San Jose del Cabo Weather Link

Water Temperature > http://tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=cb

January 29, 2011

Anglers –

Light crowds of tourists are now visiting Southern Baja, they have been greeted with cooler winter time conditions, scattered cloud cover with moderate winds and daytime highs in the low 70s. Still this would have to be considered nice weather for mid winter. Ocean water temperatures are averaging in the 67 to 69 range through most of the region, this is five degrees cooler than what conditions were at the same time last year.

The San Jose del Cabo fleets have been concentrating their efforts in the direction of the Iman Bank in recent days, this is where they have found schooling yellowfin tuna, ranging in sizes up to 20 pounds, also a scattering of dorado and various bottom dwellers. Trying to land hooked tuna before a pack of aggressive sea lions got a hold of them was a major issue, most charters were having as many fish broken off by these sea lions as they were actually landing. Boats were averaging 2 to 8 yellowfin per morning. This is not bad considering the time of year and condition of the water. Using sardinas for bait was the most productive technique, these baitfish remained plentiful off of the beach stretches north of Punta Gorda. Most of the dorado that are now encountered have been juvenile sized, though occasionally a larger bull of 20 pounds was found.

Closer to shore there have been good numbers of sierra, again most of these fish were in the 1 to 3 pound class, some schooling yellowtail of 2 to 6 pounds were found in various inshore locations as well, both of these species hit best on sardinas, but would also strike Rapalas and cast jigs.

There is not much going on the Gordo Banks now, this area is not known for the best action when the water temps are cooler, though the commercial fleet have been finding the pelagic red crabs in this area and are netting them to be used for snapper bait on other fishing spots.

Striped marlin action continues to be off this year, some scattered fish are being found, but no large concentrations, as the water conditions warm and more numbers of larger baitfish arrive we expect this action to improve.

There were a handful of yellowfin tuna found traveling with porpoise offshore, hit or miss deal, but some of these tuna were in the 30 to 60 pound class. Other schools of tuna were seen at times on the local fishing grounds, but they disappeared as fast as they had appeared. These fish become even more finicky in cooler conditions.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 51 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 114 yellowfin tuna, 24 bonito, 6 amberjack, 15 cabrilla, 62 pargo, 16 dorado, 14 roosterfish, 29 yellowtail and 110 sierra.

Good Fishing, Eric

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

San Jose del Cabo Weather Link

Water Temperature > http://tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=cb

January 17, 2011

Anglers –

Though this winter season has been cooler than it has been for the past couple of seasons, visitors are still able to enjoy sunny skies with temperatures reaching into the 70s. Crowds have been moderate, people are having a fine time participating in the many outdoor activities available, while much of the United States is enduring harsh wet and icy conditions. Ocean water temperatures are some five degrees cooler than they were at this same period last year, now averaging 67 to 69 degrees, with some warmer currents found close to 20 miles offshore.

Sardinas have been available in good quantities on most days, being found near Palmilla and north towards Vinorama. No mackerel or sardinetas off of the San Jose del Cabo area at this time. Local fleets have been finding the most consistent action within several miles of shore.

Most common catches recently have been for sierra, pargo (yellow snapper), skipack, dorado, amberjack, yellowtail, triggerfish and bonito. Surprisingly, considering the cooler water temperatures, there have been quite a few dorado around, though most of these fish have been under ten pounds, good time to catch and release the smaller females. Some charters are catching up to a dozen of these schooling dorado, using sardinas for bait has been the most successful. The same areas are producing a wide variety of structure species, a mix of leopard grouper, amberjack, yellowtail, bonito and snapper are being hooking into off the rock piles on both bait and yo-yo jigs, it was not uncommon to catch six to eight different species off of the same spot. No large yellowtail being found, they have been the fire cracker models of 4 to 8 pounds.

A handful of yellowfin tuna were caught earlier in the week, these fish were in the 15 to 20 pound range, but with the water on a continuing cooling trend this action is now fading out. Until water conditions warm up a bit most of the action will be closer to shore for sierra of off the bottom rocky areas for a variety of species, all of which are good eating.

Plenty of whale watching to be done now, the peak migration of both humpback and gray whales will occur during the next couple of months. There have been some sea lions lurking on the fishing grounds that have been very aggressive, repeatedly stealing anglers fish as they were trying to reel them to the boat, it has not really mattered what type of fish, dorado, snapper, yellowtail, they liked them all.

The combined fleet of pangas launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 57 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 wahoo, 16 yellowfin tuna, 172 dorado, 212 sierra, 18 roosterfish, 17 amberjack, 25 cabrilla, 66 pargo, 18 bonito, 68 yellowtail and 18 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric