FULL MOON HURTS TUNA BUT FISHERMEN CONTINUE TO HURT DORADO!
LA PAZ – LAS ARENAS FISHING REPORT FOR OCTOBER 15, 2006
Anglers are still headed home with full ice chests even though the full moon this past week seems to have put a damper on the big squid and tuna bite. Thanks to one of the best dorado bites in years, we’re still going bendo!
PHOTO 1 : Deborah Pellini from Colorado was fishing for the first time in La Paz and spent a day with us hooking this monster bull dorado as well as several others fishing with Captain Joel Martinez. They were fishing off the SE corner of Espiritu Santo Island.
LA PAZ FISHING
If you had been fishing with us the last 10 weeks or so you would say the dorado bite had dropped off, but to most folks, this was some of the most incredible dorado fishing they had ever seen. OK…so we’re not catching 20 big bulls a day per boat, but what can you do with that much fish anyway except keep on releasing them! Most anglers are too tired anyway after just a few of these beasts. Limits this past week were still more the rule rather than the exception and if you ever wanted a trophy bull dorado, there are still plenty of 30-50 pound sluggers out there and plenty of “one-that-got-away” stories from tired anglers.
The hot spot still seems to be the area around the SE corner of Espiritu Santo Island. I have no idea why the fish hang out there, but in shallow water, we’re trolling live sardines as well as stripped dead bonito and whole fresh bonito as well. Believe me…anything that can inhale a 2 pound bonito is usually pretty BIG!
If you’re coming down, you do want to have some heavier leader for these fish…at least 40-60 pound leader. The dorado are not shy. Also, bring some 7/0 or 8/0 live bait hooks to use for the bonito and also some swivels too. One day the dorado only want the sardines and the next day only the bonito will work, but there’s something incredibly awesome about watching a 40 pounc class bull shoot or greyhound across the water to pounce on a big bait and then hearing the reel scream! The biggest problem I see with the anglers is that they get too excited. That creates two problems:
1. They get excited and burn their thumbs! (I have never seen so many of you guys burn your thumbs and you know better than that…I have been passing out a regular supply of bandaids and neosporin!)
2. When using these bigger baits, the fish need time to swallow the meal. Pulling the trigger too fast only yanks the big bonito hot dog outta the fish’s mouth! Result..no hookup!
I don’t know how long this bite will last, but we’re already noticing a drop in temps and more northern winds so fingers crossed that things will last.
In addition to the dorado, we’re also still getting sailfish, marlin and roosters on the La Paz side!
PHOTO 2: Mark Stoller and his amigos from Northern California tried 2 times to come down to La Paz this year! First time they were thwarted by Aero California losing it’s flights. Then, on their second try, the threat of a hurricane caused another postponement. Well, we finally got them all down and they really beat up on the fish nicely. Mark got this nice bull dorado his first day out and it turned out to be his biggest dorado ever.
LAS ARENAS FISHING
Frankly, early in the week, it was pretty stanky at Las Arenas. The full moon put a whammy on us. The big squid went bye-bye and so did the yellowfin tuna off the lighthouse. Not only did the tuna disappear, but not even the bonito bit. We were reduced to catching triggerfish!!! Well, as the week went on, things got to thawing and as of this report, we were back to getting 2-4 yellowfin per boat ranging from 10-25 pound fish. Some larger ones were sighted.
The squid have not yet returned so I don’t know if they are gone for good or only went deeper during the big moon. However, we’ve moved the fleet to Muertos Bay and there’s a good supply of small sardines there (as well as alot of small roosterfish) and the tuna are willing to chew the sardines. What’s cool is that in between the tuna, there’s quite a bit of action as the big bonito maraud through and beat everyone up and you can never tell when the dorado will also move through the drifting boats. Guys using light flurocarbon…like 25 pound test…as leader material or using small rubbercore sinkers are getting more bites…that’s the hot tip!
THE BANANA CURSE STRIKES AGAIN!
To those of you who know me or have fished with me before, you know how I feel about bananas or anything to do with bananas on board a fishing boat. Don’t ask me why it happens, but bananas are just bad ju-ju. It’s not me being excentric…the banana thing is a universal bad omen in many place around the world. Don’t call it superstition either if you’re an angler who trusts having his lucky rod; lucky socks; lucky underwear etc! If you need more info click this: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/bananas.htm
Anyway, I was fishing last week with two of my clients from Utah, Randy Hales and Johnny Ogao. We were fishing out’ve Las Arenas and I was aboard with Captain Chito Martinez one of our most popular captains. We worked our way up to the fishing zone at Espiritu Santo Island and almost before the rest of the fleet even got their lines wet..wham…we had 7 dorado aboard!
Then, we lost a few that we shouldn’t have lost! I remarked that it was, “as if we had bananas on board!” I was joking. Johnny and Randy asked me about the banana curse and I told them. They didn’t say anything except laugh.
We then lost a few more fish and one of the guy said, “Maybe we outta tell Jonathan.”
Tell me what?
They told me to look in their cooler. I opened it. Not one or two, but an entire dozen bananas were in there! I didn’t even want to touch it.
“Should we throw them away?” they asked.
I told them I couldn’t tell them to toss away food, but…(I said with raised eyebrow)
Without hesitation, they tossed the offending bunch of yellow fruit over the side.
Captain Chito started cracking up. He thought it was the funniest thing ever! He turned the boat around and fished the bananas out of the ocean with a gaff and said I was being ridiculous. He put the bananas back in the ice chest. He also got on the radio and told the rest of the fleet and my captains and clients how funny it all was.
Oh-oh…the banana gods were offended.
For the rest of the afternoon, we never got another fish despite the fact that the rest of the fleet continued to hammer the dorado. We lost fish after fish. We lost big fish and small fish. Hooks simply fell out of fish mouths. Fish spit hooks. Lines broke. Lines tangled. Reels stopped working and one froze up. Weird crap happened. They finally relented and tossed the bananas back over the side. But it was too late. The first seven dorado were all that we got.
When we got back, I also discovered one of my rods had broken. As well, the pocket in my fishing shorts where I always keep my things was empty. I had lost about 80 dollars; my room key; my i.d.; and my credit card. I fish hundreds of days I keep my stuff in the same pocket day after day and year after year. I never lose them. But today…vanished. I can only assume they blew out over the side of the boat.
Lessons learned?
The next day…16 dorado and another 10 released. Big 40 and 50 pound bulls. Not a single fish came unbuttoned or got lost. Now they believe…
That’s my story!
Jonathan
Jonathan Roldan’s Tailhunter International
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
Phone: (626) 333-3355
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“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
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