Anglers –
March 25, 2017

For some reason this week was not so busy with tourists, in between waves of spring breakers perhaps. The annual San Jose del Cabo traditional Fiestas have come and gone now without any major incidents, though they are still in the cleanup process on the grounds adjacent to the baseball park. Ideal weather patterns continue, still a bit cool early in the morning, but daytime temperatures have been reaching into the mid-80s, clear warm sunny skies. Still good numbers of whales being seen, this now being their late season, getting ready to migrate back to the northern feeding grounds.

Ocean swells increased this week, making it very difficult for the bait netters to reach inshore rocky areas where the sardinas were schooling. Other bait sources included limited caballito, ballyhoo, squid and red crabs. Larger crabs were once again found drifting to the surface on the Outer Gordo Banks and were being gathered for use for bottom fish action. Currents have varied, not being quite as strong as they had been, winds were a factor later in the week, then settling down for the weekend. Ocean temperature ranged from 68 to 74 degrees through most of the region, with the warmest areas being offshore of San Jose del Cabo some 6 to 8 miles. Blue water has been found within several miles of shore.

Last week the big news was a great bite for wahoo during a time frame that is not typical for this elusive gamefish, as they were found in schools close to shore off of Punta Gorda. The combination of heavy pressure for multiple days and ocean conditions that cooled off and became a bit greenish contributed to that action fading out. This week the most productive bite was for red snapper, or locally called huachinango, these are the true Pacific red snapper, found over offshore structure, striking readily on various crabs baits, a few on yo-yo jigs as well, these extremely prized eating fish average in the 5 to 12 lb. range, very scrappy fighters on lighter tackle. The largest sized snapper were recently coming from the Outer Gordo Banks, while other areas closer to shore were producing a smaller grade or snapper.

Not much going on for any surface action now, anglers at times were seeing the yellowfin tuna showing on the surface, but they proved very finicky and with the lack of sardinas due to higher surf conditions, this made it difficult to entice any tuna strikes, very few were landed this past week. Dorado were even scarcer and the billfish bite has been late to get going. We did hear of reports of striped marlin near the 1150 high spot and even a couple of dorado, this area had warmer water temperatures, so maybe something will finally start to happen offshore.

Inshore there has not been much besides some sierra and triggerfish, as water starts to warm back up, we should see the juvenile roosterfish move in. Then later in the spring as the mullet show up, that will attract the larger roosters and other jacks.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 60 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 9 yellowfin tuna, 6 amberjack, 14 yellow snapper, 11 flag cabrilla, 13 leopard grouper, 420 huachinango, 21 sierra, 105 black skipjack and 95 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
March 18, 2017

A steady flow of spring break vacationers continue to arrive in Los Cabos, also this is the big week for the annual San Jose del Cabo traditional as well, so the town is very busy. The weather is progressively warming up, already feeling like late spring, winds were light in recent days, skies were clear and high temperatures were in the mid-80s, ideal climate now. Still lots of whales being sighted, we expect with this warming trend, that these mammals will start heading north soon.

Schools of sardinas are being found near Palmilla, on most days sufficient supplies were being netted, other bait options included ballyhoo and strips of squid. Most of the local action has now been found from off of Palmilla, to Punta Gorda, La Fortuna and to the Iman Bank. Not much at all being found further offshore for the charters that did scout that out, lack of billfish action at this time, most charters are fishing closer to shore and over the normal rocky structure areas until reports offshore improve

Yellowfin tuna action was very spotty, the tuna were seen at times on the surface, but were very finicky in striking baits, not hitting on lures either. Best chances were found while drift fishing or slow trolling with live sardinas over the grounds of La Fortuna and the Iman Bank, we were only seeing a handful of yellowfin landed each day, anglers were fortunate to land one of them, of the fish we saw, they averaged 20 to 30 lb, though we did see one 60 lb. fish brought in mid-week. There were more black skipjack than anything else.

Off the bottom, on these same grounds, we saw a mix of species such as yellow snapper, island jack, amherjack, cabrilla, red snapper, pargo and triggerfish. Not a lot of larger fish, mostly in the 4 to 10 lb. range, no big quantities either, but all very good eating. Strong currents have been running, this never helps anything, especially when fishing the bottom. Inshore the main action was for sierra while using sardinas, we saw a few nicer sized fish up to eight pounds accounted for.

We have not seen any dorado recently, though we did have big surprise with a wahoo bite developing off of Punta Gorda, this is something we normally would see in December. Even though the water temperature is in the lower 70s, there were sizable schools of wahoo holding in this area, which is less than a mile from shore. Sizes ranging from 15 lb. to 60 lb. Fish were a bit finicky, coming up on baits, most often not striking, other times they would hit sardinas or rigged ballyhoo and many also hit on yo-yo jigs. A few of the local skippers tried other techniques normally used only while trying to snag baitfish such as mullet, not an approved method, but wahoo are very elusive and open game. Of course the word got out of this action by later in the week and then we saw free divers with spears working the same spot, this is always a quick way to spook the fish out of the area. With the ongoing warming trend anything can happen and this wahoo action in recent days has been a prime example of this, as March is not the normal season when we find these prized sought after gamefish.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 72 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 24 yellowfin tuna, 7 amberjack, 2 island jacks, 1 sheepshead, 33 wahoo, 25 yellow snapper, 14 flag cabrilla, 19 leopard grouper, 62 huachinango, 75 sierra, 60 black skipjack and 110 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
March 11, 2017

We noticed more spring break vacationers now starting to arrive in town. Also San Jose del Cabo is busy preparing for the large annual traditional fiesta which will be held in the next week as well. Will be eventful times, crowds of people and lots of shut down streets to deal with as well. We felt a heat wave build mid-week, feels like spring already, clear sunny skies with high temperatures in the mid 80’s. Ocean water temperature was averaging from 70 to 73 degrees. In most areas clean blue water was being found within several miles of shore. North winds early in the week, then the later part wind moderate, strong currents did not help anglers though..

The action that was going on for yellowfin tuna off the Cabo San Lucas arches faded out over last weekend and we did not see any rebound this week. A handful of tuna were landed off of the La Fortuna and Iman Banks, most of these in the 30 lb. class, though numbers were very limited, more skipjack than anything else. Supplies of schooling sardinas were still being found off the rocky beach stretches from Regina to Cabo Real. Sardinetas are on the bait grounds off of the San Jose del Cabo Hotel Zone, though not many mackerel at all being reported, some people are using strips of squid as another bait option as well.

Not much billfish action being reported in any direction, on the Pacific or in the direction of the Sea of Cortez. Who knows what is going on with the striped marlin, should be the time we see more numbers of these fish showing up, definitely behind schedule.

Nothing has really developed with the yellowtail either, a few fish here and there, but no numbers at all. A handful of yellowtail up to 25 lb. were reported off of the Palmilla Point, hitting on yo-yo jigs and larger baits, but only one or two per day for the whole fleet and then the next day none. No consistent bite on these prized jacks, though we are still optimistic that something might happen soon.

Charters are not finding much at all further offshore or inshore for that matter, besides some sporadic action on sierra. Most charters are starting to work the various rock piles within a few miles of shore for a mix of snapper, pargo, amberjack, cabrilla, triggerfish and others. Spotty action for the most part, sometimes up to a dozen fish, other times only several. All good eating though, except for the black skipjack, which at times were very plentiful on same grounds where anglers were trying to get the yellowfin tuna to bite. Just not the time we are catching many really trophy sized fish, though with the weather now warming up with each passing day, things can change fast, also coming off a bright full moon, so as night time skies darken we hope to see the daytime action improve.

Still lots of whale activity being seen, though usually by the end of this month these mammals will start back on their northern migration. Plenty of sea lions in the area as well, always following the fishermen around trying to get an easy meal.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 61 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 14 yellowfin tuna, 6 yellowtail, 8 amberjack, 36 yellow snapper, 15 flag cabrilla, 15 leopard grouper, 8 mojarra, 44 huachinango, 62 sierra, 150 black skipjack and 130 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric