Bait Scarce for Marlin off Cabo

Capt. Tracy Ehrenberg
June 27, 2008
Cabo San Lucas - Saltwater Fishing Report

June 15th to 25th, 2008

Overall Catch Success Rate 69%

BILLFISH: The weather in Cabo has still not stabilized with June like days and March like nights. Fog is still prevalent in the morning on the Pacific and we need to have higher sea temps for the fishing to improve. Added to this cold weather was full moon during this period and a lack of live bait, all contributing factors to less than ideal fishing. However, looking back to last year for this same time, we see an exact repeat of conditions. Fishing was better at the start of this period when a few boats did really well. On June 16th, "Andrea" was very fortunate to release five striped marlin just below the Jaime Bank on the Pacific for Jack and Jerry McCracken from Phoenix, Arizona and Monrovia, Indiana, respectively. Next day out "Yahoo" fished at the San Jaime and also released five marlin as well as boating a 15 lb dorado for Mark Weynands, Tim & Tiffany Ennis from Washington State. After this marlin catches went to between one and three per boat but by the time full moon came around and in the days immediately afterwards, just a few boats here and there were able to hook up marlin. Boats then began fishing the Cortez side, seeking warmer water and calmer seas, heading up to Chileno, the 11.50 spot and Cabeza de Ballena. There was a shortage of bait, with boats resorting to just a few fish or even dead bait, which disappointed anglers, but this is something the charter outfits have no control over. Lures are always productive in Cabo so it is always still worthwhile trolling when the bait can't be found. It is always disappointing both to crews and clients when no fish are caught, but Cabo has such an incredible reputation, that people tend to expect fish every time out. Fifty four percent of our charters caught marlin this week and we had a total of 84 striped marlin caught, four were boated in the 120 to 170 lb class and one sailfish was released.
OTHER SPECIES: Not that fabulous on smaller game either, after marlin dorado was the most likely catch with twenty one percent of boats catching an average of one or two fish and less frequently four, with weights between 15 and 40 lbs. Yellowfin tuna catches were even slower with just nine percent of boats finding an odd tuna here and there, the exception being "Cabolero" on June 15th, with 8 tuna between 20 and 25 lbs, 4 dorado and 1 marlin released for Edward and Jake Dowling, fishing with Dan Rehil from Denver, Colorado. There was one 40 lb wahoo caught aboard "C Rod" on June 23rd, 8 miles off of Redhill. Closer to shore a few small mako sharks were caught, up to 40 lbs. There quite a few yellowtail up to 18 lbs inshore on the Pacific and lots of bonita.
LOCATION: The whole range, from Destiladeras to San Jaime, with several days off of the Old Lighthouse and at the Jaime Banks then Punta Gorda, Chileno and San Jose.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Seas up to 4 feet, some chop on the Pacific. Skies mostly sunny, windy on the Pacific.

AVERAGE WATER TEMP: 70 F

BEST LURES: Live bait was scarce but as we close this report, we hear that bait has been spotted close by, guacamayos, rapalas, purple/green, assorted greens.

Based on the catches of Pisces by Tracy Ehrenberg

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