May 24, 2014
Anglers –

The month of May is always a great time, with an all around climate, steadily warming days, increasingly tropical feeling and many opportunities for anglers, from offshore, bottom structure to trolling close to shore. All this to take advantage of, crowds are now moderate, as people remain busy, finishing school semesters, graduations, not to mention that this is a very popular time for marriages. Perfect time to head south and visit the Los Cabos area, in another month the weather is much warmer and the humidity rises. Recent daytime highs have been hovering around 90 degrees, scattered cloud cover, at times quite tropical, on Thursday we even had some rainfall, did not amount to much, but this was unseasonable and combined with the gusty winds from the southwest, resulted in many anglers canceling charters for that morning, even though by mid morning the front had moved through and the conditions ended up just fine. Crazy weather patterns this whole year, seems like a possible El Nino current has been developing, ocean temperature are now in the 80 to 82 degree range off of San José del Cabo and towards Los Frailes, even warmer outside near the Cabrillo Seamount.

Bait sources remained as they have been, live moonfish and on some days limited caballito have been available, along with ballyhoo for rigging. On the fishing grounds more schools of skipjack and bolito were reported and this will be another option opening up for anglers targeting larger sized gamefish. This is also the time we should see migrations of mullet appearing in local waters. We have heard no good news on any resources of sardinas being found anywhere in the Southern Baja, will be interesting to see if we have a fall run for these sardina baitfish.

The steady bite for striped marlin which was within a couple of miles of the marina channel entrance, slowed way down, this is where the billfish were feeding on smaller sized squid, apparently this food source must have moved elsewhere. Now the main action for striped marlin was 15 to18 miles straight outside of San Jose del Cabo, in the vicinity of the 1150 Spot. Large concentrations of marlin were found, feeding, tailing, free jumping, striking more often on baitfish, either slow trolled, or drift, with sinkers down deep, or fly lining near the surface. Many charters Accounted for multiple billfish, even four, five or six stripers per day was not uncommon. Sizes ranged from 80 to 130 pounds. There were quite a few thrasher sharks on these same grounds, most weighing in the 70 to 150 lb. range and giving anglers their best workout for their money in battling these powerful fighters to boat side.

We have heard of the yellowfin tuna action that has developed in the Los Frailes area, tuna ranging to over 100 pounds were found associated with porpoise, finicky to bite at times, but consistent trolling has been producing decent numbers for charters based out of the East Cape. Though this action is still out of range for San Jose del Cabo charters, we are hoping this activity shifts towards the south, to our normal San Luis, Iman and Gordo Banks grounds. This is the time of year when anything could happen on any given day.

Dorado remain scattered, some days there have been a handful found on the same marlin grounds and to the north where panga fleets have been working the various high spots, there have been schooling dorado encountered, mostly smaller sized. Hard to say what is going on with the dorado, we have heard reports of larger concentrations found off the East Cape as well, this can be the typical pattern, then the action moves our direction. Some anglers found wahoo between San Luis and Vinorama, trolling ballyhoo and rapalas seem to have taken the majority of strikes, still lucky to get one of these elusive fish, sizes ranged from 15 to 40 lb. Several wahoo hit on yo-yo jigs while anglers were drifting over high spots, targeting amberjack, snapper and grouper, which proved very hit or miss, a handful of quality specimens were accounted for the anglers that were persistent.

Roosterfish action was found along the coastal inshore stretches, but with the lack of any concentrations of mullet, this meant that the roosters were scattered and the action varied from day to day where they could be found, most of the roosterfish that did strike on trolled baits weighed in the 20 to 40 pound class.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 90 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 7 thrasher shark, 4 yellowfin tuna, 52 striped marlin, 14 wahoo, 2 sailfish,12 amberjack,9 cabrilla, 4 jack crevalle, 8 sierra, 44 dorado, 2 dogtooth snapper, 75 bonito and 72 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric

May 17, 2014
Anglers –

As we enter the later part of the spring season, we are enjoying the ideal weather conditions, still slightly cool in the evenings and early morning, though the days have been clear, with warm sunshine up near the 90 degree mark. Winds settled down this week, but continued to be somewhat unpredictable. Ocean temperature has been averaging in the upper 70s from Cabo San Lucas towards the East Cape. Clean blue water is now found within a mile or two of shore. Schools of bolito are showing on the fishing grounds towards the north of Punta Gorda, this is always a favorable sign to attract more gamefish into the area.

Though the fishing action has not been off the map red hot, there has been good variety and some quality species are being accounted for. Live bait remains limited, moonfish and limited caballito were available and ballyhoo has been another option. We expect to see more schooling mullet arriving anytime. Charters have been mixing things up with the various options now available, from inshore trolling, to working the bottom structure and then offshore, which has not meant having to travel very far out.

Inshore the roosterfish were dominating the action, with nicer sized fish to 30 and 40 pounds now being landed daily, while trolling live baits along the shore, just outside the surf zone, a few jack crevalle have also been hooked into, as well as a handful of late season sierra.

Striped marlin has been the main species found offshore, once again these fish were found very close in, within a mile or two, straight outside the Puerto Los Cabos Marina entrance. Anglers were drift fishing with the available live baits, fly ling and using sinkers to soak the baits deeper. In this same area some marlin could be seen free jumping and occasionally feeding on the surface. Striped marlin could be found throughout the region, certain grounds did have larger concentrations. There were a few marlin even hooked into while bottom fishing with yo-yo style jigs, not an everyday occurrence. Dorado were found sporadically, no hot spot to find them on a daily basis. More juvenile sized fish were now found north towards San Luis and Vinormama, lots of small females that should be released with care so that they are able to mature.

Wahoo remain on the fishing grounds, actually seen at times in fair sized schools, roaming the inshore structure, getting them to bite as always is another matter, a few were hooked on yo-yo jigs and others hit the trolled Rapalas, sizes ranged up to 35 pounds. A few more yellowfin tuna are now being accounted for, blind strikes on lures or ballyhoo on the grounds to the north, and also a few fish to 20 pounds were accounted for off of the Gordo Banks. There were sizable schools of tuna seen feeding on these same banks, but they would disappear as fast as they showed, feeding on the available food source and not much interested in anything else, the few yellowfin that were taken, hit on strips of squid.

Off the bottom there was a chance at variety, including bonito, amberjack, cabrilla, pargo, grouper and even a yellowtail or two. Though there were no big numbers of any particular species being accounted for. Amberjack to 70 pounds were landed, grouper to 40 pounds, yellowtail and dogtooth snapper to 30 pounds, all quality specimens, striking on baits or yo-yo jigs. One day a certain spot would produce action and then the next day the same spot could be dead, also sea lions continue to be present and are causing havoc for anglers.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 81 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 4 sailfish, 2 thrasher shark, 11 yellowfin tuna, 48 striped marlin, 9 wahoo, 4 yellowtail, 17 amberjack, 5 grouper, 13 cabrilla, 14 jack crevalle, 12 sierra, 29 dorado, 4 dogtooth snapper, 82 bonito and 45 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric

May 10, 2014
Anglers –

Perhaps the perfect weather conditions have attracted more crowds of tourists, as this past week we have noticed an increased number of visitors. Early in the week there were some unusually gusty winds sweeping through from the north, though after this front moved through conditions settled nicely and anglers were greeted with great ocean conditions. Air temperatures were nearing 90 degrees, some marine layer, scattered cloud cover created a semi tropical feeling. Everyone is enjoying the wonderful climate now, if only this could last through the summer. Ocean water temperatures fluctuated more, with cooler currents on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas now in the upper 60s, while outside of the Gordo Banks water ranged into the upper 70s, most of the zone where anglers were now fishing was in the 74/75 degree range.

The winds during the early week stirred up ocean conditions and dropped water temperatures by a few degrees. Striped marlin continue to be the most prevalent species found offshore, the big bite that had been going on very close to shore, off of the Puerto Los Cabos Marine entrance, within one mile of shore, this action tapered way off, though a few scattered striped marlin are still being landed each day from this area. It seems the main concentration of marlin has moved further offshore, as far as 18 miles out, scores of stripers were seen riding the surface swells, many of them not interested at all in feeding on the available bait source of moonfish, jacks or ballyhoo, though a percentage of the marlin would strike and some charters were accounting for multiple billfish days. Some charters reported seeing many marlin on the surface but not be able to draw a strike for anything, this can happen when the fish get a taste for a certain food source that is abundant at a particular time, fish just are not hungry for anything else.

Dorado were more scattered even than were the marlin, only an odd fish here of there, no schools found, maybe one dorado landed for every five charters. Weights of the few dorado accounted for ranged up to 20 pounds. Wahoo were in the area, though only a handful were actually caught, most of these were found north of Punta Gorda and towards Vinormama, various rigged baits and Rapalas both produced fish, which averaged from 20 to 30 pounds.

Mid week a significant sized school of yellowfin tuna in the 20 to 30 pound class came up and was feeding on the surface near the Outer Gordo Bank, no one reportedly could tell what type of baitfish they were attacking and all of this activity was over as fast as it appeared. It was an encouraging sign to show that these fish were at least in local waters and hopefully a bite will develop soon. We did hear of a couple of 15 to 20 lb. yellowfin landed on trolled lures, but that was it in the way of tuna. The bonito are still prevalent on the various high spots, but not in the number they had been, striking on yo-yo jigs. A few pargo, amberjack and cabrilla rounded out the bottom action, which was basically limited, some days better than other. Most charters are doing a mix of a little bottom structure fishing before trying their luck for surface species or drifting baits offshore for marlin, which had been one of the more productive techniques recently.

Inshore we have seen some larger sized roosterfish up to forty pounds moving in, no big numbers to speak of, but a great option for anglers wishing to target these powerful gamefish. Slow trolling the caballito, jacks or moonfish was the best method to entice a strike, some large sized jack crevalle were also patrolling the shoreline.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 90 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 3 sailfish, 2 yellowfin tuna, 29 striped marlin, 6 wahoo, 2 yellowtail, 18 amberjack, 18 huachinago, 2 grouper, 11 cabrilla, 22 jack crevalle, 8 sierra, 20 dorado, 112 bonito and 26 roosterfish.

Good fishing, Eric