by
Tony Peña
Bright blue skies, calm seas and no fish can turn even a beautiful day in
Costa Rica into a frustrating experience. After
trolling for four hours we hadn’t seen a bird, a baitfish or any sign of life
let alone the object of our pursuit — the dynamic Pacific sailfish.
You could swear that the sea was empty.
As the sun rose higher the sea got flatter and an oppressive tropical
heatwave permeated the boat. The El
Niño generated sea temperature hit 88 degrees which is pushing the comfort-zone
of most gamefish to the outer limit. Fortunately
fish can adjust by spending more time below the thermocline where cooler water
exists. The challenge is that fewer
fish may be found on the warm surface as the forage species seek the cooler and
more nutrient-rich depths as well.
“If this were land it would be in the middle of the Sahara Desert”,
remarked Fred Stephens of Adventure Sportfishing.
As we approached Cabo Blanco at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula we
spotted something that appeared like a mirage in the shimmering humidity.
A large purple-black dorsal fin was unfurled and also unmistakable.
“Sail!” Everyone yelled
in unison as lethargic bodies now scrambled for action.
The skipper, not wanting to scare off our only fish of a meager day, was
careful positioning the array of trolling lures close enough for the sail to see
them while keeping the boat at a comfortable distance.
The big sailfish was clearly not excited about the project.
Appearing listless, it simply turned in a slow circle with a few
effortless swipes of its protruding tail. It
tracked the lure spread without giving a hint of attacking.
We dropped back rigged dead mullet also to no avail.
At least the sail didn’t leave as it was clearly too lazy to do much
that required effort. One of the
fastest fish ever documented, this individual belied the data.
Casting popping plugs near the fish only served to lower its sail
momentarily. As I mentioned to the
skipper to cut the engines I kept casting as we came to a dead stop.
A rigged mullet remained on one of the trolling lines and slowly sank out
of sight. The sail soon disappeared
as well. The clicker on the trolling
reel started making noise and accelerated as I grabbed the outfit and set the
hook. A wildly thrashing sailfish
was the result. The now energized
fish took over an hour to bring alongside for release on the 20-pound tackle.
It remains as one of the largest and strongest I’ve caught at an
estimated 160 pounds and one of the most improbable.
All of us just shook our heads at the episode.
Anglers often outsmart themselves with complicated techniques when this
“ sophisticated” gamefish just wants an easy, natural meal most of the time,
El Niño, or not. The guy who said,
“Keep it simple, stupid”, was not far from the truth when it comes to
sailfish. This lesson was valuable
because subsequent, stubborn sailfish have also fallen for similar tricks.
It’s just one of many sailfish solutions you can try from Baja to
Central America and throughout their range worldwide in tropical seas.
Sailfish strategies and techniques need to be adjusted to local
conditions. Variables include levels
of abundance, (scattered, or in big schools); whether they are aggressive or
passive; amount and type of natural forage in the area; mixed sizes , or
consistently of a certain age and weight; sea conditions; and the type of
fishing boat and equipment at your disposal can all play a role in how you
pursue sailfish.
When sailfish are found in good numbers trolling live bait is an almost
can’t miss proposition. In lower
Baja waters, big numbers of sails often arrive in August and feed through
October. The months and abundance
vary depending on sea temperature, currents, forage and other variables.
Sardines (sardines), mullet (lisa), Pacific mackerel (macarela), bigeye
scad (caballito), green jack (cocinero), figate mackerel (mulcaté) and small
skipjack are among the baits commonly used in Baja.
These baits can be slow-trolled simply by lip-hooking as with mullet,
nose-hooking in front of the eyes with most baits or in front of the dorsal
ridge for deeper swimming. Most
sailfish in Baja run 60-to 100-pounds and are more easily hooked with bait less
than 12-inches in size. If the sails
are running large, black skipjack or other baits up to three or four pounds or
more can be effective. In Panama,
where sailfish may average 120 to 140 pounds at times, even larger baits may be
used. With baits exceeding a few
pounds it is more effective to bridle -hook them forward of the eye sockets so
that they swim naturally and live longer but that’s getting away from our
“keep it simple” concept.
Trolling live bait is a fairly slow, two-to five-knot process, especially
when using downriggers, so it is most effective when sails are abundant and you
don’t have to search for them in a wide area.
If we had started off trolling live bait on the day previously noted in
Costa Rica we never would have traveled far enough to find a sail.
The baits can be trolled directly from the rod tip with just enough drag
pressure to keep the bait from pulling line off the spool.
A lever drag reel, such as the Shimano TLD 15 or TLD 20 simplifies this
task by allowing the angler to lower the lever to the point where there is
enough drag pressure to hold the bait in place while not changing the pre-set
drag pressure. With a star drag reel
the clicker alone won’t be able to hold a larger bait so the line pressure
will need to be relieved by using more complicated outriggers or transom clips
for the line. The star drag can also
be readjusted to a lighter drag pressure but will need to be readjusted
“blindly” to the proper fighting pressure once you are hooked up.
Inexperienced anglers may have some difficulty in remembering how far to
tighten the star drag once it has been backed off.
Keep it simple and get a lever drag reel.
When a sailfish approaches a live bait it may grab and swallow it in a
rush, a feeding style often referred to as “crashing” a bait and the angler
can set the hook quickly. It may
also go through a prolonged ritual of slashing it with its sword-like bill and
then re-attacking from different angles. When
this happens grab the rod and put the reel in freespool with your thumb on the
spool to hold the line. Watch the
sail and after it swats the bait lift your thumb lightly and drop the bait back
in the wash. As the line is
freespooling out at a steady rate it may pick up speed, go dead or feel erratic
as the sail picks it up. When the
line accelerates off the spool under heavy pressure engage the drag and crank
the handle hard with the rod at a low angle until line peels off the reel under
pressure. You’re now hooked-up and
you can start fighting the fish with rod tip up to apply more resistance.
Live bait is also very effective when drifted, cast or dropped back.
At times, drifting a sardina, mullet, green jack or other bait with the
boat positioned over a seamount, rocky pinnacle near deep water or near a
concentration of sails is highly effective.
To make the bait dive deeper without using a sinker, hook it in the vent
or belly area. Nose hooking and
dorsal hooking are most common. Hand
hold the rod and control the line in freespool mode.
If placed in a rod holder keep it in freespool with the clicker engaged
or under light lever drag pressure. When
a fish takes line let it run until the line feels “heavy” under your thumb
pressure. With a small sardina the
hook can be set almost immediately but it usually takes several seconds, at
minimum, for a sail to secure a strong green jack.
When a bait is taken below a drifting boat be prepared for a spectacular
surprise for the sail may break the surface very close to the boat.
As with striped marlin, lobbing or casting a live bait from the bow to a
feeding or visible fish is an exciting and highly effective technique.
Lighter tackle, such as a Shimano 400 reel and CL-715MA rod, or Shimano
700 with a CL-730MA rod are well-suited for sails.
When sailfish can be spotted on the surface try approaching them with
caution and no closer than a comfortable cast away.
Your skipper should know your casting ability or you can instruct him
when you have reached casting position. Avoid
casting the bait so that it makes a noisy splash close-to and behind the sail as
it may startle the fish causing it to disappear quickly.
Place the bait in front of the sail at about a 15-foot distance.
Putting it “right on its nose” may look good but it can also spook
some fish. If you’re lucky
you’ll see the fish light up in brilliant blue, purple and greenish-tan glow
as it pursues your bait. Baits
aren’t totally stupid and it may race back to the boat to seek refuge.
Try to keep the line clear as the sail wreaks havoc under the hull.
If this happens, give the sail a little more time to take the bait away
from the boat before setting the hook.
If you have live bait onboard but the sails are scattered or otherwise
difficult to locate, trolling lures is a better choice to find the fish.
Dropping back a live bait when a sail appears is a good tactic and will
be covered under the Bait and Switch section.
When it comes to sailfish dead bait may be better than live bait in
certain situations. Whole dead bait
can be trolled faster, belly strips cut from a tuna or skipjack can be very
enticing and if all else fails, baits can be chunked from a drifting boat to get
even stubborn sails to bite.
Trolling dead bait can be fairly simple or refined almost to an art form.
Some high seas mates are notoriously meticulous about rigging dead baits,
such as ballyhoo, replete with chin-weights, belly hooks and careful sewing
procedure. That will not be covered
here. When using dead bait it is
important to keep the mouth closed tight so that the flowing water pressure will
not make the bait spin unnaturally. This
can easily be accomplished by inserting the hook upward through both lip
membranes as with mullet. The bait
can also be bridle-rigged with the mouth sewn shut.
It’s easier to troll a slim-profile bait than a deep-bodied bait such
as a large sardina. A broad-sided
bait will have a tendency to skip on its side, which will also attract its share
of sails, but it won’t be a natural swimming motion.
Follow a similar hook-up procedure as with trolling live bait.
Dead baits may be taken faster than a frisky live bait so be prepared for
a quicker hook-set. They can be
trolled at five to eight knots which is approaching typical lure trolling speed.
My favorite sailfish attractor is the belly strip or Panama strip.
It can be rigged by sewing the cut bait to form a taper close to the hook
shank or simply by cutting a taper and inserting the hook at the trolling lead.
I prefer the latter because its fast and easy.
In fact, during a July morning trolling off Punta Pescadero a striped
marlin came up on the lures and was clearly visible as it surfed the large
swells about 50-feet from the transom. It
wasn’t interested in plastic so I started cutting a belly strip from a black
skipjack we had caught earlier. After
a few minutes of rigging the bait, occasionally looking up to see the marlin was
still with us, I dropped it back and jigged it slightly in front of the fish.
The baits split tail made a splashing vibration and its fresh smell did
the job as the marlin soon crashed it. Without
that bait nothing would have happened so always keep a few skipjacks or bonito
onboard.
No rigging needle, thread or other paraphernalia is needed.
Simply carve the belly section by tapering the tough forward or breast
portion and cut the tail piece into two v-shaped patterns.
Filet the meat out of the tail at an angle so that only skin remains on
the last inch or two. Push the hook
through the forward section. If you
want to add color to the rig, place a plastic squid shirt above the hook so it
drapes over the front portion of the bait. This
will also keep the bait from “washing out” sooner.
This bait swims and flutters on the surface and gives off more scent than
a whole bait. It attracts sails,
marlin, dorado, and many other species. When
a fish hits feed line for a moment in freespool before setting the hook.
Chunking bait is most effective from an anchored boat or on a slow drift
over proven sailfish water. Chunking
will also attract yellowfin tuna among the many species that want an easy meal
At times, stopping a troll when the sails are plentiful but won’t come
to the lures and chunking will create a feeding frenzy.
Drop various sized chunks from quarter-inch morsels to occasional
three-inch snacks overboard in a steady stream.
Hook a chunk so that the hook shank is covered and let it drift without
weight into the depths at the same rate of speed as the free-falling chunks.
If the sail(s) is near the boat slurping chunks with other fish try
lobbing a chunk close to it in order to avoid hooking a different species such
as a scavenging dorado. Once the
bait is taken reel quickly until you come tight and then start using the rod
action more to fight the fish. Avoid
a long drop-back to keep from gut-hooking the sail.
Artificial lures are a great way to attract and catch sailfish.
From large billfish skirts to small feather jigs, sailfish will take a
variety of artificials and have surprised many anglers looking for other
gamefish. Lures can be trolled
faster than live or dead bait and are at their best when a large area needs to
be covered when looking for fish. However,
unless the sailfish are particularly aggressive, lures have a tendency to raise
sailfish more than catch them. Many
sailfish skippers prefer softhead-type lures, such as the Moldcraft Super
Chugger series, because sails tend to hold them longer and this gives the angler
a better chance at setting the hook. You
can also spice up a lure with a thin strip of bait on the hook to encourage a
better take. As when trolling bait,
the lures can be run directly from the rod tip or with outriggers, downriggers
or transom clip-release. It’s
standard practice to troll lures with the drag on “strike” position for a
quick hook-set, however, I prefer using the softheads with a light drag setting
even when run from an outrigger. This
allows the fish to turn with the lure in its mouth before feeling pressure and
the angler can monitor what the fish is doing before engaging the drag and
setting the hook.
Flyfishing for sails has become increasingly popular as well as casting
surface-poppers to visible fish using light tackle.
However, these techniques usually rely on a trained crew, teamwork,
teasing fish to the boat, specialized tackle and rigging which is not in the
“simple” category covered here.
When a sailfish shows itself in the trolling spread but won’t take a
lure or behind a teaser, the bait and switch method comes into play.
Simply put, just drop back a live or dead bait near the pursuing fish,
wait for it to leave the artificial, let it eat the bait and set the hook.
In reality, daily experience with a wide variety of sailfish demeanors
and other variables will place a great deal of importance on teamwork, practice,
tackle familiarity and communication that threatens to make this style of
fishing very complicated. Some
charter crews, such as the outfits in Guatemala that rack up big release
numbers, rely heavily on the bait and switch method to increase their hook-up
ratios.
Unlike conventional trolling, this method relies more on angler skill to
be successful. When an interested
sail becomes visible, the angler quickly picks up a pre-selected outfit with a
per-rigged bait attached. Drop the
bait back either behind the teaser or lure or in front and to the side.
Sometimes the angler can keep the bait closer to the boat and the mate
will bring the teaser to the bait. When
the bait is behind the teaser the strike impact will be greater because the two
entities are going in opposite directions and the angler needs to avoid a
backlash. This is probably the
trickiest aspect of fishing this way and an “educated thumb” is nice to
have. Since the captain usually has
a better view of things than you, unless perhaps your fishing from a panga,
listen to any instruction given to improve your chances.
One thing the crew can do to help is to bring in all extraneous lures and
teasers before you start a drop back. Otherwise
the fish may go “ window shopping” among the spread and present a difficult
moving target to drop a bait to. It’s
not unusual to have to move quickly from one corner of the cockpit to the other
so keeping the deck free of clutter and people is important for safety and
efficiency.
Sailfish are found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical seas. Good news for anglers is that sailfish are found in greatest abundance near offshore islands, on the continental shelf and close to the mainland so they are a fairly accessible billfish species. The Indo-Pacific sailfish provides great opportunities using a variety of fishing styles in many traditional as well as exotic regions. Some of these, including peak seasons, are: Los Cabos and the East Cape of Baja (August to October); Mazatlan (June to November); Puerto Vallarta (September to December); Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo (December to May); Huatulco (April to December); Iztapa, Guatemala (all year); Flamingo, Costa Rica (June to October); Quepos, Costa Rica (January to April); Coiba Island, Panama (December to May); Piñas Bay, Panama (January to June); Fiji (June to September); Phuket Island, Thailand (July to January); Malindi, Kenya (October to January); Broome, Western Australia (June to October).
PHONE 619-462-7875
FAX 619-435-6009
E-MAIL: tonypena@rovingagnler.com
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