| As Forrest Gump would say, you never know
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| | sure we wouldn't arrive before him! We
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| what you're going to get.
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| | headed out, stopping off to check in with
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| Not too many things get me more excited
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| | the port authorities to present our
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| than the prospect of hooking and landing
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| | manifest and fishing licenses. A recent
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| big fish. The mere thought of setting the
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| | change in fiscal policies keeps the
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| hook on a 300 pound marlin, hearing the
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| | revenues from fishing licenses within the
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| scream of the drag as the fish pulls off
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| | state where the activity is taking place.
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| line and watching the acrobatic leaps
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| | This restructuring has apparently
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| that follow really gets my heart pumping.
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| | heightened the diligence of officials
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| Fortunately for me, a two and a half hour
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| | responsible for ensuring that everyone on
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| flight and a 30-minute drive is all it
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| | a boat possesses a valid license, even
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| takes to find myself in the "billfish
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| | those not fishing. Makes sense that if
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| capital of the world". What more can a
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| | you get to keep the money, you're more
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| sport fisherman ask for?
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| | likely to make sure everyone is playing
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| Well, for starters, variety. Just like
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| | by the rules and buying their licenses.
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| biting into a randomly selected piece of
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| | Those that did not have licenses in hand
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| chocolate, when you set out the trolling
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| | were sent back to the docks to get them
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| lures here in Los Cabos in search of the
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| | or there would be no fishing that day.
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| next big one, you just don't know what it
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| | This day we decided to switch to the Sea
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| will be. Different seasons bring
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| | of Cortez side of the cape and
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| different possibilities as does different
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| | concentrate our efforts on some of the
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| sides of the Baja peninsula. The
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| | in-shore species that Los Cabos waters
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| diversity of game fish here never ceases
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| | offer up. One of the benefits of a
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| to amaze me and even a slow day on the
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| | pre-dawn start is the experience of
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| water offers the opportunity to see some
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| | viewing some of the most spectacular
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| of the oceans greatest creatures. Whales,
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| | sunrises you're likely to find anywhere
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| porpoise, sea turtles and bat rays that
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| | in the world. The skies here light up
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| often school by the hundreds and perform
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| | with all the colors of an artists canvas
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| what almost appears to be a choreographed
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| | with the endless reflection of the ocean
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| routine of synchronized jumps. On a
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| | surface. Everything is bathed in reds,
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| spring trip to Cabo in late march of this
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| | oranges and yellows and the sky appears
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| year, my partner Dolores Peralta and I
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| | to be on fire. The sight alone makes the
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| had another opportunity to experience the
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| | trip worthwhile.
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| diversity of life in these nutrient rich
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| | The Guerita II cut through the calmer
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| waters.
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| | waters of the Sea of Cortez with ease by
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| Jacqueline "Jacquie" Lee, owner of
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| | benefit of the natural windbreak that the
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| Guerita II, set us up for two days of
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| | East Cape coast provides. We set out a
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| fishing with Captain Efren Beron Zamora
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| | mix of CD 4 Rapalas in a sardine pattern
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| and crewman Jesus Alfredo Espinoza. Efren
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| | and started to work the underwater ledges
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| has a lifetime of experience as an
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| | and rock piles in search of sierra or
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| angler, guide and captain and has a love
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| | Spanish mackerel, dorado or tuna. We ran
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| of the ocean that rubs off on crew and
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| | across pods of porpoise working bait
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| passenger alike. The Guerita II is a
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| | schools to the surface. These working
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| tournament rigged 34-foot Crystaliner
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| | pods often hold schools of tuna just
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| equipped with everything the avid angler
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| | below that pick off bait from the edges
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| could need or ask for _ Shimano Tiagra 50
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| | of the bait ball but today, we found just
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| wide LRS & Penn International reels,
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| | the porpoise. Off in the distance,
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| Shimano Black Steel IGFA rods and an
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| | Captain Efren spotted surface activity
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| outstanding selection of lures, this
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| | and turned the Guerita towards it.
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| wide-beamed fishing machine boasts
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| | Within minutes we were surrounded by
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| top-of-the-line electronics to help get
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| | thousands of Humboldt squid. Denizens of
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| you on the bite fast.
