Tag: Sailfish

March 27, 2012

Jeff Bickel was introduced to big Sailfish when he had a double release with his brother Brian back in January. 

This time there was a mighty billfish waiting on him and he bested this beastie in just 15 minutes.

Our new friend Steve matched his fishing buddy with a tremendous Sailfish release of his own.

Of course First Mate Alex saw to the safe release of both monsters. With the trophies released, Jeff and Steve checked in at the fish market and scooped up more that 50 pounds of Mahi-mahi.

Great gaff shot by First Mate Alex but an even better photo by Captain William:

 

 

March 26, 2012

Our new friends Chris and Carolyn DiCola ripped the Sailfish out of the frame on their first day of fishing today. The bills came in hot and heavy, but the Wanderer has built a reputation as the toughest bill collector in town.

The days action saw three beautiful Sailfish releases…great work on the reels by Team DiCola and by First Mate Alex to ensure the unstressed release of these magical creatures.

The DiCola’s have much more fishing planned this week, so look out for these Pennsylvania-based anglers.

March 14, 2012

Our old friend George Shipley returned to the blue waters of Garza hoping for a repeat of his excellent performance on the Explorer back in February 2011. With his young son in tow, Mr. Shipley opted for the more spacious Wanderer and once again he was face-to-face with a mighty pacific billfish.

This Pacific Sailfish weighs about 135lbs. and is a wonderful example of the beasts that lurk just a few miles off of our shores. Great work by the crew to ensure the safe release of this majestic beast.

March 4, 2012

John Winter Preiss returned to the Explorer for a full day of fishing and proved that with 8 hours to work with (and such close proximity to the blue water) it is possible to nab billfish and bottom fish on the same day.

Captain David set up on the reefs at Pincha Padre around 11 am and gathered the required bait for offshore hunting; meanwhile John and his group plucked a meaty pair of Groupers off of the reef.

In an abnormal development, the Red Grouper has been more prevalent than the Broomtail Grouper recently. Nice to see a true Broomtail again!

As the 1pm Sailfish bite neared, Captain William and Mate Carlos took the unbreakable Explorer out the blue water and put the billfish spread on display. A high-flying Sailfish came calling and charged one of the outrigger lures. The hook found its home and the fight was on with this acrobatic Sailfish.

Great bill and release by Mate Carlos to ensure the safety of boat, fish, and angler. Carlos is a local legend in Garza and his fishing prowess is unmatched; he has been a wonderful addition to the Explorer and has cemented her reputation as the best mid-sized boat in the bay.

The Explorer proves what can be done in this fertile fishery with the right combination of boat size, motor power, and tackle; this boat has no equal!

February 27, 2012

John Murdaugh and his group come from a small South Carolina town but when these guys hit the water in Nosara they meant buisness big-time. On board the magnificent Wanderer with Captain William and First Mate Alex, these guy brought home a trio of fish that are all monsters in their own regard; taken together this is truly the trip of a lifetime.

This 50+lbs. Dorado was first out of the chute and John brought him in like an old pro. Next up was a mighty Pacific Sailfish who they caught and released very efficeintly…less than 15 minutes from hook up to release.

The final fight was from a MASSIVE Striped Marlin that came screaming through the baits like a banshee. The fight was a true test of angling mettle, but John Murdaugh and his team were apt to win the battle. Both billfish were  safely released as always…nice  work by First Mate Alex.

I can’t wait to see the video from their pole camera but hopefully we’ll have in up here real soon.

A fantastic day of catching that will have the whole town of Hanahan, SC talking.

February 26, 2012

John Michael Burling and the boys finished off their fishing odyssey with Captain David on the 27 foot Super Panga Explorer. After fishing for a few day on the bigger boats, one could imagine that the fishing on the barroom brawler would be a let down…turns out they saved the best for last

First up on the hook was another nice Red Grouper weighing in at a good 15 lbs.

With dinner taken care of, this group set out for the deeper water and tried to best their wonderful Blue Marlin release from the previous day. The first curious billfish that came knocking was this awesome Sailfish, which when released was estimated to weigh over 120lbs.

The final victory lap came for these guys in the form of this massive Striped Marlin. Usually the Stripeys are the smallest of our Marlins, but this guy is a behemoth…it looks like it’s got shoulders!

All in all it was a great week of fishing for the Burling group with lots of good fishing stories to take back home.

February 20, 2012

Thompson Rains come to Nosara as a result of winning the Ancient City Kingfish Tournament raffle last Spring. The whole family is in town and they have already had some excellent action around Garza.

On February 20 they joined Captain William on the Wanderer for an offshore billfish hunt and we are happy to report that they released two amazing Pacific Sailfish.

The first came around 12:30pm and hit the spread very aggressively. A quick fight followed and this beauty was set free after just 20 minutes.

The second sail blasted through he blue water around 2:30 and was released at 3pm. Fantastic day by some Florida anglers who know how to handle the blue water beasties. Excellent work by Captain William, First Mate Alex and the whole Rains group.