2017 Mazatlan

It has been an up and down year for me. Lots of happenings in my life...mostly good...but also some troubling times. I was still fishing and catching some new species, but I was quite nonchalant about it and the desire to update the blog and the lifelist simply wasn't there. I barely spent any time on the fishing forums.

Anyways...I was invited to fish in Mazatlan by my friend George, joined by our friend Josh. We graciously stayed at George's timeshare and enjoyed some luxury that we're not accustomed to. The fishing was fantastic, the food even better and what a treat it was to dip in a pool at the end of each long fishing day.

I had previous caught 33 new species from Mazatlan. I had an ambitious yet achievable target of 15 new species for this trip. But by Day 3, I upgrade that target to 20 new species and actually finished the trip with 25 new species!

If you wish to read more, you can start here and navigate through the 6 days.

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-1.html

If you simply wish to see fish pics...here they are.

Species #751 - Oraangemouth Weakfish (Cynoscion xanthulus)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g5ZDUJn9t..._3545_post.jpg

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xflTirsoQ..._3549_post.jpg

Species #752 - Mexican Barred Snapper (Hoplopagrus guentherii)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L6Ul1a__N..._3572_post.jpg

Species #753 - Blackblotch Pompano (Trachinotus kennedyi)

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTkep79ic..._3588_post.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f495hDNvP..._3596_post.jpg

Species #754 - Burrito Grunt (Anisotremus interruptus) - previously misidentified the Silvergrey Grunt for this species.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vco-J7th1..._3611_post.jpg

Colorado Snapper (Lutjanus colorado) - previous misidentified the juvenile of this species as Pacific Dog Snapper. So I've caught this species in 2015, but this time properly identified.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbBXEQDd3..._3617_post.jpg

Species #755 - Longfin Salema (Xenichthys xanti)

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7drMqZef..._3623_post.jpg

Species #756 - Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rigzjCcMl..._3648_post.jpg

Species #757 - Pacific Creole-fish (Paranthias colonus)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jF9rLdG2m..._3660_post.jpg

Species #758 - Gafftopsail Pompano (Trachinotus rhodopus)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bK4fbfqm0..._3671_post.jpg

Species #759 - Pacific Dog Snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wuYapEKuY..._3677_post.jpg

Species #760 - Unicorn Leatherjacket Filefish (Aluterus monoceros).

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykvEfrLOz..._3685_post.jpg

Species #761 - Threadfin Jack ((Carangoides otrynter)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Dmp_rjn..._3719_post.jpg

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qNH6GEIkI..._3722_post.jpg

Species #762 - Grey Grunt (Haemlon scudderii)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PzVoZ2ldP..._3738_post.jpg

Species #763 - Mottled Soapfish (Rypticus bicolor)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw7SIgHBO..._3752_post.jpg

Species #764 - Gungo Highhat (Pareques viola)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_K3nLoU-O..._3758_post.jpg

Species #765 - Vacuocua Croaker (Corvula macrops)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--r2y7J9t8..._3777_post.jpg

Species #766 - Banded Wrasse (Halichoeres notospilus)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VX-pgbVZE..._3810_post.jpg

Species #767 - Longnose Puffer (Sphoeroides lobatus)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLllJbwg7..._3812_post.jpg

Species #768 - Threebanded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon humeralis)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-El-HHRGwp..._3874_post.jpg

Species #769 - Bumphead Damselfish (Microspathodon bairdii)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2DtTY5Y0d..._3880_post.jpg

Species #770 - Giant Damselfish (Microspathodon dorsalis)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e8a9TtHnH..._3899_post.jpg

Species #771 - Tinsel Squirrelfish (Sargocentron suborbitale)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMQcckF_A..._3921_post.jpg

Species #772 - Mexican Hogfish (Bodianus diplotaenia)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4rxs7JbNi..._3953_post.jpg

Species #773 - Spotted Head Sargo (Genyatremus dovii)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8nXnB396S..._3969_post.jpg

Species #774 - Mexican Lookdown (Selene brevoortii)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rXUTYBuN_..._4003_post.jpg

Species #775 - Longfin Silverside (Atherinella eriarcha)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lBq_7BFj8..._4042_post.jpg

~~~

And now some non-fish pics (sorry, not many food pics on this trip since we ate at the same locations, and the same dishes, as my 2015 trip)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OLPBHqbrE..._3558_post.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eUTauE8W3..._3681_post.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uO0YKew7V..._3692_post.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NFSvgp8X..._3693_post.jpg

Homemade ceviche

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M6r6wx4s-..._3846_post.jpg

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hyyJ4UMF2..._3867_post.jpg

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scmJGuMEU..._3927_post.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wNJW4r0SL..._3982_post.jpg

Wow nice variety of fish! which ones are the tastiest? Thanks for sharing.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jptnQIANb...atter_post.jpg

Top: Breaded Orangemouth Weakfish (aka Corvina)
Middle: Grilled Blackblotch Pompano
Bottom: Coconut-coated White Snook

In terms of my own personal taste:

Best: Coconut Snook with mango puree (should add to your bucket list!!!)
Better: Grilled Blackblotch Pompano collar
Very good: Breaded Orangemouth Corvina

They were all extremely good...but that's how I would rank the three.

This is the simple ceviche I made with the Threadfin Jack with salt, pepper, lime juice and soya sauce. Kinda like poke but kinda like ceviche at the same time but it was a crowd pleaser.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TpJJKAXm0...viche_post.jpg

And one other night, we also had the Colorado Snapper fillets cooked up Veracruz style. Also very good.

I had the Finescale Triggerfish on my trip in 2015...it was OK. Very firm meat and I didn't like it as much. We've had grilled Spotted Rose Snapper (whole) before and that was OK too...but if I had a choice, hands down Coconut Snook!!!

I just ate supper and now I am all of a sudden hungry again. Nice Feast! Will definitely add the coconut snook as well as the others to my bucket list. Gonna google Veracruz style too. Nice