BajaNomad

Oh! What a relief it is

vseasport - 9-24-2013 at 03:20 PM

Oh! What a relief it is.
It is hard to believe it was just a week ago that tropical storm Manuel was bearing down on us. It huffed and puffed and threatened to blow our house down but then turned East. We experienced one day of pounding surf and the Sea of Cortez has been like a pond ever since.

The storm never slowed down tuna, marlin, sailfish, dorado or wahoo. It is a skippers dream to depart in the morning day after day knowing the day will be action packed. The spectacular fishing has been going on for some time and anglers are going away with big smiles and life long memories.

Back in late July I asked readers to tell me why. The question was if you aren't getting ready to go fishing or just returning why? That was because the bite was unbelievable and I'm here to tell you it is still full speed.


Sashimi time



Marlin Azul



Mahi mahi



Striped marlin


Sailfish



Ceviche time



This was a white sand beach before the pounding surf from Hurricane Manuel



After Manuel



I had the day off yesterday

Mark Rayor
teamjenwren.com
markrayor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing
US cell 310 308 5841

cliffh - 9-24-2013 at 04:52 PM

Great pics.,where's the white shades

Lengua - 9-24-2013 at 05:49 PM

Hi Mark , my name is Mike and I am a reader of your post on both nomads and Bloodydecks. i , like you , share a passion for for fishing in Baja and the great Sea of Cortez. Our family keeps our boat North of your location in the city of La Paz.

Today I am writing you about the wonderful pictures and memories you are creating for your customers and fans of photography. I am very impressed with the live action photos you take . Would you mine sharing your set up with me..what kind of camera and what type of lens and MM capture these photos?

Thanks , mike

Osprey - 9-24-2013 at 05:51 PM

David E, why would you rant so about "Sea of Cortez fished out, under attack" when we get these pix every week from professionals -- aren't you convinced (like Skeet and this poster) that THINGS ARE GREAT DOWN HERE? What's your problem?.

Get some of your pals to fish with you, round up about $1000 for the day's fishing trip, a few extra bucks for rooms, beer, travel, mounting money and you could be one of those lucky ones taking the same pix. A LOT more money in Costa Rica, Hawaii, etc.

vseasport - 9-24-2013 at 08:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cliffh
Great pics.,where's the white shades


I'm wearing the white watch lol

dtbushpilot - 9-24-2013 at 08:08 PM

Hey, I recognize that beach....at least where it used to be...

Great pictures Mark, thanks for posting.......dt

vseasport - 9-24-2013 at 08:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lengua
Hi Mark , my name is Mike and I am a reader of your post on both nomads and Bloodydecks. i , like you , share a passion for for fishing in Baja and the great Sea of Cortez. Our family keeps our boat North of your location in the city of La Paz.

Today I am writing you about the wonderful pictures and memories you are creating for your customers and fans of photography. I am very impressed with the live action photos you take . Would you mine sharing your set up with me..what kind of camera and what type of lens and MM capture these photos?

Thanks , mike


Mike,

Thanks for seeing the passion. Some think I have a different motive and it is simply not true. I work so I can be out there.

My photo gear is modest and I have no back-round in photography. The cameras are set on auto rapid fire and I just blast away. Most of my luck catching the moment is because I get so much opportunity.

Through trial and error I keep 2 cameras on the boat. They are both Nikon 5100's. One is on the bridge and has a 55 300MM lens to get the long shots. The other is in the c-ckpit with a 18 55MM lens for close up.

It is hard to shoot photography and fish at the same time. Normally when a fish bites all hell breaks out and I can't grab the camera until the fish has settled down. At that point the best opportunities have been lost. The deal is that I'm out there so many days I'm still able to get chances. Many times I have to decide if I should grab the camera at the risk of loosing the fish. When we don't have clients or if I can just ride along it is easy but when I'm operating the boat it is problematic. Somehow at the end of each day I'm amazed at what gets downloaded.

Pescador - 9-25-2013 at 06:08 AM

So why is it so important to drag a sailfish on the back deck, snap a picture and then throw it back in the water. The guys in Cabo have almost entirely quit doing that. I take a lot of people fishing during billfish season but we talk before leaving the dock about how we are going to make photos and releases and they always seem to be very happy to follow my lead in this matter.

Sportfishing Magazine: Feb 2006

EASY DOES IT
A guide to properly releasing some of our most popular gamefish
By Capt. John McMurray

Every year, in more locations around the world, more anglers enjoy the pleasures of catch-and-release fishing. In addition to voluntarily freeing trophies, anglers release fish of all sizes. Some are let go because of size-limit regulations, but many survive because of angler ethics and peer pressure.
However, not all released fish do survive. To make sure catch-and-release fishing remains a viable conservation strategy, fish handling is crucial. Fishermen often debate the various methods and practices of proper release, so we asked a number of experts to explain the best current techniques for several popular species.

