Galapagos Marlin Report from Captain Escobar

It has been a couple of weeks since my last report. I have been fishing everyday and finally over a few late nights I have been able to put a little humble something together. The striped marlin may have not been altogether as numerous on the bite as the first half of the month but there are plenty of fish here regardless. Rosa Blanca Bank has been hot and full of life with birds, marlin, dolphins, sea lions and plenty of sharks. Marlin are seen busting the surface just about every day and I think that so much hot water is keeping the fish from staying on top as long as they were before. Nevertheless there are plenty of fish in these waters now.
The sea conditions have been surprisingly windy for the last month which is very unusual for this time of the year. It has not been as hot as other years so far. However water temperatures have been solid over 83 F every day. The water has been solid blue everyday on Rosa Blanca. Bait balls can be seen on the monitor and sometimes on the surface. The ocean has been choppier than usual and days have been overcast or sunny but rarely a mixture of both the same day.

Feb 21, 2010 Pete Santini fished with “Kiwi” Tim Cooney, Chrystal Hightower fished Rosa Balnca bank. Santini reported raising 19 stripes with 9 bites and releasing 5. Everyone onboard fishing caught their first striped marlin.
Feb 22, 2010 Santini fished with Isabela (from Venezuela) and her husband Dan from San Diego. Fishing on Rosa Blanca bank late in the day for 3 hours they raised 13 and had 7 bites with 4 releases.
Feb 23, 2010 Tom Noonan and Mike Eakins who fish with me every year came down for their annual “Rain Gear Adventures” trip to the Galapagos. The ocean was 3 to 5 chops and the weather was rainy. The fish were spread out throughout the bank but they were aggressive. Using bait we manage to release 6 stripes out of 6 bites. Eight stripes and a blue around 400# were raised.
Feb 24, 2010 the second day on the water with Tom and Mike started with a bit less rain. The water was a not as choppy and conditions remained pretty much the same on Rosa Blanca bank. We raised 8 stripeys with 8 bites and 5 releases.
Feb 25, 2010 we took a day off to try our luck bottom fishing for grouper. Fishing was a bit slow and only a handful of small groupers were caught.
Feb 26, 2010 Tom and Mike went for a day of marlin fishing aboard the Johnamar. The ocean was nice but the fish were finicky. Rosa Blanca bank was alive with lots of birds, dolphins and sea lions around. We raised 12 stripes, had 10 bites and 2 releases.
Feb 27, 2010 this was the day of the earthquake in Chile so a tsunami alert would not let us leave the dock until 11 am. Figuring it was a bit late to get to the marlin grounds we made our way to McGowen reef to fish for tuna and wahoo. Still fishing with Mike and Tom we located a bait ball being hammered by tuna. Using a popper on a spinning rod Mike managed to hook a tuna on his first cast when a brand new Fin Nor Spinning 9500 OS (don’t buy one) reel gave out on him. What luck!!
Feb 28, 2010 finally a very nice and calm day on the water. Ocean conditions were wonderful. Tom and Mike had a day full of action with 27 stripes raised and 19 bites with 5 releases on baits. The fish were difficult eaters on Rosa Blanca bank. However it was not a bad way to end the last day of fishing with
March 2, 2010 onboard the Johnamar it was an all “pink” boat with 4 lady anglers. I do not have their names at the moment but they were a charter that came of the “Valkyrie”. This is 100 ft plus boat visiting the Galapagos. The day was nice yet choppy day raising 13 stripeys to the teasers and baits with 9 bites and 3 releases on 30# tackle and circle hooks.
On the other hand the Annette which had the husbands from the same group onboard raised 16 stripes, had 12 bites and released 7 striped marlin on the circle hooks.
March 3, 2010 we set off on the Johnamar with William Hollkamp and 3 friends of his. Mr. Hollkamp is owner of the Valkyrie and an avid fisherman. William and his group raised 23 stripeys and had 15 bites with 6 releases on the circle hooks. It was an action packed day with lots of fun. Rosa Blanca was alive with sea lions, dolphins, marlin and birds.
March 5, 2010 we took John Sensenich and Dennis Cursio on their first Galapagos striped marlin adventure. We ran onboard the Johnamar to Rosa Blanca bank and begun to fish a spot called Red Point. This specific fishing hole was named after the local brothel in honor of a sort of local celebrity and famous late old “Captain Master Rats who was perhaps their most frequent client! Befors I get sidetracked anymore the ocean was the roughest I have seen it all year. The bank was alive with life. We raised 11 and got 7 bites with one fish hooked and caught on a Penn 6500 spinner. 4 stripes were released.
The Blue fished next to us with Captain Julio Rodriguez at the helm. Mike Stahl was fly fishing for marlin. They managed to raised 7 fish to the teasers and get 2 bites on fly with one fish breaking off the fly line.
March 5, 2010, again John and Dennis went out on the Blue. This was a much calmer day than the previous. John and Dennis fished aboard the Johanamar and raised 13 striped marlin , with 11 bites and 5 releases.
The Blue was fly fishing with Mike Stahl and raised 11 stripes with 3 bites on the fly. The fish were found all over Red Point and the Honey Hole on Rosa Blanca bank.

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Braden Escobar
President ECUAGRINGO S.A Hunting, fishing and adventure in Ecuador, Galapagos Islands and Peru
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