Anglers –
August 25, 2017

There were greater crowds of anglers arriving this past week, possibly taking advantage of the calm weather patterns and wide open yellowfin tuna action. With no new tropical storms having developed on the horizon at this time, all looks okay for the coming days. This time of year the weather can change quickly, so you have to work when the conditions are favorable. Tropical conditions continue, high humidity, scattered cloud cover, light winds, calm ocean swells, all making for great conditions offshore for anglers.

Charters have been relying on slabs of squid and live sardinas for bait, surprising to actually see the sardinas this time of year, usually these baitfish would be scattered by this late in the summer, mainly due to higher surf conditions and too warm of water temperatures for their liking. Surf conditions have been unusually light recently, this has given the commercial bait fleet more opportunities to net the schooling sardinas.

The main action this past week was for the yellowfin tuna, an influx of smaller sized fish in the 10 to 15 lb. class dominated the bite on the Iman Bank, where fleets from as far as way as Buena Vista have been getting in on this action. Best bet was drift fishing with free lined sardinas, limits were the rule. Mixed in with the football sized tuna were white skipjack up to 8 lb. and an occasional much larger yellowfin tuna in the 50 to 80 lb. class, though those were few and far between. One tuna in the 150 lb. class was also reported early in the week off of the Gordo Banks. This time of year we would expect more numbers of quality sized tuna, we do believe they are still in the area, but are hanging lower in the water column perhaps, not wanting to compete with the greater number of smaller tuna, who knows what is up with that.

With all of the yellowfin tuna around there have been more reports of black and blue marlin being hooking into, early in the week there was one black marlin brought into the scale that weighed in at 547 lb. Others in the 200 to 250 lb. range were also landed. Most of these marlin strikes came while slow trolling larger baits, such as skipjack or yellowfin tuna.

Only a couple of wahoo strikes were reported all week, these fish are just not very active now in the warmer waters. Though we did see fair numbers of dorado spread throughout the region, striking on trolled lures and various baits. Average size for these fish was under 10 lb., with some exceptions reaching up close to 20 lb.

This week we saw more dogtooth snapper than we have seen all summer, still no significant numbers, but at least we are seeing them. These fish hit while anglers were drift fishing and targeting yellowfin tuna, snapper up to 45 lb. were landed, the Inner Gordo Bank produced the majority, but others were also hooked into on the grounds from La Fortuna to the Iman Bank.

Not much inshore fishing being done now, this action does usually fade out this late in the season. Most fishing activity is now centered on the high spots offshore.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 85 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 6 black marlin, 3 blue marlin, 2 striped marlin, 3 sailfish, 162 dorado,1 wahoo,9 dogtooth snapper, 8 yellow snapper, 660 yellowfin tuna, 125 white skipjack, 5 barred pargo, 13 leopard grouper, 1 pinto cabrilla, 13 huachinango, 5 amberjack and 44 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
August 19, 2017

Another relatively calm week, tropical conditions prevailing, scattering of clouds, higher humidity and late in the week there were some isolated thunder showers, felt mainly over mountainous regions. Presently there is a newly forming tropical depression off some hundreds of miles to the southwest, forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it heads off to the west, too far to cause any impact to land. Ocean swells were now moderate, some afternoon winds picking up, related to passing thunder clouds. Water temperatures ranged from 83 to 87. Cooler greenish water found closer to shore.

Bait suppliers were selling slabs of squid, some caballito and also finding some nicer sized schooling sardinas off the beach stretches near San Luis. In recent days the most consistent fishing action was coming when using these live sardinas. Most common species have been yellowfin tuna and dorado, a few wahoo and bottom species also in the mix. Chance at hooking into a larger size black or blue marlin as well. This week we definitely saw increased numbers of dorado, the majority were smaller sized fish, under ten pounds, but there were some larger specimens accounted for, up to over 20 lb. The dorado were striking on various trolled lures and on bait. Found throughout the zone, but more concentrations encountered within a few miles of shore, rather than far offshore.

