“He flat out produces marlin when other people do not think they are even in the area.”
Captain José (Chiquis) Alberto Hernandez is the owner/operator of the 36-foot diesel powered sportfishing boat named the Intruza. With an extremely wide beam and spacious cabin, the Intruza ensures a very comfortable ride for as many as 6 passengers under any conditions. She is moored and departs from the Puerto Mio gas dock in Zihuatanejo Bay.
Captain Hernandez is defintely one of the better fishing captains along the Ixtapa – Zihuatanejo coastline. It is a very rare occasion when he has not put his clients onto the targeted species. Like most of the good captains, year-round they are on the water with clients several days a week. They get their information from their own experiences and are able to take their clients to the best areas without having to depend on information doled out by others.
If you had to pinpoint a specialty for Chiquis, or at least what he loves to fish, he would tell you the sailfish are his bread and butter but the blue marlin are what are always on his mind. He flat out produces marlin when other people do not think they are even in the area.
He likes to fish the blue water current and if it takes a 20 mile run to get to it, he will be there. He knows that there are lots of game fish closer to the beach but his better percentages are in the blue water.
His marlin are usually caught while fishing for sailfish. He does this by taking the time on his way out to catch a barrilete (a 3 pound black tuna) and will use this live bait on a downrigger while the rest of the other 4 trolling rods are rigged for sailfish. The large live bait is rigged on a standard live bait harness, the bait connected to the hook by waxed thread in front of the eyes, with the bait trailing along behind. A properly rigged live bait will last all day, or at least until it gets bit. The bait is big enough that other fish leave it alone and when it is taken, you know it will be a big marlin. It is inevitable that if a blue or black marlin is in the area and see this offering just cruising along about 30 feet below the surface, an easy snack is just too good to pass up.
Marlin and all game fish are attracted to a boat from the bubbles thrown off by the turning propeller. This same effect also happens when a school of fish are crashing on bait. The game fish probably notices the boat first because of the noise and vibrations. Whether or not the noise duplicates a feeding frenzy, it does bring the fish to the boat to check it out. When the game fish see the white water from the prop, a large bait cruising under the surface and several smaller ones skipping the top as if they are being pursued, the reactive instinct sets in and the marlin charge into the foray.
Even though marlin are generally here year round, our best season for them is when the water cools down a little from November through June. When targeting marlin for his clients, Chiquis can just about assure that if they spend 3 days on the Intruza, they will catch the fish of a lifetime.
Captain Chiquis can be reached at 755-554-8436.
-January 2001
