Roosterfish!

The last time I tangled with the Giant Trevally (GT) was many years ago when I was stationed in Guam.   Many times I've lost the battle as unexpectedly the GTs would tend to hit when I'm surf fishing for the smaller species of jack crevalles using light tackle. We're not blessed to have GTs here in California.  But, if you go down Baja Mexico you'll have the next best thing, the Roosterfish!  Indeed, it's one of the most exotic looking, and beautiful  fish in the ocean.  It almost has the same body shape as that of a GT, and it could make explosive drag screaming runs like a GT.  It's the fish that I've had on my wish list to catch for a long time.  For the longest, I've only read about it in sportfishing mags, and have seen jaw dropping pics of it on fishing forums.  But last year, on my trip to Cabo, the stars aligned, and the ocean gods finally answered my wish.  I met and did battle with a couple of roosters, and the rest is history.  We were already on our way back to the docks late afternoon that day.  We've already caught our limits of dorados, and my wife had caught and released her first ever sailfish. It's amazing how the boat captain, Ramon, was so in tune with what anglers on his boat are saying.  Just in our conversation on our way out that morning , we kind of brushed the subject about rooster fish, and I mentioned that I've never caught one yet.  So on our way back, he stayed close to the shoreline and told us to fly line some leftover cabalitos we still had. Then it all just happened, two hookups one after the other!  The roosterfish definitely will always be on my list to play with everytime I go to Cabo, either on the surf or on a boat. So if you're down in Baja Mexico, don't forget the magnificent roosterfish and have a blast!

Below is the video shot by my wife, and life-long fishing buddy of my first ever tango with Mr. Rooster.  It bit on a fly-lined cabalito hooked to my Van Staal 500gm jigging rod, and VSB250 reel.  The VS 500gm jigging rod is a short beefy rod designed more for vertical jigging, and dropping heavy jigs deep for monsters.  This is why you'll hardly see the rod bend as the fish made its explosive runs.  Lastly, thanks to Melton Tackle for my gears, and to Dream Weaver sportfishing charters (Capt Ramon Montano) Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Enjoy!