HUACHINANGO CAUGHT BY BOATS FISHING AT SAN LUIS BANK

July 2, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The La Playita panga fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out a total of 77 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for an approximate fish total of: 32 striped marlin, 24 dorado, 5 yellowfin tuna, 2 hammerhead sharks, 15 sierra, 14 amberjack, 16 roosterfish, 18 jack crevalle, 34 yellowtail snapper, 22 barred pargo, 12 cabrilla, 64 bonita, 14 dogtooth snapper.

San Jose del Cabo ocean conditions continued on a warming trend, with water temperatures now averaging from 82 to 84 degrees with the sportfishing action spread out. The most common catches were striped marlin, a few scattered dorado, very few yellowfin tuna, some larger black and blue marlin now starting to show, and a mix of snapper, jacks and roosterfish. Live bait supplies were plentiful for both sardinas and mullet. Ocean swells were minimal and there were no tropical storms on the horizon.

The fishing week started off with some quality huachinango action for the San Jose panga fleets working the San Luis Bank. Anglers used yo-yo jigs to catch snapper in the 8 to 14 pound range, with boats averaging anywhere from 4 to 8 fish per morning, and also a few cabrilla, bonita and amberjack.

This bite faded towards the end of the week and the fleet was once again scratching away for surface action. Most popular technique was to catch bolito and then slow troll them around the bank.

A couple of impressive fish were hooked in San Luis area, including a yellowfin tuna weighed 230 pounds, and on Friday, a panga from La Playita, reportedly hooked into a black marlin and fought the fish all afternoon before losing what was estimated to be a fish of 600 pounds.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from San Jose del Cabo and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for San Jose del Cabo may be found at Mexfish.com's main San Jose del Cabo page.