Anglers –
May 26, 2018
Last week we had noticed an increase in visiting anglers, though this week was a different story, as crowds of tourists were lighter. Perhaps families are more pre-occupied with school graduations and final exams, etc. we should more people arriving in the coming weeks.
Weather patterns are progressively warming as we near the summer season, though the climate is very pleasant still, lows of about 65 degrees and highs hovering around 85 degrees. Winds were a factor from the north early in the week, while out of Cabo San Lucas they were dealing with stiffer winds from a southerly direction. Later in the week ocean conditions were much calmer. The water temperature around the corner on the Pacific is cooler, in the upper 60’s, while in the direction of San Jose del Cabo and to Los Frailes, the ocean currents were averaging 78 to 80 degrees. Still unpredictable currents pushing in off colored murky water into areas north of Punta Gorda where water temperatures are warm and clarity has fluctuated.
Large schools of mullet moved in along the shoreline, particularly in the Puerto Los Cabos Marina area and along both sides of the jetties. Sardinas are being found just north of the jetties, though they are starting to be a bit more scattered and limited, as larger surf conditions are becoming more prevalent. Other bait options included caballito, small jacks, chihuil, sardineta and even some mackerel were found offshore. Also reports of some sizable schools of bolito found on offshore grounds, those are always a favorable sign that pelagic gamefish are usually closely following this preferred food source.
Last week the highlight was the hot striped marlin bite around the Desteladera Bank, with bait fish schools now moving around the billfish action has become more scattered, though charters targeting these offshore grounds have been reporting multiple chances daily, action came while trolling lures and dropping back baits, also soaking baits, stripers were ranging in sizes from 70 lb. to 130 lb.
The yellowfin tuna bite was mainly centered at La Fortuna, the Twenty Five Spot, some days near Iman and San Luis Banks. Though this week the yellowfin tuna action in general proved much more elusive, only a handful of tuna being accounted for. Most of these fish were in the 30 to 70 lb. class, but anglers were fortunate to land one of them. Mid-week on the Gordo Banks there was one day when a few tuna up to 70 lb. were accounted were while trilling live chihuil, though since no one else found these fish cooperative. Very few dorado now being reported, though more of these fish were seen this past week, they did not always bite though.
Inshore rock piles seemed to produce better all-around action for a variety of great eating species, most of these under ten pounds, with an occasional larger specimen. Anglers using sardinas or chunks of other baits were finding yellow snapper, leopard grouper, barred pargo, spotted pink snapper, island jack, pompano, amberjack, sierra, triggerfish, surgeonfish and others, a virtual smorgasbord.
Along the beach stretches we saw more roosterfish moving in, the majority in the 10 to 20 lb. class, but few roosterfish to over 40 lb. were also hooked into. Still no significant numbers yet, though with all of the mullet now appearing, in the next couple of weeks we should see the roosterfish action break loose. Also along the shore there have been sierra and jack crevalle. This is the time of year we should start seeing some pargo colorado and dogtooth snapper show up.
The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 62 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 18 striped marlin, (majority released), 7 dorado, 1 yellowtail, 13 yellowfin tuna, 92 yellow snapper, 12 surgeon fish, 36 spotted rose snapper, 34 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 14 huachinango (red snapper), 21 amberjack, 15 barred pargo, 21 pompano, 35 roosterfish, 8 jack crevalle, 42 sierra, 22 flag cabrilla, 12 Island jack and 140 triggerfish.
Good fishing, Eric