Yellowfin action was concentrated from the Iman Bank to the Gordo Banks. Early in the week there was a higher percentage of finding a few yellowfin tuna in the 40 to 80 lb. class, but later in the week we saw smaller schooling football sized tuna dominate the action, particularly near Iman Bank, limits were the rule, same areas produced good numbers of dorado, outside chance at hooking into a wahoo. The Gordo Banks produced more sporadic action, seemed to be the area where the better chance at hooking into a larger sized fish might be. Some locals were reporting better activity later in the day, after the main charter fleet moved off the grounds.

Not much inshore action being found this time of year and with strong currents continuing to sweep through, this has made the bottom opportunities more difficult. Main species that were accounted for off the rocky areas, were triggerfish, pargo and leopard grouper, no big numbers, but a handful of quality eating fish being accounted for, anglers used yo-yo jigs and baits for this bite.

We heard of several hook up on larger sized black marlin, though these battles were lost. With the influx of smaller yellowfin tuna moving in, these are a favored food source for the largest of all pelagic gamefish. This is also the time we normally expect to see some of the 200 to 300 pound yellowfin tuna taking up residence on the local high spots.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 73 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 3 sailfish, 205 dorado, 7 wahoo, 4 surgeonfish, 2 dogtooth snapper, 16 yellow snapper, 490 yellowfin tuna, 17 leopard grouper, 3 pinto cabrilla, 15 huachinango and 78 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
August 12, 2017

It seems that with each passing day the weather is becoming more humid, increasing cloud cover, we have not had any rain recently, but presently we are feeling the remnants of Tropical Storm Franklin which had passed through the Gulf or Mexico and made land fall over Southern Mexico. Forecast are for possible thundershowers over the weekend. Winds have been very moderate, most likely will increase as this latest tropical system passes through and moves off to the west. Swells have been very light, though they are predicted to increase up to five or six feet by the start of this coming week. Ocean water temperatures have been up into the 85/87 degree range.

The main species of gamefish being found now has been yellowfin tuna, areas from the Gordo Banks to Iman Bank have been most productive, though schooling of fish have been found spread out throughout the region as well. Live bait has been limited to some mullet and caballito, also still a chance at obtaining sardinas in limited quantities, this is only because surf conditions have been so light, giving the bait netters a chance to find some scattered schools of the sardinas, also on some days fleets are bringing these baitfish down from areas further towards the East Cape. Using strips of giant squid is now becoming more of an everyday deal. Some chihuil and bolito have been jigged up at times on the offshore grounds and are being used for slow trolling.

The yellowfin tuna are ranging in sizes from small footballs, to over 80 lb. The larger fish have been striking on strips of squid, sardinas or trolled whole baits, on the Inner Gordo Banks and north on the Iman Bank. Bite varied from day to day, some days fish bit early, some days later, overall they proved to be more finicky and line shy, leaders not heavier than 50 lb. were best. The full moon is now waning and these darkening nights should help the bite get back on track. Average catches have ranging from 1 or 2 tuna, up to 10, depending on size and where you happen to be on a given day.

As it commonly occurs in August, it can be hard to find much variety, besides the yellowfin tuna, a few scattered mostly small dorado, as well as a handful of sailfish, an occasional wahoo sighting or missed strike, angler’s did land one 35 lb. wahoo early in the week. Not much off the bottom, strong current has been persistent and this made it even hard to affectively work the bottom, a couple of dogtooth snapper, huachinango, cabrilla, bonito, amberjack and triggerfish rounded out the structure action.

Not many charters fished along the shoreline now, late in the season for this, though we did hear of a few roosterfish being caught and released. Billfish action was limited, though one black marlin of about 360 lb. was landed and another couple of big marlin strikes were lost, also more sailfish moving in with the warmer currents and of course some striped marlin stragglers still hanging in the area, while most of these cooler water marlin have moved towards Northern Baja.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 88 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 black marlin, 3 striped marlin, 4 sailfish, 16 dorado, 2 wahoo, 3 amberjack, 3 dogtooth snapper, 12 bonito, 8 yellow snapper, 238 yellowfin tuna, 11 leopard grouper,2 pinto cabrilla, 18 huachinango, 9 roosterfish and 38 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric