Anglers –

This week we saw the first real heat wave of the season, temperatures reached into the low 90s during the first part of the week, later on weather patterns normalized and light crowds of tourists were enjoying pristine spring time weather. Winds resided and anglers found comfortable conditions on the ocean, where water temperatures ranged from 68 on the Pacific up to 72/74 degrees in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, warmest currents being found on the fishing grounds offshore of San Jose del Cabo.

Caballito were available for bait and nice sized sardinas were being netted by pangeros north of Punta Gorda near San Luis. This week there were more bolito encountered on the local fishing grounds, always being choice bait for the variety of gamefish that can be encountered on any given day. This is the time of year when reports can change rapidly from day to day, striped marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, grouper, amberjack yellowtail, sierra, roosterfish and various snappers are just some of the species that can be encountered.

Striped marlin continue to highlight the action offshore, from Cabo San Lucas to the Gordo Banks, anywhere from 5 to 18 miles offshore good numbers of stripers are being found, not always in the biting mood, but with persistence charters are often accounting for multiple fish days, two to four marlin per boat was common. Fish averaging 90 to 130 pounds, striking on lures and dropped back baits, many reports of anglers seeing large groups of marlin tailing on the surface, sometimes proving to have lock jaw, while other times they would readily strike, hard to figure out. Still some thresher and mako sharks being found on the offshore grounds, this past week a 22ft. commercial panga based out of Guaymas, Mexico, north in the Sea of Cortez, made news after trapping a 20 ft., 2,000 pound great white shark in their nets, surprising what range they sharks have.

With the warmer conditions that started the week, a quality bite developed for a variety of fish off of the San Luis area. Early in the morning there were greater numbers of bottom fish caught, snapper, cabrilla, amberjack and a few yellowtail, yo-yo’s and baits both worked equally well. Decent sized sierra were caught close to shore here and surprisingly enough there were yellowfin tuna that came up to the same chum line close to shore in only 60 feet of water, spooky fish, disappearing as fast as they appeared, for a couple of day charters caught as many as four per boat for a couple of days, most of these tuna ranged from 20 to 40. Wahoo were seen and hooked into from this same area, striking on yo-yos and sardinas, more often cutting lines, but a handful of ‘hoo to 30 pounds were successfully landed. Later in the week this tuna action disappeared, but at least this was a good sign that these fish are in the area and as the conditions continue to warm and become increasingly favorable we do expect this action to bust wide open.

The Gordo Banks was now attracting more schools of baitfish, including bolito, anglers that trolled these baitfish around the banks reported striped marlin, sharks and dorado, not many dorado around at this time, but the majority being found were larger sized, up to 40 pounds. This is the normal time when we find larger yellowtail on the Inner and Outer Gordo Banks, something to try in the coming weeks, larger live baits drifted down deep, always worth trying the yo-yo jigs as well.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 63 charters for the week and anglers reported a fish count of: 28 striped marlin, 1 thresher, 4 mako shark, 14 hammerhead shark, 32 yellowfin tuna, 21 dorado, 8 yellowtail, 39 amberjack, 6 wahoo, 124 mixed species of pargo, 35 cabrilla, 8 grouper, 185 sierra, 38 roosterfish and 6 pompano.

Good Fishing, Eric

Anglers –

Ideal spring conditions are now progressively warming and there was an noticeable increase of visitors this past week. Ocean conditions were churned up and choppy early n the week, particularly offshore, but as the week progressed the winds resided and anglers encountered smoother seas. Ocean temperatures were now ranging from 67 degrees on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas to about 72 or 73 around the Gordo Banks area. With days now becoming progressively longer and warmer, we should see water temperatures  rebound accordingly.

For the past several months the most consistent angling action has been close to shore, most of the time for smaller sized roosterfish and sierra, there was some great yellowtail fishing found close to Cabo San Lucas, but no consistent numbers of these fish ever were encountered on the grounds off of San Jose del Cabo, though to the north, off of the East Cape region, they reported a bonanza on yellowtail, maybe we will see a late yellowtail season off of SJDC? The good news now, is that offshore is showing signs of life, particularly for striped marlin, from Chileno, 95 spot, to the 1150 and north to Desteladera, sportfishing charters were finding very good numbers of billfish, many charters were scoring multiple fish days, often these fish were seen free jumping and  tailing on the surface, at times they proved to have lock jaw and would not strike on anything, acting as if they just were not hungry, probably feeding down deeper.

A few swordfish sightings and hook ups were reported during the past couple of weeks, this is the same period as last year when the swords were really starting to be spoted off shore of San Jose del Cabo and towards the East Cape, most of the time some 15 to 20 miles from shore. The year of 2011 turned out to be the best season in recent memory for these prized and elusive billfish, Southern Baja is one of the few spots in the world where will bite on the surface during the daytime. Often found late in the day, lazily swimming on the surface, this fishery is suited more for larger sport fishing boats, as compared to panga style skiffs.

Caballito have been the main larger baitfish now available, being used offshore for billfish and close to the beaches for roosterfish. Sardinas were available as well, this week the pangeros found the bait schools near the San Luis area. This is the time we usually see more small squid and bolito congregating in the region, both of which are favored food sources that inturn attract greater numbers of pelagic gamefish.

Most panga charters are still finding their best opportunities closer to shore, for roosterfish, sierra, pargo, grouper and amberjack and a few yellowtail. Palmilla Point had been a good early morning spot for yellowtail and amberjack, but this bite came to a standstill and now most of the small boat charters are headed towards the grounds north of Punta Gorda, where a variety of fish were accounted for, though still no consistent big fish bite on a daily basis.

Not many dorado recently, just an occasional fish here or there, some of them larger sized bulls. Encouraging news were recent reports of seeing yellowfin tuna appear on the grounds outside of San Luis, for the past several days yellowfin tuna in the 60 to 90 pound class were hooked into while trolling with bolito, only a few fish a day were now accounted for by the local fleet, but this bite could break loose at anytime, tuna were seen sporadically coming up on the surface, just a matter of them becoming a bit more hungry and aggressive.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 90 charters for the week and anglers reported a fish count of: 18 striped marlin, 12hammerhead shark, 4 mako shark, 1 thresher shark, 9 yellowfin tuna, 14 dorado, 8 yellowtail, 3 wahoo, 19 amberjack, 96 pargo, 34 cabrilla, 7 grouper, 52 sierra, 205 roosterfish, 16 jack crevalle and 7 pompano.

Good Fishing, Eric