San Jose Del Cabo - Gordo Banks
Light crowds of visitors now traveling to Southern Baja. Conditions are practically perfect, high temperatures in the mid 80s, warming air and ocean temperatures is creating more marina cloud cover, afternoon breezes make the spring climate very pleasant. Water temperatures were on a warming trend throughout this past week and at this time there is 76 degrees pushing in from outside of the Gordo Banks area. From Cab San Lucas to Los Frailes the inshore water is ranging from 72 to 74 degrees. Conditions and fishing action can change rapidly at this time of year.Increasing ocean swells from the south made it difficult for pangeros to net any sardinas, so in recent days live sardinas were not available and anglers were using the larger caballito, which remained plentiful from the marina area. Though these baits are purchased per piece, not to be used freely for chumming with, such as with the sardinas. More bolito are now schooling on the fishing grounds and these are being caught early in the day for use as bait. Also at times pelagic red crabs have been surfacing, being netted and used for bait over the bottom structure.
Striped marlin action has dominated the offshore action for the past few months, but this past week we saw wide open action, as the numbers of marlin on the local grounds significantly increased, anglers were regularly accounting for multiple catches on striped marlin ranging to to 150 pounds. In recent days there has been a hot spot found between the Outer Gordo Bank and the 1150 high spot, ten to twelve miles offshore, but the stripers are being found throughout the region, at times within a couple miles of shore. The marlin are striking on a variety of trolled baits and artificial lures. Local panga fleets were reported incredible success while slow trolling with dead bolito, while caballito and skipack also worked, the billfish seemed to prefer the bolito, striking on the fresh dead bait without hesitation. Many double and even triple hook ups were reported, these marlin were encountered in concentrations. As skipjack and bolito schools increasingly congregate on the fishing grounds, this is now attracting larger concentrations of gamefish. Continued reports of mako and thresher sharks found on the same offshore fishing grounds and more dorado also appeared in the fish counts, no real numbers yet, just single fish being encountered, hooked on trolled lures or bait, the majority of the dorado have been of larger size, with a handful of impressive sized bulls up close to fifty pounds accounted for from the same marlin grounds. A few wahoo stories being talked about and we look for these elusive fish to become more active with the warming currents and their favored bolito food source appearing.
With the lack of sardinas and higher surf conditions, there was not much to report for inshore action, anglers had other options of fishing rocky structure areas, from 50 ft. to 200 ft. Anglers found mixed results on a wide variety of species, most common were yellow snapper, barred pargo, huachinango (red snapper), amberjack, cabrilla (leopard grouper) and triggerfish. On some days good early morning action was reported on yo-yo jigs and live caballito, many heavier fish were cutting lines off in the rocks. Red crabs were sporadically found on the surface and being used successfully for red snapper bait, even an occasional amberjack hit on these small crabs. Sea lions were also hanging around their favorite snapper grounds and were a negative factor to deal with. Bottom species become finicky when the grounds are plugged with red crabs and all of the fish acquire a preferred taste for these crabs and not much or anything else. With persistence and patience there were quality catches accoutered for, all excellent eating specimens and we certainly enjoyed the improved action.
The combined local panga fleets launching from La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 52 charters for the week, with anglers reported a fish count of: 86 striped marlin, 6 mako shark, 2 thresher shark, 23 dorado, 22 barred pargo, 86 yellow snapper, 4 yellowtail, 34 amberjack, 28 cabrilla, 14 pompano, 48 triggerfish, 42 sierra, 1 yellowfin tuna and 12 roosterfish.
East Cape - Rancho Leonero
Water- 77-78 warmer than normal. Clear flat water all week.
Air- Warmer with highs in the 80's. Cool evenings and mornings. a nice time of year on the E Cape..
The same good fishing as in the past week continues. It is hard to
tell what's going on by our fish photo gallery. Both the Striped Marlin
and Roosterfish are normally released so we have very few photos of
either. That said, the Striped Marlin mixed with a few Sailfish are
abundant and close. Anglers targeting bill fish are releasing at least
one a day. Most are being taken within eye sight of the hotel. The
billfish are very close inshore some within a 1/2 mile of the beach. Our
shuttle Panga driver, Eddie, caught a Striper around our boat anchorage
on Wednesday afternoon. The billfish are very close. There are a few
big bull Dorado to 60#'s being taken daily, all on trolled marlin lures.
The Roosterfish bite is very strong with lots of Gallo's around. The
Roosterfish are bigger this week with some 40 to 50# er's released.
Inshore has been good with lots of Pompano and Pargo taking Sardine. The
water is warming fast, we will have 80 degree water within the next two
weeks, very early.
Bill fish- Very close, best between the hotel and Punta Arena (the
lighthouse). All within five miles of shore. Mostly Stripers with a few
Sails mixed in. Skirted Bally Hoo and live Caballito are working best.
Trolled Squid colors working as well. The fish are between 150 and
200#'s.
Roosterfish- It looks like another big year for Gallos. More fish
around than last week, and much larger. 50# er's are becoming common.
The warmer than normal water is bringing the big guys in early. Very
good fishing for Roosters..
Inside- Pompano and Pargo are both biting. Very strong predictable
Pompano fishing this whole spring. Since the hotel has opened they have
been producing limits of ten pound fish for all anglers targeting them.
Some good size Pargo this week, a number of 10 to 15#ers are coming to
the cleaning table daily..
Cabo San Lucas - Gaviota Fleet
According to Fish Cabo Fleet Owner, Roberto Marquez, the marlin were scattered all over and extended from out front of the Finistera Hotel and easterly, into the Sea of Cortez, with the primary hot spot from the 95 Fathom Spot to the 1150 Fathom Spot. Roberto said, "The fish are beginning to bite much better and the hot bait was the slow-trolled ballyhoo baits, just like in the old days. While they were still eating the live baits, both the caballitos and the mackerel, it seemed the ballyhoo was the right way to go for many of the boats." It had started out slow in the early part of the week but picked up as the week progressed and with any luck at all, it will just keep getting better and better. Many boats were reporting multiple fish days and that was a dramatic turn-around from the prior two weeks. The overall combined fish counts for a total of 12 days fished offshore reflected 13 stripers, (12 released) and 3 dorado. There was a single inshore fishing day that produced 10 Sierra and 1 yellowtail.Cabo Climate: It went from cloudy and cool days in the early part of the week to sunny & warm days as the week progressed and the upward temp changed to 68 nights and 94 daytime highs. Very pleasant weather, now.
Sea Conditions: 5-15 mph westerly surface breezes keeping the Pacific waters cool at 65-66 degrees and is pushing up against the warmer, Sea of Cortez currents, starting outside Cabo, at 71-72 degrees. Temps increase as we move easterly into the Sea of Cortez to 74-77. Green water on the Pacific side from shore to the 1000 fathom curve, becoming clean green by Cabo and bluing up as one moves easterly into the Sea of Cortez, out to the 1150 fathom spot and beyond.
Best Fishing Area: While billfish were being spotted almost everywhere, the best bite for the week was at the 95 Fathom Spot and on to the 1150 Fathom Spot.
Best Bait/Lures: The hot bite bait for the week has been ballyhoo, slow-trolled from the outriggers. Alternate baits that worked pretty good were the caballitos and mackerel and the artificials were the least effective.
Bait Supply: The live bait supply was good and consisted of caballitos and some green mackerel. When the bait boats had the ballyhoo available, ($3-$4.00 each) they went fast. Roberto told me this morning that the ballyhoo are coming from the La paz area and not always available.
