GORDO BANKS PANGAS FISHING REPORT FOR LOS CABOS

March 18, 2007, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo sport fishing, Baja, Mexico:

The combined San Jose del Cabo La Playita sportfishing panga fleets sent out approximately 78 charters for the week and anglers caught: 19 yellowfin tuna, 38 amberjack, 240 pargo, 135 sierra, 38 dorado, 5 yellowtail, 18 pompano, 26 cabrilla, 8 grouper, 2 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 28 surgeonfish, 28 hammerhead sharks, and 1 Pacific Fanfish.

With the official start of spring this coming week, vacationing crowds at San Jose del Cabo were greeted with the first significant heat wave of the year, as temperatures passed 90 degrees mark and it felt more like summer than late winter. The wind was light for most of the week and anglers enjoyed calm ocean conditions. Los Cabos fishing water temperatures ranged from 69 degrees on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas and up to 73 degrees on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja peninsula.

Supplies of sardina baits were plentiful, with mullet and mackerel also available.

The most productive fishing action for San Jose del Cabo pangas was closer to shore off shallow rock piles where a mix of species were encountered, including yellow snapper, amberjack, cabrilla, yellowtail, surgeonfish, sierra, barred pargo and even a 20 pound wahoo. Anglers reported having fair success working yo-yo iron jigs for amberjack, pargo and cabrilla, with chrome patterns being more productive.

Panga skipper Jesus Pino found an extremely rare species floating on the surface, still alive, but apparently very weak. It was identified as a Pacific Fanfish and could be the first such specimen found this far north in the East Pacific.

On Saturday, March 17th, there was a local Governor's Cup fishing tournament held off Palmilla beach. All species except marlin were included.

First and third place were captured by the local Playita team of Hugo Pino and his two sons for 96 and 50 pound grouper landed at the Iman bank while fishing with live chihuil.

Second place went to a 53 pound mako shark. It was a successful event, although it was unfortunate to see the local pangueros killing so many juvenile hammerhead sharks that were abundant on the Iman Bank, but were practically of newborn size, averaging about three feet or less.

The best fishing area for striped marlin action was from Chileno to Red Hill, anywhere from 5 to 15 miles from shore. The marlin were spread out and besides the spotty action for striped marlin there was not much else going on offshore. There were yellowfin tuna found 25 to 40 miles offshore, mixed in with porpoise, for the most part smaller football sized and hardly worth such a long run.

There were also a few yellowfin tuna caught by pangas fishing on the Inner Gordo Bank, but they were not on the bite as they continued to gorge on red crabs and squid.