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Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Capt. George Landrum
June 17, 2002
Cabo San Lucas - Saltwater Fishing Report
Cabo San Lucas Fish Report for June 10-16th, 2002
Capt George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
[email protected]
www.flyhooker.com
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT FOR JUNE 10-16, 2002
WEATHER: Winter temperatures and September winds have been par for the course this week
as our evening lows have been in the mid to low 60’s and daytime highs in the low to mid 80’s
and the winds have been steady from the northwest at 12-18 knots. Partly cloudy skies have
seemed to promise rain in the morning a few days but failed to deliver. This weather pattern has
everyone here very confused. Do we have to go to Seattle to get warm? (Rio Ancho)
WATER: The steady winds have brought choppy but fishable conditions to the Pacific side of
the Cape but the water there is still very cold compared to the Sea of Cortez. You had to get well
past the San Jaime Banks in the Pacific to find water warmer than 70 degrees and the water close
to home in that direction was in the low to mid 60’s for the most part. On the Sea of Cortez we
had a band of warmer water extending from the coast out to a distance of about 7 miles where the
temperatures ranged from 72 to 81 degrees with the warmer water further north and earlier in the
week. This band of warm water had become thinner and the currents had extended it
filament-like into the Pacific off of the tip of the Cape. Out past the 95 and 1150 spots the
temperatures had dropped into the mid 60’s. As of Sunday night this warm band had disappeared
and the only water over 71 degrees was on the Gorda Banks and not until you got past there by
10 miles did it get up past 75 degrees. (Entre dos aguas)
BAIT: Pretty much anything you wanted in the way of larger baits could be found this week with
Mullet, Mackerel and Caballito going for the usual $2 per bait from the bait boats. I have no idea
if there were any Sardinas available. (Samba pa’ ti)
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Early in the week the Marlin fishing was so poor as to be almost non-existent. There
were fish to be found but it was hard to get anything to bite. An occasional boat had fantastic
luck but I would have to say that the percentage of successful boats was around 10%, with 80%
seeing fish. Most of the fish found were on the Sea of Cortez side up past the Gorda banks area
but a few boats that were willing to go the distance and get beat up found fair results on the
Pacific, well to the west of the San Jaime Banks. It was not uncommon to see 20 tailing fish and
have everyone of them refuse a live bait. As the week came to a conclusion the bite seemed to
pick up a bit and the success rate climbed to around 30%, with the fish coming from the same
areas. Best results were on live Mackerel with lures coming in second by a slim margin, and the
lures in lighter colors seemed to do better than the dark ones. (Interludio)
YELLOWFIN TUNA: Again, this has been a non-event this week with very few Yellowfin found.
Every time I saw a Tuna flag I went to check it out and almost every time found that they were
being flow because the boat had caught Skipjack and needed to fly some sort of flag for the client.
The few Yellowfin that were caught were smaller fish in the 10-15 pound class and were found
while trolling in the blind, mostly on the Pacific side. Dorado size feathers and smaller Marlin
lures were what did hook the few Yellowfin caught. (Santa Cecilia)
DORADO: You had to get up past the Gorda Banks, into the warmer water to get a decent
Dorado this week. A few were caught closer to home in the warm water band but the big boys
were north. About 35% of the boats returned from a trip with a Dorado flag at the end of the
week, well up from the earlier 15% posted at start. Close to home the average size was only 12
pounds while northward the average increased to 25 pounds. Most of the larger fish were caught
on Marlin lures. (Amor Pecador)
WAHOO: I did hear reports of a few Wahoo caught and did see a few flags for these fish but no
one could (or would?) give me any more information on them. My guess is blind strike fish while
searching for Marlin at Gorda Banks. (Tu Nombre me Sabe a Yerba)
INSHORE: Never mind the Pacific side unless you wanted to try for Pargo. There was a two day
bite this side of the lighthouse but it was not steady as the school moved around a lot. On the Sea
of Cortez the Roosterfishing drew a lot of interest from anglers as many days that was the only
action available. Roosters from 15 to 30 pounds were found outside of the Westin and off of La
Laguna in San Jose and they would eat small Caballito and Mullet, but just terrorized Mackerel.
