Who would think I would hate children after raising 10, but the last “El Nino” made me rethink the whole thing about “ninos”. The El Nino which has officially passed made only one thing predictable about fishing in the southern zone. The only thing predictable was that it was unpredictable. Wehave a few months of normal weather patterns coming our way and if history repeats itself, a strong El Nino is usually followed a few months later by an El Nina.
July and August offshore in the south means marlin. Most of the year we usually see mostly blue marlin but now there are a few blacks and striped marlin mixed in with the blues. Find the spinner or spotted dolphins and you will find the yellowfin tuna. Since the FECOP sponsored tuna decree moving purse seiners farther offshore boats all along the Pacific coast have reported catching more tuna and see larger pods of dolphin. Sometimes during the Fiestas de San Juan when the schools are on vacation an Indian summer will pass through and we will see sailfish numbers increase to double digit days.
Inshore the fishery is year round but the rainy season produces some of the biggest roosterfish of the year. Bridle up a live bonito and let him do his thing near Matapalo Rock and you have a chance at a 60 plus pound fish. A big cubera snapper may find your bait first and the tug-a-war is on to keep them out of the rocks.
Todd Staley
Fishing Director
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