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Updated: April 30, 2010, 1:59 PM ET

Early start to Mexican dorado season

El Nino currents have already kick-started some oddly out-of-season action

By Joel Shangle
ESPNOutdoors.com

Saltwater dorado mahi-mahi dolphin fish shangle

Joel ShangleWarming Pacific waters and El Nino currents will kick-start the dorado fishery out of Baja Sur and mainland Mexico ports.

MAZATLAN, Mexico — The dorado is a freaky-looking creature, with its flat, anvil-shaped head and iridescent yellow/green skin color. It's also one of the West Coast's coolest gamefish because it's as aggressive as a badger with a toothache, and is one of the best-eating fish in the Pacific Ocean.

As the waters of the eastern Pacific warm and winter's El Norte winds die down in the Sea or Cortez this month, the colder-water species (yellowtail, pargo, snapper, amberjack, etc.) begin to transition out of the inshore fishery, and warmer-water species like dorado and billfish will arrive in the offshore fisheries out of Baja Sur locations like East Cape, La Paz, Loreto and Cabo, and out of mainland Mexico ports like Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

El Nino currents have already kick-started some oddly out-of-season action out of many Mexican ports — black and blue marlin out of Cabo, for example — so an early beginning to the normal June/July dorado bite should be right around the corner.

"Some of the warmer-water species (have) stuck around to some degree and, incredibly, we're already getting species and conditions we normally wouldn't experience until June or July," said Johnathon Roldan at Tailhunter International (www.tailhunter-international.com) in La Paz. "For example, we were already seeing significant numbers of dorado, albeit on the smaller side, with some larger bulls mixed in (in late April). (Last week) if you looked anywhere in La Paz Bay and north towards Espiritu Santo Island, you'd see low flying and dipping birds ... a sure indication that there were dorado working the spots."

Similar story over on the mainland, where surface-water temperatures rising from the low 70s to the high 70s and low 80s will bring dorado into the offshore fishery by the thousand in early May.

"This is the best time for the offshore species, when the water is starting to get the warmest, and the next three to four weeks, the dorado fishing is going to be phenomenal," said Chappy Chapman of Inside Outside Charters in Mazatlan. "Just run out to the trash line and you'll find them. That location changes every day, but if you run up to a buoy or something else floating, you can tell right away if dorado are under it. And if they're there, they'll bite."

Dorado are notoriously drawn to surface structure (or, rather, the baitfish that collect underneath it), so anything floating offshore is an automatic mahi-magnet.

Chapman's Mazatlan routine includes running between several dozen palm-covered buoys placed a mile apart, between 6 to 18 miles offshore. This buoy line serves as a bait collector for shade-seeking dorado and triple tail, and the best approach is to quietly motor up onto a buoy and cast Rapala X-Raps, Sub-Walkers and Skitter Walks, 5-inch Zara Spooks or Pencil Poppers.

"If they're under that buoy, they'll come out and hammer it," Chapman says.

Trolled dead ballyhoo, skipjack strips and live mullet or mackerel is also effective, and can also bring in sailfish and marlin. When he's trolling, Chapman will run bait on the outside lines and Williamson 13-inch Diamond Coyotes on the inside lines for both dorado and billfish.

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Editor's note: Based in North Puget Sound and operating from Alaska to Baja, Joel Shangle has been a news junkie on the West Coast saltwater scene since the 1990s, first as editor of California Fishing & Hunting News' and now as editor of California Sportsman, which hits newsstands in October. He's the host of Northwest Wild Country, a popular fishing and hunting radio show airing throughout western Washington, and has the deepest source list this side of the Library of Congress. In other words: if you're catching fish on the West Coast, just try to get away from him.

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By James Hall
ESPNOutdoors.com
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James Hall

As the gaff sank into the side of the 120-pound striped marlin, I was a bit conflicted. This isn't the sort of fish we put in the icebox in Florida, my home state. A tag and a kiss goodbye is generally the most damage done to just about every brand of billfish hooked in the United States. However, I wasn't in the U.S., and this fish represented a hell of a lot more than an "atta-boy" from a holier-than-thou American sportfisherman. This fish represented seven days of breakfast, lunch and dinner for Victor's family, Jose's family and Marta's family, all working laborers in Mazatlan, Mexico, at the docks of Nautica Costa Bonita marina.

"Wasn't that cool seeing that marlin almost jump in the boat?" asked Chappy Chapman of Inside Outside Charters (www.insideoutsidecharters.com), my host for the trip, as his first mate laid a wet towel atop the billed beast at my feet.

Understatement of the decade.

We had already been bit twice, saw four other marlin tailing or free-jumping in the distance, and one fish was accounted for. It was only a little after 9 a.m.

"Cool indeed!" I returned.

The first wave of marlin had arrived off the coast of Mazatlan just three days prior to my mid-May charter.

"They are a little late," explained Chapman. "But it's just going to get better as the water warms up. If you want to catch a marlin, there's no better place to be right now than Mazatlan," he continued.

And it seemed he was right. By the end of the day, we saw no fewer than 23 marlin. We had nine bites, hooked six and landed three & an exceptional day of billfishing by anyone's standards.

Chapman found the fish holding in 240 feet of water (16 miles offshore). His trolling spread consisted of a giant jet teaser in Mahi color, naked skip jacks that we had caught earlier (one weighted, one not), and one skirted mullet. Chapman trolled until an enormous blue sickle tail was spotted jutting from the very calm Pacific Ocean. Once a fish was sighted, Chapman would kick the boat into high gear to get the spread in front of the fish.

