CABO SAN LUCAS ( JULY 31 ) I have
fished the waters of Mexico for over thirty
years. Throughout this time, I have caught,
released and lost hundreds of fish. Fishing
down in Cabo San Lucas is always very
special. That is one of the reasons that I
return each month for a few days of fishing.
One thing about fishing in Cabo. You
NEVER know what you might have on the
other end of your line. When that reel
starts to sing. Get ready, it could be the fish
of a lifetime.
On this particular morning I was fishing on
my boat ( El Budster) with my partner
Captain Salvador and the first
mate Chuey. We started trolling about
7:00 AM. The sky was sunny with a few
clouds and the wind was out of the
North at about ten knots. The water was
blue with a temperature of 77 degrees.
A perfect day for fishing.
It was going to be a short day as I was
heading back to San Diego on an Alaska
afternoon flight. Little did I know.
How short my fishing day was going to be.
At 8:15 our trolling poll in the left corner
started to howl like a Midwestern tornado.
The sound that every saltwater fisherman
dreams about. Nothing can replace the
sound of a Penn 50SW reel loaded with
Trilene 80lb. test line screaming out as you
grab for the poll.
I grabbed the poll and fought the giant fish
standing up for the first ten minutes. At that
time I decided that it was time to sit in one
of the fighting chairs. I have caught a lot of
big fish over the years. But this one for some
reason felt different.
At first I yelled to Salvador "it's a big
Striped Marlin." But then it jumped for the first
time about one hundred and fifty yards out. I
then told Chuey the first mate that I thought it
was a Sailfish. As it was going back into the
water the Dorsal Fin looked like one of a
Sailfish.
As I fought this monster fish Salvador
maneuvered the boat moving forward and
around to the left. This was a smart fish
who had no intention of joining our fishing
trip. After about fifteen minutes the fish
jumped for the second time.
After the second jump Salvador and
Chuey both yelled out together Dorado,
Dorado, Dorado. Yes, it was a BIG Dorado.
None of knew at that point how big. As I
kept fighting the fish Salvador kept
maneuvering the El Budster. When you are
fighting big fish like this. The captain is just as
important as the individual holding the rod.
Salvador and I have fished together for eleven
years. This combination has proved to be
a wining one.
As I reeled the fish within thirty feet of the
El Budster. I was overwhelmed by the size
of this monster fish. I had never seen a
Dorado this big. Not in the sea, a picture,
movie or record book. This was a BIG, BIG
BULL DORADO. Now to get it gaffed
and into the boat.
The first mate Chuey positioned himself with
the gaff. Chuey is not a big man standing about
5'' 7" and weighting about 110 lb. The fish
looked bigger than Chuey. By this time after
about 30 minutes I was on my feet again. I
was backing up as Chuey grapped the leader
to get the fisher closer to the boat. Salvador
was doing his part as the boat was almost
stopped in the water.
On his first attempt Chuey was successful
in gaffing the Dorado. As soon as the fished
was gaffed Salvador was next to Chuey's
side with a short baseball bat. This was use
to subdue the Dorado before it was put into
the El Budster.
After a few minutes which seemed like an
hour the massive Bull Dorado was brought
on board. What a magnificent fish. The
total fighting time was about thirty minutes.
We all agreed that it was time to head to Cabo
to get the fished weighted and measured.
Upon our return to the Cabo Marine a small
crowd had gathered. The word was spreading,
"grande Dorado, grande Dorado." Salvador and
Chuey carried the big Bull to the scale for the all
important weighting and measuring. As the
Weighmaster put it on the scale, a hush game
over the gathered crowd. Cuantos kilos tiene?
Cuantos kilos tiene?
After a few minutes the Weighmaster called
down 90lbs. 90 lb. The people at the dock
started to smile and clap their hands . Salvador's
wife Adela and their three children were on hand.
Everyone new that this was a very special day.
The fish measured 68 inches tall with a tail that
measured 22 inches across.
We had our photograph taken with the fish and
stayed around to answer questions for the locals
and the tourists. Others had their picture taken
with the big Bull Dorado. The atmosphere was a
festive one. With a lot of smiles and good feelings.
I did not know until about three hours later that
this magnificent Bull Dorado might qualify for two
world records. One for the largest Dorado on
IGFA all-tackle and the other for the largest
Dorado on 80-pound test line.
Yes, it was a day to remember. As they say
in Spanish, "Una dia especial." Next time you
want to fish in Cabo San Lucas. Give Salvador
a call. Who knows you might just set a new
World Record.
Adios mi amigos.
SALVADOR'S SPORTFISHING
CHARTERS : 858-483-3771
EMAIL: elbudster@aol.com
WEBSITE: ELBUDSTER.COM
TO CALL SALVADOR
FROM US : 011-52-117-08264
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