Toro Toro Toro

I always wanted to name the blog that because I say it daily on the beach. This morning was a smokin hot toro bite with the rooster thrown in. I'll start with a typical one that Ernie caught, poor Ern's been kind of behind the curve lately with the catching part so I want to showcase him a bit.

MP and I have both had some kind of bronchial deal going on. I'm beginning to think that being somewhat ill all the time is just part of the cost of being in Mazatlan. So yesterday I missed my first day on the beach but I heard reports, its like the Kenai, theres no secrets. So this morning I'm on a #1 bus at 6:15. It stops about 1/2 mile south of where I prefer to fish but I was hinky and needed to go, now! As I walk up on the beach theres pelicanos floating offshore and just a few little white birds flying. BUT, I can see Toro in the waves right next to shore. Every so often a school of twenty or so like this one that Ern is holding swim by at my feet. I put on their prefered lure, metal, and nothing. I can see Ernie up the beach a ways and he has the body language that says no fish again. So finally I change to my silver Ranger, you know how I just love to see that baby fly and splash along the top. The first cast I get a follow and on the second its fish on. I release 3 before Ern shows up and catches this one. Then he gets a 'shamozle' and is out of the game as I continue to have them surrounded. Poor Ern had the line wrapped around the cannon and didn't notice....huge tangle. I want some pictures so I hook one and hand the pole to this fellow from Alberta to land. He's left handed and watching him make sense of it at first was pretty darn chuckly. It made his day and I have to tell you it made me feel good about the world.

The bite kind of slows and I say good-bye to my new Canadian friend. As Ern and me walk north I can see just a couple of the little white birds that I consider the smartest acting unusual. I've found they're the ones to watch, pelicans are liars. I tell the Ernster that I think the Rooster is around and he tells me I have better eyes than him. I tell him of course I do, I'm only 56 years old. But, I'm not feeling well and I got off this morning without any water so we're headed out when we look up the beach to a huge baitball. Its 1/4 mile offshore but as we run for it the distance is closing. When we get perpendicular to it its apparent we're going to have a chance. Theres literally 100's of Toro's and the unmistakable Rooster all together and they're right on shore. My first cast I see the follow, feel the tug and as I'm fishing mono this morning I set the hook hard....real Hard. Well it reminded me of a calamity we had snagging reds many years ago when one of my buddies jerked to close to shore and got gut hooked. This last pic is of the welt it left on my....ahhh...love handle area. You can see if you enlarge thats one hell of a J-hook but it hit sideways and is only in my shirt. But, I've got a bunch of fish around me and I'm tangled in the slack line that I jerked to shore. Bummer. Finally I get squared away and although the ball is dieing theres still some around. I cast, I feel the bite, I set just a little and this fish pulls hard but its another Toro. It takes 10 minutes to land him and the bite is over.

I learned alot this morning. Getting hinky and stupid could hurt you, but I always tell people you can't worry about what didn't happen. I guess my whole life I've been lucky in the 'good thing that didn't happen' department. Oh....and I learned where I'm fishing tommorrow. I need a few more Roosters....bad.