STRIPED MARLIN ARE STARTING THEIR ANNUAL
SOUTHERN MIGRATION INTO CABO SAN LUCAS WATERS

Nov. 15-21, 2004, George Landrum, Fly Hooker Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Once again Cabo San Lucas had a great week weather wise. Our night time lows have been in the low 70's and our day time highs around 87 degrees. Partly cloudy skies most of the week have helped to keep things cool while the breeze from the northwest has kept the humidity down.

The high water temperatures this week at Cabo San Lucas were on both sides of the Cape with the surface on some days reaching 81 degrees. There was a finger of cooler water coming down from the north on the Pacific side and that finger came along the inside of the Golden Gate bank then traveled along the Pacific shoreline, ending up in an eddy of cooler 77 degree water right off the tip of Cabo San Lucas and extending to the south for about 10 miles. The water up to the north was a bit green but the Cortez side had great colored blue water.

BAIT: There were a lot more Mackerel available this week at Cabo San Lucas and only a few Caballito. The normal price is still $2 per bait. There were some Sardinas available as well at $20 per scoop.

BILLFISH: There were a few Cabo San Lucas Blue and Black Marlin reported this week but the focus and emphasis was on striped marlin. The yearly migration has started and the fish are starting to come down from the north, following the cool water. The near shore area on the Pacific side, where the cool water has been, was a favorite this week. All of the area on the Pacific shoreline, from the Golden Gate to the lighthouse had Striped Marlin showing up off the points. While there were tailing fish spotted and live baits cast to, most of the fishing was done by either slow trolling live mackerel or deep dropping the bait. Working water in 250 to 600 feet deep, Mackerel was slow trolled until concentrations of bait were spotted on the fish finder, then bait was dropped down to them. Boats without fish finders watched others or worked the current lines as the tide shifted. The average was almost a Marlin per Cabo San Lucas fishing boat but there were a few boats getting double hook ups, a few of them getting several of them.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: Football fish among the Porpoise were near the coast at the start of the week but at the end of the week they had moved almost 35 miles off shore. There were also some nicer fish among them and an occasional shot at a real sow, as many Cabo San Lucas charter boats working the Tuna saw fish approaching the #200 mark breaking water. A few of the better fish were hooked up, but most of the bigger fish were in the #40 range, approaching the #100 in a few cases. The bigger fish were had on live bait dropped back and away while the footballs were on small lures.

DORADO: As Cabo San Lucas water has cooled the Dorado bite has dropped off as well. There were a few scattered fish on the Pacific side but most of the action came on the Cortez side close to shore. Good areas this week were off of the lighthouse at Gray Rock and off of the Westin and Palmilla. Sardinas used as chum got the bite going but most of the fish were smaller, in the 8-15 pound class. Average catch was about 2-3 fish per boat.

WAHOO: It is still a slow bite for Wahoo this week and most of the fish have been found along the shore in the 50 fathom areas. I was lucky and able to get two fish this week but most boats were happy to get one strike. The fish are smaller; one of mine may have been 10 pounds, the other about #40. Darker colored lures and Marauders worked for the Wahoo and also drew strikes from Marlin.

INSHORE: Cabo San Lucas fishing water has been fairly calm this week so we had a lot of the Pangas off shore chasing Tuna and Marlin, working the same areas as the cruisers. Those that stayed in shore found action on the Cortez side for Skipjack and Bonita as well as lots of Needlefish. Small Grouper and Snapper rounded up the expected catch, and everyone is waiting for the water to cool enough for the Sierra and Yellowtail to show up!

NOTES: There have been lots of Cabo San Lucas boats out this week and almost everyone is finding fish, but there have been no big numbers posted by anyone as far as I know. As the week ended the fishing dropped off and most boats were coming in with a couple of Tuna, a couple of Dorado or a Marlin flag or two. An occasional boat was lucky and got into the Tuna first and scored, but the action was far away and not consistent.