San Jose del Cabo Weather Links
Click for weather forecast

 

 

Water Temperature > http://tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=cb

 

Wind Report > http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=130&regionProductID=30&timeoffset=0

 

March 17, 2012

Anglers –

Only moderate sized crowds of spring break vacationers are now visiting Los Cabos, continued poor economy most likely the main reason for this. This still being the off season for prime angling opportunities, numbers of anglers taking charters out for the day are unusually light. We are in the midst of winter time ocean conditions, water temperatures rebounded slightly and are now averaging in the 68 to 70 degree range from Los Frailes to Cabo San Lucas, cooler water usually means the water color is not very clean and that has been the case, with greenish colored water being found throughout the region.

Charters venturing further offshore are finding bluer conditions, but offshore fishing has been very hit or miss, no yellowfin tuna to really speak of, dorado action has been limited to maybe every few boats reportedly seeing a dorado free swimming or feeding and occasionally one is being hooked. Most of these fish were in the 10 to 15 pound class and more of these dorado were actually encountered close to shore, this is where there are now more concentrations of various baitfish. Scattered reports of striped marlin found off of the San Jose del Cabo fishing grounds, there have been more numbers of stripers now being seen off of the Cabo San Lucas grounds, still no big bite at all to report, some boats reported multiple chances per day.

The fishing has more consistent close to shore for species such as sierra, roosterfish, pargo, bonito, cabrilla and a few amberjack and dorado mixed in. More sierra action than anything else, sizes ranging 2 to 8 pounds, using live sardinas for bait was the best bet, slow trolling or drift fishing, while chumming to attract the fish into range. Bait suppliers have found sufficient supplies of sardinas, this past week the Red Hill area was where more quantities of these preferred baitfish were found. Sierra could be encountered schooling along the entire coastal stretches, one of the better areas for larger sized fish recently was off of San Luis.

Anglers have been breaking up the morning sierra action by working the shallow water rocky spots, using bait and yo-yo jigs, there has been a wide variety of pargo and cabrilla species caught, an occasional amberjack or bonito, though not many larger sized fish now, an occasional leopard grouper to fifteen pounds, which was the average size of the few amberjack that were accounted for. Yellowtail action has gone into stand by, these fish never really moved in off of San Jose del Cabo yet this season, while areas just to the north and south did have significant runs, April is always a month when we see improved bottom action, as well as warming offshore conditions that attract more pelagic species, so hopefully this spring will live up to its reputation of variety and quality.

As a bonus to the sierra action, there have been some early season roosterfish found patrolling the inshore waters, just outside the surf zone is the region where these powerful members of the jack family look to ambush their prey. Off of Los Cabos, the largest sized roosterfish typically arrive in late spring and early summer, but a few fish up to 25 pounds were caught and released this past week.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 49 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 striped marlin, 14 dorado, 178 sierra, 10 bonito, 22 roosterfish, 16 amberjack, 24 yellow snapper, 14 barred pargo, 8 pompano and 42 cabrilla.

Good Fishing, Eric