BLUE MARLIN, SAILFISH, AND YELLOWFIN TUNA CAUGHT OFFSHORE

April 23, 2005, Ed Kunze, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico Fishing Report:

The 80 degree blue fishing water is only about 6 to 7 miles off the beach at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, and the fishing is definitely showing an improvement over the last couple of weeks. Blue marlin fishing is continuing on a strong note, sailfish are steady, and the yellowfin tuna are finally making a strong showing.

In sportfishing at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo this week, Ruben on the 31 foot Bertram Vamonos caught two blue marlin of about 250 pounds each. He had several other opportunities, but was not able to get a decent hook set.

Adolpho on the Ixtapa Zihuatanejo charter fishing panga Dos Hermanos, with clients from France, had a great day yesterday (Friday). Fishing with conventional gear, they lost a large marlin, but caught a 100 pound yellowfin tuna. They also picked up several other 30 to 40 pound yellowfin and a couple of sailfish. On the pier at Zihuatanejo this morning, Adolpho told me the overall fishing is very good, especially with several schools of tuna out around the 16 to 20 mile mark.

The inshore fishing action on the big jack crevalle and roosters has pretty much been blown out all this last week with a very high surf. The jacks are feeding about a mile off the beach, however, and action on these hard fighting fish has been very good when trolling a live bait, Rapala, or casting a surface popper. Teasing them in with a hookless popper has been the ticket for the fly rod anglers.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Ixtapa Zihuatanejo may be found at Mexfish.com's main Ixtapa Zihuatanejo page.