Anglers –
March 24, 2018

Well the official spring season has now begun, weather patterns are in transition and for the most part are on a warming trend. Though this week started off with a cooler front pushing in, gusty winds from the north and at times swinging back out of the southeast. During the later part of the week the conditions calmed down and anglers enjoyed much more comfortable conditions on the fishing grounds where they have been concentrating, from the Gordo Banks to La Fortuna and Iman Bank. Ocean water temperature is now ranging from 70 to 74 degrees, with the warmer currents being in the direction of San Jose del Cabo and to the north. Increased number of vacationers now are arriving and many are deciding to make spur of the moment sportfishing reservations.

The bait situation has been that the sardinas were being found schooling along the rocky shoreline near San Luis and continue to be the main bait source for the all-around fishery. Some anglers were trying strips of squid with varying success for the yellowfin tuna. Other options included trolling with rigged ballyhoo, as well as finding bait concentrations offshore and using sabiki’s to jig them up, these mainly being sardineta and chihuil. With most of that bait action being concentrated in the vicinity of the Gordo Bank’s. Also later in the week there were pelagic red crabs that were found drifting to the surface, so we are optimistic that this will become a more consistent scenario and open up a bite for the red snapper.

Yellowfin tuna in the 20 to 50 lb. class continue to be found in good sized schools on the La Fortuna Bank, inside of Iman, these fish have proved very finicky now for the past couple of weeks, freely coming up to the surface to feed on the chummed sardinas, but trying to get one of these yellowfin to bite the baiting hook has been a different story, light leaders of 20 to 30 lb. were being used, often resulting in broken lines once a fish was hooked up. Other factors were aggressive sea lions waiting for their chance at an easy meal. On some days more tuna were hooked up early in the morning, while on others there was more of a chance later. Fortunate anglers caught up to three fish, while others were doing well to land one.

These same grounds produced limited action off the bottom for yellow snapper, bonito, leopard grouper and an occasional amberjack. Dorado were still being encountered on these same grounds, though the numbers were way down compared to in past weeks. Inshore trolling produced limited action, a few early season roosterfish to 15 lb. and a handful of sierra.

The highlight the past week would have to be the increased activity of striped marlin off of the San Jose del Cabo grounds, most of these fish being found anywhere from two to eight miles from shore, striking on trolled lures, sardinas, ballyhoo, chihuil and sardineta. Many stripers of 80 to 120 lb. were being hooked into, as good numbers of fining fish were also being spoted, with many of these eager to strike any baitfish.

Not much going on with the wahoo bite which has briefly started up off of Punta Gorda, though the spear fishing fleets certainly caught more than their share before spooky the schools out of the area.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 84 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 35 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 56 yellowfin tuna, 65 dorado, 26 yellow snapper, 20 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 120 huachinango (red snapper), 18 bonito, 2 amberjack, 3 dogtooth snapper, 8 roosterfish, 24 sierra and 65 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
March 17, 2018

With the official start to the spring season not set until next week, the weather is already feeling much warmer, more like mid to late spring. Mostly clear sunny skies, with high temperatures up to 87 degrees. Winds were moderate, with most of the winter north winds now over with, lows in the morning not so chilly in recent days, a jacket is barely needed. The ocean water temperature is averaging in the 73 to 75 degree range and is very clean and blue within a couple of miles of shore. Waves of spring breakers are arriving, especially on the beach resorts of Cabo San Lucas, but other groups of families are making efforts to at least try their luck fishing for a day or two.

This will be the final period for the annual whale migration, as with this warming trend these mammals will now begin their venture to their northern feeding grounds. Anglers found a wide variety of fish available, but catching was not always a guarantee, the yellowfin tuna action was very limited, they were seeing good numbers of the tuna come up to free chummed sardinas on the La Fortuna Bank, though lots of bait was needed to get these fish into a big enough frenzy that they would bite a baited hook. Going down to as light as 30 lb. leader was necessary. The yellowfin that were landed weighed in the 20 to 45 lb. range. Supplies of sardinas were more limited, as these schools dispersed from the Palmilla area and now being found schooling north near San Luis. More boat pressure and not as much bait available made the bite tougher.

