. The skies here light up with all
the colors of an artists canvas with the endless reflection of the ocean
surface. Everything is bathed in reds, oranges and yellows and the sky
appears to be on fire. The sight alone makes the trip worthwhile.
The Guerita II cut through the calmer waters of the Sea of Cortez with
ease by benefit of the natural windbreak that the East Cape coast provides.
We set out a mix of CD 4 Rapalas in a sardine pattern and started to
work the underwater ledges and rock piles in search of sierra or Spanish
mackerel, dorado or tuna. We ran across pods of porpoise working bait
schools to the surface. These working pods often hold schools of tuna
just below that pick off bait from the edges of the bait ball but today,
we found just the porpoise. Off in the distance, Captain Efren spotted
surface activity and turned the Guerita towards it.
Within minutes we were surrounded by thousands of Humboldt squid. Denizens
of the northern most portion of the Sea of Cortez, these alien looking
creatures have slowly made their way down to the southern tip of the
Baja in recent years. With tentacles reaching up out of the water like
some kind of extra terrestrial meat eating flower, we watched in awe
as they fed on floating red crab. Just about anything we tossed into
the water was immediately engulfed by the toothy tentacles of the squid
and with constant pressure and slow pumps and reeling, we brought them
to the gaff.
Legends abound about the ferocity and strength of the Humboldt squid
and while many of these tales are true “fish stories”, there
is ample credible evidence of the potential for injury and even death
from these marine cephalopods. Recently, a Discovery program featured
an in-depth study of the Humboldt squid in the Sea of Cortez. During
times of agitation, such as when these animals are being fished by fleets
of pangeros who make a significant share of their income from the sale
of the tasty beasts, they can and do become very aggressive. One pangero
spoke of his encounter with the squid with fear and respect. While working
a large school, he lost his balance and fell into the water. Within
seconds, several five to six footers locked onto him and began to pull
him under, all the while biting into his flesh with their impressive
and powerful beaks. He managed to free himself and make his way back
to the surface and into his panga, scared and exhausted. The scars that
he showed tell the tale all to well. He also told of others that did
not fair so well, never making back to the surface.
While events like those have occurred, the squid are usually no more
than curious about visitors to their domain. It is the frenzied activity
caused by fishing these creatures that creates the aggressive and often
cannibalistic behavior. Divers have been able to get up close and personal
with the Humboldt squid when no fishing pressure was present, all without
being attacked or harmed in any way. The aggressive behavior and flashing
of colors associated with a feeding frenzy brought on by fishing pressure
is simply not a normal occurrence, but more a reaction to the situation
at hand. You need not fear the squid but make sure to stay away from
the business end. Tentacles with hundreds of toothed suction cups lead
to a bird-like beak with incredible power. Ink on the other hand can
reach you from astonishing distances as my partner, Dolores, can testify.
While fighting a squid estimated at about fifty pounds, she experienced
the jet blast of a Humboldt squid firsthand. As the squid was gaffed,
Alfredo jumped off to the side leaving Dolores directly in the path
of what seemed to be gallons of ink shooting from out of the squid.
In a split second she was covered head to toe in the slimy, dark liquid.
Being the trooper that she is, she laughed it off, wiped herself clean
and tossed her line back out to catch another one. By that time we had
been joined by over a dozen other charter boats and pangas and everywhere
you looked, people were battling these impressive animals. Great fun,
an awesome sight and great table fare was the end result. We left the
spot having boated 3 squid and cleaning the ink from the deck of the
boat.
Our next area of focus was just a few hundred feet from shore working
the reef structures that line the coast. Catching eight to ten pound
sierra on light tackle is an experience I recommend highly. We picked
off a few sierra and even landed a small mako shark before we called
it a day and headed back in, all the while amazed at the beauty of the
azure blue and turquoise green waters of the Sea of Cortez.
So if you are one to enjoy the ocean and the surprises that such a
aquatic paradise promises, fishing the waters of the Pacific ocean and
the Sea of Cortez in Los Cabos is a dream come true. Finding the right
boat and crew is of the utmost importance in ensuring a successful and
memorable charter. When it comes to making that choice, we can’t
recommend Jacqueline Lee’s Guerita II and the knowledge and hospitality
of Captain Efren Beron Zamora and crewman Jesus Alfredo Espinoza enough.
To book your trip, visit their site at www.gueritasportfishing.com
or call 011-52-624-143-4465 and tell them Cabo’s Best told you
all about them.
About The Author: Richard Chudy is the author and co-owner
with Dolores Peralta of CabosBest.com, a travel information portal for
Los Cabos, Baja Sur, Mexico. An avid and frequent Cabo traveller, he
brings his travel experiences to the web for others interested in exploring
all that Cabo has to offer. - Copyright 2005 CabosBest.com - caborich@cabosbest.com
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