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 m
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