During the summer of 1999, I played in a “Pink Ribbon” golf tournament and during the silent bidding, was able to acquire a four day stay in Cabo San Lucas, Baja Del Sur, Mexico. Having visited Mazatlan and its fabulous fishing and with Mazatlan being only a ferry ride across the Gulf of California to the tip of the Baja and Cabo, I was eagerly looking forward to sampling the fishing there too. So, in January of 2000, off we went to Cabo San Lucas.
Because of the opulence of the condo, a large, two, bedroom, two bath, job, we asked a Senior Softball friend, Chuck Thompson and his Wife, Linda to go with us. Our fancy condo was right beside a fancier club and golf course. The package included reduced fees for golf and use of the excellent dining facilities, but the fishing still had my interest!
The first day of our visit found Chuck and I patrolling the harbor looking for just the right boat and guide. For our guide we chose a young man, Juan, who spoke excellent English, and his twenty-two, foot, panga. A panga is a long, slender, outboard powered, shallow draft, sea worthy craft used in Mexico for both inshore and offshore fishing. Juan told us that yellow fin tuna were hitting regularly and towards midday we had a good chance for a striped marlin hook up. We booked him for the next day.
The ladies opted to shop and not go out with us so at 7:00 AM, Chuck and I met our guide and we headed out of the harbor. As soon as we cleared the “hole in the rock”, one of the main attractions of Cabo, we started fishing. Using Juan’s gear, seven foot rods, Ambassaduer 7000 reels loaded with thirty pound line, we started free lining with six to seven inch, caballitos for bait. As we started, Juan cautioned us with. “Watch for the seals!”
Soon, both of us were rewarded with solid strikes, the fish took off heading south and our fifteen minute fights with the unknown sluggers, probably twelve to fifteen pound, yellow fins, was rewarded with the silver/green battlers thrashing around the panga. Juan yelled, “Seal, free spool your reels!” We did, but too late as the seals clipped off then come up for the kill. It’s important if we see another to free spool your reels because the yellow fins can out swim the seals and escape.”
My next strike produced a twelve pound, yellow fin, pictured, but it seemed the more action we had, the more the seals gathered around us. We kept moving in the general area of the harbor mouth and kept feeding the seals.
We moved several miles out and started drifting, no yellow fins, but no seals either. Chuck heaved a cast out and had a monumental backlash, and as he was clearing it, wouldn’t you know it, a striped marlin hit the bait, went airborne and started his run, hit the snarl in the line and pop, broke off! At least we saw the fish as it cleared the water.
We caught four yellow fins, twelve to fifteen pounds, gave two to Juan, and took two back to the “fancier” club for special preparation by the chef. Our supper of fresh yellow fin, tuna with a California white wine was a highlight of our trip to Cabo!