"WHAT, 6:00 A.M.! You´re out of your mind" my wife said. "Honey, that´s when fishing starts if you want to go, that is the program: The early bird catches the fish", I replied. She wakes with a start, "do I have time for a shower" she grumbles. "Yes, I´ll make the lunch." We´re off! It is pitch black at the dock, but still sultry with mosquitoes nipping at your knees and ankles. She glowers at me as I stand meekly wit the ice chest. "Ok, vamonos (let´s go)", says the captain. We untie and idle out of the harbor. Still I am leery of looking my wife in the eye. "My God, it´s beautiful", she says as we look back at the skyline of Mazatlan with the orange glow of the sunrise peeking through the morning clouds. "There´s the Malecon, Ice Box Hill and the lighthouse. Look at the shrimp boats, the nets are huge!" "Yes honey", I reply. "You´ve missed this your entire life. Believe it or not, there is a dawn and God just doesn´t turn the sun on at 10:00 A.M.!" We pass between Deer and Goat Island and contnue due west. The water behind us is beautiful and the lull of the enginesomehow makes everything very peaceful and relaxed. The air is refreshing and I am at total peace. The mate prepares the "live bait" by sewing a hook into a small dead bait fish. After twenty miles we suddenly slow. the mate rigs the lines (five of them), two with lires, two with live bait and one with a large mullet "for the big boys". Within minutes a reel is singing; then another. We have two Dorado, it´s name in Mexico mahi mahi in Hawaii, dolphin fish on the east coast) on at once. My wife´s sister is with us and she is "up" (her turn). My wife grabs the other pole. Soon two nice twenty pound mahi mahi are in the boat. The mate is rigging the lines nad the girls are squeling like kindergartners! "This was

definetly worth getting up for" cries Lory, my wife´s sister. "Don´t forget you said that" I replied. On we go, it is a lull period. The boat ride is peaceful, land is out of sight and I dose. Suddenly, a reel starts singing again. "Grab it Lori" and she does. Again after a ten minute fight another mahi mahi is in the boat. "No chicken tonight!!", I yelled. Smiles all around. We start trolling again. The sun is now getting hot! Sun screen, hat and dark glasses are a must. Water, refreshments and lunch are in order. The mate changes the bait. Both he and the Captain are scanning the surface of the water for fish. For awhile Dolphin (the mammals) chase the boat, both bow and stern. Effortlessly frolicking along until they get bored and disappear into the blue. Suddenly a reel starts to sing again. "It´s a sail" says the mate. "Take it, Mary", she does and the fight is on for nearly forty-five minutes. My wife is only five foot tall and 110 pounds soaking wet. She has hooked onto a ninety-five pound sail in the sun. The fight goes on. Soon her body is covered in perspiration. I have never seen her so excited since....well, you know. It is landed, her arms are feeling like rubber, but she has the biggest grin on her face that I have ever seen except....well, you know. Anyway, the adrenalin, sun and getting up early has taken it´s toll so we catnap during the long ride back. Thunder and ligtning are chasing us from the north as we pass the shrimp boats and Deer Island on our way safely back to the slip. "What a great day, all this fish and I never had to touch the bait or the fish", Mary said. The mate filleted the Dorado for us which later that night we will have sauteed in garlic butter. The photos are taken , the good wishes and goodbyes are said and we go home very tired, very happy and very fulfilled.