BILLFISH
Although anglers like to pose with their defeated quarry, removing even a small billfish from the water can damage the animal. Dr. Eric Prince of NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center notes that bringing a billfish aboard stresses it, particularly if the fish starts thrashing. Scraping the fish’s body along the gunwale can also strip away its protective coating of slime and subject it to the crippling effects of gravity. Large fish are particularly likely to sustain internal organ and skeletal damage when their weight is no longer supported by water.
To perform an in-water release, one deckhand should guide the fish to the side of the boat while the captain keeps the vessel moving ahead slowly. A second deckhand then removes the hook.
Traditionally, a mate would dehook the fish by reaching down and grabbing its bill then working the hook free. However, “billing” is losing popularity. Today’s alternative involves using a “snooter,” a plastic PVC pipe with a rope running inside, connected to a stainless-steel cable loop. The mate places the loop over the bill, then the cable is pulled tight by hand or by tying the rope off to a cleat. Once the fish is under control, the hook can be easily removed.
Some anglers cut the leader rather than attempt hook removal. However, scientists who have reviewed hundreds of tagged and recaptured billfish noted that about 25 percent of the time, hooks left in fish remained for more than a year, many causing infections. Thus, removing hooks – with a dehooking device -- is advisable if it wouldn’t further endanger the animal.
If you deeply hook a fish, cutting the leader as close to the hook as possible might be the best option. But deep-hooking can be avoided by using circle hooks, which are widely endorsed by fisheries scientists. Research has clearly demonstrated that circles minimize not only gut-hooked fish, but foul-hooked fish as well.
Billfish often need to be resuscitated before release. Reviving a billfish can be as simple as keeping the fish secured with a snooter while towing it slowly. When the fish shows signs of regaining strength, the mate slackens the rope, loosening the wire and freeing the fish.
Mates also use heavy tackle outfitted with a nylon-cord leader. They tie the cord with a slipknot to the upper portion of the fish’s bill, then tow the animal slowly 40 to 50 yards behind the boat. As the fish regains strength, it alters its position in the water column, decreasing the angle of the line. Once the angle drops to about 45 degrees, the crew can lead the fish back to the boat and release the slipknot. This approach tends to take the guesswork out of determining a fish’s recovery status.
Attempting to release a “green” fish carries its own risks, to the crew and the fish. Frantic boatside thrashing can cause fatal injuries if the fish slams itself against the hull.

Osprey - 9-25-2013 at 06:22 AM

Thanks from all of us Jim. We needed that. Some smart captains here ask the clients, before they go out on the water "Do you want to fight the fish or get as many on the deck as quickly as possible? Better tell me now because later, when the reel goes off I won't have time to read your minds." Smart guys.

Others make sure their crew and clients understand how the circle hooks should be employed lest the adrenalin takes over and the hookup guy waits till the bait is in the gut, then raises the rod and fights mightily to reverse the positive position and design of the hook.

These kinds of post are interesting to me because I stopped sport reporting because my photos/reports were encouraging locals to kill fish to bring em to me for the shot/story ---- when I saw so many fish that might have otherwise been released because the bragging rights quick, easy opportunity for publicity was me, your handy big mouth, I quit.

vseasport - 9-25-2013 at 04:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Hey, I recognize that beach....at least where it used to be...

Great pictures Mark, thanks for posting.......dt


Yeah David, I think you had a Rock Nest Monster Visit

Pescador - 9-26-2013 at 08:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
Thanks from all of us Jim. We needed that. Some smart captains here ask the clients, before they go out on the water "Do you want to fight the fish or get as many on the deck as quickly as possible? Better tell me now because later, when the reel goes off I won't have time to read your minds." Smart guys.

Others make sure their crew and clients understand how the circle hooks should be employed lest the adrenalin takes over and the hookup guy waits till the bait is in the gut, then raises the rod and fights mightily to reverse the positive position and design of the hook.

These kinds of post are interesting to me because I stopped sport reporting because my photos/reports were encouraging locals to kill fish to bring em to me for the shot/story ---- when I saw so many fish that might have otherwise been released because the bragging rights quick, easy opportunity for publicity was me, your handy big mouth, I quit.


I would imagine I get written off as some kinda PETA idiot who is just a crank, but that is just not an accurate picture. I think we need to take care of the resource and not cause injuries or death that is so unneccesary.

I think Mark Rayor runs a great show down there, his photography is world class, he probably does mainentence better on his boat than anyone I have ever seen, he catches fish when they are difficult to find, and is well respected by some of my friends over at Accurate, but the pulling sailfish up on the back deck for a photo and then thinking you have done a successful release is not a very well thought out part of the picture.

So I get branded as the reactionary idiot but if next time out and someone wants to pull a sailfish up for a photo and maybe, just maybe, the captain or Mark says, How about a photo with the fish in the water (which can be posed very easily), then it will all be worth it.

Osprey - 9-26-2013 at 08:49 AM

Jim, I just bought a submersible camera from INTOVA just for those wet shots. $100 bucks and you won't ruin your good camera.

I'll share some of that flaming with you if it will help even a little.

[Edited on 9-26-2013 by Osprey]

[Edited on 9-26-2013 by Osprey]