GORDO BANKS PANGAS

September 6, 2020

We are now into the first week of the most tropical and unpredictable month of the year, always watching forecast closely and seeing light crowds of tourists arriving, never is this the busiest time of the season, though this year things are predictably even slower. This week the weather patterns were more stable though the entire week, giving ocean conditions a chance to recover and the water clarity became much cleaner, blue water found within a few miles of shore. Ocean temperature was now in the 80 to 84 degree range. This is also the most humid time of the year, with recent rainfall and hillside landscape has transformed to lush green, season to have insect repellant handy.

The majority of local charters have now been concentrating efforts on the grounds from the Gordo Banks and north to Vinorama, as these are normally the most productive areas during the summer months. The whole summer season was slow to get on track, lots of dirty currents moving cooler water through, more south wind than normal, but finally this past week weather patterns stabilized and the fishing action improved significantly. Anglers were using caballito and rigged ballyhoo for baits, also a few scattered schools of sardinas are being located near marina jetty. On the fishing grounds themselves there have been some small skipjack and bolito caught and are being used for trolling.

We are now monitoring Tropical Storm Julio, which meteorologists are having a hard time figuring out exactly what it is going to do. Consensus is it will weaken as it passes a couple of hundred miles off on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, though we are expecting scattered rain showers.

The yellowfin tuna bite was more productive around the San Luis Bank, striking mainly on caballito and average size was in the 40 to 70 lb. range, many boats accounted for several of these tuna. Highlight for the week for the season’s first super cow, a 366 ft. yellowfin tuna which was brought in on Friday from a 23 ft. super panga operated by Jesus Banaga of La Playita. They hooked this fish while trolling a medium sized skipjack near the Inner Gordo Banks and it took them 2 1/2 hours to land.

The wahoo went on a great bite this week, striking readily on trolled Rapalas throughout the zone from La Fortuna to Vinorama. Many charters were landing 3 to 5 wahoo, while losing other strikes as well, average sizes ranged from 15 to 35 lb. Nice to see these wahoo, it has been a while since we have seen them in numbers like this. Fast, aggressive and very fun gamefish to catch, as well as being highly sought after and prized for eating.

Dorado were found scattered throughout, no huge numbers, but found while trolling in small schools, sizes ranged to 20 lb., majority were 5 to 12 lb. Not a lot of billfish action, an occasional sailfish reported on the same tuna and wahoo grounds, also a couple of larger blue or black marlin hook ups which were lost, a few striped marlin hanging around in the warm waters as well. We will look to see more of the big marlin to show up the next two months, big tournament season coming soon.

Not much reported off the bottom, as more anglers are now trying for the wahoo and tuna. Nor did we hear anything going on close to shore, again no anglers really trying this, as they were offshore on the banks for other species.

Light crowds, good fishing, Eric

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

August 30, 2020

Tropical weather patterns continue, as do light crowds of visiting tourists. As the region was still drying out from the soaking rain left by Hurricane Genevieve, we were carefully following forecast of a pair of newly formed Tropical Storms, Hernan and Iselle. While Iselle was lurking in an area off to the west of Todo Santos, never impacting land at all, there was Hernan which originally formed off of Manzanillo and was forecast to pass just to the west of the Southern Peninsula, though early Friday this system completely reversed course and headed into the Sea of Cortez in the direction of La Paz, at the same time this storm quickly weakened and besides some isolated light to moderate rainfall it never amounted to much at all. Though there were precautionary Port closures on Wednesday & Thursday. Ocean swells did increase Thursday to about 8 feet, but wind was light and overall caused no damage at all.

Early in the week the ocean conditions were slowly rebounding, cleaner water was found further offshore. Average water temperature was in the 78 to 82 degree range. By mid-week the conditions closer to shore were looking much better and anglers reported some great action for popular gamefish species such as yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo. Caballito were once again available from the marina area, after becoming scarce early in the week.

Most consistent action was found around the San Luis Bank, using both lures and baits. The tuna hit on caballito and were in the 40 to 70 lb. class. There had been some much larger yellowfin tuna found associated with porpoise, but this was some 30 to 40 miles offshore and was not a normal option for local charters. Though with cleaner currents now pushing closer to shore, we expect the cow sized tuna to start to congregate on local high spots, it is that time of year.

More dorado were also now encountered inshore, mixed sizes, ranging to 20 lb. though there were more numbers of smaller sized fish. With the cleaner water we also saw the wahoo become more active on the same grounds north of Punta Gorda, several charters accounted for a couple of these speedsters, with other strikes also being missed, sized ranged from 25 to 40 lb.

Billfish action was limited with the changing conditions, though there were sailfish, striped, blue & black marlin all hooked into, with the larger billfish being lost. We expect the coming weeks will produce some of the seasons larger marlin, a lot will also depend on what weather might develop. Historically the month of September can be the most unpredictable of all.

Bottom action was limited this past week, as was inshore action, though there were a few nice sized roosterfish reported, which is very late in the season for these.

Light crowds, good fishing, Eric

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

August 23, 2020

We had the first serious storm system strike the Los Cabos area this week. Hurricane Genevieve which developed off of the Southern mainland coast, strengthening rapidly to a category four storm, before weakening some as it past much closer to the Baja Peninsula than was originally forecast, with the eye passing within about 50 miles of land as it paralleled the Baja coast on a northwesterly track. Rainfall ranging from 6 to 12 inches was recorded, wind gusts to 60 mph and some fairly serious flooding in lower locations. There were local Port closure for three days due to heavy storm swells, reopening for Saturday morning. Most of the region was out of power for two to three days before utilities were restored. Overall the area escaped any serious devastating damage and did receive some much needed rainfall.

All of the rain caused a lot of muddy run off and ocean was stirred up and dirty to over five miles offshore, with weather now settled we should see clarity improve and rebound with each passing day. Live bait also became very scattered, with bait vendors scrambling to find limited resources for caballito, mullet and a few sardinas.

Before the storm most of the better fishing opportunities came off of the San Luis Bank and this is where the fleets resumed after the storm. Fighting greenish dirty currents made things tough for anglers over the weekend, though they did find a mix of species off the bottom and some limited surface action. Anglers used lures, yo-yo jigs and limited bait for a mix of pargo, red snapper, cabrilla, amberjack, bonito, dorado, with the highlight being a handful of yellowfin tuna in the 40 to 60 lb. range.

No inshore action was found as it seems that the high swell scattered all that had been going on close to the shoreline. This is the time of year that conditions can clear back up just as fast as they had turned over, as long as no new storms strike. We do see the forecast of new systems possibly developing for late next week, so we will be monitoring these reports and hope that they pass off further to the west. The next six weeks are historically the period when Hurricanes have developed and impacted this zone.

Light crowds, good fishing, Eric