Gordo Banks Pangas
San Jose del Cabo
January 25, 2009
Anglers –
The Los Cabos region has continued to enjoy very mild winter time weather conditions. Northern winds have not been too persistent and this pattern seems to have contributed to keeping the water temperatures from cooling off as fast as in past seasons, at this time ocean currents are ranging from 72 to 75 degrees, clarity is a bit turned over and greenish in some areas, but overall anglers have been fortunate that the fishing action has been holding up strong and actually you might say that the action is more consistent for quality fish now than how it was in the fall. Plenty of baitfish around as well, both sardinas and mackerel, giant squid have also become active and are being jigging up on a regular basis to be using as chum and strip bait.
Striped marlin continue to be the main stay of the action being found on the Pacific, though good numbers of marlin are now entering the Sea of Cortez, following the schooling mackerel and they are being caught on a regular basis by the sportfishing fleets based out of San Jose del Cabo, with the majority of action being found 3 to 5 miles from shore. The stripers have been striking best on trolled or cast live baits, but are also coming up on artificials as well, fish have been ranging in sizes from 80 to 130 pounds. Surprisingly there are some sailfish being hooked into in these same areas, nice sized fish, several of them being larger than the striped marlin.
Dorado continue to surprise everyone, as the bite remains strong through a wide area, most of them closer to shore, even being spotted feeding by surf anglers right in the surf zone where normally only roosterfish and sierra are found at this time. Dorado are striking on various baits and lures and the average sized fish is in the 10 to 20 pound range, limits have been the rule not the exception.
This winter is full of surprises and one of the more incredible things being talked about is that there are still wahoo holding in the area of Punta Gorda and for the anglers that have targeted these largest members of the mackerel family, they have been rewarded with mornings of catching up to eight wahoo ranging to 40 pounds, the fish hit on a wide variety of lures, as well as on live and dead baits.
Still not much to report off of the bottom, moderate catches of huachinango taken by the commercial panga fleet, an occasional cabrilla and amberjack. Along the shoreline there are nice sized sierra being found and some roosterfish in certain areas, most of the roosterfish are under fifteen pounds, but provide fun sport on light tackle.
Yellowfin tuna have continued to school on the Iman Bank and La Fortuna, often times they would not bite until late morning, coming up to chummed squid and sardinas, best bet was to drift fish with whole or strip baits. Sizes were impressive, average fish were 20 to 40 pounds and a few went up to 80 pounds. Many charters were accounting for three to six yellowfin per trip, some even more.
The combined panga fleet launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 60 charters for the past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:
4 sailfish, 27 striped marlin, 52 wahoo, 268 dorado, 194 yellowfin tuna, 24 roosterfish, 122 sierra, 7 amberjack, 18 bonito, 13 cabrilla and 33 pargo.
Good Fishing, Eric