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