SPECIES FISHING RESULTS

Feb. 13-22, 2007, John Snow, species fishing, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The major focus of this trip was the collection of small tidal pool fishes to support the research of H.-C. Lin, and some specific bass species to support the research of Brad Beirsman, both graduate students of Phil Hastings, at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Otherwise, my species counts were excellent, but surf fishing was slow, and we only caught four quality fish, two of which were very small dorado, in four days of panga fishing.

San Jose del Cabo surf fishing three days on four 1 to 2-hour trips, produced only 13 fish of 10 different species, i.e., low productivity. I did spend three afternoons at El Tule and on the East Cape road working the tide pools generated by the astronomically low tide and picked up a total of 17 species, several of which I had not seen before.

Deep sea fishing off San Jose del Cabo during four panga trips with good live bait supplies produced 31 species, only five from the bait guys, of fish into Salomé with a total fish count of 190, i.e., an average of 47.5 fishing per day. This is above average but the vast majority were “bait fish” and we had only four real fish for the week.

Gringo traffic was nonexistent at La Playita probably due to “no fish.”

For the seven days a total of 203 fish were caught with 64 different species of which 7 were new species for me.

The fish of the week was a Steel Pompano, Trachinotus stillbe, never reported in Mexican waters before, and this is thus a very significant range extension. And of greater interest is a Wrasse Ass Bass, because you guessed, it is a Wrasse with an ass like a Bass. The Wrasse undergo a major midlife crisis and have a sex change with each fish going from female to male and developing new wardrobes.

San Jose del Cabo surf fishing report, 100 percent catch-and-release:

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 1, February 14, 2007:

Kilometer 21, Cabo Real, 3 hours at sunrise, zero surf, falling tide, water temperature 70 degrees, utilizing a size 4 Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardines (nonproductive) and cut Squid. Catch Summary (8): one Largemouth Blenny, 6 inches; one Longfin Croaker, 5 inches; three Sergeant Major, to 7 inches; one Orangeside Triggerfish, 2 pounds; and one Banded Wrasse, 6 inches. Note: I made a beach collection of a one inch White Mullet.

Kilometer 17, El Tule, 4 hours mid-afternoon, zero surf, bottom low tide, water temperature 70 degrees, utilizing a size 4 Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch Summary (4): one Beaubrummel Major, 5 inches, two Orangeside Triggerfish, to 7 inches, and one Sunset Wrasse, 8 inches. Beach Collections: I bailed one tidal pool and picked up what I believe to be eight species: one Largehead Blenny, 1 inch; one Porehead Blenny, one inch,; four Zaca Blenny, to 1 inch; four Panamic Frillfin, to 1 inch; five Banded Brittle Stars, to 3 inches; two Black Brittle Stars, to 2 inches; and six Giant Black Brittle Stars, to 5 inches.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 2, February 16, 2007:

Kilometer 21, Cabo Real, 2 hours at sunrise, large pounding surf, high tide, water temperature 70 degrees, utilizing a size 4 Mustad 92553 hook with cut Squid. Catch Summary (4): one Longfin Croaker, 6 inches; one Giant Hawkfish, 2.5 pounds; one Sergeant Major, 7 inches,; and one Orangeside Triggerfish, 1 pound.

Kilometer 17, El Tule, 4 hours mid-afternoon, zero surf, bottom low tide, water temperature 70 degrees, utilizing a size 4 Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch Summary (1): one Largehead Blenny, 4 inches. Beach Collections: I bailed two tidal pools and picked up what I believe to be four species: nine Zaca Blennies, to 0.5 inches; three Zebra Clingfish, to 0.25 inches; one Arrow Crab, 1 inch; and one Sea Cucumber, 7 inches.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 3, February 18, 2007:

Fishing 10.5 miles north from the end of the pavement on the East Cape Road with various stops, 30 minutes of fishing, 2 hours bailing three tide pools, mid-afternoon, nominal surf, rock bottom tide water temperature 70 degrees, utilizing a size 4 Mustad 92553 hook with cut Squid. Catch Summary (4): four Rough Swim Crabs, to 1 inch (actually caught three on one hook all at the same time). Tide Pool collections (8 species): ten, Redside Blenny, to 1 inch; two Unknown Blenny, to 1 inch; 11 Snouted Mullet, to 1 inch; one Throat Spotted Blenny, 1 inch; one Zaca Blenny, 1 inch; one Clingfish sp., 1 inch; one Giant Hawkfish, 2 inches; and one Octopus sp., 5 inches.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 4, February 20, 2007:

Kilometer 17, El Tule, 1 hour late-afternoon, zero surf, bottom low tide, water temperature 70 degrees: Beach Collection (1): one Gulf Sea Star, 6 inches.

Fishing at San Jose del Cabo with Captain Pata, Panga Salomé, La Playita:

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 1, February 15, 2007:

Fishing for 5 hours with Captain Pata. We were late departing due to congestion caused by the new San Jose del Cabo marina construction, too many boats all trying to leave at the same time and getting to the water was tough. Full sun day with a horrific El Norte. We headed for Gordo I, made two quick passes (4 fish) and then made the 1 hour (3X over regular) horrific ride back to the coast. Water varied from pristine blue and off green and dirty, 70 degrees. Substitute bait guys provided a reasonable amount of very exceptionally large sardines. Style was flylined sardines, traditional bottom fishing with live sardines or sabiki rigs. Catch Summary (19): one Pacific Coronetfish, 18 inches; one Pacific Creolefish, 7 inches,; one Panamic Graysby, 3 pounds (a monster); two Pacific Mutton Hamlets (in red costume), to 5 inches; one Green Jack, two pounds; two Ladyfish, to 18 inches; three (one with unique coloration) Reef Lizardfish, to 5 inches; one Steel Pompano, 12 inches (far out of range); one Finescale Triggerfish, 3 pounds; and six Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds. Miscellaneous: a survival day and as soon as we hit the beach to wind stopped.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 2, February 17, 2007:

Fishing for 7 hours with Captain Pata. Cloudy cold day and fortunately no wind. Started with a short stop to fill the bait tank the Pacific Mackerel utilizing Sabiki Rigs. We then went to the Gordo Point to load up on a staggering amount of sardines. We then headed for Gordo I and joined about 15 other boats, mostly noisy cruisers. Water was pristine blue and 70 degrees. Style was flylined sardines, flylined and slow trolled Pacific Mackerel and traditional bottom fishing with live sardines, cut squid (nonproductive), cut Pacific mackerel or sabiki rigs. Catch Summary (47): one Hookthroat Bass, 12 inches; one Rainbow Basslet, 6 inches,; one Cortez Grunt, 10 inches; twelve Round Herrings, to 10 inches; three Green Jacks, to one pound; three Jack Mackerel, to 3 pounds; one Iguana Lizardfish, 8 inches; eighteen Pacific Mackerel, to 12 inches; one Striped Marlin, 6.5 feet, 100 pounds; one Marlin Remora, 6 inches; one Red Snapper, 8 inches; one Ocean Tilefish, 3 pounds; one Black Skipjack Tuna, 1 pound; one Yellowfin Tuna, 20 pounds; and one Chameleon Wrasse. Miscellaneous: a few whales were in the area.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 3, February 19, 2007:

Fishing for 7 hours with Captain Pata. Full sun day that started out dead calm and then a seldom seen El Sur wind arrived and made life miserable and for a horrific ride home. Started with a prolonged unsuccessful stop to fill the bait tank the Pacific Mackerel utilizing Sabiki Rigs. The son of the traditional bait guys found us while we were making bait and provided us with a nominal, but totally adequate, amount of sardines. We then headed for Gordo I and joined about 15 other boats and only stayed about an hour as the wind built. Water was pristine blue and 70 degrees. Style was flylined sardines (nonproductive), and traditional bottom fishing with live sardines (nonproductive), cut squid (nonproductive), cut pacific mackerel (nonproductive) or sabiki rigs (nonproductive). We then made the slow one hour troll back toward the Gordo Point utilizing our sole Pacific Mackerel. He was consumed by a Dorado which we were not able to hook. We then made two brief stops for bottom fishing, very deep and very difficult with the massive amount of wind. Catch Summary (57): one Pacific Coronetfish, 16 inches; two Dorado, to 4 pounds; one Cortez Grunt, 11 inches; thirty Round Herrings, to 10 inches; one Pacific Mackerel, 10 inches; eight Bridled Sand Perch, to 8 inches; four High-Fin Sand Perch, to 8 inches; six Red Snapper, to 7 inches; two Pacific Golden Eyed Tilefish, to 2 pounds; two Black Skipjack Tuna, to 1.5 pounds. Miscellaneous: more or less a day from hell after arriving at Gordo I.

San Jose del Cabo fishing day 4, February 21, 2007:

Fishing for 6 hours with Captain Pata. Full sun day that started out the a brisk wind that had blown all night and I feared for the worst. The wind died off around 8:00 and the weather conditions were excellent for the day. Started with another prolonged unsuccessful stop to fill the bait tank the Pacific Mackerel utilizing Sabiki Rigs. The son of the traditional bait guys found us again while we were making bait and provided us with a totally adequate, amount of sardines. We spent the day on Gordo I joining about 10 other boats, whose fish counts like ours were dismal. Water was pristine blue and 70 degrees. Style was flylined sardines (nonproductive), flylined Chiwillies (nonproductive) and traditional bottom fishing with live sardines (nonproductive), cut squid (nonproductive), cut pacific mackerel (nonproductive) or sabiki rigs. Catch Summary (67): one Balloonfish, 1 pound without water and 5 pounds with water; ten Hookthroat Bass, to 2 pounds; four Threadfin Bass, 6 inches; twenty Round Herrings, to 10 inches; one Green Jack, 8 inches; five Jack Mackerel, to 4 pounds; two Flat Needlefish, to 18 inches; ten Bridled Sand Perch, to 8 inches; fourteen Red Snapper, to 7 inches. There was a shrimp trawler working the bait grounds and El Capitano indicated that they had removed all the shrimp and thus the Pacific Mackerel have gone elsewhere.