Once the marlin committed, chaos would ensue. And it seemed most of the day was chaotic.

Well before we started trolling, Chapman had asked if I minded harvesting a marlin.

"The only reason I ask is because each angler is allowed to keep one per day, and these guys out here depend on fish to survive. The meat they take home is a huge part of their annual salary," he explained.

I certainly wasn't in any position to question the harvest limits or motives of Mexican anglers. So, I left it in Chapman's hands.

"Plus, as you will notice, there are thousands of marlin out here right now. Mexican sport fishermen have been harvesting these fish forever. They only keep enough to eat, so you shouldn't feel guilty. We release a heck of a lot more than we keep."

So, harvest a striped marlin we did. And, in turn, Chapman left the fish in the hands of four families that sometimes wonder where their next meal will come from. Justifiable homicide? I think so.

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Home "Catch Em' Up"Articles/PressFeb 2010

Fishing Report

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MEXICO UPDATE:
BY ROBIN WADE/WON Staff WriterPublished: Feb 23, 2010

Working the inshore bottomfishing bite, Chappy Chapman from Inside Outside Charters said despite the weather his week started off with a bang, with nice snapper, triggerfish, and the catch of the week, a 26-pound giant grouper for the youngest of the group, 8-year-old Tydist Butkiewicz from Canada. “It was the biggest fish I ever caught. I was very tired afterwards but it was worth it,” the young Butkiewicz said.

The next day with more of the same action and after numerous snapper, triggerfish, and other species in the boat, Chapman headed to his last stop of the day at around 11:30 a.m. After the juices of the shrimp heads had time to linger in 145 feet of water, Chapman’s client had something big on the other end of his Shimano Curado 300 reel and G. Loomis Pro Blue rod and the fight was on again. “This fish has got some bone,” said Rob Haight from Sue Falls, SD. “After about an 8 minute fight, we started to see color in the water and the fish turned out to be a 16-pound palometa. These fish are very similar to a pompano or permit and fight hard,” Chapman said. Within the next 30 minutes, a similar fish was landed capping off their trip.

By mid-week the weather picked up and it was all about the sierra for the few hours out in the rain but by Friday the port was opened back up and it was business as usual. “Thinking that the fishing would be a little slower due to the heavy winds the previous day, we were pleased to find the inshore bottomfishing as strong as ever, and more happy clients went away with their share of fish and sore arms.”

MEXICO UPDATE: When Mazatlan’s tough offshore, anglers move inshore for bottomfishing
BY ROBIN WADE/WON Staff WriterPublished: Feb 16, 2010
MEXICO UPDATEROBIN WADE REPORT

MAZATLAN - Unfortunately it was another very slow and difficult offshore fishing week for anglers fishing out of Mazatlan. Crews worked hard but just weren’t able to find the fish. And when they did, the chances were that they wouldn’t bite. The good news was though that the inshore and bottomfishing bite was on, and those that were adventurous and open-minded enough to give it a try still came home worn out from battle and with plenty of fish for the freezers.

“I sure wish we could put our finger on the cause and correct it. Is it the "El Nino," too many long-liners, or is it just one of those unexplainable periods of time when the fish just aren't on location and when they are, they just don't want to bite at all,” said Larry Edwards reporting for the Aries Sportfishing Fleet.

There are certainly fewer things more frustrating to a crew that cares (and paying customers) than to fish very hard all day, not encounter a single strike, and knowing that from the time you leave the dock that it may be another one of "those days" when the customer often believes you didn’t try hard enough.

ITS NOT JUST ABOUT THE OFFSHORE FISHING HERE IN MAZATLAN—Even when the offshore bite is off, there’s still plenty of fish to be caught and freezers to be filled, like this 20-pound snapper caught last week. PHOTO COURTESY OF INSIDE OUTSIDE CHARTERS.

Only 11 offshore boats fished this past week and their catch effort resulted in only 1 striped marlin and 6 dorado for an effort that consisted of at least 88 hours fished. “While I know it will change for the better, I just don't know how soon and wish it would hurry,” Edwards said.

The inshore fishing, has however been providing the better action with numbers for the fleet resulting in a total of 86 pargo, 3 dorado and 139 cochitos for only 7 trips.

Later in the week Chappy Chapman from Inside Outside Charters reported that the Mazatlan port was for a day and a half closed due to high winds. “I was out fishing with customers on Wednesday and it got pretty rough before they closed it,” he said.

“After that we focused on bottomfishing closer in, fishing off the coast of Mazatlan for some excellent opportunities that anglers may not have considered, bottomfishing,” Chapman said. “This past week, we took a group of first-time bottom fisher’s on a 45 minute run in our super panga to an area where variety of fish are being caught including 7 different types of snapper, an abundance of triggerfish, and other species that included chile verdes, torso, paperfish, blowfish, groupers and more.”

The key to Chapman’s trips are fresh shrimp heads (look for more on that in future WON reports). But if you think about it, shrimp heads have all the juices of the shrimp, yet waste none of the bodies, and provide a great chum in the waters below. “After about 10 minutes at our first stop with the group, the fish were on. Landing an estimated 120 fish, these new bottom fishermen were hooked. Although no monsters were landed, we did have our chances. These guys are hooked now and booked some trips for next week as well.”

For their efforts the group’s snappers ranged between 1 and 3 pounds, while their triggerfish weighed between 1 and 4 pounds. “But when you’re catching 100-plus fish per day, don't let the average size of the weights fool you! This past week there were also a few very nice red snapper caught in the 20- to 24-pound range. Not bad when offshore they are having such a hard time.”

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