Fellow Anglers,
After 3 lackluster days of fishing for giant blue marlin off Isabela Island with Rick and Ryan Riggle, Steven, Aiden and Ryan Hurt we finally found the blue marlin. Here is the full report and when conditions are right Isabela Island can be the best place in the Pacific for blue marlin.
Braden Escobar hosted Ecuagringo’s first annual group of anglers fishing out of Isabela Island, Galapagos to search for big blues. Rick Riggle and Steven Hurt have been to Isabela before and Steven already had scored on one of two granders in 2019.
April 3, 2021– The crew of the Patricia with Captain Yuri Gutierrez, mate Jairon Gutierrez and under the guidance of Ecuagringo founder Braden Escobar fished the water from 8 to 25 miles from Puerto Villamil. Flat calm seas with some bait and birds produced a bite from a small blue under 200# that knocked the rigger but did not get hooked.
April 4, 2021– 36 ft Sport-fisher Patricia fished the area 13 miles from port along the first and second drop and had 3 rigger knock downs but we could not identify fish.
April 5, 2021– Patricia ran almost 50 miles to fish close to the coast line where Isabela Island turns West and found beautiful blue water. A Pacific sierra mackerel about 9 pounds would make for a good ceviche as the crew fished for meat fish near shore. Eventually the boat turned towards offshore and 130# lines went in the water.
The Patricia fished within 25 miles of Fernandina Island before heading back fishing toward port and caught a very nice 25 pound mahi and saw a striped marlin that came to check out the spread but did not bite. A nice current break with blue water on West side and greener water on Eastern side produced no fish. Patricia ran back to fish closer to port and noted water was bluer with some bait towards end of day with no bites.
April 6, 2021– Today was the day as Patricia fished out from the first drop at 7 miles from port. Conditions were beautiful with balls of bait on sounder and blue water with flat seas. Lines were in water 25 minutes when a small blue knocked the long right. Fishing out towards the South a nice blue came on the left short off the dredge and ate a gold and black Black Bart lure. Fish was about 500# and put on a spectacular set of jumps on the 130# Alutecnos reel and Chaos custom rod.
Ryan Hurt caught his first blue marlin and released it. Two fish had graced the spread before lunch time. Birds and bait were prevalent and all the signs were there for a great day in the making. Cloud cover moved in and the bait went down and all action slowed until about 2:30 when a nice blue about 350# came off the Fish Razr dredge and ate the same Black Bart gold and black lure. Aiden Hurt caught his first blue marlin and released it.
A striped marlin about 200# had been sunning itself and came to check out spread but no bites. Another blue about 300# chased the right long but did not bite to end day. Lots of bait and birds to close out the day.
Three more days left to fish with the Riggles and Hurts. We will be putting more reports on some of the best blue marlin fishing in the Pacific.
