November 1, 2010
The Los Cabos area is bustling with crowds of visiting anglers, with the big Billfish tournaments now completed, everyone is anticipating the WON Tuna Jackpot, which is set for next week. Last year's event produced a near world record size yellowfin tuna of 383 pounds for the local team aboard the "Fisherman". Surely groups will weigh in cow or even super cow sized yellowfin during this two day contest, which is billed as the richest tuna event in the world. The weather has been nearly ideal, slight chill in the early mornings now, sunny days have been reaching 85 degrees and breezes from both southerly and northerly directions have been moderate. Despite the large crowds on most days there have been adequate supplies of sardinas, which are now schooling just north of the marina jetty, other options were caballito and moonfish. Water temperatures are starting to cool off, now averaging 79 to 82 degrees through most of the region. Clean blue water is being found within one to three miles from shore and the majority of the fishing action is occurring within several miles of the Peninsula. The local landscape is in need of additional rainfall, now drying rapidly.
Yellowfin tuna action has been consistent for anglers that drift fishing with sardinas on the Iman Bank, most of these fish were footballs, of 8 to 20 pound fish, but the same area did produce a few fish up to 40 or 50 pounds in recent days. Strong current limited bottom action on these same banks, though a few dogtooth snapper, amberjack and cabrilla were accounted for anglers soaking the larger moonfish baits. Most of the charters targeting the tuna with the fresh live bait were averaging 5 to 10 fish per trip.
The Gordo Banks produced two more super cow yellowfin tuna weighing in excess of 300 pounds. One 313 pound fish landed off of the local Cabo "Rock N Fish" the other tuna was a monster 351 pound beast brought aboard the 26 ft. Super Panga, the "CaboPlaya". At least another six yellowfin tuna over 200 pounds were also accounted for this past week, so once again we wish local teams the best of success during next week's Tuna Jackpot event. Exciting to realize the local fishing grounds most likely are hosting world record sized gamefish at any given time, particular now, as conditions are so perfect.
The action for wahoo broke open this past week, conditions apparently are to their liking, because they became very active on the inshore shelf, over the reefs north of Punta Gorda, with San Luis Bank being the main spot where the wahoo were found schooling. Locating the schools of bolito first off in the morning was what many pangeros were doing, closer to shore at first light on small hoochies, these baitfish were being trolled dead or alive and were triggering explosive strikes from wahoo that were ranging from 20 to 50 pounds. Many strikes were missed due to the nature of wahoo fishing, but anglers reported having as many as a dozen wahoo strikes in one morning.
Dorado were limited to mostly smaller sized fish of 5 to 15 pounds, only an occasional larger bull was encountered, trolling lures and various baitfish attracted these fish, being found in smaller sized schools.
The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 119 charters for the week, with anglers accounted for: 3 striped marlin,1 sailfish, 59 wahoo, 64 dorado, 588 yellowfin tuna, 7 dogtooth snapper, 28 amberjack, 15 cabrilla, 12 rainbow runner,10 sierra and 4 roosterfish.
Good fishing, Eric
