BajaNews - 7-1-2006 at 01:00 PM
http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=188999
June 28, 2006
By Steve Carson
A potential IGFA line-class world record amberjack that weighed 97.9 lbs. was the high point of the Owner Hooks Fishing School trip to Hotel Buena
Vista Beach Resort at Baja's East Cape in early June. The fish was estimated in the 105- to 110-lb. range.
The amberjack species in the East Cape region is known as Pacific almaco jack. The fish was caught on 20-lb. test by TV host Ronnie Kovach of "Fishing
Ventures" on FOX Sports West. It fought for over 30 minutes after hitting a 5-inch Power Bait Swimshad rigged on a 2.5-oz. red leadhead.
The catch was made aboard the Hotel Buena Vista Beach boat Eclipse, skippered by the East Cape's most senior captain, Jesus Araiza. The only captain
still working since the hotel opened 30 years ago, Araiza continues to work on a semi-regular basis.
The IGFA all-tackle record for the species was caught off La Paz in 1964, and went 132 lbs. The current record for the130-lb. line category (105 lbs.)
was caught in virtually the same spot as Kovach's fish off Cabo Frailes in 2001. Kovach's amber shatters the current 20- and 30-lb. line-class records
by more than 40 lbs.