Schools of cruising Jack Crevalle added a dose of excitement now and then. For variety toss in a
small Dorado or two here and there. (La Lagrima)
NOTES: I still find it amazing that a boat can come in flying one flag, unload it’s clients, go fuel
and return flying three flags. Must be excellent fishing on the way too and from the fuel dock!
Now as far as the fishing goes, there is not much I can say. We are all surprised at the water
temperatures since earlier in the year we were expecting warm water to arrive much sooner than
normal. Now it is later than usual. Go figure. About all that can be said is it can only get better!
This weeks report has been written to the wonderful music of my new neighbor, Paco Serrano. I
loaned him a few CD’s last night and he lent me his newest release “Amor Pecador” (Til the end
of time), recording studio: volumen zero, recording engineer: Alex Ornelas. Paco does all the
instruments on this album and if you have listened to the music of Otmar Liebert (Nuevo
Flamenco) I know you will like Paco’s sounds as well. Check him out at www.pacoserrano.com
and enjoy.
Fly Hooker Daily Fishign Reports
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 10 JUNE, 2002
Where did the warm weather go? Mike Perry met Juan and I at the boat this morning at 5:15
and it was 62 degrees! I thought it was going to snow and was wearing a sweater and sweat
pants. Mike said he was just fine and felt warm as long as it was over 40 degrees out. The wind
was howling and this was supposed to be another day Roosterfishing. We left so early there were
no bait boats out yet and we sat at the entrance of the Marina for about 20 minutes, finally getting
5 Mackerel and 5 Caballito. The second Panga to come by said that he had Mullet but he never
came back. As I said, the wind was howling. We had decided last night that today we would
reverse yesterdays itinerary and we fished the outside on the way to Punta Gorda and were going
to work the inside back. Out went the Tuna lures and we started surfing downswell towards
Gorda Banks. The edge of the warm water was about 6 miles out and we followed it but never
saw a fish. The swells laid down and the wind died down the farther north we got so by the time
we were outside the Palmilla it was nice. Juan heard that there we some Marlin spotted and some
nice Dorado caught inside about 1 1/2 mile offshore so we worked our way in that direction, still
without spotting a fish. At about 9:30 we made the decision to run in to the Punta Gorda area
and try for Roosters. The water was nice in there and we slow trolled the baits we had without
any action. A Panga that was in there said they had three strikes without a hook-up and we saw
another cruiser boat one. Juan spotted several large fish working in a bit to shallow for us to get
to and we did make a pass on a spot where the Roosters were crashing some bait, but we were a
little too late. We worked that area for a long time and finally at 11:30 Juan suggested that we
pick up lines and run to the point off the Westin. No problem here, we just wanted some action.
Mike was getting a little antsy about putting his new rods and reels to the test and said that
Andrea was going to kill him if he didn’t catch anything. We ran for about 45 minutes and when
Juan slowed the boat, out went two baits. The first Caballito got picked off right away. As a
replacement went out we held our breaths. There was a bit more swell and current in this area
and we were feeling a bit more of the effects of the wind but the fish were here! Both baits were
attacked as we moved between two green water plumes and Mike was on to a Roosterfish. It
was a good fight on the new Shimano Calcutta reel on the three piece Penn International travel
rod. The 20 pound test line held up fine and the rod had no soft spots in it. This fish made
several runs, both deep and on the surface and it jumped several times as well. After 10 minutes
Mike had it to the boat where we held it for pictures, weighed it (18.5 pounds) and released it. A
nice fish hooked in the corner of the mouth. All right, success at last. Back out went more baits,
this time a Mackerel and a Caballito. Guess what? They had a preference for the Caballito for
sure. Even the Jack Crevalle school that cruised through while Mike was fighting his next fish
only wanted to harass the Mackerel , no one wanted to eat it. After the first fish these baits went
back out, mike hooked up again and this fight lasted a bit longer, perhaps 15 minutes. A very
strong fish, it was also posed for some pictures and released. Another nice Rooster at 16.8
pounds. We were out of Caballito but tried trolling the Mackerel for 30 minutes more then it was
time to pack it up and run back in. There sure were a lot of boats working the inside on the way
back, mostly to get out of the wind and nasty seas, I did not see a lot of them hooked up. Our
trip was a success and Mike had a chance to check one of his rods out. Mary and Andrea met us
