Gordo Banks Pangas

San Jose del Cabo

August 29, 2010

With the month of August now winding down we can say that all around it definitely turned out to be busier and more productive that did July. Crowds have lightened this last week as families are returning to their school routines. The mild summer conditions gave way to more normal like serious heat and humidity this past week. At this time Hurricane Frank has been downgraded to a tropical depression, turning back toward the Southern Baja Peninsula as it dissipates, though there still a chance of some isolated thundershowers and the swell that had picked up is now diminishing. There is a new low pressure area near Acapulco, so we will be monitoring this system in the coming days.

Water conditions were mostly calm with variable ground swells of four to eight feet, water temperature ranged up close to 85 degrees in the direction of the Sea of Cortez. Local pangeros are driving to La Ribera in the afternoon to net sardinas off the beach in order to supply the La Playita fleets with fresh dead sardinas, which have been the ticket for catching the yellowfin tuna, as the tuna continued to dominate the action.

Fleets were fishing from the Gordo Banks to Iman. Drifting with the fresh dead bait has been the most productive method. The largest concentrations of tuna were found on the Iman Bank, these fish averaged 20 to 35 pounds. The fish on the Gordo Banks were not as numerous, but were weighing 30 to 100 or more pounds. Most charters were averaging anywhere from 4 to 10 yellowfin per morning. Also quite a few bonito and skipjack mixed in. Dorado were found spread out throughout the area, striking on trolled lures and bait once the smaller sized school were located, most of the dorado were 15 pounds or less, but there were a few exceptions of larger bulls being accounted for. Wahoo were encountered on occasion while trolling lures over the structure near La Fortuna to Iman, weights ranged to 40 pounds.

Most anglers were concentrating on the tuna action, as this was the surest bet of filling up the fish box and coolers. A few nice sized dogtooth snapper were landed off of the same spots where the tuna were schooling, also a handful of amberjack and cabrila.

The billfish action produced a mix of striped, blue and black marlin, sailfish have been surprisingly scarce this summer. Black marlin up to 450 pounds were landed from the La Playita panga fleet in recent days, also at least one blue marlin of 400 pounds was accounted for. Most of these larger marlin were hooked into while trolling larger baitfish in the vicinity of the Gordo Banks, several were hooked into on trolled lures as well. Something about the full moon always seem to make the black and blue marlin more active, they like the larger tidal swing that produces more upwelling on the high spots, this seems to make the whole food chain more lively.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 58 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 2 blue marlin, 4 black marlin, 5 hammerhead, 54 dorado, 404 yellowfin tuna, 4 wahoo, 12 cabrilla, 10 amberjack, 6 dogtooth snapper, 11 huachinango and 42 bonito.

Good Fishing, Eric

Gordo Banks Pangas Fish Report

Date: August 22nd, 2010

Moderate crowds continue to travel to the Los Cabos area to enjoy a late summer vacation before school sessions start back up for the fall semester. The lack of consistent local fishing out of Southern California has also sent more numbers of serious anglers further south in order to find their fix. This past week there was more cloud cover and very unpredictable conditions, some scattered thunder showers as well. Presently there is a tropical depression that has developed near Manzanillo, this system is forecast to gain little strength before encountering unfavorable conditions over cooler water. The region does need more rainfall, but hopes are that it does not all arrive at once with hurricane force winds. The all around climate has actually been very peasant considered that we are in the second half of August.

Ocean swells were minimal, seas were calmer in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, occasional squalls did create choppy conditions, blue water was found within one mile from shore and water temperatures averaged 77 to 83 degrees. Supplies of live sardinas were scarce this past week, but fresh dead sardinas were still readily available and were working very well for the yellowfin tuna bite.

Anglers found very good action for yellowfin tuna from the Gordo Banks, La Fortuna, Iman and San Luis. The majority of the tuna were being hooked while drift fishing with dead sardinas. Average sized yellowfin were ranging 20 to 40 pounds, but there were grades of fish in the 50 to 100 pound as well, most charters accounted for 5 to10 tuna in their daily catch. On Wednesday morning there was the season’s second super cow yellowfin tuna landed off of the Gordo Banks from a 22 ft. panga. Local La Playita skipper Jose Gonzalez and angler Josh Evans, from Oakland, Ca. were trolling a live Pacific Moonfish rigged on 200 pound leader attached to 80 pound main line when the cow hit, the ensuing battle lasted three hours to bring the monster

to gaff and the fish officially weighed in at a whopping 342 lb.

Dorado numbers continue to be less that would be expected for summer time, but most charters are catching one or more in their combined catch, mainly juvenile sized fish of 15 pounds or less. Trolling medium sized lures was probably the best method for finding the scattered smaller sized schools of do dos. A handful of wahoo were also caught this same way, weighing up to 45 pounds.

Other action included a few striped marlin, sailfish and one black marlin of 300 plus pounds was caught earlier this week from a panga on the Gordo Banks. A few dogtooth snapper up to 50 pounds were accounted for off of the bottom structure, as well as some amberjack, cabrilla and huachinango that were accounted for off the same rock piles. Of course there were the ever present Mexican bonito lurking in the middle of the water column.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 63 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 black marlin, 3 striped marlin, 2 sailfish, 3 wahoo, 68 dorado, 274 yellowfin tuna, 7 dogtooth snapper, 12 cabrilla, 18 huachinango, 13 amberjack, 6 roosterfish and 34 bonito.

GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson 
Owner/Operator
800 4081199
Los Cabos 1421147
ericgordobanks@yahoo.com
www.gordobanks.com

Gordo Banks Pangas Fish Report

Date: August 14th, 2010

As we reach the middle of August the weather conditions are feeling increasingly tropical, more cloud cover, at times there were threatening rain showers, which to this date have yet to develop. Increased crowds this past week, perhaps the family rush before school starts back up and also maybe due to the more favorable fish reports for the past couple of weeks. Days are quite warm as would be expected at this time, but actually there has been some relief due to breezes off of the Pacific Ocean and cloud cover. Conditions have been relatively calm in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, moderate swells with water temperatures averaging 76 to 82 degrees. The next five weeks are historically the period when the greatest numbers of hurricanes have formed and made land fall on the Southern Baja Peninsula, we will be watching the weather forecasts closely during this time.

Local San Jose fleets have been concentrating mostly on the fishing grounds from the Gordo Banks, La Fortuna, to Iman and the San Luis Banks. Large concentrations of baitfish were seen schooling on the surface of these local fishing grounds. Sardinas have been the main bait source, bags of fresh dead bait as well as limited quantities of live sardinas which were delivered mid morning to the fishing grounds have been available. There also has been a mix of mullet, caballito and moonfish available.

This last week there were more big marlin hooked into around the Gordo Banks area than all of last summer combined. Two black marlin of 500 pounds were accounted for by the local panga fleets, as well as a couple of other fish that ranging in the 300 to 400 pound class. Another black marlin weighing an estimated 600 pounds was brought into the panga docking weigh fillet area at 11:00 p.m. on Monday by the local Daniel Fisher team aboard Cabo 35 ft. Sportfisher named the “Fisherman” same boat that won last year’s WON Tuna Jackpo

t with the 383 lb. yellowfin. All of these big marlin were hooked into while trolling larger live baitfish, such as yellowfin tuna or various skipjack species.

Other highlights and significant catches this past week included a 155 pound yellowfin tuna that was subdued by Dave Marcias of Yorba Linda, Ca. while fishing on the 32 ft. Alejandra, this tuna hit on a smaller sized Mexican flag patterned feather near the San Luis Bank. There was an even a larger tuna landed, a super cow of 319 pounds was weighed in on Monday by local La Playita pangero Efrin Arripez. This is the first yellowfin over 300 pounds this season that we know about taken off of the Gordo Banks. It hit near the Outer Bank while Efrin’s group were drift fishing on the 22 ft. panga “Faty” with two dead sardinas pinned on the same hook with straight 60 pound mono, no leader.

Yellowfin tuna were the main stay of the daily catches. Most charters were avenging 4 to 10 fish per day, size ranged from 10 to 300 plus pounds. Average size tuna was 20 to 40 pounds. Fishing were hitting best on either the fresh dead or live sardinas. The area near La Fortuna to Iman produced the biggest numbers of fish. Dorado were being caught at perhaps a 1 to 5 ratio compared to tuna, sizes ranged up to 30 pounds.

Only a handful of wahoo were reported this past week, these fish can become a bit sluggish in the warmer waters. A few quality sized dogtooth snapper are being landed each day by the combined panga fleets, these fish are now being found on the offshore structure while drift fishing with whole or cut baits. Some amberjack and cabrilla rounded out the bottom action, with yo-yo jigs accounting for most of this action, strong currents continues to make this type of fishing more difficult.

The combined panga fleets launching from the La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos area sent out approximately 89 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:

1 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 1 blue marlin, 4 black marlin, 5 wahoo, 11 cabrilla, 15 huachinango (red snapper), 8 roosterfish, 88 dorado, 378 yellowfin tuna, 13 amberjack, 8 jack crevalle, 34 skipjack, 26 bonito and 16 dogtooth snapper.

GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson 
Owner/Operator
800 4081199
Los Cabos 1421147
ericgordobanks@yahoo.com
www.gordobanks.com