August 17, 2013

Anglers –

Despite this time of year traditionally be known as the off season tourists visiting Southern Baja, this summer there have been quite a few people arriving. We are now in the midst of the most tropical period, which normally lasts for the next four or five weeks. On Monday there was a storm front that swept in from the east, lightening, thunder, some scattered rain, sportfishing fleets canceled early morning charters, by 9 a.m. the front had passed and some charters did launch later. This is local tropical weather forming offshore, chance of isolated rain showers and more rain over the weekend. Though there are new tropical storms that are forming to the south, with ocean water temperature now 85 degrees or warmer the environment is ripe for quick storm develop, heat index has been over 100 degrees, very high humidity and forecasts will be monitored closely.

With the warming tropical weather, light winds, ocean temperatures have risen and the all around offshore fishing action has improved. Clean blue water is now close to shore, concentrations of bolito, skipjack and football sized yellowfin tuna are on the fishing grounds, attracting a variety of gamefish, catches have included, sailfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, dorado, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and skipjack. Inshore there are still decent numbers of late season roosterfish hanging around the Puerto Los Cabos Marina Jetty area.

Not much bottom action now available, swift currents make it more difficult for drift fishing over the structure. The commercial panga fleet coming from the Los Frailes direction have been setting anchors on the San Luis Bank and hauling in big numbers of huachinango, the true red snapper, valuable commercial catch, averaging 6 to 12 pounds. Some of the charter boats are now getting into this action, drift fishing with pieces of fresh giant squid. The squid are being caught off Los Frailes in quantity, can be purchased from this panga fleet, $10 buys you a lot of squid, this is something that has just developed this week, it has been working though.

Still no supplies of sardinas, these baitfish would work great for chumming the yellowfin tuna into a surface feeding frenzy, it is time the local bait supplying pangeros should starting to scout out this bait source. In the mean time they are still finding plentiful caballito, mullet and moonfish. Surf conditions are moderate now, takes one group to start chasing the sardinas, then the rest will follow.

Dorado have been the most numerous gamefish being found, ranging in all sizes, up to 45 lb., offshore and inshore, throughout the blue water, striking a wide variety of lures and baits, blind strikes and found on set buoys or other debris. Many dorado are be released, the limit on these fish is two per license, best to release the juveniles and only bag the larger specimens. More wahoo were accounted for off the high spots north of Punta Gorda, most of these fish hit on trolled lures and ranged in the 25 to 50 lb. class. Wahoo are normally not that active when the water temperatures get so warm, but these fish are elusive and will feed when they feel like it.

Striped marlin have been hanging around, despite the warm currents, while most of the stripers would now be found in cooler Pacific waters, there are significant numbers of these fish still in the area, at times found in grounds of five or six, tailing on the surface, often proving to be finicky and not interested, other times readily striking lures and trolled baits. Everyday we are hearing stories of blue marlin strikes and an occasional black marlin encounter, we expect to see more of this action, as this is now the time, with the conditions ideal and the food prevalent, big fish will be lurking.

Yellowfin tuna action has been found from Iman to San Luis Bank, trolling hoochie type lures or drift fishing with strips of fresh squid, the action has been sporadic, feeding on their particular schedule, some charter would have 5 to 10 tuna in the box, though most anglers were fortunate to catch one or two. Sizes have averaged 8 to 15 pounds.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 78 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 2 blue marlin, 38 striped marlin, 8 sailfish, 124 yellowfin tuna, 215 dorado, 12 wahoo, 30 roosterfish, 14 jack crevalle, 45 huachinango (red snapper) and 11 cabrilla.

Good fishing, Eric