It was a very varied week of fishing in San Carlos. Of course I ‘ate my words’ the day after my last report. The bonita came back in and the inshore fishing was excellent. The yellowtail are hot one day and not the next. We missed the early bonita bite and were only able to painfully jig up one of two yellowtail. We changed tactics though and began catching cabrilla and sierra. We picked up three large cabrilla along the coast. We got out of the wind around Honeymoon Island and started catching very large 8-9 pound sierra mackerel. We lost a large cabrilla to the rocks and then pulled in a monster close to 16 pounds. Included in our catch were two corvina, a bonita, skipjack, and yellowtail snapper. We were eating very well that night! The restaurant La Esquina in Las Palmas Plaza behind the OXXO cooked our fish, starting off with fish tartar and two incredible styles for the main course. Give them a try!
The next day we headed out for maybe our last chance at dorado. We started before sunrise and got back in the dark. We cruised downswell for hours only seeing one marlin. At 28 miles out, the temperature slowly crept up until at 35 miles, we were in 72 degree water. There were whales and dolphin everywhere, but no dorado. We did pass one marlin which gave us an incredible aeriel display after a difficult take. It fought hard and came in exhausted, but we were able to revive it and send him back on his way south. We had one other short hookup and I thought the season was over. When I’d just about given up hope, I heard a short rip of the drag. I looked back five minutes before sunset to see a large tail crossing the prop wash. I ran down and dropped back a bait behind the next lure, the fish found it and the fight was on. The last marlin of the year at sunset!
Fishing got a little slow this past weekend, but we were able to find a few cabrilla, bonita, skipjack, sierra, and snapper (one was about 9 pounds). We made it to the Island on Monday before our ‘big winds’ this week. The bonita and yellowtail were up in close, but we wanted to try the Island. And it was worth the trip! We ‘filled the box’ with eight bonita, three small yellowtail, and three between 18-27 pounds. I bet my charter can barely lift their arms today!
tight lines, Bryan Replogle repsilon@aol.com
Team Margarita Sportfishing, San Carlos Aquatic Adventures
