Z Fish Report (8/10/17)

Seven and Cheva, on the panga Dos Hermanos II, with a
nice 30 pound class roosterfish

Offshore (average) surface water temperature - Includes from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line, then to the 1,000 fathom line being at 32 miles: 87°.

Inshore (average) surface temperature. From the beach to about 5 miles: 88°

Blue water: (Chlorophyll amounts and surface temps from Terrafin SST) Blue water from the beach to way out. There are still a few isolated inshore areas with discolored water, but mostly at the river mouths.

Offshore- The full moon phase had the offshore fishing about shut down. Very few sailfish, dorado, tuna, or marlin.

One of five jack crevalle for Sven

   Inshore: The warm and clean water makes the inshore fishing the best bet. Even with a full moon, the roosterfish and jack crevalle action is still strong.

Above and below, with Adolfo  on the panga Dos Hermanos, 

fishing to the north at Pantla  Beach

Fly fisherman Kyler Ries, of Seattle, and his son-in-law Sven of Munich, Germany fished with Cheva and I for roosters and jacks. Kyler ties some incredible flies, which I have been using the last couple of years. He also is one of just a few hundred people in the world who is mastering the old art of making bamboo fly rods. After answering several of my questions about bamboo fly rods, he summarized it as “It takes a lot of patience”.

Double on roosters

Sven was a first timer (ever) on saltwater fishing, and had only fished fresh water a couple of times in his life. He made several mistakes, and lost a few fish due to slack line, but ended the day with a bunch of fish.  

We started out below the river mouth at Valentine, encountering porpoise, birds, gamefish, and lots of 6-8 inch flying fish. The porpoise actually were within 50 yards of the breaking waves, and in about 20 feet of water.

It was amazing watching the porpoise push a large flying fish air born, with a booby bird chasing from the air, only to have a huge jack making a straight line as soon as the flying fish hit the water.

Kyler had no luck with the fly rod from the bow, as the fish were hitting the surface popper 50 yards out, and could not be teased closer to the boat. Apparently they did not want to actually work for their meal, because there was so much bait in the water. But, Sven managed a decent rooster of about 35 pounds, and 3 roosters lost (of which one was about 60 pounds and had Cheva talking to himself for at least 10 minutes). Plus, 5 jack crevalle and 3 lost.

Kyler and Cheva

We did encounter a school of juvenile roosters of about 10-15 pounds breaking on bait. I told Kyler, on the bow, to free cast into the middle of the melee, and it will be an instant hookup. We got close enough, and they went down. After casting live bait and the surface poppers, we ended up with a double, with Sven losing his.            

Ed Kunze                                                                            

 (Director of the Roosterfish Foundation, IGFA Representative)