East Cape - "The fever"

It has been another spectacular weather week on the Sea of Cortez. May on the East Cape is always about as beautiful as any place on our planet and this year has been no exception. Seas have been flat and the 75 to 77 degree water has been blue and clear.

The last few weeks the bite was inconsistent but when looking back through last weeks camera roll there is no doubt we had our moments. Our fishing fleet has had fewer departures than normal. It is most likely because of reports of slow fishing. One thing guaranteed is if you don't have a line in the water you won't get bit.

A few years ago we hooked two swordfish on my birthday. The first came unbuttoned after a short battle but we were fortunate enough to get a second chance and land the second. In my book a broadbill is the ultimate catch for an angler, the grand prize. Many anglers never even get the opportunity to see one much less land one. To give you an idea, on an average my guess is that we see one out of about one hundred days of fishing.

So, yesterday was my birthday. I have "the fever" and swordies are always on my mind. More yesterday than normal because it would be incredible to pull the hat trick and land another on this day. We had billfish and wahoo action most of the day. It started to get late and time to turn toward home when we found two turtles tangled in an onion sack. Watching them struggle we pulled in our lines, approached them and were able to cut them free.

Call it karma, not 15 minutes after freeing the turtles a broadbill swordfish popped up in front of us. My heart started to pump and we scrambled for the gear to bait the fish. Bait out I watched the swordie turn its purple glow and sink out. It never took our bait or surfaced again but the experience made it a birthday to remember.



Slurp, slurp


Roosters are perking up


More dorado in the count


Circle hooks do work. Lucky shot with mono


Wahoo action


Tuna still a little hard to find


It was a mess but we got them free


Jen Wren on GRINDTV: http://www.grindtv.com/fishing/mysterious-deep-sea-denizen-f...


Hooked this thresher drifting bait for marlin

Mark Rayor
teamjenwren.com