Pacifico 10/20-10/23

Pounder · Oct-24-2006, 12:38 PM

Got a report from Glenn Cosentino, our charter from Sunday to go along with a few pix. Every day save saturday has been pretty productive. The boys from Owner Hooks, Todd and Glenn have all fished within the last few days, just no pix from Todd yet. Todd's group pulled a 270ber in yesterday. Here's a report from Sunday:

I’m in Puerto Vallarta on business but I had to take a day to go hunt for some cow Yellowfin Tuna. We arrived Saturday afternoon, got some sun and pool time in with the wife and then got some rest anxiously awaiting morning. My son and I headed out to the marina at around 5 am where we met Manny from the Pacifico. He greeted us at the dock and we were off. We stopped to get live bait and then headed out.

After about 1.5 hours we hit the Cobettena island where we set up for a quick drift. We were all alone and life was everywhere. We had 83 degree water, flat seas, birds diving around us, skip jacks boiling and my excitement at a new high. Many set us up with live goggle eyes and on the very first drop with a little lead I landed a 40lb pargo snapper. I had several other strikes within the first hour but it seemed something was playing with the bait. Manny decided we should make bait with all the skipjacks so while I was fishing his mate jigged up about a dozen skipjacks.

Boats started to show up everywhere literally fishing with 50 yards of us on all side so we decided to bring out the big bait and metal and started to slow troll. Almost immediately we got bit, large tuna crashed a skipjack and it was on. I definitely wasn’t ready for doing standup with a 130 but thank god I had my harness. Fish took line consistently at a high drag and 10 minutes into it and then it happened …spit the hook. Disappointing to say the least….meanwhile my son caught two smaller yellowfin in the 40lb class already and we kept getting hit, but the tuna would send the reels screaming but wouldn’t commit.

FINALLY, right outrigger goes off, screaming line. I grab the 70, push to strike and I’m hooked up. The right outrigger pops, reel two and three are both screaming and we have 3 large tuna on at the same time before anyone could react. Manny does his best to keep the others on while I’m fighting mine. 15 minutes later I see color and Manny sinks two gaffs in her. Not a huge cow, like some others but still my biggest to date. He said she was in the 180-200 range. We manage to boat another in the 130 range and my 11 year old beats down a 50-60lber in less than 12 minutes all on film. Totals over 6 fish.

All day I saw 100-200lb fish going absolutely air-born all around us and Manny switched gear and adapted to what was going on around us and got us on fish when no-one else was. My hats off to Drew and Manny, even though they weren’t 300lb cows, I still got into the action my pride and joy son. Many is by far the best and has fish in his blood.

Followup to the story:
Here are some more pics of the other tuna, me fighting and my tuna bite. Manny really spent alot of time in the presentation of the skip jacks which i feel made a difference. We had other boats trolling right next to us but noone was getting bit and when the troll was off he went to the kite and when the kite died off he went back to dropping goggle eyes. the man never stopped working the whole time. leaving in the morning for some dorado fishing for my son. man he fought yellowfins like a champ. enjoy

I also may be the first person to actually get bit by a yellowfin. When I posed for my pic I dropped the fish back on the deck. As I walked by the tuna actually bit my foot. Here are some pics. I’m off again tomorrow to fish for some dorado and sails. Got to get back to my meeting …enjoy

Glenn