Fellow Anglers,
Isabela Island, Galapagos Report March 18-22, 2019
This past week has been an incredible and very insightful experience for the Ecuagringo crews and staff in the Galapagos. We finally fished our first group of anglers out of Isabela Island looking for huge blue marlin and Isabela did not disappoint. Over 5 days we encountered swordfish, striped marlin, blue marlin and two grander blue marlin in back to back days. We have for almost two decades insisted just how good the potential for giant blue marlin was out of Isabela Island. The currents, deep drops and abundance of bait and life make it prime blue marlin habitat.
Isabela is not a place you come for numbers even though some days in the past up to 5 blue marlin have been raised in a single day. This is your next destination to seriously target marlin 600 to 1000# plus. Our last charter with Rick Riggle and Steven Hurt was fun, wild and exceptional. Steven Hurt fought a blue marlin estimated well over 1000# that put an 80 Accurate twin drag reel to shame and broke off after 45 minutes.
The next day Steven locked onto a grander blue and was able to get a leader release in under 25 minutes but fish spit the hook while we tried to grab the leader again and bring it closer for pictures. In 5 days of fishing we released 2 blue marlin, 1 striped marlin, lost a blue marlin that broke 80# gear and lost another about 600# on a jump. The last day of fishing we went 2/3 on marlin.
San Cristobal, Galapagos Report March 23-24, 2019
Crews are reporting plenty of life and bait but fish seemed more sluggish last few days. Mantaraya raised 9 striped marlin, had 5 bites and released 1 on March 23. Vertigo with Pete Santini raised raised 12 striped marlin, had 7 bites and released 2 on March 24.
Book now for 2020. Dates in the prime season December to May are going fast.