 |
Fishing Report for San Jose del Cabo, Baja
Capt. Eric Brictson
July 3, 2005
San Jose del Cabo - Saltwater Fishing Report
July 3, 2005
Anglers –
This week Tropical Storm Calvin developed to the south of Baja, it progressed on a westerly track and passed within 300 miles of Cabo San Lucas before it encountered unfavorable cooler water conditions and dissipated by Friday. The system did pass close enough to increase ocean swells significantly and cause the humidity to rise with tropical clouds in the sky. The panga fleets out of La Playita were forced to cancel all charters on Saturday and on Sunday only a handful of boats were sent out with extra caution. Water temperatures were coldest close to shore, averaging about 70 to 72 degrees, but five miles offshore the water was clearer and up to 75 degrees. Baitfish were scattered by the swell and there were only limited supplies of mullet available, virtually no sardinas now off of La Playita and out of the Cabo San Lucas marina there were caballito and mackerel for sale. Overall the fishing was not up to Cabo standards, as the constantly varying conditions continue to contribute to the scattered and inconsistent action.
The striped marlin bite actually improved this past week, as numbers of hook-ups increased with the fish more eager to take live baits. They were found tailing on the surface throughout the area, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles from shore, sizes ranging from 90 to 140 pounds. Dorado counts were almost nonexistent, but a handful of wahoo up to 50 pounds were being hooked into in the blue offshore water while trolling lures.
There continued to be an abundance of squid in local waters, this is what the gamefish have been feeding on recently, as inspection of captured specimens stomachs have been plugged with them. Yellowfin tuna were located from 18 to 25 miles straight out from San Jose del Cabo, mixed in with dark colored porpoise in the area where large concentrations of squid have been. The bite was not wide open by any standards, but there were some very large yellowfin in the region, sizes ranged from medium sized football to fish over 200 pounds. Strikes came while drifting and slow trolling various live baits and on lures, including larger clone models that are normally used for billfish, particularly productive were purple or petrolero patterns. Only a handful of pangas were making the long hit or miss run to the tuna grounds, it was more of a cruiser deal until the fish come within closer range.
Inshore fishing became incredibly slow, the hot action for various pargo species, roosterfish, pompano and sierra slowed to almost a standstill, the cooler inshore water conditions and the scattered baitfish seemed to be contributing factors. Without sardinas the pangas managed to catch few fish, mostly smaller triggerfish and pargo, definitely not the typical fish that anglers travel to Baja to target. At this point things can only improve and we expect that as the weather continues to warm that the action will pick up.
The shore fishermen reported very limited action as well, the cooler inshore water, big swells and scattering of the bait has halted any inshore action that was going on.
The La Playita panga fleets sent out a total of 58 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for an approximate fish total of: 6 striped marlin, 5 dorado, 16 yellowfin tuna, 5 hammerhead sharks, 12 sierra, 8 amberjack, 28 roosterfish, 22 jack crevalle, 60 yellowtail snapper, 22 barred pargo, 22 cabrilla 5 dogtooth snapper.
Good Fishing, Eric
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
