Anglers –
July 7, 2018

We saw lighter number of tourists this first week of July, perhaps more people decided to stay home to celebrate Independence Day this year. The weather patterns are now progressing becoming warmer, high temperatures up to 90 degrees, though with the increased humidity, the heat index is making it feel more like 98 degrees. The winds were very slight, and after having larger swells lingering the first part of the week due to the distant passing of TS Fabio, ocean conditions were again calm. The green water is slower giving way to cleaner currents, water temperature on the Sea of Cortez side of the Peninsula is back up into the 78 to 80 degree range.

Anglers were using a mix of sardinas, caballito, mullet and sardineta for bait. Most common areas now being concentrated on have been from Palmilla, straight of San Jose Estuary and marina area, and north towards Iman, San Luis and Vinorama Banks. There were large concentrations of baitfish holding straight offshore of the Puerto Leo Cabos Marina, three to five miles out. This is where decent numbers of striped marlin were being found, most often by drift fishing baits down deeper, with the full moon these fish were a bit more finicky, but with patience most charters were having chances daily. This same area saw more dorado moving in as well, slow trolling bait on the surface was best bet for these fish, no big numbers, but many charters did report landing one, two or three fish, with weights up to 15 lb.

The other popular grounds recently for fishing was on San Luis Bank, this is where there was good early morning action for Eastern Pacific bonito and red snapper while working yo-yo jigs. The problem at this spot was that there were way too many hungry sharks lurking and they would readily strike the yo-yo jigs, as well as any fish that you did have hooked up, frustrating and a fast way to lose a lot of jigs in a hurry.

Early in the week a few yellowfin tuna were also hitting bait or yo-yo jigs on the same grounds, one tuna close to 80 lb. was accounted for, others were lost. The best chances at yellowfin recently has been further offshore, found moving with porpoise and changing location from day to day, most days they were found 15 to 25 miles offshore, though late week some were found as close in as 7 miles. These fish had to be worked for, lots of water covered, trolling medium sized feathers, hoochies and cedar plugs worked and sizes averaged 12 to 18 lb.

Inshore action for roosterfish and jack crevalle slowed down, more spread out, but some fish were being found, even a handful of late season sierra.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 54 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 32 striped marlin, 24 dorado, 35 yellowfin tuna, 6 pompano, 95 bonito, 11 yellow snapper, 38 red snapper, 9 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 2 amberjack, 14 roosterfish, 7 barred pargo, 7 sierra, 35 triggerfish and 8 jack crevalle.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
June 30, 2018

As we progress further into the summer season we are seeing moderate crowds of tourists arriving, many of these are family groups enjoying the start of school vacations. Tropical storms are recently forming off of Southern Mexico and heading off to the west, staying clear of any impact with land. TS Emilia far off to the west and weakening rapidly at this time. Looks like newly forming TS Fabio with follow the same westerly path as did Emilia. Pacific currents are still pushing in off of San Jose del Cabo and to the north, creating cooler and greenish water conditions, we have seen water warming back in to the 76 degree range, but still it is very stirred up and off colored, swells have been moderate.

Bait supplies consisted of caballito, mullet and some sardinas. On the fishing grounds there have been sporadic baifiish schooling, some days not as much. Also lots of sharks now on the fishing grounds from Iman Bank and towards San Luis. There was good action for red snapper (huachinango) for anglers using yo-yo jigs, the problem was the sharks were so numerous and aggressively taking the hooked fish and cutting off many lines in the process, these large concentrations of sharks seem to be a new issue we are dealing with the last couple of seasons.

Other shallow water structure fishing producing various species of grouper, yellow snapper, pompano, bonito and a few amberjack. Along the shore roosterfish and jack crevalle were the most common fish, a few late season sierra in the mix. The majority of the roosterfish being found were in the 10 to 20 lb. class, though a few fish up in the fifty pound class were encountered further north near San Luis where water clarity was better. Still no action for dogtooth snapper, this is the time of year where these brutes are found patrolling the inshore rocky reefs, we are hoping for a late season flurry for these largest of all snapper.

