| DORADO PROVIDES
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
By Bob Riepenhoff - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Two miles out in the Pacific Ocean, with the green hills of Baja Mexico looming in the distance, we were trolling big plastic squid baits at high speed when my first dorado hit. I sprang from the fighting chair, grabbed the trolling rod from its holder and lifted up to set the hook. When I did, maybe 65 yards behind the boat, it was showtime. The fish was a good one, and it launched skyward, clearing the water by 3 feet with a head-banging ferocity that made my heart pound. It was a sight Ill never forget. This was the first day of a six-day fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas with my friend Gary Wroblewski of Eagle, Wis., who operates Bluewater Outfitters. When the big fish jumped a second time, and then a third, I couldnt help myself. I had to hoot, holler and laugh out loud. I was ready to sign up for the dorado fan club. The dorado, also called dolphin fish or mahi-mahi, is a long, blunt-nosed, tapered fish with a dorsal fin that runs the length of its body. It inhabits the warm-water oceans of the world. They swim with great speed and spend much of their time near the waters surface. Its known as one of the oceans most beautiful fish, with colors that vary widely from iridescent gold, green, blue and silver-white, and can change during the course of a battle They are the most amazingly colored fish, Wroblewski told me. They literally glow in the water. Sport anglers love the dorado because of its powerful runs and surface acrobatics, especially the amazing jumps. For that reason, during the course of this trip, I came to think of them as the smallmouth bass of saltwater fishing. Theyre a highly prized game fish because of their aerial maneuvers and awesome speed and power, Wroblewski said. Theyre such a strong fish, and their delicate white meat makes excellent table fare. Five- to 15-pound dorado are common, but they can grow to in excess of 50 pounds. After a 15-minute battle, I finally brought the big dorado to boatside. But the fight wasnt over. I could see the big fish, but it put the brakes on and we stalemated.-- more>>> |
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