The rooster fish
We find this species ( Nematistius pectoralis of its Latin name) only in the Pacific Ocean, on the west coast of the United States and South America, more precisely between the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands.
The biggest fish caught so far are around 1.50 m long and weigh about 50 kg. The best period is from December to May, the weather is constant and it is outside the breeding season.
Its habitat
As a rule, the roosterfish is a fish that lives near the coast. It is very often seen near beaches, estuaries, islets and lagoons. When they are still juveniles, they can live in very shallow waters without any problem. It is quite possible to fish them from the shore. Some fishing guides are specialized in this type of fishing and offer guides in 4x4 or quad to go along the long beaches of Mexico for example.
Once the hunt has been spotted, you have to be quick to get close to the roosters to make them deviate from their initial target. It is also possible to find them in deeper water, so you will have to succeed in getting them to rise in the water layers to be able to catch them.
How can we catch it?
Rooster fish or Pez Gallo (in Spanish) can be fished with a lure or a livebait. It is said that the biggest fish are caught with livebaits. When fishing with a lure, it is mainly with surface lures, poppers and stickbaits that you will be able to catch them during the attacks.
During my guiding season in Panama, I noticed the importance of casting far, in fact this fish needs time to decide to attack. You have to cast far away to have time to arouse his interest during the animation of the lure. Once decided, you will see its crest pierce the surface and follow the lure in a very annoyed way, turning from right to left.
The adrenalin is at its maximum at this time, until the attack and the first long rush, typical of the rooster fish.
The battle
The fight with a roosterfish is intense and enduring. It is not the most powerful fight, far from it, but it is a sustained fight where the rooster will show you its cunning side. He fights to the end, fiercely pretending to give up before making an almost endless rush, and so on. Sometimes, in small and medium-sized subjects, they manage to make splendid candles.
In addition to its original crest, its beautiful striped dress, the fights it gives, it is the fabulous landscapes where these fish are found that make fishing for roosterfish a unique moment, enough to become addicted.
