Author Archives: BrianBrictson

Swells Reside, Dorado Bite ~ July 24, 2022

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July 24, 2022 

 Light crowds of anglers continue, tropical conditions, after last weekend’s passing of Tropical Storm Estelle, the week settled down and as swells resided ocean conditions rebounded. Ocean water temperatures ranged from 78 degrees on the Pacific up to 85 degrees in the direction of the East Cape. Clean blue water was found close to shore. On Saturday we felt welcome relief from relentless heat as local rain squalls developed, lasting on and off throughout the day.

Bait sources consisted of caballito, sardina, anchoveta, ballyhoo and a few moon fish. Sardinas were smaller in size as compared to previous the recent swell activity. Fishing action has been spread out from the 95,1150 spot towards Cabo San Lucas and north to San Luis Bank, not much being reported from the Gordo Banks, it is the time of year that large bait schools should move in on the Gordo Banks and in turn attracting more gamefish. 

Billfish, dorado and yellowfin tuna were found further offshore, the yellowfin were more often being found associated with porpoise, 15 to 40 miles offshore. Tuna were striking on various lures, feathers, cedar plugs, etc… Sizes ranged from small footballs up to 70 lb. We are expecting that these yellowfin will move closer in soon, on to high spots, making them more accessible to normal morning charters.
Dorado ranged from small schoolies, up to 40 lb. plus bulls. They were found throughout the region, more numbers further offshore, but many were also found closer to shore, as blue water was shifting nearer to shore now. Only a few reports of wahoo being seen free swimming or lost hook ups, so they are in the area, just not being landed.

Action closer to shore off the rock piles remained good for a variety of spaces, pargo colorado, African pompano, yellow snapper, barred pargo, bonito, amberjack, leopard grouper, dogtooth snapper and others. 

Roosterfish are becoming harder to find, as the season winds down, though there still was a chance, as there were reports of nice roosterfish being caught and released.

Good Fishing, Eric

Bull Dorado, Bottom Action, Tropical Conditions ~ July 17, 2022

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July 17, 2022  

Warm and humid now, presently we are following the path of Hurricane Estelle, forecast to reach category three strength soon, but fortunately appears to be passing some 300 miles or more off to the southwest of Cabo San Lucas, far enough away to not cause much of any impact to the Los Cabos area besides higher surf conditions and increased humidity. Light crowds now apparently high inflation rates are keeping people from making their normal summer travel plans.

With water temperatures now 80 degrees and higher, conditions are ripe for tropical storm development, so we will be following forecast closely the next couple of months. We had on and off south winds to deal with this past week. Majority of local fleets are fishing grounds from Cardon to San Luis. Bait supplies continued much the same, with caballito, sardinas and anchoveta being offered. Schooling bolito were found on offshore grounds and were being used for bait as well.

There has been a mix of inshore, bottom and surface action. Best chances of catching fish was off the bottom, snapper, grouper, dogtooth, leopard grouper, amberjack and others, using mainly bait, but some on yo-yo jigs in the deeper water. changing daily as to where better action was found.

Only a handful of yellowfin tuna were found, most these near the San Luis Bank, sizes to 45 lb.. Slow trolling caballito seemed to be the most effective bait, and anglers were fortunate to catch tuna. More yellowfin were encountered offshore, but being some 40 miles out, this was not a normal practical deal for morning charters. Dorado were scarce, but most of the fish being encountered were nice size, several bulls over 40 lb. were accounted for and over the weekend the Dorado Tournament out of the East Cape produced a sinning 57 lb. Bull, worth over $250 K. 

No reports of wahoo action on our local grounds. Billfish were centered offshore around the 95 and 1150 spots, with many boats accounting for multiple fish. Mainly striped marlin, but a few blues and sailfish mixed in. As this warmer water settles in we expect to see more of the blue and black marlin soon.
Roosterfish action is still available, but seems to be tapering off, as it normally does at this time. Still some late season sierra around, also pargo colorado and dogtooth snapper chances close to the inshore rocky reefs.

Good Fishing, Eric

Calmer Conditions, Swordfish Landed

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July 10, 2022  

Tropical weather patterns and light crowds of tourists continue. Presently there is TS Darby moving far off to the southwest, much too far to have impact with land. After on and off  cycles of south wind early in the week, conditions settled down for a great weekend. Swells were moderate, water temperatures ranged from 74 on the Pacific to high of 82 degrees in the direction of Los Frailes. Inshore areas had cooled off after the south winds, also stirred up the clarity, can be a normal pattern for this time of year. This movement delays stabilizing of ocean conditions and changes the bite accordingly from day to day.
Bait supplies remained the same, with caballito located inside the marina channel and sardinas and anchoveta being found in the surf zone just north of jetty entrance.

Billfish action is now centered around the 1150 and other high spots, mainly a mix of striped marlin and sailfish, just the beginning of the season when blue and black marlin move in on local grounds. On Saturday a beautiful 250 lb. swordfish was brought into Puerto Los Cabos Marina, landing from the charter boat Hook Up, the swordy apparently was spotted on the 1150 grounds and hit on a dead caballito.

Majority of local charters are now targeting inshore and shallow rocky reef areas, this is where the more productive action was found. A mix of dogtooth snapper, pargo colorado, amberjack, grouper and others are being found. All quality eating species, better action was found to the north, using live bait, early in the day was best. Out in deeper water there were bonito schooling and striking on yo-yo jig. also a few red snappers. 

Very few wahoo or dorado action reported. Though wahoo are present in local waters, seen free swimming in small schools and spear divers have been finding good numbers, as well as cleaning up on all the breeding stock monster amberjack, dogtooth snapper and grouper, authorities seem to turn a blind eye when the majority of these spearos are also illegally selling their harvest.

Yellowfin tuna were scattered, a few nice sized tuna were hooked on the San Luis Bank, only to be lost after extended battles, only a few smaller tuna were caught from our common La Fortuna to San Luis grounds. More numbers of yellowfin were encountered far offshore associated with porpoise, fish to over 30 lb., though most of the time more than 40 miles out, not a normal charter deal, can be arranged for added fuel surcharge when the weather also is favorable.

Along the shore it is the jack crevalle and roosterfish dominated the action, also some sierra, pompano and various snapper and pargo species. Some trophy sized roosterfish of 40 to 70 lb. were landed and released.

Good Fishing, Eric