Anglers –
August 13, 2016

This past weekend we were bracing for possible impact from the latest Tropical Storm Javier, the system ended up following a path further off to the west, just offshore of Todo Santos and paralleling the Baja Peninsula. There was some isolated heavy rainfall, only minimal flooding was reported, and winds were not too high, up to about 30/40 mph. The local Ports were closed for all activity on Monday and Tuesday as a precaution, as storm surge and swells picked up to about ten feet. The storm quickly passed and Ports were reopened Wednesday morning so that sportfishing operations could resume business as normal.

Right before this latest storm developed the fishing action to the north of Punta Gorda around Iman to San Luis Banks was showing signs of improvement, as the nicer grade of yellowfin tuna started to bite. Then after the passing of the storm the ocean was a bit stirred up on Wednesday and the bite was off, now as conditions steadily improve the action is picking up again. Anglers were using chunks of squid, other available baits, as well as yo-yo jigs and tuna up near 100 lb. were accounted for, no huge numbers, but some charters were landing several nice tuna. Other catches included dorado, wahoo and various snapper and grouper species. The billfish bite also improved, with blue and striped marlin both being found on the same local fishing grounds. We expect this all around action to continue to improve, as long as the weather holds as it is at this time.

As is the normal pattern, inshore action for jack crevalle and roosterfish diminishes at this time, still a chance at finding limited action while trolling baits outside the surf zone, but nothing like it had been earlier in the summer. More bolito baitfish are now being found schooling on the fishing grounds and these always make a great bait option. In the marina area the main live bait being offered is caballito and once again slabs of squid are being used for drift fishing the yellowfin tuna. Only an occasional dorado being found, a few up to 15 lb., same for wahoo, only an occasional fish actually landed, though these fish are in the area, they do commonly become more sluggish when water temperatures are average above 85 degrees, as they are now.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 58 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 5 blue marlin, 8 striped marlin, 3 wahoo, 69 yellowfin tuna, 8 dorado, 4 amberjack, 10 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 2 broomtail grouper, 5 pargo colorado,18 huachinango (red snapper), 10 yellow snapper and 4 barred pargo.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
August 6, 2016

As we are now in the middle of peak tropical storm season we have light crowds of visitors arriving, enduring hot humid conditions, with the heat index reaching up to 110 degrees. Winds and swells have been light, ocean conditions great, blue water close to shore, ocean temperatures ranging from 80 degrees on the Pacific and up to 88 degrees in the directions of Gordo Banks and to Los Frailes. The most recent Tropical Storm named Ivette has followed a path far off to the west, making no impact on land, just creating very humid conditions. The present forecast does predict high chances of decent rainfall for this coming Monday and Tuesday, up to several inches of rain possibly, which would be a good thing if it does not cause any major flooding or is accompanied by high winds, this is related to a newly forming low pressure system off the Mexican mainland coast which appears to be on a track to pass much closer to the Southern Bay Peninsula.

Anglers found similar bait supplies available in the marina channel, with caballito being the main species, some people are trying strips of squid as well. The fishing has been spread out over a wide area, no particular hot spot and overall the action is definitely not up to standards that we would expect for this time of year. Billfish action has been much more consistent off of the East Cape area, a mix of sailfish, striped and blue marlin, with a blue marlin over 400 lb. winning this past week’s Bisbee East Cape Tournament, but not much else is being found in this area besides marlin, a 111 lb. yellowfin tuna won that division, though only a few tuna were accounted for altogether. Dorado continue to be scarce as well, with only an occasional small fish being encountered. Who knows where these normally abundant summer time gamefish species might be. Same story for wahoo, a few strikes here or there, an occasional sighting of a free swimming wahoo where charters were drift fishing over structure, but not many fish being reported landed, these ‘hoo do become more sluggish in warmer water in the mid to upper 80s.

The area off of San Jose del Cabo, 1150, has been producing billfish and a few yellowfin tuna mixed with fast moving porpoise, first charters arriving have hooked a handful of yellowfin, most of them in the 10 to 15 lb. class, an occasional tuna to 50 lb., but very few numbers of tuna at this time.

Not much bottom action being found, sporadic early action for huachinango, yellow snapper, cabrilla, but more triggerfish than anything else being found off the bottom. Along the shoreline there have been some late season roosterfish and jack crevalle found, though this action is slowing down, as is normal for this time of year.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 52 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 4 blue marlin, 2 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 16 yellowfin tuna, 12 bonito, 9 dorado, 4 amberjack, 9 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 15 huachinango (red snapper), 11 yellow snapper, 4 barred pargo, 34 triggerfish, 5 jack crevalle and 12 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
July 30, 2016

More tropical weather this past week, pretty much the entire week there were forecasts of thundershowers, though mostly isolated and not associated with any high winds or swell conditions. No port closures either, though there were many charter cancellations or changes due to unpredictable weather patterns. Hurricane Frank was the latest named storm, passing within several hundred miles off to the west and never amounting to any impact with land, only a couple of days with higher surf conditions early in the week and definitely an increase in humidity. Increased cloud cover has been a welcome relief, after enduring scorching days that reached up to a 110 degree heat index. Next week is forecast to be clearer, so we will hope that this helps to get the fish more active, as this past week the all-around action has been very scattered, a few nice fish here or there, no consistent numbers of any particular species.

Clean blue water is now within a couple of miles from shore, swift currents have been sweeping through the fishing grounds and water temperatures have ranged from 80 to 85 degrees. In the marina channel area bait vendors have offered mixed quantities of caballito, mullet and moonfish, with a few odd species mixed in, some slabs of squid are starting to be used again as well.

Early in the day boats have been doing okay on yo-yo jigs near the San Luis Bank, some red snapper (huachinango), cabrilla, pargo, bonito and amberjack. Though not many charters were even trying this action for various reason, one of them being late departures due to having to check weather possibilities. Local fleets found their best option within several miles of shore from Cardon to San Luis Bank. Average caches were just handful of fish per boat this past week, highlight of these catches were wahoo, which went back on the bite in the area of La Fortuna, striking mainly on trolled Rapalas, a few on rigged baits. No huge numbers of these wahoo, though some boats accounted for up to three fish, though anglers were fortunate to land one or two, sizes ranged from 20 to 50 lbs., several nice sized ‘hoo were accounted for and of course the usual stories of other lost fish.

Offshore action was slow, occasional encounters with striped marlin, sharks and smaller sized dorado. There is more consistent billfish action now being found out of the East Cape, a mix of striped and blue marlin, one blue marlin over 600 lb. was reported, but besides finding marlin their bite has been very limited.

Yellowfin tuna were in the area, though no big numbers, the majority being smaller sized 10 to 35 lb., striking yo-yo jigs and medium sized trolling lures, some also hitting on stripped squid, no consistent action or significant numbers on a day to day basis. Some larger sized yellowfin were reported on the Pacific Banks off of Cabo San Lucas, though again a hit or miss scenario.

Getting late it he season now, though roosterfish and jack crevalle continue to be found patrolling inshore stretches, striking on slow trolled live baits. Roosterfish to 50 lb. were accounted for.

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: 2 striped marlin, 3 dogtooth snapper, 1 pompano, 31 yellowfin tuna, 11 bonito, 9 dorado, 11 wahoo, 8 amberjack, 1 gulf grouper, 9 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 2 pargo colorado, 24 huachinango (red snapper), 8 yellow snapper, 7 barred pargo, 14 jack crevalle and 28 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric