Cabo San Lucas
Pisces Fleet Weekly Report (January 10 - 16, 2025) - 800-Pound Fish was the Winner in New Year’s Battle! The Santana Family from Sonoma County, California, had the fishing adventure of a lifetime when they booked a half-day trip aboard the 66-ft. Viking on January 3rd. Little did they know that this would be the day that would become an epic battle with one of the ocean's giants, one of the strongest warriors to be found.
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The family, ranging from teenagers to Grandpa, set out 16 miles from the Old Lighthouse. Initially, they caught several small tuna ranging from 5 to 15 pounds. Captain Alex Collins, constantly vigilant, spotted birds diving on another school of tuna about three miles away. They trolled towards the tuna school, and at 9:15 a.m., one of the fishing rods went off. The line began peeling off the spool, and they saw a massive marlin leap from the water.
First up on the fishing rod was June, a fit 26-year-old who fought the fish for 2.5 hours, but she couldn't gain much ground. The fishing rod was then passed to Boomer, who lasted an hour, followed by Willie, Alfredo, and even Juanito, the Chef, who battled the marlin for two hours. Grandpa James, in his 70s, also had a go. The family fought the fish for nearly nine hours, turning their half-day trip into a full-day marathon.
The family's admiration for the fish's strength and resilience grew as they wrestled with the marlin. The fish had taken a green-and-yellow Dorado-type lure with the hook firmly lodged deep in its mouth. The 500-pound fluorocarbon leader and 100-pound line were suitable for tuna but no match for this giant. The marlin jumped and twisted, showing no signs of being tired.
As the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, the family remained determined. Their bond strengthened as they cheered each other on, shared stories, and laughed through the exhaustion. Even the youngest members, the teenagers, showed incredible determination, taking turns on the rod.
When the sky turned pitch black, the fish was finally boatside. The leader was within reach, but the marlin was still deep and not in the perfect gaff position. The family felt the strain in the line, hoping for triumph. Just as they were about to bring the fish closer, the leader broke, and the marlin disappeared into the night.
Videos and photos showed the fish weighing around 800 pounds. Despite not landing the marlin, the family created unforgettable memories and strengthened their bond through the day's adventure.
GORDO BANKS PANGAS
It was a chilly week, with mornings in the high 40s and low 50s and days averaging in the low 70s. We had more bottom action, with most boats forced to look for the bottom structure as the dorado and tuna bite were slow and spotty throughout the week. Much of the bottom action came from jigs on the San Luis Bank. Earlier in the week, boats caught double digits in white bonito (excellent eating). While jigging, they also caught an occasional yellowfin tuna in the mix (small-size, average of 5 to 10 pounds). On Friday, a nice 70-pound tuna was caught on a jig and light tackle (30# test).
No wahoo were seen at the fillet tables this week, though three boats reported losing them on X-Raps in the early morning, and this wahoo was hooked at Iman. Many anglers specifically targeted wahoo, though they came in empty-handed. Reports indicated greener water throughout most of our high spots with a combination of cooler currents in the high 60s. On Sunday, the water at San Luis was 68 and green, resulting in a very slow day.
Not many boats are fishing the Gordo due to the green and cold water. The schools of skipjack and bulito have not been as present as previous weeks and most of the skipjack caught are on the bigger side.
During most of the week, we had a good Sierra (Spanish mackerel) bite throughout the shoreline of Palmilla and Cerro Colorado on live sardina and surface jigs. A few boats reported catching over 15+ quality-size Sierra. As the week ended, we continued to see issues with the sardina supply. The bait guys could only net the tiny sardina, which were not as valuable for us (hard to get a small hook in them) The guys that tried for Sierra this weekend had to use small Rapalas and surface jigs to get only a couple in the box. ...Good Fishing, Brian Brictson
East Cape
Strong winds persisted, causing the port to close for a day. Despite the conditions, early morning catches included Sierra and white bonito. While no yellowtail were reported, sightings up north towards Muertos suggested their presence.
Fishing was relatively slow this past week due to challenging weather conditions. Anglers had to carefully select fishing spots and times, aiming for calmer periods. Despite slower fishing, local anglers remained dedicated and hopeful for better conditions in the coming days.
La Paz – Las Arenas/ Muertos Bay/ Suenos Bay
Like other regions, the week was cold and windy, impacting fishing conditions. The port was closed for a few days due to the rough seas. There were small dorado and billfish action between the windy periods.
Small schools of dorado, between 5 and 15 pounds, could be caught if anglers found blue, warmer water. They hit live bait, trolled lures, and feathers. Due to the rough water, live bait was sometimes an issue, preventing bait boats from reaching bait spots.
Bonito was plentiful, providing good sport despite not being the best to eat. Along the rocks and reefs, there was good action on various species like snapper, jack crevalle, Sierra, yellowtail, amberjack, and small roosterfish.
