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Fishing Report for San Jose del Cabo, Baja
Capt. Eric Brictson
October 22, 2006
San Jose del Cabo - Saltwater Fishing Report
October 22, 2006
Anglers –
Visiting anglers are now arriving in swarms to the Los Cabos area and sportfishing fleets are operating at near capacity levels. The annual tournaments are under way and the typical fall excitement can be felt in the air. With everything set to go off just as planned there could be some changes in schedules as there is now a late season tropical storm that has developed off the west side of the peninsula, it is named John and at this time is less than 500 miles from Cabo San Lucas and though its projected path is not certain, officials are predicting that it will turn back towards the northeast and follow a direct course skimming the southern Baja and then heading towards the mainland Mexico. We thought the tropical storm season was over, but with the water temperatures remaining warmer than normal, now averaging 84 to 86 degrees, there was always that chance of a hurricane still developing. We will hope for the best, that this storm causes no significant damage and passes by quickly, though a little more rain would be welcome, as the landscape that had been so brilliantly tropical green has been fading recently.
The fishing action has been spread out from the Pacific and into the Sea of Cortez. There has been more dorado action found on the Pacific, with fish to over 30 pounds being found, though numbers were not huge, most charters were landing anywhere from 2 to 6 dorado per outing. Yellowfin tuna was the most common species found, with the largest schools of 10 to 20 pound fish being located off the San Jose del Cabo area and north to Punta Gorda, the action has tapered off compared to the past couple of weeks, but still this has been the most consistent bite and boats continue to come from as far away as Buena Vista to get in on the activity, which has been within one mile of shore. Average catches per boat ranged from 5 to 15 tuna per morning, with the action being best earlier in the morning before nearly one hundred boats of all types swarmed onto the area.
There was some encouraging and exciting news reported from the Outer Gordo Banks, as early in the week there were two monster gorilla sized yellowfin tuna accounted for, one weighed in at 310 pounds and the other weighed a whopping 350 pounds, both of these fish were caught from cruisers based out of Cabo San Lucas and while trolling with live skipjack for bait. We had first hand reports because these fish were hooked into while fishing right along pangas based off of La Playita. Perhaps this will be the area that produces the big tuna for the upcoming WON Tuna Tournament, though at this time very few of these larger tuna are actually being hooked into.
The billfish bite has continued to be slow, though there is a chance of variety, as there were blue, black and striped marlin, as well as sailfish in the region. There was one 500 pound class black marlin lost from a Gordo Banks Panga on Monday, this was after a three hour battle and having the fish right alongside the boat and actually getting a gaff partially into the fish’s head, only to have it take off and break through the leader. Another heartbreak occurred on Saturday off of a Palmilla based cruiser, after a battle lasting over five hours they had a black marlin that was estimated to be as large as 800 pounds break through 400 pound leader material that was attached to the petrolero pattern lure, this fish struck the lure in the vicinity of the Outer Gordo Banks.
Wahoo action was very slim pickings, only a few scattered fish being accounted for, still not in any significant numbers and not practical to exclusively target. We are hoping that they become more active soon, because this is the season when they typically are more abundant.
Bottomfishing did not produce much to speak of either, only a handful of smaller pargo species, triggerfish and cabrilla. On Friday there was a 35-pound class roosterfish taken from a panga while chunk bait fishing on the Iman Bank, this was definitely a fluke and it is not the normal method or area where roosters are found.
The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita beach sent out 205 charters for the week and anglers accounted for a fish count of: 3 striped marlin, 9 sailfish, 6 wahoo, 3 roosterfish, 15 sierra, 155 various pargo, 18 cabrilla, 1,440 yellowfin tuna, 760 various species of skipjack and 74 dorado.
Good fishing, Eric
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