| January Fish Report |
By Ed Kunze
For the last few years, January has been the "best of the best" as far as comparing our year round fishing months.
We not only seem to have it all in January, but the game fish species are all in outstanding numbers. In the blue water, we have the incredibly beautiful and great tasting Dorado, and huge Blue and Black Marlin. We also have yellowfin tuna, from the school sized fish of 30 to 50 pounds, on up to the Volkswagen size of 300 pounds plus. Inshore, there are roosterfish of 30 to 80 pounds, lots of jack cravelle, sierras, and rainbow runners. The sailfish is the most predominant species, and we get anglers from all over the world to battle with these acrobatic exotic game fish.
On a regular basis, we have been tagging and releasing sailfish here in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo for better than 4 years now, but there is still very little knowledge about their habits, migration routes, nursery areas, and life cycles. Unfortunately, it has been historically proven that a good tagging program only yields at the best a 1.5% return rate for tags. This month, because of our logging efforts and we are so well known as a world class sailfish destination, Dave Holts from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) in La Jolla, California, will be here with some satellite tags to be placed in several sailfish. This is fantastic news! We will now get, as compared to a 1.5% return rate, several years of information in just a few weeks. I should have, and you will be able to read about them, a lot of the results of the satellite tags for the February issue of Another Day in Paradise.
We have two special things happening this month.
Another major event taking place in January is the Club de Pesca de Zihuatanejo, A.C. 2nd annual International Sport Fishing for Sailfish, Marlin and Dorado Tournament. The tournament is unique. It is the very first tournament in Mexico, originated and operated by Mexicans, that acknowledges the need for a release format. President Crescencio Cortes San Miguel told me this year’s event will be even bigger and better than last year’s highly successful event; last year a record 750 pound black marlin was taken and 650 fish were released in just 3 days. Any sailfish under 30 kilos (about 67 pounds) is a mandatory release.
Even if you do not participate in tournaments, or you do not fish, it is well worth it to get up early on Friday morning and watch the start of the tournament. Around 7:00, just after the boat benediction, there will be a flare shot off from the municipal pier. This signals the start. At the flare, all of a sudden 150 boats come to life, charging out of Zihuatanejo Bay and heading for the offshore blue water at full throttle. It is spectacular.
This year’s event is on January 30, 31 and February 1. There are over 150 boats expected to participate. The prizes are a brand new truck for the largest sailfish, and a Ford car for the 2nd and 3rd place sailfish. There is also another Ford car for the largest marlin and dorado. The entry fee is 9,000 pesos, but the first 20 teams to register get an early bird special and will pay $8,000 pesos. There will also be a side pool, for 3,000 pesos, which will be good for the largest fish of each day. And, as last year, releasing sailfish not in contention for the prizes will be emphasized. Also as last year, prizes will also be awarded to the team with the most releases. Unfortunately, the results of the tournament will not be ready for the February issue, because it will be past the press deadline.
To participate and join in the excitement of this upcoming tournament, call me at 554-4876 or e-mail me at edkunze@prodigy.net.mx. Try and get in early, not just to save some money, but to be able to get a good boat with a good captain.
For more information on Captain Ed and his boats go to www.sporfishing-ixtapa.com or www.zihuatanejo.net/seaandsand
January 2004 |
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