Anglers –

February 23, 2019

This week we noticed an increase in visiting tourists and anglers alike, maybe this is due to the icy cold conditions sweeping across most of the U.S. Locally we also felt chilly temperatures, with lows down to 52 degrees recorded and highs which barely reached the mid-70s. Winds were still predominately from the north, a bit unpredictable from day to day, but overall not as bad as previous weeks.

The limited schools of sardinas that had appeared inside the marina channel area last week, were quickly all netted and now this resource is gone once again. Anglers were relying on slabs of squid, ballyhoo and also some mackerel, sardineta and chihuil. Actually despite the cooler weather this week the all-around fishing action was improved over last week, still a bit sporadic from day to day where the action was best. Fleets have been fishing from Chileno, Palmilla, Gordo Banks, Punta Gorda and north to Iman Bank. Water temperatures cooled off some, down to the 70 to 72 degree range, though clarity remained good. The most constant action in recent days was found closer to shore.

The billfish action was scattered, no concentrations found, though the striped marlin are spread out through the area. With the conditions not so favorable on the Pacific, most of the Cabo San Lucas fleet is also fishing in the direction of San Jose del Cabo.

There was encouraging signs for yellowtail action, we have not seen a strong run on these popular gamefish in several years. Inshore area off of Chileno, Santa Marina were producing good number of smaller sized yellowtail while trolling hoochies and smaller size Rapalas, most of these fish were in the 3 to 8 lb. class, but at least we are seeing them. Typically these smaller fish appear first, then we will start to have the larger sized yellows move in on the same grounds, hopefully this will be the case in the coming month.

Early in the week there was decent wahoo action found close to shore off of Punta Gorda and on the Iman Bank, these fish ranged up to 40 lb. and were striking on slow trolled baits, as well as a handful taken on yo-yo jigs. Later in the week the wahoo bite seemed to vanish, but dorado action was very good, same deal, striking various baitfish. There were more dorado found closer to shore and often the bite was better later in the morning. These fish raged up to over 15 lb., many boats scored as many as three, four or five dorado, this has to be considered very good considering this is not the normal season for these gamefish which much prefer the warmer currents.

Inshore action also produced a few roosterfish to 15 lb., jack crevalle to 20 lb., sierra, bonito and needlefish. Off the bottom the most common fish were smaller sized red snapper, some hogfish, triggerfish and an occasional leopard grouper or amberjack. A few glasseye snapper, baqueta grouper and golden eyed tilefish found in the deeper water on the outside of the Gordo Banks.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 84 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 8 striped marlin, 115 dorado, 24 yellowfin tuna, 22 wahoo, 45 bonito, 230 red snapper, 12 baqueta, 12 hogfish, 9 leopard grouper, 6 roosterfish, 8 jack crevalle, 24 yellowtail, 4 amberjack, 14 golden eyed tilefish, 10 glasseye snapper, 12 sierra and 65 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

Anglers –

February 16, 2019

Still just moderate crowds of anglers arriving, kind of normal for this time of year. The weather patterns seem to on a warming trend, actually feeling like spring already, mostly clear sunny skies, with highs of 80 degrees. This next week the forecast looks to be slightly cooler, hard to predict now, transition periods from winter to spring, on and off changes. The water clarity improved closer to shore this week, water temperature seemed to warm slightly, now in the 71 to 75 degree range, offshore area the warmest. Though much of the more consistent fishing action has been closer to shore.

There was a couple of days where limited supplies of sardinas were located, this was inside the marina channel, of course the word traveled and now we see none again, at least it was a sign that these schooling baitfish are moving back into the region, needs to be some kind of control, more preserve zones are required as well. There re mackerel in the area, but a little more hit or miss from day to day, also slabs of squid, as well as ballyhoo and chihuil are rounding out bait options;

Highlight for the week were a handful of yellowfin tuna that were taken off of the Gordo Banks, drift fishing with squid and sardinas, these tuna were in the 80 lb. class. Also a few wahoo biting on the grounds from Punta Gorda to the Iman Bank, including one of about 70 lb. on Friday. Not normally the time of year for wahoo, but with the conditions how they are, there are some wahoo in the area. Not many dorado being accounted for, but every now and then a boat will come in with one or two, more of these found closer to shore, sizes up to 15 lb.

Most numerous fish were the various bottom species, different pargo, snapper, grouper, amberjack and even a few smaller yellowtail in the mix. Red snapper on pieces of squid was a good bet in recent days, more of these under five pounds.

Marlin bite was more spread out, but charters are finding striped marlin off of San Jose del Cabo grounds, as well as the 950, 1150 spots. It appears that many of the stripers that were on the Pacific are now moving in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, it is all about following their food supply.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 69 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 11 striped marlin, 22 dorado, 15 yellowfin tuna, 13 wahoo, 32 bonito, 245 red snapper, 14 bagueta, 2 sheepshead, 4 pompano, 12 leopard grouper, 10 roosterfish, 4 yellowtail, 5 amberjack, 14 sierra and 110 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

Anglers –

February 9, 2019

We saw more north winds through most of the week, calming down for the weekend, ideal climate now, moderate crowds, making this a great time to visit the Los Cabos area. Ocean temperatures dropped into the 70 to 72 degree range though most of the region, transition period for migrating pelagic gamefish, warmer water species head south during this colder period.

Offshore action was limited mainly to looking for striped marlin, action was better early in the week and became more scattered as the week progressed. Schools of mackerel were found off of the San Jose del Cabo grounds, as well as sardineta, chihuil and inside the marina area there were caballito. Some unconfirmed reports of sardinas being seen along beach stretches north of Cabo San Lucas, so we are hoping that maybe these baitfish will become available.

With the cooling waters the action for the more glamorous species such as yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo has all but halted. Normal deal during this time frame, besides the on and off striped marlin action offshore, fleets start to search out inshore and bottom structure for a variety of smaller fish. We are waiting to see if a run of yellowtail and red snapper develops. There were red crabs found this week drifting to the surface on the Gordo Banks, this is normally a positive sign for finding the red snapper. So far the snapper action was mainly for the smaller sized fish, the huachinango of over ten pounds have not been plentiful yet. More triggerfish off the rock piles than anything else. Drift fishing with pieces of squid seemed to produce the more consistent action, most of these fish smaller in size, but all of them very fine eating. We saw a few sheepshead and pompano in the mix.

The weather feels like we are now on a warming trend, at least we have now seen the frigid low temperatures as the week before. We need these north winds to lay down more and give a chance for ocean conditions to rebound. Recently there were strong currents moving in and out, this always make it tough to try and concentrate on bottom action.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 59 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 1 sailfish, 13 striped marlin, 11 dorado, 2 yellowfin tuna, 92 bonito, 125 red snapper, 4 bagueta, 6 yellow snapper, 8 pompano, 10 surgeon fish, 8 barred pargo, 3 sheepshead, 8 hog fish, 13 sierra and 85 triggerfish.

Good Fishing, Eric