at the dock and we told stories about the fishing. Thanks Mike and Andrea, you are nice people
and we look forward to seeing you again next trip our at you area when we next get up there!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 11 JUNE, 2002
Brad Krause and his son Mike are here to do some fishing that they don’t get a chance to do
back in Scottsdale, AZ. Brad took Mike and his two brothers (Mike’s) fishing last week on
another boat as we were already booked but the other boys did not handle the choppy water well
and they were back at the dock by 8:30. Mike didn’t get sick so he is ready to catch a fish this
time. We had heard that there were some big schools of Skipjack Tuna outside Chileno beach
about 2 miles yesterday afternoon and Juan and I thought that would be a perfect introduction for
Mike. He has fished for Walleye, Northerns and Musky but so far his largest fish was about 5
pounds so a hard fighting 10 pound Tuna would be a great way to start the trip. Since Brad
wants to get a Marlin and hopes for a chance for Mike to get one also we have arranged the game
plan as follows, first we will go outside about 2 miles and work our way up the Sea of Cortez to
Gorda Banks. That gives us a chance to find the Skipjack and puts us right on the edge of the
warm/cold water line. Around Gorda there have been some Marlin found but they have not been
very hungry, but at least we have a chance. If that does not work we can go in to the La Laguna
area just to the north of San Jose and check for Roosterfish. Based on the plan we purchased 5
Mackerel for tossing at Marlin and also got 5 Mullet for the possibility of Roosterfish.
Downswell in the morning, back against the wind and current inshore where the effects are less
and getting the best shots available all the way around. At least that was the plan. Subject to the
co-operation of the quarry. Who did not co-operate. Sigh. The wind was less than yesterday
and the water had laid down as well but the reported Skipjack schools must have moved off
because we could not find any at all. We had a dozen other boats working the same area on the
downhill run and none of them reported any action either. It was not until we were in the area of
the Gorda Banks that we finally saw a fish! That was a Marlin tailing downswell. Juan got the
boat alongside the fish and I tossed out a Mackerel that failed to get it’s attention. Reeled it back
in, got the boat re-adjusted and dropped the bait back one more time. Again we were ignored.
Change the bait? Sure, of course, this time putting on a large Mullet. Good idea but it made no
difference to the Marlin, who just wasn’t interested in eating. No action from the fish but it did
get us worked up a bit and excited. We stayed out at the Gorda Banks for about an hour,
working the area back and forth hoping for another shot but we saw no more fish there. We did
see a couple of other boats tossing bait but no one was hooking up. On to plan “C”! Reel in the
lines and run to the La Laguna area. One Penn 12T on a Fin-Nor 12lb class rod loaded with 17lb
line, one Shimano TLD25 on a Tidewater rod loaded with 40 pound line and a Shimano 6500
Baitrunner on an Ugly-stick loaded with 30 pound line. Loaded for Roosters and just needing to
find the fish! Juan put us in 30 feet of water right off the Laguna and the three baits had not been
out for more than 10 minutes when the 30lb outfit Mike was holding had it’s bait draw the
attention of a cruising fish. This was the bait running closest to the boat. We watched the attack
as the Roster kept rushing the frightened bait and missing it. Finally in a big boil the Rooster
managed to clamp down on the Mullet and off he went. Following instructions, Mike let the fish
run off and then stop to turn the bait and swallow. It was sure hard for him to do that as the line
peeled off the reel. You could see Mike wanting to rear back and set the hook but he controlled
himself very well and waited for the second run to begin. About five seconds into the second run
he put the reel in strike position and waited for the line to come tight, then he struck the fish
about three times! Boy, did the reel ever start to sing then! The fish crashed the surface several
times after the first run and then it was a down and dirty slugfest. We kept the other two lines out
for awhile, hoping to draw a strike from another fish but eventually brought them in so as not to
tangle with the fish that was on. Mike worked the fish to the boat 8 times and every time the
Rooster took off again. The last two times it looked as if the fish had become tailwrapped and we
were afraid that it might die on us. Juan backed the boat down on the fish so we could get it
quickly and revive it if possible, but the fish had other ideas! The final time the Rooster managed
to unwrap itself but thankfully it was tired enough that it only had energy for one more burst.