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| | the northern most portion of the Sea of
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| We arrived at the docks at 6:30 in the
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| | Cortez, these alien looking creatures
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| morning, a little late for Captain
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| | have slowly made their way down to the
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| Efren's liking as he planned on running
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| | southern tip of the Baja in recent years.
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| out about 30-40 miles in search of warm,
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| | With tentacles reaching up out of the
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| blue water where he hoped to put us on
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| | water like some kind of extra terrestrial
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| striped marlin and tuna. While waiting on
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| | meat eating flower, we watched in awe as
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| our arrival Efren had already loaded up
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| | they fed on floating red crab. Just about
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| on live bait from the pangeros that
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| | anything we tossed into the water was
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| supply the fleets and with no delay, we
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| | immediately engulfed by the toothy
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| were on our way. Winds this time of the
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| | tentacles of the squid and with constant
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| year can be unpredictable and on this
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| | pressure and slow pumps and reeling, we
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| day, the winds helped build a fairly
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| | brought them to the gaff.
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| large swell. We motored our way out to
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| | Legends abound about the ferocity and
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| sea on a bumpy but dry ride to the
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| | strength of the Humboldt squid and while
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| fishing grounds. Once he found the water
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| | many of these tales are true "fish
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| conditions that best provided the chance
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| | stories", there is ample credible
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| for large billfish, he switched driving
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| | evidence of the potential for injury and
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| positions to the tall tuna tower while
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| | even death from these marine cephalopods.
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| Alfredo began to set out our spread of
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| | Recently, a Discovery program featured an
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| lures. Purple and orange Zukers set out
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| | in-depth study of the Humboldt squid in
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| at the fifth wake behind the boat,
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| | the Sea of Cortez. During times of
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| trolling feathers in pink and white and
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| | agitation, such as when these animals are
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| Mexican flag patterns on the third wake
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| | being fished by fleets of pangeros who
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| and a dark colored Marauder set close to
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| | make a significant share of their income
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| the boat.
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| | from the sale of the tasty beasts, they
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| A few hours passed as we crisscrossed
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| | can and do become very aggressive. One
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| areas where colder water met warmer,
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| | pangero spoke of his encounter with the
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| Efren's eyes trained on the surface
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| | squid with fear and respect. While
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| scanning for signs that fish were near -
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| | working a large school, he lost his
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| circling and diving birds, the tail of a
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| | balance and fell into the water. Within
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| marlin cruising for its next meal, a pod
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| | seconds, several five to six footers
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| of porpoise balling bait. None of the
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| | locked onto him and began to pull him
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| usual signs appeared until Efren's eagle
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| | under, all the while biting into his
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| eyes spotted a feeder, a marlin actively
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| | flesh with their impressive and powerful
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| working the ocean surface. A quick turn
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| | beaks. He managed to free himself and
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| of the boat and a punch of the throttle
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| | make his way back to the surface and into
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| controls placed us in the perfect
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| | his panga, scared and exhausted. The
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| position to present our spread of lures
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| | scars that he showed tell the tale all to
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| to the fish. The marlin took notice and
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| | well. He also told of others that did not
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| struck one of the lures back at the fifth
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| | fair so well, never making back to the
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| wake. The jigstrike started our adrenalin
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| | surface.
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| flowing and we scrambled to the deck to
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| | While events like those have occurred,
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| ready for a battle. The marlin let loose
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| | the squid are usually no more than
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| the lure just as Alfredo cast a live bait
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| | curious about visitors to their domain.
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| back to entice a bite. After a few tense
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| | It is the frenzied activity caused by
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| moments, the marlin took the bait, the
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| | fishing these creatures that creates the
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| reel left in free spool in order to give
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| | aggressive and often cannibalistic
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| it time to fully take the bait. Flipping
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| | behavior. Divers have been able to get up
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| the reel into locked position followed by
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| | close and personal with the Humboldt
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| three to four strong and sharp lifts of
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| | squid when no fishing pressure was
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| the rod tip set the hook on a good sized
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| | present, all without being attacked or
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| striped marlin.
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| | harmed in any way. The aggressive
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| Dolores took her position in one of the
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| | behavior and flashing of colors
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| two fighting chairs mounted on the stern
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| | associated with a feeding frenzy brought
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| and within seconds the marlin was giving
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| | on by fishing pressure is simply not a
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| us a show. Several vertical leaps and
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| | normal occurrence, but more a reaction to
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| violent shakes of its broad head and the
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| | the situation at hand. You need not fear
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| fight began. The key to landing marlin is
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| | the squid but make sure to stay away from
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| the hook set. Everything depends on
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| | the business end. Tentacles with hundreds
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| whether or not the hook was in the right
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| | of toothed suction cups lead to a
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| position when the hook set is made. Many
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| | bird-like beak with incredible power. Ink
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| times, the marlin takes the bait only
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| | on the other hand can reach you from
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| partially and the hook never pierces the
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| | astonishing distances as my partner,
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| mouth fully when the set is made.
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| | Dolores, can testify.
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| Unfortunately, this was one of those
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| | While fighting a squid estimated at about
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| times. Shortly after the first series of
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| | fifty pounds, she experienced the jet
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| jumps was made, a second series began and
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| | blast of a Humboldt squid firsthand. As
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| on this series the hook was thrown and
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| | the squid was gaffed, Alfredo jumped off
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| the fish was lost. Spooked by the
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| | to the side leaving Dolores directly in
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| encounter, the marlin sounded and was
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| | the path of what seemed to be gallons of
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| soon nowhere to be found.
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| | ink shooting from out of the squid. In a
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| We continued on in search of another
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| | split second she was covered head to toe
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| marlin, my turn in the chair coming next.
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| | in the slimy, dark liquid. Being the
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| A short while later, a starboard reel
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| | trooper that she is, she laughed it off,
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| started to scream. Nothing was visible on
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| | wiped herself clean and tossed her line
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| the surface so the likelihood of it being
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| | back out to catch another one. By that
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| a marlin was slim. From the strong pull
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| | time we had been joined by over a dozen
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| and speed of the fish, we thought it
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| | other charter boats and pangas and
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| would be a tuna and sure enough it was.
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| | everywhere you looked, people were
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| The fight lasted only 5-10 minutes and
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| | battling these impressive animals. Great
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| soon we had a twenty-pound yellowfin on
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| | fun, an awesome sight and great table
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| deck.
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| | fare was the end result. We left the spot
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| The trolling continued and for several
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| | having boated 3 squid and cleaning the
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| hours and we had nothing to do but
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| | ink from the deck of the boat.
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| occasionally switch out lures and scan
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| | Our next area of focus was just a few
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| the horizon for signs of life. Efren
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| | hundred feet from shore working the reef
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| spotted a true prize in the form of a
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| | structures that line the coast. Catching
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| swordfish. While these great eating game
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| | eight to ten pound sierra on light tackle
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| fish can be found here most of the year,
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| | is an experience I recommend highly. We
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| they prefer colder water so spring is
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| | picked off a few sierra and even landed a
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| generally the best time of year for this
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| | small mako shark before we called it a
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| sought after species. Although the sword
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| | day and headed back in, all the while
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| made a turn towards our spread and a live
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| | amazed at the beauty of the azure blue
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| bait was cast directly in front of it,
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| | and turquoise green waters of the Sea of
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| this fish was apparently well fed and no
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| | Cortez.
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| matter how appealing the presentation, it
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| | So if you are one to enjoy the ocean and
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| would not take the bait or strike a lure.
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| | the surprises that such a aquatic
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| As they say, that's why they call it
| |
| | paradise promises, fishing the waters of
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| fishing and not catching. The balance of
| |
| | the Pacific ocean and the Sea of Cortez
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| the day produced only suntans and
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| | in Los Cabos is a dream come true.
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| relaxation.
| |
| | Finding the right boat and crew is of the
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| On our second day on the Guerita II, we
| |
| | utmost importance in ensuring a
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| arrived at 5:30, determined to beat Efren
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| | successful and memorable charter. When it
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| and Alfredo to the boat. Once again,
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| | comes to making that choice, we can't
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| Efren had made it to the boat well before
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| | recommend Jacqueline Lee's Guerita II and
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| us and once again, he had already baited
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| | the knowledge and hospitality of Captain
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| up. If I didn't know better, I'd say he
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| | Efren Beron Zamora and crewman Jesus
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| must have slept on the boat just to make
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| | Alfredo Espinoza enough.
|
