CBAngler.com - Chesapeake Bay Angler - The Ultimate Fisherman's Resource - Screw Slayer and Powerplay...a real fishing report

You two douches love the fact that I lower myself to being your friends, but here is a real fishing report to show how much you can kiss my ass!
OK, so it wasnt in the Chesapeake, but with temps and winds like these and the tease I made a post or two ago I figured this kind of fishing might lighten the mood behind the BS with C&R and the oversaturation of all the conservation threads and infighting the overpowers the other board, I can post a report on this board without my usual disclaimer of the douchebags and holier than thou attitude...

So 10 years ago my wife and I got married and spent our honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas. Our plan for our 10 year Anniversary was to take a cruise to the Greek Islands, but with a little surprise and the impending birth of a new baby in April (Our anniversary is in May) we had a slight change of plans. We decided a great place to go with our two kids would be back to Cabo. Found a great all inclusive place there, Melia Cabo Real that welcomes families . Well on our honeymoon Lauren proved her love by going out Marlin fishing with me in some serious 6-8 foot waves where I caught my first marlin. I told her she had to let me go out fishing again this time and she was cool. Scheduled 2 trips with the same guide, a light tackle 26 foot Panga out of the Marina. Got a hellluva deal on two days fishing.

Fishing was off the hook down there this time of year, and since I had done the Marlin thing, I decided I wanted to chase some stuff on light tackle. Headed down to the Marina on the first day and met with my guide, let's call him Martin to protect the innocent. I didnt want to buy the bait ($3 per bait) but "Martin" said that lately the bite has needed some live bait for the big ones. I told him I wasnt paying $3 for fish I saw swimming around the panga and he said he could get me a cast net if I could throw one. Well I grew up throwing a cast net for shrimp and finger mullet so catching these fish were no problem, loaded up the well with 20 live baits and gave some to the old guy and his grandkids next boat over too. We headed out at 6:30 am in the mess of every other fishing boat in cabo. It was a race to check in with the authorities and show them your license, 200 boats vying for one small spot on the pier with one game officer. We got to him and headed out.

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009027.jpg

Martin said the best way to find the fish was to troll, so we put out a four rod spred less than 3 minutes out of the marina, just at the arch

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009029.jpg

and hooked 2 Mahi Mahi 5 minutes later. Quickly I threw out the jig and had another 2 fish. I didnt want to keep anything but one of the fish was deep hooked so I gave it to Martin for his family and released the rest. Here's a photo of the one we kept.

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009043.jpg

We spent the first 3 or 4 hours chasing schools and hooking up and then clobbering them on light tackle.

Here's a photo of me hooked up with the big Dodo of the day, about a 35 pounder we released, so no pic of the fish but it was a helluva fight on the ugly stick lite

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009052.jpg

We saw Marlin everywhere, jumping, finning, etc. I was real tempted to toss a bait out to one and fight it on light tackle but I knew that a 2 hour or so fight on that setup could kill it so we just watched them...you could see them under the boat at times, multiple marlin chasing bait....we did actually hook one trolling by accident but after 2 jumps we lost him...wish I had gotten a photo of that...

Same old same old the 2nd trip...we hit some good schools of Mahi, we had 4 rods in on the troll and had triple hookups multiple times...."Martin" was not used to playing along, but I made him reel in some fish too, wanted him to get some pullage also, betting that he rarely got to reel

here he is with a nice one
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009053.jpg

here is another one we hammered within 400 feet from shore
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009054.jpg

that went on a while but I really wanted some rooster fish...been hearing about the fight of those guys for years. Unfortunately the bite was slow and the big ones are around in July/Aug time frame, but "Martin" was pretty sure he could find us some in the breakers on topwater....he was right, and those little bastards can fight...we got a few between 5-15 pounds, but they pull like the dickens.. here are a few shots

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009059.jpg

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009060.jpg

They would crash the topwater and run...I mean powerfully...here is a crappy shot I took of one on the surface and a Dodo too

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009061.jpg

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009037.jpg

another nice rooster
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009063.jpg

obligatory shot of the flags

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009073.jpg

and the arch

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009074.jpg

and feeding Tim the bird on the way in....
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/d...Nov2009078.jpg

What a great trip, great wife to let me do it, and could not be more upset to be back here in the cold, but I guess a 50" striper would make up for it!!!

Mark