LOTS OF FISHING PRESSURE AT CABO SAN LUCAS
DURING THE BIG BISBEE'S MARLIN TOURNAMENTS

Oct. 18-24, 2004, Capt. George Landrum, Fly Hooker Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas Bisbee's report, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The Billfish had pretty intense pressure put on them this week with the Bisbee Open and the Bisbee Black and Blue tournaments taking place. The Blue and Black Marlin seemed to be more concentrated on the Cortez side of Cabo San Lucas with almost all the money fish coming from that area. The big fish for both tournaments were Black Marlin. The Pacific side had the concentrations of Striped Marlin as they seemed to prefer the slightly cooler water found there. The best Cabo San Lucas fishing areas for the Striped seemed to be between one and five miles off shore, the Blacks on the Gorda Banks and on the 50 fathom drops and the Blues along the 100 fathom drops.

Almost all the Yellowfin tuna reported this week were caught as bait for the tournament fishermen and by Pangas working the same areas. These areas were just off the light house on the Pacific side, on the ledge there, and just off the beach in 200 feet of water on the Cortez side in front of the Hacienda Del Mar Resort and Gray Rock. Chumming with live Sardines brought up the fish and they were almost all footballs between 8 and 15 pounds.

Dorado became the Cabo San Lucas fish of the week as major numbers moved in just off the beach between Gray Rock on the Cortez side and north of the Golden Gate Banks on the Pacific side, as well as almost all the areas between. It was common for boats to limit out this week on fish between #10 and #25 with a few larger fish and lots of smaller ones (hopefully most of which were released). Smaller lures in bright colors, live Caballito and Sardinas were the keys to getting a cooler full of fish, and most boats that were working for them had no problem. It may have helped that there were so many boats entered in the Cabo San Lucas fishing tournaments, it may have taken a lot of pressure off of the Dorado.

There were a lot more Wahoo caught this week than we normally get and they seem to be concentrated near shore. It may be because of the number of small bait fish we are seeing, but almost every boat fishing close in for Dorado has had at least one wahoo bite per day. Some boats have been getting multiple fish per day and they are ranging in size from #20 to #40. The same areas that are holding the Dorado are holding the Wahoo as well, from Gray Rock on the Cortez side to inside the Golden Gate on the Pacific side.

INSHORE: Almost every Cabo San Lucas Panga Captain that I talked to this week and every one I saw on the water have been concentrating on the Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado and Wahoo.

Cabo San Lucas air temperature at night has varied between the low 70‚s and the low 80‚s with the warmer temps during the later part of the week as we had cloud cover (along with rain) move into the area, trapping the warm air. Our day time highs have been around the low 90‚s, with the beginning of the week sunny and cooler and the end of the week cloudy and a bit damp. The winds have varied, but generally from the north as light breezes.

The band of warm water off the Cortez side narrowed this week as cooler water (and a bit greener as well) moved in from the south. The warm water band was only about 6 miles off shore but again it extended past the Cape and out toward the San Jaime Banks. The water up the Pacific coast was a bit cooler but maintained a fairly good light blue color. Cabo San Lucas surface conditions were great as we had only light winds this week with a bit of surface swell.

BAIT: The usual $2 per bait and almost all of it was Caballito. There were Sardinas available as well at $20 a scoop.

DAILY FISHING RESULTS (SEVEN BOATS):

Fish count for the week: Striped Marlin: 3 fish released, 1 kept (died during the fight) (#120-#150); Sailfish: 1 fish released (#120); Wahoo: 7 fish kept (#20-#45); Dorado: 33 fish kept, a whole lot released (#12-#35).

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 18, 2004

Steve and Linda Shipley are fishing at Cabo San Lucas for the second day of this trip and while Linda got a 40 pound Yellowfin on the 16th, it was no fish for Steve on that trip. Today he was able to make up a little bit as he managed to hook and bring to the boat a very nice Pacific Sailfish of around #120 for a good tag and release. One other Sailfish was struck but it came off and there were three Dorado lost as well. We hope that next time they come down the action will be a bit better for them!

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 19, 2004

Tim and Jill Lawrence are back down from Anchorage again and this was the second of four days Cabo San Lucas fishing they had scheduled. Juan and his brother Juan headed up the Pacific side and got into the fish big time, with most of the action taking place just off shore near the Golden Gate Banks. They ended up the trip with three nice Dorado, two Wahoo about 20-25 pounds each and Tim fought, then tagged and released a Striped Marlin of around 140 pounds.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 20, 2004

Jason Walker and his buddy Taz fished the same area as Tim and Jill did yesterday, only just a bit farther north and they got into the fish as well. Jason is the godson of our good friend Dave Reese and he was really looking forward to the trip. Let's see, they ended up with two Cabo San Lucas Wahoo between 35 and 40 pounds each as well as 8 Dorado between 15 and 35 pounds and released about four or five smaller Dorado as well. They had a chance to throw bait at one Marlin and had one other strike, but none of them hooked up. Not a bad trip though as they had a cooler of fillets by the time the "Smokehouse" had filleted, trimmed and vacuum bagged their fish!

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 21, 2004

Tim and Jill fished again today and it was with Manuel and Mauricio (Juan's day off). Since the action has been so good up the Pacific coast for meat fish, that is where they headed. Tim's mom and two of her friends accompanied them and everyone had a blast! The action was steady and the water in great condition as they managed to fill the fish box with Dorado. They ended up with 9 Cabo San Lucas Dorado between 12 and 30 pounds and released a bunch more. Tim's mom will have to buy a cooler so they are able to take fish with them!

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 22, 2004

Today's trip was a mixed bunch with us having four anglers on the boat and there being two other boats in the group. They worked the same area they had been going to, but the action changed a bit as they had more Marlin bite than Dorado. They managed to get one Dorado to the boat and into the fish box and fought, tagged and released one Striped Marlin of about 120 pounds. Another Striped Marlin of 150 pounds died during the fight because it became tail wrapped and that fish was boated. They ended the Cabo San Lucas fishing day with two Marlin and one Dorado, more marlin than the other two boats together, but not nearly as many Dorado.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 23, 2004

The George Besser group of four guys fished with Juan and Manuel today and they had a great time. Harry was the top angler with the largest fish as he fought, tagged and released a Striped Marlin of #120. They caught another 8 Dorado between 12 and 25 pounds and released a few smaller ones as well. The action had moved just a bit farther up the coast, past the Golden Gate Banks, but still close to shore.

"FLY HOOKER" FISH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 24, 2004

Today was the second day of fishing for the George Besser group and I had a call from Juan at 10:30 this morning that they already had three Wahoo in the fish box!