Anglers –
January 26, 2019

Similar to last week, lighter crowds of anglers ow arriving. Windy conditions prevailed most of the week, gusts from the north. Water clarity was more stirred up, also cooler currents pushing in, ranging 72 to 74 degrees. Daytime highs continue near 80 degrees, morning cloud cover, burning off md day.

Bait options were for caballito, slabs of squid, chihuil, ballyhoo and mackerel, no sardinas reported. Hard to say where the sardinas are, this time last year we did have a steady supply.
Majority of local charters were fishing grounds from Red Hill to Iman and La Fortuna, as well as the Gordo Banks. No particular hot spot, very scattered action from day to day.

The Gordo Banks was producing a quality grade of yellowfin tuna, a few fish brought in weighing near 100 lb. The problem being that there were very few of these fish being landed, on a normal day we were just seeing a handful of these yellowfin brought to the fillet tables. The offshore action for the tuna associated with porpoise faded out some and was out of range of most boats anyway, being 30 to 40 miles offshore.

With passing of recent full moon the billfish action also became scattered, still being found, but not in any frenzy like past months. Despite cooler waters, there were even a couple of sailfish hooked into, though most common has been the striped marlin, averaging 60 to 100 lb.

Early in the week we saw a few wahoo landed, from the La Fortuna area, squid and chihuil was the main bait being used. Only an occasional dorado seen in the mix, scattered, no particular location.

Bottom was limited, with lack of charters, swift currents, choppy and windy conditions, did not make for ideal conditions. More triggerfish and small snapper seen, only an occasional, cabrilla or amberjack. One day the commercial fleet imported some red crabs and had good catches of red snapper (huachinango.

Just an occasional smaller sized roosterfish, sierra, or misc. snapper being found close to shore, also a chance at finding a stray dorado close to shore.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 61 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 11 dorado, 24 yellowfin tuna, 4 wahoo, 84 bonito, 18 red snapper, 6 cabrilla, 8 yellow snapper, 4 mohara, 18 tijareta, 3 amberjack, 5 roosterfish, 10 sierra and 75 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

Anglers –
January 19, 2019

The crowds of tourists were lighter this last week, which can be a typical lull, as school semesters begin again and vacation time is used up. We except with chilly conditions across much of North America, that more people will be coming to Los Cabos looking for warm sunshine. Despite there be being morning cloud cover, days have been mostly sunny, with high temperatures averaging near 80 degrees. Winds were still predominately from the north, but not as strong is previous weeks, hard to predict from day to day, a lot of the better fishing action was found closer to shore on calmer grounds.

This is peak season now for whale activity, also sea lions and porpoise being spotted. Ocean water temperature was holding in the 72 to 75 degree range, clarity was good, clean blue water found within a mile of shore. There were supplies of caballito in the marina area, also ballyhoo and slabs of squid. Some charters are catching some mackerel, sardineta or chihuil, a bit day to day as to what exact baits are available and which end up working the best.

The great action we had the previous week for wahoo and dorado faded out this week, hard to say why, water conditions are similar, no drastic changes, we are optimistic that these fish are still in the region. There had been very limited action for yellowfin tuna, tuna are starting to be encountered traveling with porpoise, much of this found 25 miles plus offshore. Just in recent days the yellowfin are becoming active on the Inner Gordo Banks. This bite had become a late afternoon local commercial deal, hooking tuna only late in the afternoon, returning to the docks in the dark. There was a 200 lb. yellowfin brought in earlier in the week. Other fish of 150 lb. or more. These yellowfin are now finally striking in the morning as well, drift fishing with squid has been the main thing these fish have been striking consistently on. Most of these fish are weighing in the 30 to 90 lb. class, but there are tuna much larger on these same grounds now. No huge numbers of these fish are being brought in, but there is a fair chance now at catching one or two, at least we are seeing yellowfin again, especially since the wahoo and dorado action came to a standstill.

Besides looking for these tuna, the main bite being targeted are the Eastern Pacific bonito off of La Fortuna. Striking readily on jigs, Rapalas, hoochies, etc.. Good action on light tackle, ranging 4 – 8 lb., good eating as well, different than the California bonito. A few pargo, red snapper, cabrilla, amberjack, but no numbers, more triggerfish off the bottom structure than anything else.

Striped marlin has been on and off of San Jose del Cabo, still a better chance south, closer to Cabo San Lucas. As more baitfish move in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, then we will see the marlin more prevalent.

Along the inshore stretches there has been some sierra and roosterfish found, without any sardinas it makes it more limited inshore.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 68 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 9 striped marlin, 12 dorado, 24 yellowfin tuna, 5 wahoo, 225 bonito, 13 red snapper, 4 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 12 yellow snapper, 6 mohara,10 tijareta, 8 roosterfish, 4 surgeon fish, 12 sierra and 80 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

Anglers –
January 12, 2019

There were more numbers of tourists arriving, despite that this is the time school semesters resume and holiday vacation time is over. The weather patterns seemed to have stabilized some, warmer conditions, at least the lows were not in the mid-50s like they were previous week. Scattered cloud cover, highs of 80 degrees. Ocean swells were moderate and winds from the norther finally laid down, water clarity improved and ocean temperature was in the
72 to 75 degree range.

Bait options remained much the same, live caballito being netted in the marina area, no sardinas to be found, ballyhoo and slabs of squid also available. Another option was to try and catch chihuil on the Inner Gordo Bank, this proved the hot ticket the first half of the week.

Billfish still have been more active on the Pacific, but they are now being found off the San Jose del Cabo grounds as well, as mackerel and sardineta baitfish schools are now shifting in this direction. The striped marlin were striking on various lures as well as baits, averaging 70 to 100 lb.

The highlight of the week was the wide open wahoo action encountered on Monday and Tuesday off of Punta Gorda. Of course with so many people in the area, the word gets outs in a hurry and no secret bite can be sustained, everyone and their brother was out trying to get in on this action. Water also turned off a bit on Wednesday, tuning greenish and between that and all of the pressure the bite tapered off. The best bet for these wahoo was on slow trolled live chihuil, which more often are not a guarantee to obtain. This was a new group of wahoo, appeared to be a spawning run, many of these fish were in the 40 to 50 lb. range, some over 50 lb. Many charters were landing two to four or more wahoo, losing at least as many other strikes. Dorado were found on these same inshore grounds, but were not as numerous as were the wahoo, though once found they were a higher percentage of actually landing, dorado weighed in the 10 to 20 lb. class.

Bottom action was scare, more triggerfish than anything else, an occasional cabrilla or pargo. The currents were strong and most anglers were preferring to target more glamorous surface species as long as they were still prevalent.

The yellowfin tuna action has dropped way off, only action reported has been by the local commercial pangeros fishing late in the afternoon on the Gordo Banks, they have had yellowfin in the 60 to 90 lb. range practically every day, no huge numbers, but enough to keep them working at, all of this action was on various baits, chihuil, chunk of caballito, skipjack or squid.

Very little action reported for sierra or roosterfish, once again, just not many people trying that now, especially without live sardinas available, limits inshore options during the winter season. We are optimistic that if weather allows, that the wahoo will be in the region through this month.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 78 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 19 striped marlin, 72 dorado, 3 yellowfin tuna, 76 wahoo, 14 bonito, 12 red snapper, 5 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 8 yellow snapper, 15 tijareta, 5 sierra and 65 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric