CABO SAN LUCAS PORT CLOSED ON MONDAY BY PASSING HURRICANE HILLARY

Aug. 22-28, 2005, George Landrum, Fly Hooker Sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The Cabo San Lucas fishing vacation area had the edge of Hurricane Hilary this week. The wind blew and it rained hard, the swells kicked up and the Captain closed the port of Cabo San Lucas for the day Monday. It kept Cabo San Lucas day time temperatures to the mid to high 90s.

The fishing water temperature break running north-south just off Cabo San Lucas is still there and has been there for several weeks now. Water out at the San Jaime bank was 83 degrees. On the Sea of Cortez the water has been from 82 degrees to 86 degrees with no area holding steady temperatures for long. Surface fishing conditions are great now, but of course the swells were very large at the beginning of the week. Small swells and almost glassy conditions were present on Friday.

There was Caballito available from the local Cabo San Lucas bait boats at the normal $2 per bait and there were small Mackerel as well at the same price.

The Billfish are out there, but once again they are scattered. The temperature break just to the south of Cabo San Lucas has been providing fishing action on Sailfish and Striped Marlin as well as a few small Blue Marlin. There have been fish found on the 95 spot and a few nice Blues in the 500-600 pound class were caught in an area bounded by the 95 spot, the 1150 and the coast.

San Jaime bank had scattered small Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin on the down current side. The Sailfish have been caught on a mix of small tuna lures and live bait while the Striped Marlin have been almost entirely on live bait dropped back to fish appearing in the pattern. The drop back has resulted in a few anglers being surprised by small Blue Marlin almost spooling the normal #30 outfits being used for the Striped Marlin.

There have been fish found on the 95 spot and a few nice Blues in the 500-600 pound class were caught in an area bounded by the 95 spot, the 1150 and the coast.

Most of the Tuna found this week at Cabo San Lucas were small footballs, some of them in the blind along the coast, just outside a mile, and others among Porpoise. There were some larger fish found as well, but they were few and far between. The Porpoise were found almost anywhere; there was no steady spot where they could be found.

Once again there was no change on dorado at Cabo San Lucas with most being found on the Pacific side. There were some nice fish beginning to show up on the Cortez side with a few boats getting fish in the 40-45 pound class, mostly bulls. Floating debris would hold an occasional nice fish to 60 pounds but most of the fish found were in the 8-15 pound class.

There were a few wahoo in the 30-45 pound class reported at Cabo San Lucas while fishing around the banks on the Pacific side, but no concentrations of them.

Inshore fishing at Cabo San Lucas was slow with just a few bottom fish and a few Roosterfish being found on the Pacific side.