SLOW, STORMY WEEK OF FISHING AT CABO

July 28, 2006, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur, Mexico:

Tropical storm Emilia drew close Cabo San Lucas this week, giving much needed rain but also causing the port to be closed on Tuesday and choppy seas on Wednesday. Due to losing a day's fishing, the catch rates are lower. But even without the stormy weather, the fishing at Cabo San Lucas was not that great. Just fifteen percent of sportfishing charters caught billfish.

There are a lot of factors involved. Years ago we wouldn't even see a striped marlin during the summer months. Then it changed and they stayed year-round. Now those striped marlin we are seeing are few and small.

We have seen a slight increase on sailfish and also a couple of blue marlin.

It looks like a transition period and we expect blue marlin to really take off in August.

The Cowboy VII, skippered by Chris Golden, with caught fish a little over 600 pounds that was released just three miles off of Santa Maria. Four guests of Latimore Material Corporation were on boat and took turns cranking on the fish that took one and a half hours to bring to the boat. They managed to get the fish to the boat even though the hook had almost completely straightened out.

William Larcheid from Brookfield, Wisc., fishing with his two sons aboard "Ni Modo", had a double hook up on sailfish, one of which didn't stick, and also managed to hook a striped marlin.

Pisces anglers caught just 9 billfish this week: 7 striped marlin, 5 released, 1 blue marlin, and 2 sailfish. Our overall catch success rate for all species combined was 69 percent.

Yellowfin tuna were the most widely caught fish this week with 25 percent of Pisces Fleet charters finding fish in the 20 to 30 pound class. As these were more of a sure thing, many boats opted to go directly to the tuna rather than waste time looking for billfish. Twenty five percent of Pisces anglers caught yellowfin tuna this week, giving us a grand total of 152 fish in the 18 to 35 pound class.

Nearly all of these tuna catches were at the San Jaime Bank on the Pacific side. "C Rod" caught 13 tuna on July 26th and 19 tuna on July 27th. "Rebecca" also did well with 14 on the 22nd. Cedar plugs, feathers and a variety of lures worked on these.

Dorado catches were at 18 percent, with catches seldom more than a single fish, in the 20 to 30 pound class caught whilst trolling.

Inshore pangas at Cabo San Lucas caught roosterfish as long as the surf was fishable, and they also caught the odd stray dorado.

Cabo San Lucas sportfishing area weather is overcast, humid, with rain on Monday and Tuesday, now mostly clear skies seas calm. Fishing locations: 3-17 miles off Old Lighthouse, 4 miles out from Land's End, San Jaime Bank, and one day at Cabeza de Ballena. Average fishing water temperature 82.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Cabo San Lucas and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Cabo San Lucas may be found at Mexfish.com's main Cabo San Lucas page.