Reports for La Paz, East Cape, Gordo Banks & Cabo

by Cass Tours

La Paz - Fishermen's Fleet

So why didn't George write down a fish report for the last couple of weeks? Because La Paz Clasico Tournament Happened !!!!

People from all over the states and even a guy from germany, flew down to La Paz for our yearly fishing tournament with all proceeds going to the Asilo de Ancianos (old folks home) in La Paz.

Weather has been sunny and daytime temps in the upper 90's with cool breezes from the south west making the evenings very pleasant.

Dorado, and pargo fishing were the highlights of the tournament. The fishermen had to work very hard for their catch, with a lots of pargo on the hook, and a lot less making it to the boat. Making bait at the south end of cerralvo was not complicated with ladyfish being the preferred cubera offering.

We were told by many of our customers and captains that they hooked 50 to 60 pound pargo and lost them very close to the boat. The proof is this beautiful 45 pound cubera snapper.

Rancho Leonero - East Cape

Water-79-81 Clear, flat

Air- Cooler than normal, highs in the mid 80's, very pleasant.

Every week it gets a better. The Let's Talk Hook Up fishing tournament this week enjoyed awesome fishing, with huge Roosterfish, Wahoo, Yellowfin, Dorado, Amberjack, Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Pargo, and numerous other species. Lots of fish taken daily. By far the most Wahoo taken this year. Most anglers were fishing with mono, consequently lots more bit off than were taken. The tournament boats beached 12 in 3 days fishing. Yellowfin to 46# were taken both far south, close to shore, very spread, or under Porpise further outside. Lots of Gallos released this week, probably 20 over 50#'s and 10 over 60#'s, uncounted from 30 to 40#'s. Some nice Dorado to 36#'s. The Striped marlin are on the bite, very spread both north and south. A few Blues to 250#'s, released this week.

Roosterfish- Unreal Gallo fishing. Big Roosters from 35# to 65#. All taken in deeper water on Cabalito or Mullet. Lots released this week.

Yellowfin- Both under porpise 10-30 miles off, and south of Frailles 1-5 miles off the beach. The schools under the Porpise hitting Cedar plugs and Hoochies. Chunk squid and live cabalito are working closer inshore.

Dorado- Mixed with the Tuna. The best Dorado week of the year. To 40#'s.

Wahoo- 12 to the beach in 3 days. Largest 46#. Marauders and Rapalas rigged with wire working best.

San Jose del Cabo - Gordo Banks

Moderate crowds of tourists are traveling to the Los Cabos where they are enjoying very comfortable late spring weather conditions. Cooler ocean currents off of the Pacific have been meeting with the warmer Sea of Cortez air and sea conditions creating on and off marine moisture layer, turning to fog. This pattern has cooled air temperatures, reaching highs of 85 degrees, but has also meant more wind, which there has been more than enough of this year, ranging from all directions, but more often than not starting out of the north, before turning east and in the afternoon switched directly from the south, a bit hard to predict, we are patiently waiting for more consistent weather patterns to stabilize. Ocean currents have been very strong, river like, water temperatures from Cabo San Lucas to Los Frailes had ranged from 74 to 80 degrees, then on Thursday there was very strong wind from the south, blowing through Friday, this pushed in cooler water from the Pacific in the direction of Los Frailes, dropping temperatures to the 68/ 72 degree range, also turned over conditions to green dirty water. Now we wait for improved conditions.

The live bait situation continues to be somewhat limited, no sardinas available, larger surf conditions have not allowed the pangeros to areas where these baitfish are schooling. Mullet have not been as easy as expected to obtain, especially during periods of early morning low tides. Anglers found that caballito were the most abundant readily available baitfish. These small jacks prove to be good all around live bait, not quite like a live greenback mackerel, though yellowfin tuna, dorado, billfish, wahoo, roosterfish, snapper and others all will strike them. There were only scattered reports of giant squid being caught in recent days.

Panga charters out of San Jose del Cabo found the most consistent action during this past week in the warmer currents within a couple miles from shore from Red Hill to Punta Gorda. The main species being yellowfin tuna in the 10 to 30 pound range, at times found traveling with smaller sized spinner porpoise and often being encountered by blind strikes. Angler s had success on smaller sized cedar plugs, hoochies, Rapalas, feathers etc..., also good action on caballito once the schooling tuna were located.

A slight increase in numbers of dorado showing up, but still mainly being in small concentrations. This is now the time when we start to see more flying fish and bolito activity on the local fishing grounds, always a favorable sign. Conditions change fast during late spring, should be only a matter of time when conditions really stabilize into calmer summer seas.

With the yellowfin tuna action being the most productive fishery, more charters were concentrated in this area, though for the limited numbers of anglers that traveled further north near La Fortuna to Vinorama, they did report respectable action on wahoo and tuna. Anglers used live bait, rigged dead baits and various lures, diving Rapalas accounted for a high percentage of strikes. This was an option where preferably the weather would cooperate, because wind and swells could be a negative factor a times.

Striped marlin were now more plentiful, seen jumping, tailing and feeding, coming closer to shore in recent days, attracted by the food source and warm clean water conditions. The bite was up and down, some fish being more aggressive to feed than were others. The marlin hit on lures as well as the preferred live bait, nicer sized fish lately, reports of marlin weighing close to 200 pounds being landed and released.

The roosterfish action has been spotty and these fish appear to be showing up later than normal for the second year in a row. Dogtooth snapper action has not been steady, perhaps a factor being the lack of inshore baitfish schools. There is still time left in the season for these fish to move inshore, later in August these monster snapper typically move back outside to the rock piles rather than fight with higher surf conditions for their food source.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 79 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 8 striped marlin, 7 wahoo, 196 yellowfin tuna, 19 dorado, 24 roosterfish, 8 sierra, 8 hammerhead shark, 8 amberjack, 24 various pargo species, 13 cabrilla, 19 bonito and 22 jack crevalle.

Cabo San Lucas - Gaviota Fleet

Most of the boats are seeing and having multiple opportunities to bait the billfish; albeit, the critters are certainly unmotivated to bite. Nevertheless, it keeps the excitement going off and on, throughout the fishing day and keeps the crew and anglers on their toes. Billfish counts were about the same as the past week with a near one billfish per boat average and the overall fish counts for 14 combined fishing days reflected 10 stripers released, 2 wahoo, 12 dorado and 29 yellowfin tuna.

Cabo Climate: Intermittent clouds and bright, sunshiny days, temps from 67 nights to 90 daytime highs.

Sea Conditions: A better week with less NW winds from the Pacific. A NW to SE hard temp break parallels the Pacific side of the peninsula with temps at mid-60's on the Pacific side and 72-79 on the other side, then rising to 81 by Chileno. The water in the normal fishing areas is bluing up to near perfection.

Best Fishing Area: Near the temp break at Cabo Falso has been best for the billfish but good tailer sightings throughoutt the area.

Best Bait/Lures: Most of the billfish are being taken on live bait and the fish are finicky eaters and not eager.

Live Bait Supply: Good supply of caballitos from Cabo.

Have a great week everyone...

Sincerely,
Richard, Rauna, Robin, Roxy and Becky
Cass Tours