October 29, 2011

Large crowds of anglers continue to arrive in the Los Cabos area, with the big marlin tournaments now all completed everyone is gearing up in anticipation of the WON Tuna Jackpot, which is scheduled for this coming week. With big yellowfin tuna now on the local fishing grounds, surely to win this event, a team will need a cow or super cow sized tuna to sweep jackpot honors. Days are still quite warm for this time of year, highs near 90 degrees, evenings are cooling off, actually very comfortable weather, winds have been more unpredictable, coming from all directions and then laying down. Water temperatures are on a slow cooling trend, now averaging in the 83 to 86 degree range.

Supplies of sardinas became scarcer this past week, heavy pressure and just not as many schools of these baitfish being found along local beaches. These fish also migrate, maybe the warmer than usual currents have changed their patterns as well. Charters had to wait for up to an hour at times for limited amounts of bait. There is no bait farm here and charters rely on what can be found on a daily basis.

It has been the same story for yellowfin tuna action for the past month, lots of fish being seen on the Gordo Banks and north around the Iman Banks, but these fish were finicky in the clear blue water, freely gorging on the available food source on these fishing grounds and just not that interested in biting the baits with hooks in them. Most of the fish found near Iman Bank were in the 20 to 40 pound range, while the tuna on the Gordo Banks started at about 80 pounds and went on up over 200 pounds. Patience was the key, slow trolling larger whole baits that could be caught on the grounds or drift fishing with sardinas and chunk baits produced strikes that did result in some quality catches each day, just no big numbers to speak of, catching one nice sized tuna proved to be a fortunate catch at this time. The largest yellowfin tuna weighed in out of La Playita this week was that of Neil Berkley’s 220 pound cow that he caught while using a chunk bait on the Outer Gordo Bank.

Dorado numbers declined from last week, but most boats were still catching several per day in their combined catch. Trolling with medium sized feathers or cedar plugs was a good way to find the schools of dorado, which most of the time were closer to shore. Average dorado were in the 5 to15 pound class. Wahoo were in the area, but so far only a few fish here and there are being hooked into, rapalas and dorado type feathers have seemed to be the best bet for this. Of the few wahoo accounted for, they were nice sized, 30 pounds to over 50 pounds.

Scattered billfish action, more sailfish were showing up on the same tuna grounds, a few striped marlin here and there, not much heard about for blue or black marlin in recent days, a couple of missed strikes on the Gordo Banks.

Only mixed success for any bottom action, currents, winds, warmer waters all seem to be part of the problem with finding any consistent bite off the bottom. A few pargo, amberjack, cabrilla and yellowtail, but no numbers, just one or two scattered fish, the Gordo Banks did produce some nice dogtooth snapper on a couple of days early in the week, but then this bite turned off.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 208 charters for the week, with anglers accounted for: 5 striped marlin, 16 sailfish, 8 wahoo, 580 dorado, 155 yellowfin tuna, 12 dogtooth snapper, 15 amberjack, 17 cabrilla, 2 yellowtail, 8 rainbow runner, 8 hammerhead shark and 12 roosterfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

October 22, 2011

Busy times now in the Los Cabos area, large crowds of anglers continue to arrive, visitors are being greeting with ideal weather patterns, no storms on the horizon, clear sunny skies and diminishing winds. This is tournament time as you all know, the Bisbee Black and Blue just finishing now and the WON Tuna Jackpot just around the corner. Water temperatures now in the 84 to 86 degrees, a bit warmer than normal, should drop closer to 80 degrees soon, as days are progressively shorter and cooling.

Sportfishing fleets are traveling in all directions to search for the best possible action, with the most consistent areas now in the direction of the 95 spot, Gordo Banks and north to Iman Bank. For whatever might be the reason, anglers have had to search and work harder than would be expected to find cooperative fish. Supplies of sardinas are holding up well, these baitfish were found schooling along the rocky beach stretches from Puerto Los Cabos, Palmilla to Santa Maria.

Local panga fleets concentrated on three main areas, to the south near Cabo San Lucas is where they found the most consistent dorado action, trolling lures anglers encountered schools of these mostly 5 to 15 lb. dorado and most boats were limiting and releasing many other fish as well.

Other spot was the Gordo Banks, this is where the larger sized yellowfin were hanging out, these fish ranging mostly from 60 to 150 pounds, with chances of cow sized tuna as well. Finicky, showing on the surface, feeding on chum, but not all that eager to bit the baits with hooks, lighter leaders proved more successful at times, also reports of a limited number of private afternoon charter doing well. Just seeing these large sized tuna feeding and breezing on the surface was quite impressive, being extra patient at this spot was the key. These tuna were hooked on sardinas, skipjack, chihuil and chunk bait. Anglers were fortunate to land one or two of these fish. Other area where tuna were found was in between the La Fortuna and Iman Banks, most of these fish were in the 20 to 40 pound class, same deal with them being very finicky, coming up readily and feeding on the chummed sardinas, but not easy to entice into biting the hooked bait. Anglers catching one, two or three of these yellowfin were doing well. A mix of bottom species and a few dorado were found on these same fishing grounds, but they were limited in numbers.

Biilfish action was very spread out, a few more sailfish being encountered, they are one species that do prefer the warmer currents. Striped, blue and black marlin were also in the area, but no specific spot was producing any quantities of these billfish at this time.

We are nearing the time when wahoo typical become more active, but with the warmer than usual water temps these fish are sluggish and not yet providing more than a few scattered strikes here and there. A few wahoo were hooked into near the Gordo Banks while fishing for tuna and other wahoo were hooked while trolling rapalas or skirted lures, of these wahoo that were landed, most weighed in the 30 to 40 pound class. We do expect the wahoo fishing to become more consistent in the coming weeks as the water temperatures continue on a cooling trend.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 144 charters, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 1 blue marlin, 3 striped marlin, 15 sailfish, 565 dorado, 134 yellowfin tuna, 16 bonito, 14 cabrilla, 11 dogtooth snapper, 46 yellow snapper, 12 barred pargo, 7 wahoo, 7 yellowtail and 12 amberjack.

Good Fishing, Eric

October 15, 2011

The two recent tropical storms, Irwin and Jova, both stayed far enough to the south that no significant effects were felt. Outer cloud bands from these systems barely reached the Los Cabos area, no rain fall, high humidity, stirred up ocean conditions and some south wind created more challenging conditions for offshore anglers. Usually by the second week of October storms from the south relinquish, fall patterns dominate and weather is ideal. Water temperatures are now averaging 85 to 88 degrees, surely these warmer than usual currents will be declining in the coming weeks, as days are progressively shorter and cooler.

Sizable crowds of anglers are arriving, just as they always do during the popular fall months. This coming week the grand daddy of all marlin tournaments will be held, the Bisbee’s Black and Blue, there are a couple of tune up tournaments being held in the days prior to the black and blue. There have been several large marlin recorded in the past ten days alone, with black and blue marlin in the 300 to 460 pound range being accounted for out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos.

Fishing overall was slower than what is expected and normal for this time of year, even though conditions seem to be favorable, finding consistent action has been a challenge. Dorado action was reportedly very good for fish in the 15 pound range on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas and close to shore, while in the direction of San Jose del Cabo and further north, dorado have been few and far between, with more marlin hook ups reported than dorado. On the local fishing grounds there are now possibilities at sailfish, striped, blue and black marlin, though not particularly numerous, they are present and there are not many places that can offer this same chance at an offshore grand slam.

Yellowfin were found throughout the region, at times traveling with porpoise offshore and they were also schooling on the Iman and Gordo Banks. The schools encountered near Iman and La Fortuna were yellowfin in the size range from 20 to 50 pounds, very skittish and line shy, coming up and feeding on chummed sardinas, but only striking occasionally on the lightest of leaders and small hooks, this resulted in higher percentages of break offs. Supplies of sardinas remained steady, but were found near Palmilla and this meant some delay for boats departing from La Playita, we are expected new sources to the north to open up soon.

The larger grade of tuna that has been schooling on the Gordo Banks are still congregated on this high spot, but these fish are elusive, though most everyday a handful of tuna are being hooked into. Sizes on this spot have started at about 80 pounds and several yellowfin tuna over one hundred pounds were weighed in recently at La Playita, one tuna came in at 180 lb. and the largest weighed in for the week was a 270 lb cow taken on Thursday, after a 5 hour battle this fish was brought to gaff on a private boat out of Puerto Los Cabos.

So with the WON Tuna Jackpot just a few weeks away, we are anticipating an action packed event, competition will be heavy, most likely needing a fish of over 200 pounds to have any chance at winning.

Bottom action was not consistent, but on days when currents slacked and anglers were able to work the structure, there was mixed success found for amberjack, dogtooth snapper, pargo and cabrilla. Did not hear of any of the large home guard yellowtail being landed off of the Outer Gordo Bank.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 136 charters, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 1 blue marlin, 4 striped marlin, 2 black marlin, 9 sailfish, 66 dorado, 70 yellowfin tuna, 14 bonito, 15 cabrilla, 3 grouper, 8 dogtooth snapper, 16 yellow snapper, 10 barred pargo, 4 pompano, 16 roosterfish, 240 black skipjack, 5 yellowtail and 9 amberjack.

Good Fishing, Eric