The early part of the week started off with good numbers of dorado, though only a small percentage of these fish were over ten pounds. This action slowed down later in the week, as did the tuna action as well. Over last week and through the first part of the week we saw a wahoo bite develop, most of these fish being found close off of Punta Gorda. Of course there are no secrets these days, and word on this unseasonable action spread like wild flies. Even 100 ft. yachts were trying to get in on the action. The problem is this one particular area is very vulnerable and fragile to excess boat activity. The spear fishermen arrived in numbers as well, we heard of several afternoon trips going out with spear fishermen and killing eight or more wahoo in one outing, a bit of an over kill, too bad the local authorities are not making any effort to deter this exploitation. Just no room for the increased number of rod and reel charters, as well as so many boats now with spear fishermen.

This week there was increased striped marlin activity encountered off of the Gordo Banks region and towards Desteladera. With some balls of mackerel and chihuil baitfish being found on these same grounds, as well as trolling with ballyhoo and artificial lures, decent action for marlin now, with average fish seen being in the 90 to 120 lb. range. With the tuna action being much slower now we expect more anglers might being targeting these billfish.

The bottom action continued to be sporadic, some days decant numbers of mostly smaller snapper, pargo leopard grouper, an occasional amberjack, but with strong currents running, most days this opportunity proved not an easy task and with limited productivity.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 79 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 16 wahoo, 25 yellowfin tuna, 11 striped marlin, 132 dorado, 13 yellow snapper, 11 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 24 huachinango (red snapper), 35 bonito, 3 amberjack, 6 barred pargo, 21 sierra and 70 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
March 10, 2018

We are seeing moderate crowds of anglers, as we near the spring season and continue to see varying weather patterns. The week started off with cooler days and more north wind, but by late week the ocean settled down as wind resided and also daytime temperatures warmed into the upper 70s. Not as many whales are being sighted recently, this could mean that these mammals are beginning their northern migration as they can feel the seasonal changes approaching. Ocean temperatures have ranged from 70 to 73 degrees, greener currents are working south from Los Frailes, near the Gordo Banks at this time.

The main bait source continues to be sardinas, main concentrations now schooling near Cabo Real, also on the beaches north of San Luis, but that area has been more susceptible to increased swells and this made it harder for the bait netters to work that area. Supplies have been sufficient, though patience has been necessary in the morning, as these baitfish are netted each morning and not stored in a large receiver in advance. Offshore, near the Gordo Banks, there were reports of balls of baitfish being encountered, mackerel and chihuil and some of these have been caught on sabiki rigs.

The yellowfin tuna action progressively came to a standstill thorough the week, early in the week there was wind to deal with where the yellowfin were being found near the Iman Bank and La Fortuna, but a handful of tuna in the 20 to 50 lb. were still being accounted for. By late week the tuna developed lock jaw, they could be seen coming up and feeding on free swimming chummed baitfish, but were extremely finicky in striking any offerings, even when going down to 20 lb. leader. With the entire fleet only accounting for a few fish per day in recent days.

Dorado bite had become very slow as well, until later in the week when they rebounded strongly. Most of this action was near La Fortuna while slow trolling or drift fishing with sardinas. Sizes were mixed, with the largest dorado seen being near 15 lb. Many small juveniles being hooked into, remember to practice catch and release on these fish, let them mature and spawn in order to help retain healthy stocks for the future. Despite the cooling waters there were several reports of wahoo being seen swimming in small schools on the same dorado and tuna grounds, though they proved elusive and would not strike.

Bottom action showed better sighs by later in the week, as more anglers were now trying this option since the tuna bite slowed way down. One yellowtail of over 30 lb. was landed off of the same tuna grounds while drift fishing with a live sardina. Also decent numbers of leopard grouper, yellow snapper, a few amberjack and of course triggerfish. We are being optimistic that we will be seeing more consistent action off the bottom rock piles in the coming months, this is the time of year now for that. No signs of red crab activity, but that could happen any time as well, and this could really open up the red snapper action..

Only limited numbers of sierra found close to shore and a few very small roosterfish. A few pompano, surgeon fish, bonito are rounding out the shallow reef species.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 74 charters for this week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 22 yellowfin tuna, 164 dorado, 4 striped marlin, 1 broomtail grouper, 34 yellow snapper, 28 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 24 huachinango (red snapper), 1 wahoo, 11 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 4 amberjack, 2 pompano, 4 surgeon fish, 31 sierra and 70 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric