DORADO AND TUNA LEAD POST-STORM CABO FISH COUNTS

Sept. 16, 2006, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur, Mexico:

Dorado fishing is great right now at Cabo San Lucas. Pisces anglers caught a whopping 282 dorado ranging in size from 15 to 60 pounds. Out boats caught anywhere from 1 to 15 fish, with lures and bait both working. The better numbers of dorado were found on the Pacific side from Los Arcos to Pozo de Cota. Dorado were also found on the Sea of Cortez side at Punta Gorda, the 95 spot and Destiladeras. Seventy-seven percent of Pisces Fleet charters caught dorado, making it our number one sportfish again this week

Yellowfin tuna catches were also good at Cabo, with 35 percent of Pisces anglers finding tuna in the 20 to 30 pound class, giving us a total of 107 fish. The catches were better near Punta Gorda and especially at the Iman, where scoops of sardines thrown out attracted tuna in good numbers.

We had one solitary wahoo on the small side at 40 pounds.

Fishing the inshore waters at Cabo San Lucas produced dorado and skipjacks.

The dorado and yellowfin tuna fishing was far superior to marlin catches. Striped marlin gave a fair showing, and they were found in diverse locations. They were caught every day but tended to be lone fish spread from the Old Lighthouse on the Pacific to Destiladeras on the Cortez.

Marlin weights were from 110 to 160 pounds and live bait was what they preferred. There were a few stray sailfish to be had also, these took live bait and dead bait. Just 22 percent of charters found billfish, despite an overall catch success rate of 92 percent for all species combined.

Live bait at Cabo San Lucas became scarce at the start of the week, with most sportfishing fleets substituting with frozen ballyhoo, or having no alternative except less desirable caballito.

We were a bit surprised at the lack of blue marlin, but hope they put in an appearance in time for the upcoming October fishing tournaments. No boat caught more than one billfish in a day.

Pisces anglers caught a total of 16 striped marlin and 4 sailfish this week and all were released.

Most boats fished the Pacific of Cabo San Lucas where the dorado was almost a sure thing, although the occasional skunk did happen. However, pretty much the whole range of our regular locations were fished.

Thankfully Hurricane Lane sidestepped Cabo and caused no ill effects here. Our weather was humid, with mostly sunny skies, hot, seas calm. The average water temperature was 84 degrees.

(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.