Sea of Cortez Fish Photos 2017

I always like to see fish photos from others, so I thought I would post a few from fishing trips in February to April of this year. All photos were taken on my 27' Cobia "Yellowtail Chaser" and fish were caught offshore from Rocky Point by me and my fishing friends. Sorry, no stories to go with them this time.

Those pictures are awesome Shawn. Thanks for posting them!

ya keep up the good work and someday those photos will be valuable . catch more bloody decks. might not be many left some day. just love the salacious grins. reminds me of hunter photos from past massacres. oh I forgot we cannot possible delete those big fish from the sea. actually sickening to see such pleasure from killing another living thing. ok let me have it. shields up!!

Really, Roberto?

The impact of a few hook and line sport fishers is NOTHING like the devastation of a panga fleet with gill nets. Get a grip, dude.

Great pics, Shawn!

Grip, grip, grip, ahhhh.

Stuart said:

The impact of a few hook and line sport fishers is NOTHING like the devastation of a panga fleet with gill nets.

Yes, an overreaction, sport fishing isn't the problem, but I understand where you're coming from Roberto. Major commercial fishing restrictions must be implemented asap or the vaquita situation will become an ongoing occurrence with many other species becoming extinct.
"The Sea of Cortés faces numerous pressures. Decades of commercial overfishing are causing a total collapse of fish stocks. As late as 1993, the area, less than 5% of all Mexico’s territorial waters, produced about 75% of the nation’s total fish catch of 1.5 million metric tons; however, by some estimates, fish populations have declined by 90%since."
http://geo-mexico.com/?p=3546

Just read Roberto's post. Somebody get a rope.

Sounds like a good old-fashioned lynching behind Guau Guau. Don't forget to invite GV Jack with his purse full of bricks in case the scoundrel escapes. With his grip he might just climb the rope....

Did somebody call me?

I think technology combined with creative camera work can help a bit in this situation. Maybe more drone pics and video of the skillful fishermen reeling in a Sea of Cortez fighting fish than the derivate "blood covered fellow knuckleheads with a dead fish" shots... Still opening the Colorado delta to the sea by limiting southwest water use by banning lawns and cotton farming tied with sinking long liners might be the only solution...even that is pointlessas as global warming spells the end for Puerto Penasco in the next 50 years..........enjoy it while we can I guess...I Know I am!

Jerry... always such a breath of fresh air! :tanks:

Shawno said:

I love a bloody deck. Love looks amazing fun day.

Awsome fish!!! Screw the naysayers.:thumbsup:

Shawn
Looks like you had a great spring.

Roberto
Get your tofu eating ass back down stairs.

Wow! Nice fish!

Can I come visit?

Nice work man my arms would drop off

Outstanding pics and trips, Shawn.

Kelney said:

Shawn
Looks like you had a great spring.

Roberto
Get your tofu eating ass back down stairs.

I like your style.

Shawno, looks like fun, trips like that aren't an every day thing, thanks for sharing.


Jerry, go away. . . .I don' see you posting pics of your catch.

Roberto, kiss off.

Mighty Fine, Mighty Fine Indeed Shawno..........

Nothing in the world like thick scarlet pools swirling over white gelcoat then billowing from the scuppers into our salty liquid playground!

The VERY FEW of us that actually participate in a completely law full sport have virtually no impact at all relating to the overall fish populations in the Sea of Cortez. Pangueros can't justify the fuel costs versus poundage of fish collected while trolling or the long runs to the deep reefs.

Maybe we will get a few calm days next month to get out and catch a few.

JJ

Those pics made me hungry for some ceviche! Well done sir...

What's the name of the one that looks very similar to a huge speckled trout? It looks delicioso.

imstillsouthtexasreds said:

What's the name of the one that looks very similar to a huge speckled trout? It looks delicioso.

Weak fish, no?

RoadKill said:

Weak fish, no?

Looks pretty damn sturdy to me.

Very solid fish. Congratulations!

Thanks for posting the pics.

imstillsouthtexasreds said:

Looks pretty damn sturdy to me.

o_O

Wow! Amazing fish!!!

Nice fish !!!!!!

Stuart said:

Jerry... always such a breath of fresh air! :tanks:

Now that, is funny!
Man those are bigunnns.
Shawns a good guy and I enjoyed my outing with him. Didn't catch anything that big but still got us to a few nice fish for sure. I wouldn't consider this as being the problem with the big picture.
Nice pics Shawn.

imstillsouthtexasreds said:

What's the name of the one that looks very similar to a huge speckled trout? It looks delicioso.

White Seabass.

ja ja ja trump at work where did these posters with 1000 posts that I never saw before come from good work there stuart

Roberto said:

ja ja ja trump at work where did these posters with 1000 posts that I never saw before come from good work there stuart

Huh... interestink coinkydink... :shrug:

Ryan H.
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

TheBigWhit
Member Since:
Nov 1, 2016

imstillsouthtexasreds
Member Since:
Nov 3, 2016

RoadKill
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

KDM
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

That is an amazing run!

Roberto said:

ja ja ja trump at work where did these posters with 1000 posts that I never saw before come from good work there stuart

They are members of this forum just like you, Roberto. But they have their own place to play where they don't offend the sensibilities of all of our "regular" members.

They are sportsmen, captains, fishermen, and hunters that don't subscribe to the idea of "political correctness." I personally invited them to enjoy Shawn's fishing pictures in this thread because??? These are living the dream for those of us that love fishing.

You may or may not agree with that, and I hold nothing against you either way, Roberto. I think you know that. But, FISHING has always been the heart of this forum and will continue to be as long as I have anything to do with it.

We (in Rocky Point) have some of the best fishing in the world. 99.9% of the people that look at what Shawn, myself, and a few others are able to catch on an average day are jealous as f*ck.

It won't be condos or cruise ships that "save" Rocky Point. It will be the conservation of sportsman like myself, Kenny, and many others that are willing to come there, catch within limits, and proudly share our catches with the world. We spend money to do just that.

Rocky Point has always revolved around the Sea of Cortez. This is not new, going back to Cholla Bay days and the Cholla Bay Sportsman Club. Fishing was the draw that brought us gringos and still does. The chance to go out in the sea and catch Moby Dick. The feeling and draw is primal and always will be.

Sorry if that doesn't fit the mold of your real estate world. But, despite what you may believe, you only need read the comments in this thread to understand exactly how true what I'm saying is.

These are some awesome fish... and Shawn is an awesome fisherman. Most here would pay lots of money to be half as lucky.

Hugs,
Stuart

Hillbeartoe said:

Huh... interestink coinkydink... :shrug:

Ryan H.
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

TheBigWhit
Member Since:
Nov 1, 2016

imstillsouthtexasreds
Member Since:
Nov 3, 2016

RoadKill
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

KDM
Member Since:
Nov 2, 2016

That is an amazing run!

Not really, Hill. These folks are here because another forum which I was part of collapsed around us all due to "political correctness". The only reason you see any of them in this thread is because they are fisherman and I wanted to share just how awesome Shawno's pictures are with them.

I have been privileged to personally have fished with some of them. And they are indeed some of the best of the best, from Lake Erie, to Florida, to the oil rigs off the Louisiana coast.

For the sake of not offending sensibilities of those who's view of the world does not extend beyond Rocky Point, they have their own place on this forum, but are indeed members.

I figured as much.
I was mostly in awe of how busy they have been in 6 months.
I don't look in all areas, for the most part, to notice how often people are posting, liking etc.
Initially I was just happy to see Shawn Posting.
This time next week I hope I will already have had a line in the water.
Maybe see yall soon.

Shawno said:

Crazy good fishing with a jig and some braided line..nice job..:thumbsup:

At least the forum grew fast. :truedat:

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

Unbelievable catches!! Nice!!! :thumbsup:

Roberto said:

ja ja ja trump at work where did these posters with 1000 posts that I never saw before come from good work there stuart

Roberto what I don't get is what Stewart gets out of vouching and providing a platform for this crew of racist, sexist, hate speech slinging Texans ( at least they act like Texans).They know nothing about this side of Mexico,hate Mexicans and often degrade it's workers lured to the USA. In his professional life this could be a mistake for our slightly unsophisticated leader.

jerry said:

Roberto what I don't get is what Stewart gets out of vouching and providing a platform for this crew of racist, sexist, hate speech slinging Texans ( at least they act like Texans).They know nothing about this side of Mexico,hate Mexicans and often degrade it's workers lured to the USA. In his professional life this could be a mistake for our slightly unsophisticated leader.

How accepting and welcoming of you, Jerry! Of course, your myopic view of the world and everything that is corrupt and wrong with Mexico is the only one that matters.

I find it odd that the only one talking smack in this thread about anyone's personal beliefs, racism, etc. is you. Everyone else seems to just enjoy some great fishing pictures.

Feel free to stab away at me all you like. I'm rubber, you're glue... blah-blah.

Those are some awesome fish.

Do you do much fishing for pelagics, Shawn?

RJTaylor said:

Those are some awesome fish.

Do you do much fishing for pelagics, Shawn?

I know you asked Shawn, but fishing out of Penasco is mostly bottom fishing, out on the deeper reefs. We do get some sailfish and dorado, occasional marlin, now through July. But they are few and far between most years. In other words, you can do a whole lot of trolling, but not a lot of catching, other than running across the occasional school of black skipjack or bonita. I'm one of the idiots that will actually go out when it's hot, put out a five line trolling spread, and boat ride looking for patches of sargasso or good purple water to troll. It gets too damned hot to anchor up and crank on the big boys from deep. Shawn is a jigging animal. He'll jig all day long, heat or cold.

About 300 miles south out of San Carlos, marlin, tuna, sails, and dorado are the name of the game all summer. Much deeper water. Some good billfish tournaments, too.

Sargasso. Hmmm... A diver tells me big fish (grouper) like to lay up under mats of seaweed (sargasso), but trolling through that mess stops the boat when I have to remove seaweed from my lure. I'm assuming the trick is to troll close to seaweed patches but not through them. Easier said than done. And I can't imagine doing that with five lines out. Seems like you'd be towing a bunch of sargasso before long. Any tricks to it?

audsley said:

Sargasso. Hmmm... A diver tells me big fish (grouper) like to lay up under mats of seaweed (sargasso), but trolling through that mess stops the boat when I have to remove seaweed from my lure. I'm assuming the trick is to troll close to seaweed patches but not through them. Easier said than done. And I can't imagine doing that with five lines out. Seems like you'd be towing a bunch of sargasso before long. Any tricks to it?

Like your assumption, yes, troll along the edges of the big patches. Often, they will form up on a current break or tide line, which makes it easier. Don't forget, I'm trolling far out there, not close to shore and I'm running two of the lines off 18 ft. outriggers. The grouper may lay up under them close to shore because they hold all kinds of life, but I've never seen that out in the blue water. Too deep.

Also keep in mind I'm using single hook big game skirted trolling lures, not Rapalas or anything with a treble hook. They do occasionally foul with sargasso if you troll it right through a big paddy or dense area, but most of the time the lures run very clean, shedding off the sargasso as they go.

We have found paddies as big as a VW bus out there and those are the motherload for dorado. Often, a whole school will lay up under it and you can make multiple passes on it, getting a fish each time.

Stuart said:

How accepting and welcoming of you, Jerry! Of course, your myopic view of the world and everything that is corrupt and wrong with Mexico is the only one that matters.

I find it odd that the only one talking smack in this thread about anyone's personal beliefs, racism, etc. is you. Everyone else seems to just enjoy some great fishing pictures.

Feel free to stab away at me all you like. I'm rubber, you're glue... blah-blah.

just trying to help...better photo techniques are always helpful...you keeping out of trouble was my intention in this comment...

http://www.sportfishingmag.com/gallery/photo-galleries/2014/06/improve-your-fishing-photography-tips-10-pros#page-14 OK no snark, just great photo tips.... And most important point...skin cancer has forced two friends to put their houses on the market and or stop fishing..dress to live longer

Never seen a Grouper under a Sargasso patty in the Sea of Cortez. Solamente Dorado, Yellowtail and various Sharks. Always fun to slowly coast up on one to check out the thousands of juvenile fish that call the patty their home for the first few months of their lives. Always a thrill to drop a spoon into the blue black depths below one and get a rod bending strike on the first free fall drop.

As for me the only boat fishing that I do is on the troll, unless I locate a Sargasso patty, garbage filled current line or floating junk offshore. I usually get all of the fish I need trolling deep diving plugs along the shorelines of La Cholla, Isla San Jorge and the outlying rock reefs connected to those spots. Sometimes I'll use my downriggers or put out a deep diving planer to skim the tops of the shallower offshore spots and yank up a keeper. Dropping 100 to 600 feet of anchor line and chain is something I'd rather not even think about, especialy when its 99 degrees and 99% humidity out, and I never shut down my Yamies EVER!! Last summer I decided to stop dealing with my 18' outriggers and five trolled jigs when I got instantly hit on all five and lost all five in the tangle. A big bull California Sea Lion had been following me for an hour or more and had a leisurely feast while I was picking at monofilament and stripped reels.

So, whatever happened to "Coyote" with his ungodly expensively outfitted 40' red Mako? I haven't seen him in well over a year. That guy used to bring some big hauls of huge Groupers and White Sea Bass from the fifty mile and beyond reefs. Salvador from the marina told me that that boat really scoots out there at 50mph. or better.

JJ

Last I heard, Coyote was getting another boat. But let's face it... he ain't a young man. Had lots of money and could throw it at raping the 51, which he would do often.

Same with some other folks that had that big blue hull Century. A beautiful boat, but age caught up with them. Last time I saw it, it looked like crap and had props stripped off it and such. Shame. Couple of other boats like that at Safe Marine. Horsin' Around. Big ol' Whaler my buddy Mark bought and brought up from SanCarlos. Haven't heard from him or seen it moved in a few years now.

My buddy Dan McCauley sold his nice little boat, the Josephina, before he passed from cancer last August.

Ain't none of us getting any younger.

I will add that I had the ride of a lifetime fishing wahoo off a 36' Yellowfin with trip 350 Yammies out of Fourchon, LA this past Feb. That sucker would run nearly 70 in the slop. Unbelievable fast and smooth ride.

I'm just a po boy... I'll keep my ProKat at this point. While the lust for a big CC with trips or quads is there, I ain't got a quarter mil plus to spend on a new one. Hell, there's days I kick my self in the ass for ever selling my old aluminum Baja Bayrunner. That boat slayed a lot of fish.

Stuart said:

Last I heard, Coyote was getting another boat. But let's face it... he ain't a young man. Had lots of money and could throw it at raping the 51, which he would do often.

Same with some other folks that had that big blue hull Century. A beautiful boat, but age caught up with them. Last time I saw it, it looked like crap and had props stripped off it and such. Shame. Couple of other boats like that at Safe Marine. Horsin' Around. Big ol' Whaler my buddy Mark bought and brought up from SanCarlos. Haven't heard from him or seen it moved in a few years now.

My buddy Dan McCauley sold his nice little boat, the Josephina, before he passed from cancer last August.

Ain't none of us getting any younger.

I am saddened to hear that Dan passed away. I was wondering why he had not posted in a while. but appears many of the old timers rarely post any more. I remember years ago when he bought his boat and posted it about it.

Kelney said:

I am saddened to hear that Dan passed away. I was wondering why he had not posted in a while. but appears many of the old timers rarely post any more. I remember years ago when he bought his boat and posted it about it.

Dan was a character, could be the worst guy you ever wanted to fish with at times, barking orders and such. But, he loved to fish and loved that boat, even though he was prone to seasickness. I was very sorry to learn that he had passed, too.

Facebook sucked away many of the regular posters from here. There's two or three pretty active groups on Facebook. I would say it was the infighting here that drove them away, but it wasn't. How do I know? They do the same damned things to each other over there!