Gordo Banks Pangas Fish Report

Date: August 14th, 2010

As we reach the middle of August the weather conditions are feeling increasingly tropical, more cloud cover, at times there were threatening rain showers, which to this date have yet to develop. Increased crowds this past week, perhaps the family rush before school starts back up and also maybe due to the more favorable fish reports for the past couple of weeks. Days are quite warm as would be expected at this time, but actually there has been some relief due to breezes off of the Pacific Ocean and cloud cover. Conditions have been relatively calm in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, moderate swells with water temperatures averaging 76 to 82 degrees. The next five weeks are historically the period when the greatest numbers of hurricanes have formed and made land fall on the Southern Baja Peninsula, we will be watching the weather forecasts closely during this time.

Local San Jose fleets have been concentrating mostly on the fishing grounds from the Gordo Banks, La Fortuna, to Iman and the San Luis Banks. Large concentrations of baitfish were seen schooling on the surface of these local fishing grounds. Sardinas have been the main bait source, bags of fresh dead bait as well as limited quantities of live sardinas which were delivered mid morning to the fishing grounds have been available. There also has been a mix of mullet, caballito and moonfish available.

This last week there were more big marlin hooked into around the Gordo Banks area than all of last summer combined. Two black marlin of 500 pounds were accounted for by the local panga fleets, as well as a couple of other fish that ranging in the 300 to 400 pound class. Another black marlin weighing an estimated 600 pounds was brought into the panga docking weigh fillet area at 11:00 p.m. on Monday by the local Daniel Fisher team aboard Cabo 35 ft. Sportfisher named the “Fisherman” same boat that won last year’s WON Tuna Jackpo

t with the 383 lb. yellowfin. All of these big marlin were hooked into while trolling larger live baitfish, such as yellowfin tuna or various skipjack species.

Other highlights and significant catches this past week included a 155 pound yellowfin tuna that was subdued by Dave Marcias of Yorba Linda, Ca. while fishing on the 32 ft. Alejandra, this tuna hit on a smaller sized Mexican flag patterned feather near the San Luis Bank. There was an even a larger tuna landed, a super cow of 319 pounds was weighed in on Monday by local La Playita pangero Efrin Arripez. This is the first yellowfin over 300 pounds this season that we know about taken off of the Gordo Banks. It hit near the Outer Bank while Efrin’s group were drift fishing on the 22 ft. panga “Faty” with two dead sardinas pinned on the same hook with straight 60 pound mono, no leader.

Yellowfin tuna were the main stay of the daily catches. Most charters were avenging 4 to 10 fish per day, size ranged from 10 to 300 plus pounds. Average size tuna was 20 to 40 pounds. Fishing were hitting best on either the fresh dead or live sardinas. The area near La Fortuna to Iman produced the biggest numbers of fish. Dorado were being caught at perhaps a 1 to 5 ratio compared to tuna, sizes ranged up to 30 pounds.

Only a handful of wahoo were reported this past week, these fish can become a bit sluggish in the warmer waters. A few quality sized dogtooth snapper are being landed each day by the combined panga fleets, these fish are now being found on the offshore structure while drift fishing with whole or cut baits. Some amberjack and cabrilla rounded out the bottom action, with yo-yo jigs accounting for most of this action, strong currents continues to make this type of fishing more difficult.

The combined panga fleets launching from the La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos area sent out approximately 89 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:

1 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 1 blue marlin, 4 black marlin, 5 wahoo, 11 cabrilla, 15 huachinango (red snapper), 8 roosterfish, 88 dorado, 378 yellowfin tuna, 13 amberjack, 8 jack crevalle, 34 skipjack, 26 bonito and 16 dogtooth snapper.

GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson 
Owner/Operator
800 4081199
Los Cabos 1421147
ericgordobanks@yahoo.com
www.gordobanks.com

Gordo Banks Pangas Fish Report

Date: August 7th, 2010

Cooler than normal air and water temperatures were recorded during the month of July, this apparently was a factor in slowing the development of tropical storm systems. Now we are through the first week of August and temperature are rising, more to what we would expect this time of year. There is also a newly developing tropical depression forming off of Mainland Mexico, this system is forecast to gain tropical storm strength and follow a northwest track, staying clear of making landfall, mostly likely well create larger ocean swells and increase the humidity. Water temperatures have now risen to an average of 80 to 85 degrees, these temperatures are favorable for developing tropical cyclones.

Local fishing fleets are now concentrating their efforts from the Gordo Banks north to La Fortuna and San Luis, most common catches have been for yellowfin tuna, but also there are more dorado starting to appear in the daily fish counts. The live bait situation improved for sardinas, pangeros are selling fresh dead sardinas early in the a.m. and then arriving on the fishing grounds with live sardinas by about 7:30 a.m. Other options were to purchase whole giant squid, live cabalitto and mullet. More schooling baitfish such as bolito and small yellowfin tuna are now moving onto the fishing grounds and these have been yet another option for anglers wishing to troll larger live baits.

The yellowfin tuna action has fluctuated as to where the best action is found each day, drift fishing with bait has been the most productive method of finding fish. Sizes have ranged from football specimens to tuna of over 100 pounds. In recent days there have been more schools of 5 to 15 pound tuna appearing, but everyday there are also fish mixed in that are weighing to over 100 pounds. Anglers have used lighter sporting tackle to have fun with the smaller tuna, but the problem has been that at any time the big yellowfin can come up in the same areas and then the angler finds themselves under gunned and many larger fish were lost. Average catches ranged from 5 to 20 tuna per day for each charter.

Dorado were found in the same areas as were the tuna and closer to shore, most boats are finding one, two or three per day, with the majority of the fish being in the 5 to 15 pound class. These fish were hitting on trolling lures as well as bait and are being found in smaller sized school.

Strong currents have slowed down the bottom action and most anglers are now targeting the surface bite. A handful of cabrilla, amberjack and snapper were accounted for off the rock piles, as well as the ever present Mexican bonito.

Striped marlin and a few larger marlin were scattered throughout the area, no great numbers. On Thursday there was a black marlin reported landed off of the Gordo Banks by a Picante Charter out of Cabo San Lucas, reportedly to be in the 500 pound range.

Local surf anglers reported early in the week several snook being landed from the stretch of beach just to the north of the Puerto Los Cabos Marina. These fish were hooked on live mullet and ranged in weights up to 32 pounds.

Inshore action for roosterfish and dogtooth snapper has tapering off rapidly, as schools of mullet start to scatter and higher surf conditions become more consistent.

The combined panga fleet launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 98 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 black marlin, 5 wahoo, 5 striped marlin, 6 hammerhead shark, 434 yellowfin tuna, 84 dorado, 22 bonito, 4 dogtooth snapper, 3 grouper, 14 roosterfish, 12 jack crevalle, 16 huachinango and 13 amberjack.

Good Fishing, Eric

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson

Owner/Operator

800 4081199

Los Cabos 1421147

ericgordobanks@yahoo.com

www.gordobanks.com

Gordo Banks Pangas Fish Report

Date:July 31, 2010

Now in the final days of the month of July the summer season continues to run its course smoothly. Some scattered rain showers last weekend were welcome and forecasts are for possibly more of the same this weekend. No tropical storms are on the horizon now, only an area of low pressure off of Southern mainland Mexico that has recently formed. Crowds of tourists remain light, though weather patterns have been more comfortable than normal for the heart of the summer, cooler Pacific breezes have prevailed. Ocean conditions have still not stabilized like one would expect by the final week of July. In recent days these same Pacific currents have swept in the direction of the Sea of Cortez and cooled inshore water temperatures into the lower to mid 70s, becoming off colored as well, warmer 80 degree plus water is now 12 or more miles from shore, the warmer currents will certainly swift back closer to shore as currents switch.

Despite this set back with the conditions the fishing action has remained steady, particularly for yellowfin tuna, which have been the main stay of daily catches for the fleets launching out of San Jose del Cabo. The most consistent bite was found from the Iman to San Luis Banks, drift fishing with strips of squid of sardinas was the most successful technique. There was finally some good news on the baitfish front, with the availability of live sardinas for the first time in what seems like months for local fleets. Commercial pangas have been netting the baitfish off of beaches towards Vinorama and are delivering them to the fishing grounds. The tuna have ranged in sizes from footballs to over 100 pounds, included in the last week were two yellowfin tuna over 200 pounds, that weighed in at 232 and 233 respectably. Cow sized tuna are showing early this season, encouraging sign for coming months.

Dorado activity has been limited so far this summer, but this past week there were more numbers of these popular gamefish showing up. These fish were found on trolled lures, as well as various baits, ranging in size from 5 to 30 pounds. Wahoo were not as active this past week, most likely due to the greener water conditions north of Punta Gorda where these fish had been found, we expect this action will improve as the water clarity turns around

Billfish continues to be spread out, though in recent days some larger sized marlin were reportedly hooked up in there region outside of San Luis where the tuna action was concentrated. This is the area where the 581 lb. black marlin that is presently leading the East Cape Bisbee Tournament was hooked into.

Some nice sized amberjack were caught off of Palmilla Point by anglers drifting with larger jurelito or mullet baits. This action was capitalized on more by the commercial fleet than the sport anglers. This is the same time period as last year when big amberjack were encountered schooling on the surface off of Palmilla, also is the time when an occasional larger sized grouper can be hooked into.

The combined panga fleets launching from the La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos area reported sending out approximately 53 charters for the past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 276 yellowfin tuna, 31 dorado, 18 amberjack, 22 huachinango (snapper), 8 dogtooth snapper, 18 bonito, 8 hammerhead sharks, 14 surgeon fish,11 jack crevalle, 9 cabrilla, 7 wahoo and 15 roosterfish.

Good Fishing, Eric

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson

Owner/Operator

800 4081199

Los Cabos 1421147

ericgordobanks@yahoo.com

www.gordobanks.com