San Jose del Cabo Weather Link
Water Temperature > http://tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=cb
January 27, 2011
Anglers –
Los Cabos continues to greet light crowds of vacationers with clear sunny skies, daytime high temperatures have reached into the mid 70s and conditions have been very pleasant for this winter season. Winds out of the north have not been too strong, as they often can be during this time. Ocean swells are minimal and anglers are enjoying favorable times on the water. Water temperatures remain cooler than they were at this same time period of 2010, now averaging 67 to70 degrees. This is now peak season for the annual whale migration, also there are plenty of sea lions and manta rays.
There have been sufficient supplies of sardinas available, recently these baitfish have been schooling off the beaches north of Punta Gorda and the Palmilla area. For the first time in several years the pelagic red crabs have been coming to the surface on the local fishing grounds such as the Gordo Banks and Desteladera. These crabs were being scooped up with small bait nets and are being used for the true red snapper (huachinango). These are prized snapper, averaging 5 to 10 pounds, occasionally reaching 14 pounds. The schooling snapper will often follow these migrations of red crabs and also come to the surface to feed, quite a sight when the water’s surface actually turns into a big spot of red mass. Perhaps the cooler water temperatures has triggered this event and surely the fact that there have not been giant squid in the region has given a chance for this activity to develop.
There have been yellowfin tuna found on the Iman Bank, a bit finicky in the cooler waters, also with aggressive sea lions lurking on the same fishing grounds, though persistent anglers were hooking into these fish while drift fishing with both live and dead sardinas. The tuna were averaging 20 to 50 pounds, with a few larger specimens accounted for, charters reported landed one to four of these yellowfin per morning. Boat pressure was light, with minimal crowds of anglers now in town.
Other options included trolling sardinas closer to shore for good light tackle action for sierra, most of these fish were smaller sized, but a handful of these fish weighed over five pounds. Yellowtail of 2 to 8 pounds were found in migrating schools, rapidly moving location from day to day, but once found these fish provided fun action on both live baits and yo-yo style jigging. A mix of cabrilla, grouper, amberjack, bonito, yellow snapper and triggerfish area accounted for from shallow water rocky areas.
Dorado were found spread out through most of the zone, more often closer to shore where baitfish concentrations were holding. Often becoming more active later in the morning when the oceans surface was warmed some by the rising sun. Striking on a wide range of baits and lures, most of the dorado were smaller schooling size fish under 10 pounds, but there were occasional1exceptions of fish over 25 pounds being landed.
The combined panga fleet launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 56 charters for the past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 111 dorado, 45 yellowfin tuna, 16 roosterfish, 254 sierra, 11 amberjack, 23 bonito, 18 cabrilla, 68 yellowtail, 6 grouper, 124 and 26 yellow pargo.
Good Fishing, Eric