Anglers –
August 6, 2016

As we are now in the middle of peak tropical storm season we have light crowds of visitors arriving, enduring hot humid conditions, with the heat index reaching up to 110 degrees. Winds and swells have been light, ocean conditions great, blue water close to shore, ocean temperatures ranging from 80 degrees on the Pacific and up to 88 degrees in the directions of Gordo Banks and to Los Frailes. The most recent Tropical Storm named Ivette has followed a path far off to the west, making no impact on land, just creating very humid conditions. The present forecast does predict high chances of decent rainfall for this coming Monday and Tuesday, up to several inches of rain possibly, which would be a good thing if it does not cause any major flooding or is accompanied by high winds, this is related to a newly forming low pressure system off the Mexican mainland coast which appears to be on a track to pass much closer to the Southern Bay Peninsula.

Anglers found similar bait supplies available in the marina channel, with caballito being the main species, some people are trying strips of squid as well. The fishing has been spread out over a wide area, no particular hot spot and overall the action is definitely not up to standards that we would expect for this time of year. Billfish action has been much more consistent off of the East Cape area, a mix of sailfish, striped and blue marlin, with a blue marlin over 400 lb. winning this past week’s Bisbee East Cape Tournament, but not much else is being found in this area besides marlin, a 111 lb. yellowfin tuna won that division, though only a few tuna were accounted for altogether. Dorado continue to be scarce as well, with only an occasional small fish being encountered. Who knows where these normally abundant summer time gamefish species might be. Same story for wahoo, a few strikes here or there, an occasional sighting of a free swimming wahoo where charters were drift fishing over structure, but not many fish being reported landed, these ‘hoo do become more sluggish in warmer water in the mid to upper 80s.

The area off of San Jose del Cabo, 1150, has been producing billfish and a few yellowfin tuna mixed with fast moving porpoise, first charters arriving have hooked a handful of yellowfin, most of them in the 10 to 15 lb. class, an occasional tuna to 50 lb., but very few numbers of tuna at this time.

Not much bottom action being found, sporadic early action for huachinango, yellow snapper, cabrilla, but more triggerfish than anything else being found off the bottom. Along the shoreline there have been some late season roosterfish and jack crevalle found, though this action is slowing down, as is normal for this time of year.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 52 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 4 blue marlin, 2 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 16 yellowfin tuna, 12 bonito, 9 dorado, 4 amberjack, 9 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 15 huachinango (red snapper), 11 yellow snapper, 4 barred pargo, 34 triggerfish, 5 jack crevalle and 12 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
July 30, 2016

More tropical weather this past week, pretty much the entire week there were forecasts of thundershowers, though mostly isolated and not associated with any high winds or swell conditions. No port closures either, though there were many charter cancellations or changes due to unpredictable weather patterns. Hurricane Frank was the latest named storm, passing within several hundred miles off to the west and never amounting to any impact with land, only a couple of days with higher surf conditions early in the week and definitely an increase in humidity. Increased cloud cover has been a welcome relief, after enduring scorching days that reached up to a 110 degree heat index. Next week is forecast to be clearer, so we will hope that this helps to get the fish more active, as this past week the all-around action has been very scattered, a few nice fish here or there, no consistent numbers of any particular species.

Clean blue water is now within a couple of miles from shore, swift currents have been sweeping through the fishing grounds and water temperatures have ranged from 80 to 85 degrees. In the marina channel area bait vendors have offered mixed quantities of caballito, mullet and moonfish, with a few odd species mixed in, some slabs of squid are starting to be used again as well.

Early in the day boats have been doing okay on yo-yo jigs near the San Luis Bank, some red snapper (huachinango), cabrilla, pargo, bonito and amberjack. Though not many charters were even trying this action for various reason, one of them being late departures due to having to check weather possibilities. Local fleets found their best option within several miles of shore from Cardon to San Luis Bank. Average caches were just handful of fish per boat this past week, highlight of these catches were wahoo, which went back on the bite in the area of La Fortuna, striking mainly on trolled Rapalas, a few on rigged baits. No huge numbers of these wahoo, though some boats accounted for up to three fish, though anglers were fortunate to land one or two, sizes ranged from 20 to 50 lbs., several nice sized ‘hoo were accounted for and of course the usual stories of other lost fish.

Offshore action was slow, occasional encounters with striped marlin, sharks and smaller sized dorado. There is more consistent billfish action now being found out of the East Cape, a mix of striped and blue marlin, one blue marlin over 600 lb. was reported, but besides finding marlin their bite has been very limited.

Yellowfin tuna were in the area, though no big numbers, the majority being smaller sized 10 to 35 lb., striking yo-yo jigs and medium sized trolling lures, some also hitting on stripped squid, no consistent action or significant numbers on a day to day basis. Some larger sized yellowfin were reported on the Pacific Banks off of Cabo San Lucas, though again a hit or miss scenario.

Getting late it he season now, though roosterfish and jack crevalle continue to be found patrolling inshore stretches, striking on slow trolled live baits. Roosterfish to 50 lb. were accounted for.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 60 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 2 striped marlin, 3 dogtooth snapper, 1 pompano, 31 yellowfin tuna, 11 bonito, 9 dorado, 11 wahoo, 8 amberjack, 1 gulf grouper, 9 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 2 pargo colorado, 24 huachinango (red snapper), 8 yellow snapper, 7 barred pargo, 14 jack crevalle and 28 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric

Anglers –
July 23, 2016

With each passing week as we progress deeper into the summer season we are feeling weather patterns become more tropical. For several weeks now there have been a series of tropical storm system developing off of the Southern Mexican coast. Most recently we have seen Tropical Storm Estelle heading off to the west and presently TS Frank and TS Georgette are on the horizon, forecast to strengthen to hurricane status in the coming days, it looks as though Frank will passing closer to the Baja Peninsula, though still far enough to the west to not cause any major impact on land, over the weekend we are expecting to see ocean swells reach up to 3 meters, with increased humidity and chances of scattered thunderstorms are forecast for all of next week, though they are not saying anything about any high winds, which is always a good thing, we do prefer rainfall without wind. Though choppy ocean and possible rain created by passing storms can also force port closures, so we will be monitoring this closely and see what Mother Nature implicates this time around. Crowds continue to be light, which can now be the normal deal through the summer until the fall season arrives.

Ocean currents have cleaned up, blue water is now being found close to shore, water temperatures have ranged from 75 degrees straight offshore of Cabo San Lucas, to as high as 84 degrees off of the San Jose del Cabo to Los Frailes regions. Recent passing of the full moon can throw off the fish activity as well, bait suppliers had to work harder for a more limited resource of caballito, mullet and moonfish, with caballito being the more common bait being offered. Some charters are starting to experiment again with slabs of squid, strip baiting for chances at finding yellowfin tuna.

The all-around action was more scattered this week, offshore charters and private sportfishers have been traveling long distances, up to 40 miles offshore, finding very warm water, clean and blue, but not much sign of fish or bait activity, occasional encounters of porpoise, but only sporadic reports of any yellowfin tuna action associated with traveling porpoise, most common offshore catch was finding a stray striped marlin here or there, more blue marlin are being found off of the East Cape area, which is normal, their season usually starts a month or two before ours does off of San Jose deL Cabo, the month of August will see a shift in the action, we will expect to see a larger grade of yellowfin tuna move closer to shore onto the high spots, this is where their food supplies congregate, this also is the time that we see the largest of pelagic gamefish arrive on these same grounds, the black and blue marlin. In the meantime most of the tuna we are seeing caught now have been smaller sized, up to 20 lb. and limited in numbers, found closer to shore while trolling medium sized lures and some are hitting on the strips of squid, once the school has been located. The yellowfin recently have been encountered from off of Punta Gorda to San Luis Banks, we have also seen commercial tuna purse seiners in this same zone, apparently they are followed these same schools, sure wish they would enforce stricter fishing zones for sportfishing and commercial fisheries, shouldn’t have to be such a conflict.

Inshore action continues to produce roosterfish and jack crevalle action, some roosterfish topped 60 pounds, too many unaware anglers continue to kill these prized gamefish, which are not known for the eating qualities and should always be released as carefully as possible in order to help preserve the future of this prized fishery.

The amberjack and snapper action close to shore has slowed down in recent days now that clarity of the water has cleaned up, where it is like looking into an aquarium, the fish can see the lines and other hardware that much easier, typically this is the time when this inshore action shifts out a bit deeper on to the high spots.

Earlier in the week anglers did well at first light using yo-yo jigs off of such grounds as San Luis Bank, various snapper, bonito, cabrilla, group, amberjack and even yellowtail were accounted for. Finding any wahoo or dorado have not been easy, a few dorado scattered through the inshore to offshore grounds, though most of these have been under ten pounds, no one talking about any big bulls now. Wahoo are in the area, being seen and landed by spear fishermen, but not many have been reportedly striking any lures or baits, these elusive fish can become more finicky in the warmer months.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 66 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 5 striped marlin, 7 dogtooth snapper, 29 yellowfin tuna, 16 bonito, 11 dorado, 4 wahoo,14 amberjack, 2 gulf grouper, 1 broomtail grouper, 13 leopard grouper (cabrilla), 4 pargo colorado, 16 huachinango (red snapper), 15 yellow snapper, 9 barred pargo, 22 jack crevalle, 1 yellowtail, 2 pompano and 36 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric