Outdoor Notes / Pete Thomas : Hurricane Kiko Leaves, but Blue Marlin Didn’t Go With It

Hurricane Kiko is gone, power has been restored, the water is clear and things are back to normal off the southern Baja Peninsula.

And although most of the fishing has been for blue marlin, 10-year-old J. R. DuBroy made his visit a memorable one by hooking into one of a school of giant yellowfin tuna that made a brief showing off Cabo San Lucas earlier this month.

At 238 pounds, DuBroy’s yellowfin--caught on 100-pound-test line--was one of the largest taken off Cabo San Lucas in years.

“The tuna went straight down and every time I’d pull up 10 feet, he went down another nine,” DuBroy, of La Canada, said of the hour-long battle aboard the Hotel Twin Dolphin’s Juanita IX.

Meanwhile, blue marlin--primarily in the 300-pound range--and sailfish continue to delight the few anglers fishing in what is considered the resort city’s slowest month.

“There are not a whole lot of folks fishing, but those who are here are very happy,” Lowanda Josephson of Cabo San Lucas’ Tortuga Sportfishing said.

Before Kiko swept across the peninsula during the last weekend in August, 37 boats fishing in a tournament off Cabo San Lucas weighed in 28 blue marlin--the biggest a 441-pounder--and released 20 others. The hurricane abruptly ended the tournament, however, after the first day.

“And there are still lots of blues,” said Tortuga owner Darrell Primrose, adding that a 600-pound blue was weighed in Sunday.

Farther north at the East Cape region, where Kiko hit the hardest, minor cleanup and repairs continue. But fishing has improved because of the hurricane.

Dorado have reportedly been congregating under the floating debris washed out by the storm and fishermen have been catching them at 20-60 pounds.

Rafael Martinez, assistant manager at Hotel SPA Buenavista, said blue marlin are beginning to show in the daily counts as well and said one estimated at 600 pounds was lost after a 4 1/2-hour fight.

Sailfish pushed north of the area by Kiko have returned and, according to Martinez, light-tackle fishermen are experiencing an excellent bite for the scrappy billfish to 70 pounds.

Southern California marlin fishing continues at a steady pace, with about five fish being caught daily, according to Rosie Cadman at Avalon Sea Foods.

Cadman, also the weighmaster at Avalon, said no fish were brought in Monday but sightseers were treated to an acrobatic display by a large school of stripers just off the pier.

“They were jumping like mad right out front,” she said. “But all the fishermen were on the backside (of Catalina), between here and San Clemente Island.”

A total of 190 marlin have been weighed in by Cadman so far this year, and the Southland’s two other primary marlin clubs--the Balboa Angling Club and San Diego Marlin Club--have reported similar success.

The San Diego Oceans Foundation’s second annual Ocean Shootout Tournament will be held Oct. 3-4, with the money raised going to fund the organization’s various projects.

Fishing competition will be limited to 54 four-man teams, which will fish aboard 10 party boats reserved for the event. Top team will win a week on a Montana ranch--which sets adjacent to the Madison River, famous for its trout fishing--owned by Bill Poole, a pioneer of long-range sportfishing. Top individual wins a 14-foot aluminum boat with motor. And, for incentive purposes, the skipper of the top boat will win a trip to Hawaii.

Surface gamefish, excluding billfish and sharks, will be targeted and fishermen will travel as far south as San Martin Island during the competition.

For more information call the foundation’s Carl Nettleton at (619) 237-1221.

Briefly

The eastern Sierra buck hunt opened Saturday and wildlife biologists say hunters should concentrate their efforts near running creeks, springs and ponds in Inyo and Mono counties buck zones. “The Sierra deer are widely scattered,” said the DFG’s Ron Thomas, who added that drought conditions over the last two years will be primarily responsible for a decline in hunter success. Biologists familiar with all three Sierra zones--open until sundown Oct. 1--also said water will be the key to success.

Instructions offered: Offshore & big game fishing by Al Zapanta, tonight and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. San Gabriel Valley Flyfishers, flycasting clinic, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m., Legg Lake-Whittier Narrows Visitors Center. Downey Fly Fishers, beginning fly tying class, Sept. 28--and eight consecutive weeks--at 7 p.m., Rio San Gabriel Park in Downey. Nevada’s Cal Bird, demonstrating fly tying techniques, classes Sept. 23-25 at Marriott’s Flyfishing Center in Fullerton.