THETIS BANK LIGHTS UP - 10/29 Report

The winds eased and the fishing lit up on Thetis Bank this week. After being conspicuous by their absence on more than a dozen trips over the past two months striped marlin arrived in force and came hungry. Wahoo that have been around for a month or so are more plentiful and biting more consistently. I trailered Soledad from Loreto to Puerto Lopez Mateos, launched through the mangroves, entered the Paciific through Boca de Soledad, and fished solo on and around Thetis Bank Wednesday and Thursday, anchoring Wednesday night at Bahia Santa Maria along with Barry Wilkerson and Rod Dees, also from Loreto, on Barry's boat "Rocket".
Wednesday I fished early on the ridge north of Thetis Bank and found nothing. Late morning Barry and Rod who had gone directly to the high spot at Thetis called to report three wahoos in the boat and a couple of marlin hook-ups. I joined them and quickly caught a 40 pound wahoo. A couple of hours later about 6 miles south I caught another wahoo and my first marlin of the year from the Pacific. Also fishing on Thetis out of PLM were Mark Gotchall and Doug Mozan (fishwhenican and billfisher on this board) who had trailered Mark's 20' tin boat "Fishwhenican" from Eugene, Oregon and were fishing with Captain Ruben Duran from Puerto Lopez Mateos. The Oregon contingent also caught a wahoo and hooked up on a number of marlin with light tackle.
Thursday I went directly to Thetis Bank as did Rocket and Fishwhenican. Action was slow for wahoo early. My head was turned by the flash and availability of striped marlin feeding singly, in doubles and schools of up to a dozen. I was seduced away from the harder to get wahoo and caught and released three stripers throughout the day. Rocket stuck with the wahoo and landed three more, including one approximately 60 pounds. The Oregonians also caught one wahoo and hooked up numerous marlin, as did Barry and Rod on Rocket. Both Wednesday and Thursday all three boats caught a few small, 12 - 15#, dorado.
Friday, yesterday, the Oregonians returned to Thetis and caught 2 more wahoo. That made a three day total for the three boats of 12 wahoo.
Earlier in the week while the wind made it uncomfortable outside, Ruben took Fishwhenican outside Boca de Soledad for 8 or 10 football yellowfin.
So, it is all happening on Thetis; wahoo, marlin, dorado and yellowfin. And, it is starting early. And, there are not many fishermen taking advantage of it. There were a few large private sportfishers fishing down the ridge, and Wednesday long range boat Vagabond was in the area. The water on the bank was clear and blue and the surface temperature peaked both days around 80 degrees. There are heavy concentrations of pelagic red crabs throughout the area.
Attached photo is of Rod Rod Dees from Loreto with the 60 pound wahoo caught Thursday fishing on Barry Wilkerson's 23' Parker Rocket.