PISCES WEEKLY FISH REPORT JULY 22nd to 28th, 2005 BILLFISH: Fishing in Cabo this week was pretty decent compared to world standards, giving us an overall catch success rate of eighty-one percent for all species combined - a little over sixty-eight percent of charters caught billfish, comprised almost exclusively of striped marlin and the odd sailfish. As we have mentioned over the past few weeks, Cabo is still way cooler than normal for this time of year; we are about to enter August and temperatures whilst warmer are quite comfortable. Most boats out did see marlin and baited them on numerous occasions, but with squid in the area, it was harder to tempt them with the proffered mackerel. The week started out towards Punta Gorda, but then moved closer to Cabo, between Red Hill and Cabeza de Ballena and on some days straight out from Land’s End. Towards the end of the week boats headed into the Pacific, namely San Jaime and also off of the Old Lighthouse. Three groups get an honorable mention this week, all for their triple marlin day’s: Michael & Matt O’Neil from Scitnate, Ma aboard Karina on the 22nd, Jaycee & Jon Hamilton from Yorba Linda, Ca aboard Valerie this same day – they also boated a couple of tuna and Rick Walsh from Bratenal, Oh, aboard Rebecca on the 27th, just 3 miles offshore in the Cabeza de Ballena area. Pisces anglers caught a total of 63 striped marlin this week with 60 fish released, along with one sailfish. As mentioned in previous reports, once we get the sweltering summer temperatures we are used to, the fishing will become more consistent, we will start to see blue marlin and sailfish, along with greater numbers of tuna and dorado. OTHER SPECIES: Fair catches on smaller game, with dorado, taking the second spot, after striped marlin as the most common catch – twenty-four percent of boats hooked up this species. Catches were usually of one or two fish and occasionally three or perhaps four. Weights on dorado were from 12 to 40 lbs, picked up on lures and also live bait. Yellow fin tuna catches were a little bit slower than dorado, but some boats did manage to get up to eight, weights were of football size – 15 to 25 lbs- with some up to 50 lbs and others as large as 80 lbs, but this was the exception. Inshore not a great deal of action, except for a few skipjacks and triggerfish. WEATHER CONDITIOINS: Clear, sunny skies, cloudy on the 28th, some light rain in the San Jose/Airport area, none in Cabo, seas a bit choppy. Daytime air temps, in the low 90’s. LOCATION: Punta Gorda, Red Hill, Cabeza de Ballena, Old Lighthouse, San Jaime. AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 79 F BEST LURES: Live bait, green/yellow, cedar plugs for tuna. Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg