Christmas Gift

 This last month the tarpon fishing has average 4 to 10 bites per 1/2 day and average size of tarpon are 10 to 40 pound. One of the morning produce over 30 bites of small tarpon on 8 pound and it was a ball. Bigger tarpon has been spot and we had some mornings with some big tarpon action and we had a combination of small fish with big ones. From this month until late March we can have some cold front aproaching the Island bringing some drastic changes on weather and barometric pressure which can trigger our tarpon to eat on frenzies and very steady for one or two days non stop. Most of this tarpon when they get trigger by weather are big tarpon, but some time very large amount of small fish get together and eat for long periods of time when this event happen. This was the month were Capt. Juan Torrouella and I land 47 tarpon in one day of fishing.

What happen off shore is nothing but a Christmas gift were I already forgot when was the last time I went out on First Lady and not raise a sailfish, is INCREDIBLE for our water. I my 18 years as a professional sportfisherman I had never experience a sailfish season like this year. Every year is getting better and better  for the last 3 years but his season if some body has not land at least 5 sailfish is because there is no hook in the water. Most boats out there are raising between 2 to 12 sailfish per day. I personally had two 1/2 day with 6 bites of sailfish and the average is 2 to 4 per 3/4 day.  This action is combine with mahi-mahi, blue marlin, wahoo and some tuna. In the last two full moon some of my friend on recreational boats has land blue marlin and some of this action was on multiple bites like double headers.  

 This last weekend I experience some of the lowest act on the business. A gentleman aproach a concierge desk and ask for my service and my name and the person on the desk refer the customer to another charter company and was basically with no other option and push to go with a non request company. The same day after the trip the customer call me and inform the uncomfort after were refer to my service threw a friend of his that fish with me before. The reason not to use my service was that “I was a good fisherman but I don’t have fishing license and or permit to operate and the local authorities know about this matters”. THIS IS BULLSHIT and I can give names of charters that are use at some of the concierge and they don’t have any permit. I AM SORRY ABOUT MY FRENCH  but I am on fire with this cowards and that’s the reason why I am posting the permits for each of my boats. Know I dare all charters company to do the same on their web page and find a better way to find customers.  This acts are not from all the concierge but looks like there is some that practice this coward acts. Merry Christmas and happy new year.

See You Next Tide

Capt. Omar Orraca

More Sails and Tarpon

 Since last report I start fishing on Friday, Nov, 14 were I guide Mr. Hiraoka for his first fly fishing experience for tarpon. On 4 hour of fishing he was able to land one snook, a 15 pound tarpon, lost another 2 and land a whopping 64 inches on short or from the lower jaw to the fork of the tail and 36 in girth….., the tarpon was tag and release very tired, she kill herself with a incredible displacement of runs and jumps. Also during last week the fishing turn to be a little more active in the afternoon with a average of 6 to 10 bites of 15 to 40 pounds tarpon in 4 hours. We had about 3 mornings with slack tide, blue bird skys and not a good action. Two days ago it change for good in the morning again, with a average of 6 real tarpon ( 50-100+) not mangrove rats. We don’t have anything against fishing for small tarpon if the customer request so, but we always ready for big ones. We carry on every tarpon trip at least 2-3 Stella 10,000 or Thunnus 4500 with 20 pound test ready for the big girls.  We also carry 8 and 12 pound test Stella, Thunnus and Stradic for smaller fish, 6 and 4 pound test line can be feature up on request. Our lagoons system is a big nursery were some of the best action days are base with tarpon more like 15 to 40 pound range, this groups normally runs in the bigger lagoon and not in the canals were a lot 3 - 5 pounder feeds on small minnows, were we can stack some numbers. But in my personal opinion the best challenge is in the big lagoon or San Jose lagoon (The Play Ground).

 Off shore the sailfish has rule the last couple of  weeks. Cangrejos and Arecibo sailfish tournament provide very good numbers of sail. There boats that raise more 10 sails in two days of fishing and for Puerto Rico this are good numbers when you mixed with yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi. This last weekend we had the first cold front of the season and I had to cancel a deep sea trip, seas were over 10 foot and 25 knot wind…..not nice. When the seas calm down a little we can have a feast on sailfish and mahi-mahi. Please keep Capt. Nico on your prayers so he can get over his lung cancer and start fishing again. Thank you all

See You Next Tide

Capt. Omar Orraca

Living The Dream

 After a tough week at the office thing turn around for good….very good. All start on Nov  6 when Capt. Juan Torruella and I went deep sea fishing with Mr Lawrance Cook. Juan was all exited about fishing ballyhoo with circle hooks on a new rig and Omar love new stuff so here we go. It was mid quarter of the moon going up so I was not that confidence of a incredible action so we set light line like 20 pound test spin reels Thunnus and conventional TLD from Shimano. The action start with a quad or 4 mahi-mahi and 3 of them on circle hook one on j-hook. This was good stuff, I have heard that you can pull the hook easly on mahi-mahi when circle hooks are use. It was a ball all the mahi-mahi ware over 15 pounds and the bull was 34. After cleaning and some hi-5 we set the spread again. Some more trolling here we go again, a 225 pound blue marlin show on one of the teaser and Juan brought the ballyhoo next to it when I was pulling it out of the blue marlin, this technique is name switch and bait. Well you know you are not suppose to fight blue marlin on 20 pound test and even more crazy to use a spin rod with only 265 yards of line. I manage to spin the boat and chase the fish side way, stop the run and after one hour 15 minutes we land the blue marlin on a Thunnus spin rod from Shimano and after the fight the reel was ready for another one. On Sunday Juan and I jump again to guide Mr Scott Wilson for a birthday present for his dad. This time we were able to hook a 47 pound tuna but the detail is it was on 20 pound test and circle hook again…one hour and the tuna was on the boat. Very tough fish to work. We finish the day with a sail fish that were lost next to the boat on one of the jumps, but we were able to get the best out of it. This make the 44 billfish strike on First Lady and land 23.   

 In the lagoons fishing for tarpon we had a average of 4 to10 tarpon bites. On Sunday we were able to hook 4 tarpon and land all 4 tarpon on 8 pound test. Two of the fish were on the 40 pound range. The first 40 pounder took about 20 minutes to land and the second about 15 minutes. Yesterday in the afternoon I was guiding Mr. Venice and we were able to had 5 bites and land 3 tarpon, 2 were in the 25 pound range and the last tarpon was a whopping 60 inches short and 34 girth on a 20 minutes fight.

 Can some body explain how some people call them self names in order to attract customers and then not be able to support the names with acts. How some body call himself the number one billfish release when he only flag less that 5 billfish flags and has not land a sailfish all season long. Also people calling them self the biggest tarpon company and never guide a tarpon over 120 pound. This comments don’t give prestige to them self but to others when they can’t perform.

See You Next Tide

Capt. Omar Orraca