Gordo Banks Pangas
San Jose del Cabo
April 20, 2008
Anglers -
As the weather steadily warms, the ocean currents are also changing and the migration of Gray and Humpback whales are now heading north towards their summer feeding grounds. Average water temperature throughout the region are now ranging from 69 or 70 on the Pacific to as high as 77 degrees in areas towards the Sea of Cortez. Supplies of live mackerel have been limited, some days anglers encountered schools of these baitfish on the fishing grounds, but that was not a guarantee. Sardinas were now congregated around the Puerto Los Cabos rock jetties. The majority of sportfishing fleets are now concentrating efforts in the direction of the warmer water, from Chileno to Vinorama.
The main area for striped marlin activity in recent days was from the Gordo Banks , Desteladera to Vinorama. Most hook ups were on live bait and for anglers that did not have the bait they reported that it was not easy to entice the fish into striking the lures. Even with bait the marlin at times just were not interested, though scores of the stripers were seen free jumping and tailing on the surface. The billfish were averaging 100 to 150 pounds.
Yellowfin tuna action became more scattered this past week, schools had moved within several miles offshore of Chileno, but this bite slowed, turning to black skipjack and now the few tuna that are being found are once again further offshore, sometimes associated with porpoise, but often just found by blind strikes.
With the warmer water temperatures a few more dorado are appearing in the daily fish counts, but the water has also been off colored, as currents clean up more we expect to see increased activity from these colorful prized gamefish. Most of the dorado that are now being found have been by trolling lures and are ranging in sizes up to 25 pounds.
Sierra action highlighted the inshore options, very good numbers of these fish were found from Westin Regina to Chileno. Live sardinas accounted for most of the action, though casting jigs, rapalas and hoochies also were working. The average sized sierra was two or three pounds, but many fish weighing over five pounds were also accounted for. A handful of small sized roosterfish were also being encountered off these same stretches of beaches.
Yellowtail snapper are biting on the shallow rocky reef areas, typically in water depths of fifty feet or less, striking on sardinas and weighing up eight pounds. Off the deeper rock piles it has been the Mexican bonito that have continued to dominate the action, only an occasional amberjack, huachinango or cabrilla mixed in.
Surf fishermen reported that the area around La Playita and the Estuary produced a handful of nice sized halibut weighed up 25 pounds, the anglers were using mullet and sardinas for bait.
The combined panga fleet launching out of La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 47 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 9 striped marlin, 92 pargo (combined species), 124 Mexican bonito, 9 amberjack, 18 cabrilla, 16 yellowfin tuna, 7 dorado, 15 roosterfish and 212 sierra.
Good Fishing, Eric
