BOATS FINDING SAILFISH MIXED WITH DORADO IN WARM
FISHING WATERS AT THE PACIFIC SIDE GOLDEN GATE BANK

Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2004, Capt. George Landrum, Flyhooker Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

As the week came to an end at Cabo San Lucas we were able to sleep at night without the use of an air conditioner so you know it has cooled off a bit. Cabo San Lucas night time lows were in the mid 70‚s while the day time highs were around 90 degrees. We had an afternoon breeze from the northwest that kept us cool and the water just a little bit choppy on the Pacific side. Most of the week it was clear skies with a few clouds at times, but no rain at all. October is normally the month when all this happens (things cool down and the weather gets great) and this year everything seems to be on schedule.

On the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas we have had a band of warm water running along the coast then turning out to the southwest. It looks like it is the edge of a cool water eddy working it's way south out around the area of the San Jaime Banks and it has been holding fish. The cool water center has been showing at 80 degrees while the warm water edges have been around 84 degrees. Directly south of Cabo San Lucas during the early and mid part of the week the water was in the 81 degree range and on the Cortez side it was 83 degrees almost everywhere except up around Punta Gorda where it climbed to 85 degrees. Surface conditions on the Pacific were good with an occasional morning where it was choppy but in general the swells were not bad and the wind light. On the Cortez side it was almost like a lake most of the week.

There was not a lot of change in Billfish activity or availability this week. Just as last week the Sailfish that were found were mixed in with the Dorado up on the Pacific side within 2 miles of the beach at Golden Gate Bank area. The Gorda Banks, Punta Gorda and Los Frailes were supplying some nice Blue Marlin for Cabo San Lucas fishing boats making the long trip up there and there were both Blue and Striped Marlin to be found around the 92 spot and the 1150. A lot of Cabo San Lucas boats have been pulling large lures for Blue Marlin, getting in practice for the tournaments coming up, and they have been having fair success, not great results this week, but that may be due to the moon phase more than the availability of fish.

Strangely the Yellowfin bite dropped off quite a bit this week at Cabo San Lucas. With the full moon I would expect it to pick up but most of the fish I did see were small footballs. Every day I got excited seeing lots of white flags but upon asking anglers found that they were being flown for Bonita and Skipjack. Porpoise on the Pacific side held fish if you were there early and there were footballs found in the blind near shore on the Pacific, but overall the bite was off. It's really too bad because being able to get those large Sardines really had my hopes up for a big Tuna!

he Dorado were definitely the fish of the week as every Cabo San Lucas charter boat I saw was flying at least one yellow flag. Boats that left early seemed to bet bit a few more times and for the schooling fish the area inside the Golden Gate Banks and just off shore on the Pacific side seemed to be a favorite place to feed. Spotting feeding Frigate birds or keeping the first fish hooked in the water until the school showed up worked great on fish that were mostly in the 10-12 pound range. Off shore on both the Pacific and the Cortez side there were larger fish, some in the 40-50 pound class. If a fish came in on the lures and did not hook up, working the area for a few passes often brought another chance.

There were still Wahoo being caught, but it seems no one at Cabo San Lucas is really concentrating on them. Most of the fish are being caught by boats concentrating on Dorado so they have been an incidental catch. The average size has been 25 pounds but a few fish to 60 pounds have hit the deck this week as well.

Cabo San Lucas inshore fishing was almost solely a Dorado show this week, with a few bottom fish tossed in. No Sierra showing yet as the water is still warm, and the Rooster bite is off as well.

The moon phase was full this week and that had a strong effect on the Marlin bite, as the moon gets smaller the bite should improve. Cabo San Lucas has been almost full each day as Cruise ships, between one and three a day, anchor out in the bay. Charter bookings have been great as well.

DAILY FISHING ACTION REPORTS:

Fish count for the week (6 boats): Dorado: Twenty eight fish kept (#10-#30); Yellowfin Tuna: Four fish kept (#10-#12); Wahoo: Two fish kept (#20, #25); Lots of Bonita and Skipjack released.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2004

Greg Chaney and Vance Martin fished the Fly Hooker today and were in competition with Greg Hurt, Dave Reese and Don Cartner fishing on another boat. The final was pretty even with our guys getting 6 Dorado and the opponents getting seven. They fished the same Cabo San Lucas area as yesterday, up the Pacific side off the beach around the Margarita area. They will be fishing again on Thursday and Friday so I will let you know what happens then.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 28, 2004

Today the Peterson party of six fished with Juan and Manuel. With all the fish lately being found up on the Pacific coast around 12 miles up, that is where they headed today. No one got sick and they found plenty of fish, enough that everyone stayed busy most of the time. There were lots of Bonita and Skipjack but the main target was eating fish so the three Dorado of around 15 pounds each, the two Yellowfin of about the same size as the Dorado and the #20 Wahoo were very welcome. A great time, good water and good Cabo San Lucas fishing made the trip a great success!

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2004

Today Chip Lawson was supposed to fish with us, but we have needed a little work done on the stbd. Engine and today was the first day that the mechanic has been available so Chip and his wife fished another boat. They were back to Cabo San Lucas at noon having caught and released a Sailfish. Of course our mechanic showed up at 1 pm and only part of the work we wanted to get done was taken care of, and the work that he did only took two hours. Sigh.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2004

Today Dave Reese, Greg Chaney and Vance Martin fished with Juan and Manuel. Again targeting the Pacific coast up to the north, Manuel was able to put them in the right area. The action was steady from 8:30 on as singles, doubles and triples hooked up. The day ended with 16 Cabo San Lucas Dorado, the largest around #30 and the smallest about #10, two Yellowfin Tuna of the football persuasion and one Wahoo of around #25. Unknown numbers of Bonita and Skipjack were released as well. A great day on the water with the 100 pounds of fillets ending up filling a large cooler once the Smokehouse trimmed, packaged and froze the fish.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 1, 2004

We were supposed to have Dave, Greg, Vance and Don on the boat today, but they went to a carnivore restaurant last night and were not feeling well in their stomachs this morning so canceled the trip. Ouch, keep close to the bathrooms guys! Of course Juan thought the real reason was that they were too tired after all the action yesterday.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2, 2004

John and Amber Austin are newlyweds from Virginia. They each separately booked a Cabo San Lucas fishing trip for today but Mary realized it a week ago when they both referred to being honeymooners with John saying he was getting married to a girl named Amber and her saying that her groom to be was named John! Thank goodness that got straightened out in time! Amber has decided that she is not an ocean kind of girl as she did not feel well the entire trip. Juan and Edgar (Manuel needed the day off) were able to get them three nice Dorado early in the day and lost three others. John really wanted a big Marlin but after the Dorado and putting out the big lures they were not able to raise a billfish. Maybe on the next trip John, you just have to keep trying! Congratulations on your marriage and we hope you enjoyed your honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas!