Fluctuating Conditions, Scatters Action, Striped Marlin Offshore
Capt. Eric Brictson
April 11, 2013
San Jose del Cabo - Saltwater Fishing Report

April 11, 2013
Anglers –
With students now returning to their classes, the spring break season has officially come to an end. The large crowds of visitors that had filled the areas resorts have resided and there are now noticeably fewer tourists in town. More anglers were arriving this past week, they found improved conditions, calmer seas for the most part, with sportfishing fleets concentrating on the grounds straight outside of Cabo San Lucas and north in the direction of the Sea of Cortez. Water temperatures as cool as 65 degrees were reported near Todo Santos on the Pacific and around the Gordo Banks there was 74 degree water found. Swift currents have been moving in and out of the region, cooling off and then warming back up just as quickly, anything can happen on any given day during the spring season. Baitfish schools also move with these same currents, gamefish will be in pursuit of their food source.
Scattered schools of skipjack, mackerel, chihuil and sardinetas are being encountered on the fishing grounds. Pelagic red crabs were found drifting to the surface around the Gordo Banks, this is a natural occurrence that happens sporadically, both commercial and recreational fleets were finding good numbers of Pacific red snapper while using these small crabs for bait, locally known as huachinango, this was the first significant bite on these prized table fare species for the season, encouraging to see these quality fish in the area. These fish average 6 to 12 pounds and provide fun sport on light weight tackle and of course produce excellent eating fillets.
Dorado numbers were up and down, moving with the warmer currents, sometimes close to shore and also found on the offshore marlin grounds. Some quality sized dorado were accounted for earlier in the week, up to 30 pounds. Same deal for yellowfin tuna, not many were found this past week, many reports of large pods of porpoise being found, but more often than not these was no tuna action was found associated with them.
Striped marlin were definitely the main target species being encountered offshore, throughout the area, from 3 to 15 miles from shore, found feeding at times, and readily coming up for trolled lures, rigged ballyhoo and dropped back bait, preferably mackerel or chihuil. Many charters were catching multiple fish and sizes were impressive, up to 150 pounds. The Gordo Banks vicinity saw good numbers of billfish, a few sailfish were mixed in and even a couple of swordfish have been caught from sportfishers this past week.
Yellowtail action dropped off, only a handful of fish were found on the various rock piles. Mixed in were a few amberjack, cabrilla and various pargo species. Along the shore there were sierra and we saw more roosterfish moving in along the beaches, some of them up to 20 pounds, most of them under ten pounds, they will get larger as we get closer to summer
Live sardinas were harder to obtain for the past couple of weeks, these baitfish are schooling off the beaches far north of Punta Gorda and this has made it unpractical for the commercial pangeros to travel such distances. We do anticipate that these baitfish will move back within normal range.
Good Fishing, Eric
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