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Fishing Report for San Jose del Cabo, Baja
Capt. Eric Brictson
January 8, 2006
San Jose del Cabo - Saltwater Fishing Report
January 8, 2006
Anglers –
As the New Year started off crowds of tourists were arriving to take advantage of the great weather that has continued to be clear and sunny with high temperatures reaching 80 degrees. There was wind blowing up to fifteen miles per hour from the north through the first part of the week, but over the weekend conditions were much calmer. Water temperatures varied from 69 to 74 degrees throughout the region and with the increased swell and current activity the clarity was murky closer to shore. Sportfishing fleets were fishing in all directions, though the majority of charter boats were concentrating on areas from the Old Lighthouse to Chileno. Live bait supplies were not as consistent for mackerel and sardinas, but it was worth the waiting and searching to obtain the bait because that is what the better action was found on.
Striped marlin counts continued to be respectable, but were down from previous reports. Most of the stripers were found anywhere from 4 to 10 miles from shore while trolling lures and dropping back baits once fish came into the lure spread, others were hooked while casting to tailing fish or by drifting baits down deeper. Sizes of the marlin ranged up to 150 pounds. Dorado were also found in smaller schools in the same areas and charters were averaging one or two of them in their daily catch, with weights averaging 10 to 20 pounds. The water is once again on a cooling trend so we expect that dorado counts will tamper off accordingly.
Yellowfin tuna had been found last week while traveling with porpoise 2 to 10 miles offshore, but in recent days the more consistent action for tuna was found close to shore from Chileno to Cabo San Lucas while drift fishing with sardinas. The bite seemed to vary daily, with bait supplies, changing water conditions, bird and sea lion nuisances all being factors. On most days average catches per boat ranged from 5 to 12 yellowfin tuna in the 8 to 15 pound class, also there were similar number of skipjack mixed in with the schools of tuna.
Other action included a scattering of sierra and a few small roosterfish along the shoreline, striking on hoochies, rapalas and bait. Off the bottom anglers found assorted species like cabrilla, pargo, pompano and triggerfish, though none of these fish were very numerous and some days it was difficult to effectively fish over the rock piles due to a powerful current.
Anglers fishing off the beach have not had much to talk about of late, besides some early morning scattered action for sierra. The exception was Len Benko from B.C. Canada who has been a long time winter resident of San Jose de Cabo and reported an incredible personal best catch of a trophy-sized world class snook caught off the beach in front of Coral Baja Resort. He hooked into the monster at eight o’clock Thursday evening while using cut shrimp for bait, the fish was some 45 inches in length and estimated to weigh at least 45pounds.
The combined panga fleets launching off of La Playita beach reported sending out approximately 88 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:
8 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 420 yellowfin tuna, 300 skipjack, 46 dorado, 28 pargo, 14 cabrilla, 6 pompano, 22 sierra, 6 roosterfish and 12 triggerfish.
Good fishing, Eric
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