East Cape Classic anglers score
LOS BARILLES
LOS BARRILES-It was a busy day at Baja airports on Oct. 10, as over 250 anglers bound for the Lynn Rose/Palmas de Cortez East Cape Classic piled into the Baja for transport to Los Barrilles for the annual fun and frenzy fundraiser that helps out the kids and city of Los Barriles.
The 65 boats caught and released 156 billfish during the 3-day tournament, and hundreds of tuna, dorado and wahoo were caught, as well as some surprise fish like a 40-plus-pound grouper.
The East Cape Classic is more of a "fun" event than a competition, although some great cash and big prizes can be won by the anglers. The main purpose, however, is to raise funds for the local kids and citizens of Los Barriles, and this year over $25,000 was raised. Past events have built playgrounds, started student art clinics, bought schoolbuses and helped with a medical center.
At the heart of the East Cape Classic is Lynn Rose Tours and the VanWormers, owners of Palmas de Cortez, Playa del Sol and Punta Colorada, and all of their various sponsors, including Accurate Reels, Corona Beer, Thompson Building Materials, Llewellen Supply, Quality Plastering and many more.
It was a bit disconcerting for all to hear upon arrival that the wide open bite directly in front of the hotel and within a few miles had gotten blown away in a 3-day northerly that ended the day they all arrived, but hopes were high for the first fishing day on Oct. 11.
Being the first day after 3 days of wind, the first fishing day wasn't spectacular, and in fact, the best fishing was found far south on the East Cape below Los Frailes and towards the Gordo Bank, where a big group of tuna and other fish were found. But there were also isolated areas of fish everywhere in the form of dorado, sailfish, marlin and a surprising number of wahoo.
First day would have to have been considered okay, the second day good, and the third day excellent, as fish moved back up the cape towards Los Barriles. Even so, some of the boats saw nothing but non-stop action, like the Rude Girl that posted 1,150 point day one, 1,000 points day two and 2,020 points day three for tourney-high score of 4,170 points!! The Ballihoo came in second with 3,750 points and the Dusty B III came in third with 3,505 points.
Dusty B III was fished by Matt and Ed Horner of Ontario and Mike McCasland of Upland, and the first day they went way south for 4 dorado, and two blue marlin of about 175 and 275 pounds. They lost one other marlin. The last day they caught and released 6 billfish including 4 stripers by McCasland, 2 stripers by Ed Horner and 1 blue for Matt-again, way south.
Winners of the daily pots of $2,200 apiece were Jeff Fritsch aboard the Juliessa for a 31-pound dorado, Steve Essick aboard the La Migra for a 69-pound yellowfin, that also turned out to be big tuna of the tournament, Derek Pritchett aboard El Patron for a 65-pound yellowfin and Alfonso Chavez with a 33-pound dorado caught aboard Dona.
Surprising to almost everyone were the big number of wahoo that were caught. 'Hoos are caught occasionally, but not frequently off the East Cape, but there were as many as 5 a boat caught during the tournament, including a number in the 30- to 40-pound range. There was also a 43-pound pargo grouper caught aboard the Mahitini, that in addition to 20 yellowfin tuna and 6 dorado by the group of Mark Fuller of San Demos, David Ryan and John Armstrong, both of Glendora.
An example of how the fishing varied came to the J & B. One of the anglers, Jerry Faust of Riverside, said the second day of the tournament they caught nothing, zero, zip, nada but the next day they caught 25 tuna and lots of dorado, and that just past the lighthouse around Punta Arena. Our personal fishing experience on two short fishing days netted a 40-pound yellowfin and 2 dorado the first day, three small tuna the next day, and zero the next day with a few tries at non-biting billfish. That's fishing!
As always the meals were fantastic, the camaraderie excellent and the boat handling by German and staff quite unbelievable. Matriarch Cha Cha VanWormer, Patriarch Bobby VanWormer and sons Chucky, Eddy and Bobby made everyone feel at home.
The next Classic coming up is the La Paz Classic where all the funds go to the old folks home in La Paz on June 4-8, 2008. Fishing out of here is with David Jones and The Fisherman's Fleet where anglers fish out of both Las Arenas and the La Paz side for the best of all worlds. For information about the 2008 East Cape Classic CLICK HERE For more information on the two Classics, or booking trips most anywhere, call Lynn Rose Tours at 1 (800) 525-9527.
For details about last year's East Cape Classic, please click here.
|  |
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)