The striped marlin action continues outside of Iman and towards Desteladera, some days better than others, no large concentration like a month ago, though everyday there is billfish action reported. Many smaller sized marlin in the 40 to 60 lb. range, also a handful of nicer sized stripers up to 140 lb. Trolling lures, baits, casting to tailing fish or drift fishing baits down deeper were all producing marlin strikes.

Only a few smaller sized dorado seen recently. The yellowfin tuna action was mainly now found further offshore associated with fast traveling porpoise, most of this activity was from 15 to 30 miles offshore. Spotty action, a lot of searching involved and the tuna being found were averaging in the 12 to 18 lb. range

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 77 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 29 striped marlin, 5 dorado, 26 yellowfin tuna, 8 pompano, 125 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 1 corvina, 16 yellow snapper, 105 red snapper, 22 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 14 baqueta, 3 broomtail grouper, 8 amberjack, 70 roosterfish, 11 barred pargo, 1 sculpin, 16 sierra, 85 triggerfish and 24 jack crevalle.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
June 23, 2018

We have seen a fast start to the hurricane season, with there now having been three named storms develop, Aletta, Bud and Carlotta. This last system stayed far south and impacted only the Southern Mexico mainland. The Los Cabos region is now basically back to normal after being directly hit last week by fortunately a weakening TS Bud. Many tourists left town in a rush due to storm risks, scores of other cancelled out upcoming trips in fear of getting trapped or something worse. Everything remained under control, no major issues, businesses are now operating as though nothing ever happened.

Heavy ocean swells to over fifteen pounded the coastline, now it has dropped down to normal summer size swells. Last week the storm pushing in from the south brought with it colder Pacific currents, green water, with temperatures off of San Jose del Cabo dropping down from the 78 degree range to 67degrees over night. It has been a slow process to recover and rebound to pre-storm status. Pacific grounds are still dipping into the 60’s, though in the direction of the East Cape the water is back up near the 78 degree range. Clarity is still off colored, clearer in some isolated locations, but swirling strong currents continued to sweep through, causing clarity to remain off.

The mass schools of baitfish that had been holding near Iman and Desteladera Banks have vanished, so the striped marlin action is much more spread out now, being encountered while trolling lures and many of the tailing marlin spotted would strike dropped back caballito. Marlin was still the main offshore species of gamefish encountered. Dorado were just seen on occasion and more often closer to shore. Yellowfin tuna were scattered further offshore, open water trolling produced spotty action for mostly football sized fish. This tuna action was mainly being found off of the Cabo San Lucas grounds, as well as off the East Cape. No wahoo seen locally, but there was talk about a wahoo bite going on near Cerralvo Island to the north.

The high storm surf scattered the schools of sardinas, which is common this time of year. Main baitfish that is now being obtainable in the mornings has been caballito, a few other variety of jacks, mullet and limited moonfish. Offshore baitfish seemed to vanish since the start of the week, as water conditions improve and currents slack some, we do expect to see the larger concentrations of offshore baitfish to return.

Roosterfish action remains sporadic, but has improved some in recent days, though it was surprising that the majority of the roosters were more juvenile sized, not all 25 lb. and up, which can be more common during the later part of June. Jack crevalle were also patrolling the shoreline and most of these fighters were in the 15 to 30 lb. class. Only a couple of smaller dogtooth snapper reported, a handful of pompano and snapper rounded out inshore activity.

Off of the shallow rock piles there were some decent fish caught, red snapper, yellow snapper, amberjack, a variety of grouper, spotty from day to day, areas near Iman, San Luis to Vinorama producing best. Bottom action was found early in the day by using yo-yo jigs, shallow spots were more productive drift fishing larger baits.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 76 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 29 striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 6 dorado, 22 bonito, 19 yellow snapper, 2 dogtooth snapper, 26 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 6 gulf grouper, 4 broomtail grouper, 11 amberjack, 32 roosterfish, 6 barred pargo, 12 pompano, 4 sierra and 22 jack crevalle.

Good fishing, Eric