Anonymous - 4-19-2005 at 12:10 AM
http://www.latimes.com/features/outdoors/la-os-migrations19a...
April 19, 2005
Jordan Rane
They're not pretty and they're not good eating, but from now through late fall roosterfish are the object of affection for hundreds of anglers heading
for the East Cape, a stretch of prolific waters on the southeastern tip of Baja California below La Paz, where more than a few "Roosterfish Capital of
the World" signs hang.
Known for their dramatic comb-like dorsal fins, their odd tendency to repeatedly ambush large live bait to death in lightning-quick strikes and their
ferocious fighting instincts, roosterfish, such as the one below, aren't for the fainthearted.
Bill Varney, a Huntington Beach-based roosterfish enthusiast and author of "Surf Fishing: The Light-Line Revolution," recalls watching a pal hook one.
"It spun every inch of line off his reel ? about 300 yards of 25-pound test ? and then 'snap!' And that was it. No fish. No line. I think it had been
playing with Ed the whole time, not the other way around." Roosterfish generally seek their prey in warm, shallow water that's not boat-friendly. They
can exceed 40 pounds (the largest ever caught was a 114-pounder near La Paz back in the 1970s).
They are also bony and have dark, oily, undesirable meat. So it's all about the thrill. "Roosterfish are one of the strongest fish we know of," says
John Mestrin, owner of Blue Water Tours and a veteran Baja fisherman. "They can be an incredibly exciting and beautiful fish to catch. Seeing it take
a long run after your lure with its dorsal fin erect is a pretty amazing sight."
I must strongly disagree!!
Skeet/Loreto - 4-19-2005 at 07:35 AM
On my very first trip to Rancho bueno Vista I sat at a Large Table with Ray Cannon and his many Guests and we all consumed large amounts of
RoosterFish which had been baked after removal of the Dark Stripe in the Center of the filet.
They are fun to Catch and when Baked with Garlic they are Great!!
Put one in the Boat at 55 Lbs. right in front of the Cathouse just North of Loreto several years ago.
Skeet/Loreto