June 25, 2023

As summer season has now officially begun, we are seeing more vacationing family groups arrive. Weather patterns are now starting to progressively warm, increased humidity and more tropical as well. Some scattered cloud cover, burning off quickly and high temperatures now averaging 90 degrees. Ocean water temperatures now ranging 80 degrees or higher, strong currents running, increased swell activity, as well higher tidal swings, as is normal for this summer solstice time frame.

Anglers were able to find bait supplies of caballito and other jacks, limited mullet this season. No sardinas to report, ballyhoo and slabs of squid were another option. On offshore fishing grounds more schools of bolito are showing, these are always a favored food source for all larger sized gamefish, definitely an encouraging sign.

Local fleets were scouting in all different directions, though their most consistent action was being encountered off of northern grounds, from Iman to San Luis Banks. Overall the action this week was slower than previous period, hard to say what reason that might be for, conditions appear favorable, though stronger than usual current might have put the fish down further in the water column, bite has varied from day to day where best action was found.

Off the bottom there were a mix of red snapper, yellow snapper, barred pargo, leopard grouper, amberjack, bonito and triggerfish, though numbers were limited and currents made this deeper action that much more challenging. This bottom bite was done using a mix of yo-yo jigs and with various bait options.

We were still finding a scattering of dorado, though in less numbers than during the last couple of weeks, found trolling lures and various baits, no particular hotspots, from close to shore, to farther offshore on the marlin grounds. Still a decent chance at finding a trophy bull, we saw a couple up close to 50 lb. this week.

Yellowfin tuna action was very slow this week, early in the week far offshore some 10 to 30 lb. yellowfin were found traveling with porpoise, but this was a very hit or miss deal, a few larger grade tuna were seen and hooked into on the Iman Bank as well, so as currents settle, something could develop with this. Wahoo were scarce as well, but actually this week, even in the very warm water,  we saw a few more ‘hoo striking on trolled rapalas, even double hook ups were reported, sizes up to 35 or 40 lb.

Offshore billfish bite was heating up along with the local weather. A slight edge in numbers on the Pacific side. Most common species still being striped marlin, though we also saw a fair number of larger sized sailfish in recent days, moving in with the warming currents. Our local super panga accounted for a 300 lb. class blue marlin over the weekend. Also there were at least two swordfish brought in over the weekend, smaller 110 to 130 lb. fish, but impressive nonetheless, one which we weighed in on Friday.

Late June is typically the peak season for chances at larger roosterfish. We did have reports of roosterfish up to 50 lb. in recent days, though they have not been found in normal numbers as we would expect for this time frame. Also we have not seen the typical larger sized schools of mullet bait fish congregating along inshore stretches. There have been a mix of jack crevalle found as well, 30 lb. fish that fight like pitbulls.

Good Fishing, Eric