We headed out early Friday in pretty stiff breeze, but still fishable. Put some great live bait in the tank - macks, rock bass, two nice size corvina, and two hard-headed jacks or pompano of some sort (still not sure what they were, but looked like candy for grouper)... not one bonefish to be found anywhere. Odd.
Conditions were iffy at best, but looked to be like it was laying down. Figured I'd work it slowly south and see what happened. Less than 5 miles out, saw lots of sargasso and good blue water. What the heck, I'm going slow anyway, so dropped a couple of my favorite dorado killers off the back. Within a couple minutes, zing! Nice peanut dodo onboard and in the fish box!
Finally worked out to the 16-180 and stopped the boat. Whoa... wind whistling through the T-top at a steady 20 and rocking and rolling on 4 footers. Okay, this stinks. Back to the slow troll, now down-swell, and getting pushed around all over the place. Kept the trolling lures out, but no takers. Fish probably couldn't even see them at that point with all the white caps. Back in the harbor by 12:30.
Saturday, left Penasco about 6:30 and drove down to Lobos. Ted had the boat ready and we went out in much better seas. The grouper were hungry! We had multiple hookups on a couple stops. We ended up with three in the fish box, all medium size -- perfect eating -- and at least twice that many that came unbuckled -- some big brutes. By afternoon, the water layed pretty nice, but still just enough breeze to keep it from being bastardly hot. Threw out the dorado killers again in a nice sargasso area and soon rewarded with nice size bull, maybe 15 pounds. Hit the same lure the one in Penasco hit the day before! We trolled 3 lines and picked up one more dorado a bit later.
Came back in about 3:00 and headed back up the road to Penasco about 4:45. So at least we got one decent day on the water and some good fishing and good company as a bonus!!
With all the crazy weather, and Sonoyta being flooded out, etc. It's good to hear you made it out.
You'll have to PM me the skirt colors and troll speed :veg:
I'm ready to go stick me some mahis - I just ordered new grips and shrink wrap to re-do the handle on one of my 30 year old Sabre rods that was my go-to stick for fly-lining live maks and pitching small iron to kelp paddies back in the day. This year that rod will be on board just in case we get into a WFO offshore bite, and for damn sure will be going with me to Lobos this winter when the yellows roll in...
By the way... this is the other fish we caught while making bait - Pacific Jack Crevalle or a "toro." Thought I had something pretty big on, it was pulling like the dickens on my sabiki rod. Turns out I caught two at the same time. About 16-18" and looked like they'd make a great grouper bait! Had never caught one of these before, so it's always fun finding a new species in local waters. 8-)
Yeah we caught some mini-toros (similar to what the east coast guys call blue runners) on Sabikis last summer as well... Jeff said they caught a few during the tournament last week.
All I remember about using them for bait was not to have two poles hanging off the same side of the boat- these guys make bigger, nastier tangles than even bonefish are capable of... amazing that they can drag 16-20 ounce sinkers around.
Hi Stu - We caught two of them on Sabikis at the Caballo in June. They were blue on top and thick-bodied. Some type of jack, but I didn't think they were Jack Crevalle. Looked more like a Green Jack to me.
Shawno, you may be correct. The two I caught were more gray/bluish than shiny silver, but they had no stripes. The unique thing I keyed in on was the black dot at the back of the gill plate and the shape of the fish. Both seem to have that. The shape of the head on the Jack Crevalle was the other key for me. The ones we boated had huge, long solid-rock foreheads.
Fun thing about the Cortez, huh? Playing the "What the heck is this thing?" I just caught!!! :gofish:
They're still on CJ's camera. Or somewhere on Facebook or in my email I haven't checked in a week. I'll post a couple when I stumble across them. I didn't play photographer this trip.
Don and I are planning on a trip to Lobos in September, and our goal is to catch a Rooster from shore, and if we succeed we'll be sure not to post any pictures too.
We'll have the boat, but man a Rooster from shore would be way cool, and a real accomplishment.
Kenny... they are there and it is possible to do, but easier from the boat. Here's why. From what I've seen, the roosters like to sit in the middle of bait schools that are already in very shallow water, just a foot or so deep (the beach heading north by Ted's house). When you cast to them from the boat, they'll run out into the deeper water to chase the lure. If you're casting from shore, they've got no water depth left to chase the lure. And they do like to chase. They're like a wolf pack. Two, three, four will all charge the lure at the same time and chase it. It's neat to see their top fins breaking water and watch them chase the lure, almost like a marlin. They don't always grab it, though. The faster you crank it, the more they want it and you get them to strike.
That said, there are other areas of the beach to the south where there is a better drop off and you may be able to cast from shore and catch them; you just may not have the same sight fishing you have on the beaches to the north.
What Wahoo said - catch/release. They are a challenge to catch and put up an unbelievable fight. Not to mention, they are a stunningly beautiful fish. Sort of the same reason guys fish for tarpon. Nobody eats a tarpon; they catch them, take a picture, and gently release them. True sportfishing.
Don and I sat around with Ted for some time discussing Roosters from shore, and also how advantageous Dons inflatable would be working the beach as well.
Purposely some of the big fish I've caught from shore has been with older vintage gear, and lures. Now Ted brought out and showed us the hot lure down there, but to start I have some vintage saltwater Stripper lures I'm going to be throwing at em, along with some other stuff, and I'll bet a dime they'll work, and good.
You're using a handline? I figured you were the vintage gear!!! Hahahaha!!!
I have some surgical eels that I used to troll for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay. I modified them a bit to be trolling lures for the Sea of Cortez, but haven't had a chance to drag them yet. I *know* they'll catch fish! Hey, I remember when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel!!
You're using a handline? I figured you were the vintage gear!!! Hahahaha!!!
I have some surgical eels that I used to troll for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay. I modified them a bit to be trolling lures for the Sea of Cortez, but haven't had a chance to drag them yet. I *know* they'll catch fish! Hey, I remember when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel!!
It's fun Stuart to see how well some of the old standards work and stand up to the new high tech stuff. As I'm sure you already know, one of Ted's favorite Rooster fish lures is not exactly extravagant, it's as simple as they come.
I was down Santo Tomas way when the Corvina came ripping down the shore chasing bait fish, and after getting tired of catching one after the other I started changing lures to see if I could find something they wouldn't hit, I couldn't.
I've caught my biggest fish from shore when their first reaction was hearing the lure hit, and then striking as they saw it moving fast past them, or away. No thought, just pure instinct is what I'll be looking for. I'm thinking a fast moving lure is going to be the key, and probably a big rip when it first hit's is a good idea too.
old school! Walking the beach I try to keep a water bottle with very light line and plastic n' jig in my bag to throw at these hungry silver slashers... (Bait fish for Stuart) but fun to catch. One does not need to complicate things in Rocky Point. Running after the fish (you are the drag) so the line does not break is the fun part. (4lb line is the best, you can fling it a long way)(attachment 4728 not found)(attachment 4729 not found)(attachment 4730 not found)
There's nothing better than chasing a big or small fish up and down the beach in stingray infested water. I'm not kidding, nothin like chasing a fish from shore when the fish has you over matched. Used to love catching big Steelhead with light gear up in the Pacific Northwest... Son, you had better be able to follow him on the run, or you'll loose em for sure. Steelhead