Well, maybe two, because as I tried to tail the fish it made a last attempt. Finally I was able to get
a grip on the fish and we got it lifted into the boat for some quick pictures, then worked for a
while to revive it. A beautiful Roosterfish that was estimated to be an easy 30 pounds! Alright
Mike, guess that 45 minute fight was worthwhile! Now we had to find a fish for Brad while we
still had time so out went the gear. Another few passes in the area attracted another Roosterfish
and this time it was on Brad’s bait, but the fish just didn’t get hooked up. Oh well, Mike had
gotten a very nice fish and we decide that it was time to head for home. Congratulations Mike, I
think you are hooked for life!
“FLY HOOKER” FISH REPORT FOR 12 JUNE, 2002
Randy Turner is a local Real Estate agent who needed a charter for a client, Neil Rosen, and
Neil’s two children. His son Max is 9 years old and his daughter Julian is 13. Randy went with us
so he could spend a bit of time with Neil and the objective for the trip was for the kids to have a
good time. The largest fish Max had ever caught was a 5 pound Lahotan Cutthroat trout. This
deep sea fishing thing was a pretty new experience. With the luck we had been having with the
inshore Roosterfishing and the slow offshore bite lately we decided that the focus for the day
would be strictly inshore stuff. We managed to pick up 10 Mullet from one of the bait boats this
morning and with a T-shirt across the top of the bait tanks to keep them from jumping out, off we
went. The first stop was just to the south side of the Cabo Real Golf Course where we put out
two live Mullet and slow trolled from there all the way to just past the Westin, where the Rosen’s
were staying. We had not one bit of action in that stretch of water so we picked up lines and ran
down to the La Laguna area out of San Jose. There were a few other boats working that same
stretch of shore and while there we saw two of them stop and fight fish. At first we thought that
they were hooking up to Roosters but Juan said that they had caught and boated small Dorado.
Either way, we were having a nice boat ride but there was no fishing action taking place. I
decided that a change in places was in order. yesterday the action had taken place in front of the
Westin at noon so maybe it was a tide change bite. I let everyone know that we were going back
to that area and if there was no action there we would go up the coast to the Punta Ballena area
to try a bit of bottom fishing. Luck was with us however, because almost as soon as we had
placed out live baits out we got hit. The first fish was Max’s fish and he had a great time battling
the 15-20 pound Roosterfish. Neil got some good photos before we released it. The next fish
was Julian’s and she says it was bigger than Max’s fish! We will never know for sure since the
fish escaped just 15 feet before it got to the boat after it’s fourth run. Out went the baits again
and we had more hits, a few of them on Randy’s baits. Roosters and Jacks alike were picking up
the baits but we were unable to set the hook in any of them. By the time we had used all the live
baits up we had enough time to get up the coast to try a bit of bottom fishing. Everything was
good except for the wind and current. No fun at all for any of us and we decided that a trip to the
arch to check out the seals and sea lions would be a good way to finish off the trip. The kids had
more fun feeding and watching the Pelicans though, and then the trip was over. randy and I had a
chance to do some talking during the trip and he is interested in doing a night-time shark trip,
releasing everything unless it is a big Mako. This might come about sometime in the next 10-14
days and if it does I will give you a full report. Meanwhile, Neil, Max and Julian had a great time,
Max caught the biggest fish of his life and Julian has a chance to brag that her fish was larger than
her brothers! Thanks folks, you were great to have on board and I hope you get a chance to get
into some bigger fish next time!
Until next week, Tight Lines from George, Mary, Juan, Juan 2 and Manuel the “Fly Hooker”
Crew!
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