FLY HOOKER SPORTFISHING
Captain George Landrum
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
Cabo Fish Report
Feb 11-17, 2008
WEATHER: We had partly cloudy skies early in the week, then things cleared up at the weekend and it was bright and sunny. We also had quite a bit of wind from the northwest up until the weekend; it then died down here in town. There was no rain associated with the early week cloudy conditions.
WATER: Surface conditions on the Pacific side of the Cape were rougher than they had been last week due to the continuing wind. Choppy seas, running at 4-6 feet with 12-15 knots on top made for unstable footing and a lot of spray and pounding while running to and from the banks. On the Sea of Cortez the surface conditions were much better, but there were few boats fishing the area due to green, cold water. With the surface temperatures at 67-69 degrees all the way up to Punta Gorda, and down to 64 degrees north of there, the fishing was not very good. On the Pacific side things were warmer and the water a bit clearer, but the cool water seems to be working its way toward us there as well. There remains a plume of warm 71 degree water running from across the Golden Gate bank to three miles outside the lighthouse as well as an area on the western edge of the San Jaime bank that is as warm, but the warm water seems to be receding southward.
BAIT: Mackerel was easily available at the usual $2 per bait and there were also Caballito at the same price. There were Sardinas up around Chileno Bay at $25 a scoop.
FISHING:
BILLFISH: Striped Marlin have continued to remain scarce with the only concentration found atop the Golden Gate Bank, and there were not many of them willing to eat. Most boats fished the bank with slow drifted live Mackerel caught on the site and felt they were doing well with a couple of Marlin bites and possibly one or two releases. Boats using smaller diameter floura-carbon leader with circle hooks were having better luck than others with most of them able to get up to a half-dozen bites a day for up to that many releases. Running to feeding Marlin, marked by the diving birds, was not as productive as the fish did not stay up long. On Saturday and Sunday there were up to 60 boats working the bank with most of them only getting one or two bites, and almost all of them having sick anglers on board due to the surface conditions.
YELLOWFIN TUNA: There are still only football fish being found out there, and most of them have been between 18 to 30 miles to the south. Boats working westward past the banks were not doing well with only an occasional pod of porpoise showing, and few of them holding fish. Once again red hootchies were the best bet for these fish as most of the stomach contents were found to be red crab.
DORADO: I did not see any Dorado myself, but I did overhear one conversation concerning a decent catch made by a boat that found a piece of wood in the water 30 miles to the south, and they were apparently able to pick off 5 fish between 15-20 pounds.
WAHOO: Once again I didn't hear of any Wahoo this week. The flags you see flying are for "Mexican Wahoo", or better known as sierra.
INSHORE: Mexican Wahoo, also known as Sierra, have been the mainstay of the Panga fleet this week with most boats able to get at least a half-dozen or more. Yellowtail action dropped off again, it seems to be a "good one week, slow the next" type of fishery. Snapper fishing has again improved and there are a few more grouper being found by those targeting bottom fish. The usual smaller Roosterfish to 5 pounds, some small barracuda and Bonita have rounded out the catches inshore.
NOTES: Still lots of whales out there, everyone is seeing them during the fishing charters. There are also quite a few small Mako Sharks being caught at the Golden Gate Bank, but I have not heard of any large ones. This weeks report was written to the music of "Mighty Lester" on their 2006 release "We are Mighty Lester", released by themselves, some really swinging blues! Until next week, keep your fingers crossed that the fishing picks up and the nice weather continues! Tight Lines!