Cabo San Lucas Sportfishing Report and Baja Fishing
Capt. Jerry Chapman
December 15, 2013
Cabo San Lucas - Saltwater Fishing Report
Jc Sportfishing Weekly Fish Report.
As the Admiral Seas It
Fishing Report: 12/9/13 to 12/15/13
Stop by Our Office for up to Date Fishing Report.
Jc Sportfishing Charters is a family owned and operated business and has been fishing in Cabo San Lucas for the past 18 years. Jerry, explains that his charter business is geared more for families and novice anglers, making sure everyone who charters a boat with him have a great time and lots of fun. We welcome families, and groups. We want everyone who fishes with us to take all the sites in and have memorable experience. This is what is most important to us. We have and do a few tournaments each year and can cater to fisherman who might be interested in tournament fishing. Lets get on with the report for this past week.
WATER: Conditions can vary widely, depending on location, time of day, and proximity to ocean and desert. The Pacific Ocean side of Cabo San Lucas, for example, is often ten degrees cooler than the downtown marina area, which Cabo's hills protect from chilly Pacific breezes. San Jose del Cabo, on the Sea of Cortez just 20 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas, is often a few degrees warmer than San Lucas. Todos Santos, fifty miles north on the Pacific coast, is usually much cooler. Fog is rare in San Jose and San Lucas, but common a few miles north, along the Pacific.
Wind direction is a big factor in the weather. Different levels of humidity and temperature occur when the wind blows from the desert and mountains, the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez. In the winter, the prevailing westerlies bring cool, dry Pacific air from the west and north. In the summer, the trade winds shift and carry storms and moisture from the south and east. The time of day also affects wind direction. Dry desert breezes are common at night, when warm air rising above the ocean draws cool air from the land. Moist sea breezes prevail when the desert heats up during the day, causing air above the land to rise and draw an onshore flow.
Where can you swim in the ocean? Can you stay in a hotel there?
Many visitors to the Los Cabos region are surprised that so many beautiful beaches are closed to swimming. The undertow is fierce and sometimes deadly. If you're enjoying the beauty of an unswimmable beach please stay away from the water's edge.
For those of you who love to swim and play in the water, here is a list of places where you can swim in the ocean. The list is organized from Cabo San Lucas (km 0) to San Jose del Cabo (about km 30.)
Lover's Beach is accessed via the water (water taxi or kayak) or by climbing over the rocky hills from Solmar Beach . No resorts. km 0
Medano Beach is the longest most swimmable beach in the Los Cabos region. Many resorts, beach bars, water sports, etc. Hacienda Beach Club (private), Cabo Villas, Casa Dorada, ME-Cabo, PuebloBonito Los Cabos, PuebloBonito Rose , Club Cascadas, Villa del Arco, Villa La Estancia, Villa del Palmar. km 0.5 to km 1.5
Welk Sirena del Mar is reported to have a tiny beach where you can snorkel. km 4.5
Playa Viudas is sometimes swimmable and has some rocky areas to explore, but no resorts. km 11.5
Playa SantaMaria and Playa Chileno are swimmable snorkeling coves, but no resorts. Snorkeling tours from Cabo visit these coves. km 12.5 and km 15
Tequila Cove / Playa Bledito / Hilton Cove is swimmable and has some water sports. Hilton & Melia Cabo Real nearby; Las Ventanas, Casa del Mar, & Dreams just down the beach. km 19
Playa Palmilla is swimmable and has easy public access. Lifeguard and fishing pangas, but no water sports. One & Only Palmilla. km 27
There is a swimmable play beach near the new San Jose marina just northeast of town, La Playita . No resorts on this beach.
On the Pacific Side, the only place that is usually swimmable is Cerritos Beach . It's on Hwy 19 between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos, about km 65.
WEATHER: Wind direction is a big factor in the weather. Different levels of humidity and temperature occur when the wind blows from the desert and mountains, the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez. In the winter, the prevailing westerlies bring cool, dry Pacific air from the west and north. In the summer, the trade winds shift and carry storms and moisture from the south and east. The time of day also affects wind direction. Dry desert breezes are common at night, when warm air rising above the ocean draws cool air from the land. Moist sea breezes prevail when the desert heats up during the day, causing air above the land to rise and draw an onshore flow.
Reliable long-term weather data is nonexistent in many instances, and inconsistent or inaccurate in others. Records have improved in recent years, as Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have blossomed on tourist and political maps.
Winters are sunny and mild. The summer moisture is dried, and skies are mostly clear. Daytime high temperatures are usually in the 70's (f.). Nights range in the 50's and 60's. Mid-winter nights can sometimes drop into the 40's, and, rarely, even into the 30's. Freezing is unknown at the beach, but frosty nights are common in the nearby Laguna Mountains, where elevations rise more than a mile above sea level.
Spring is the driest season. Most years, there is no rain at all from March through June. Winter blends almost imperceptibly into spring, and temperatures rise gradually with the approach of summer.
Los Cabos is hot in the summer. From June through September, most days are in the 90's, sometimes topping 110 degrees inland, but seldom over 100 near the ocean. Ocean water temperatures can rise above 90 degrees. Nights are increasingly warm and humid as August approaches. Summer is the "rainy" season. August and September (hurricane season) are the rainiest months, although they combine for less than three inches on average. Humidity hangs in the 70's.
Autumn brings abrupt change. Weather remains warm and muggy until the ocean currents begin to cool in mid-October. October is the major transition month, as the trade winds reverse direction and weather patterns shift. Nights are cool again, and people stop sweating. The change can be remarkably sudden, but is always welcome. Although infrequent, rain is more likely in the autumn than in the spring.
Annual rainfall averages less than seven inches, and most of that can fall during one or two storms. However, "average" precipitation figures can be misleading. A single year with a major rainstorm can disguise a lot of very dry years. The annual average rainfall of more than 30 inches in the Laguna Mountains provides Los Cabos with fresh water, but the supply is limited. Water is always precious in this tropical desert.
DORADO: Good numbers of Dorado still being caught this past week from the Light House to San Jamie Banks with most boats picking up 2 to 3 Dorado per boat. You will have to work hard to get the big ones as it was difficult.
BILLFISHING: Still good numbers of Striped Marlin being caught and most are being caught up and around the Light House drifting live bait and a few Marlin picked up on lures.
From The Admirals Kitchen
Even though the brightly-colored mahi mahi is occasionally seen labeled 'Dolphin', it's very much a fish, and is completely unrelated to dolphins and porpoises, which are not fish at all but air-breathing marine mammals.
But whether it's called Dolphin or mahi mahi (or Dolphinfish or Dorado) you'll call it delicious! Mahi mahi is a versatile fish that produces excellent results using just about any cooking method. The mild, sweet flesh which starts off pinkish but turns white as it cooks is very lean but also quite moist and flavorful.
In addition to their culinary qualities, mahi mahi are highly regarded among game fishermen for the powerful and dramatic fight they put up when hooked, often tearing through the water at speeds up to 50 miles an hour. In fact, 'mahi' is the Hawaiian word for 'strong', so the name 'mahi mahi' is a big hint as to just how formidable they can be. Mahi mahi live in warm southern waters throughout the world and grow quickly, reaching market size in the first year. But they don't stop there. Fishermen regularly catch 20 and 30 pounders, with some tipping the scales even higher: the Florida state record mahi mahi was over 77 pounds!
Mahi mahi should never feel mushy or smell fishy. Look for moist, resilient fillets or steaks that have a fresh, almost neutral scent.
Mahi mahi, whether fresh or frozen, is pink with red stripes/spots and occasional light brown or bluish tinges.
Avoid fish with a dull color or dark brown areas (especially along the edges), as these may indicate age and the beginnings of spoilage. Dark red blood lines or spots are okay, but should be trimmed before cooking for a milder flavor.
Skin should be moist-looking and shiny, not dry and lifeless. Skin color can range from silver to dark gray, with small black spots and yellow or golden streaks.
Handling and Storage:
Most mahi mahi will be free of bones, but any you do find are likely to be large and long. They can be cut out, but it's much easier (and less damaging to fillets) to just remove them after cooking.
Fresh mahi mahi can be stored tightly wrapped in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Mahi mahi freezes well and will keep for several months if properly wrapped and bagged.
Preparation:
Mahi mahi is a lean fish, so take care not to overcook it or it will dry out. Depending on thickness, it will only need 3-4 minutes per side to cook through.
Leave the skin on if you're planning to grill mahi mahi fillets, as they will hold together better during grilling. Cook them skin side down on a moderately hot grill and turn them carefully. For skinless fillets, use a flat grilling basket.
Nutrition, Safety, And Sustainability:
Mahi mahi is a good source of lean protein, with just 145 calories per 6 ounce serving, 31 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat.
Because they are a fast-growing fish with a relatively short life cycle (about 4-5 years), mahi mahi tend to be lower in mercury and other potentially harmful substances than some slow-growing fish that have longer environmental exposure.
Troll-caught and rod-and-reel caught mahi mahi, especially those from Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific coast, are considered a good choice. Long-line caught mahi mahi are a less desirable choice (due to by-catch issues) and should be avoided.
TUNA: Last week the Tuna pins were passing by us and it was good fishing all around them. We were picking up Dorado and Wahoo around the pins and fishing was pretty good. This week no pins and Tuna fishing hasn't been happening this week but we do understand that there will be some more pins passing by us soon.
INSHORE: The inshore fishing is starting to pick up big time and the Sierras are really starting to show in numbers. There has been also a good number of Red Snappers being caught up at Los Arcos off the rocks when the waves aren't to big and what has been catching them is pitching live bait into the rocks.
We do have some reports also of Yellow tail up at the rock pile off of Magrino as it is still a little early but it looks as if we will be getting into that Yellowtail action soon.
WAHOO: I haven't heard of the numbers of Wahoo we were seeing as I think the Wahoo sason is slowing down, but what a season it has been this year with this year being one of the best I have seen in 20 years.
BEWARE: Remember if your not renting charter boats from companies who have been established in Cabo for the past 20 years ( Jc sport Fishing, Pisces Sport Fishing, Minervas, Redrum, Picante Fleet) you might have problems. They don't even have an office you can go and confirm your charter boat. You do not want to spend a day walking around looking for the boat and where you board. If you wait till the day you are fishing and go to the dock where your boat is many times people will mislead you to another boat or dock trying to put you on a boat that was not meant for you. You need to have a person guide you to your boat, who is from a reputable charter company. This way there is no confusion or misleading. Please remember when renting Sport fishing boats in Cabo that you rent your boat from reputable and established business. Walk into a fishing fleet office and ask questions about what you are getting and what are the costs? You dont want to rent boats from vendors in the streets and you do not want to book through shady websites offering you the world. Check through travel forums about reputable fishing fleets to deal with. Look for testimonials about the fleet your booking your charter with. Ask about what will the boat be supplying? Will it include beverages or lunches? How much does it cost to fillet your catch? Check to see if charter boat is insured? Ask about getting your catch smoked? Check cost of fishing license. These are just a few things to consider when booking your charter boat. We will be talking more about this in next weeks fishing report. Until next time good fishing and we hope to see you in Cabo soon. Come by the office here in Cabo and get all the latest up to date fishing report. http://www.jcsportfishing.com http://youtu.be/zNBk33jCjCk
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Forecast:
Striped Marlin fishing still is good and so is the Dorado fishing
Target Species:
dorado,marlin,grouper,sierra,sailfish,red snapper, tuna, dorado
More Fishing Reports:
