STRIPED MARLIN AND DORADO LEAD
OFFSHORE CHARTER BOAT ACTION

June 20, 2004, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Southern Baja and San Jose del Cabo are now boasting ideal weather conditions, summer like temperatures in the 90s, but the humidity is still not unbearably high as it can be during August and September. The evenings and mornings are actually quite pleasant. Crowds of tourists have been moderate as we now head into the unpredictable tropical season, at this time there are no storms on the horizon.

For the past week at San Jose del Cabo there have been varying winds up to 15 mph, most recently blowing from the south, but overall anglers found good offshore fishing conditions. Most consistent action around San Jose del Cabo was found from Chileno to Iman in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, this being where water temperatures close to shore are averaging 78 to 80 degrees. Swells dropped and the clarity of the water within a couple miles of shore was reported to be clean and blue. More baitfish are starting to school on the fishing grounds, most notably bolito, which are always a sure sign that large gamefish are not far away.

Striped marlin and dorado dominated the offshore surface activity at San Jose del Cabo. Stripers weighing from 90 to 170 pounds were found throughout the Cortez zone, anywhere from 2 to 12 miles out, they were seen tailing on the surface, riding wind swells and were also found in wide open feeding frenzies, as local waters have been plugged with squid and other baitfish. Fish were striking trolled lures, but more hook ups came on bait, preferably live bait, but when the striped marlin were up and feeding, dead bait produced strikes as well. Many San Jose del Cabo boats reported multiple billfish catches as striped marlin catches continue to be outstanding for the past few weeks.

Increasing numbers of dorado are now moving into the warming waters around San Jose del Cabo, fish are being found mixed with marlin offshore and closer to the shoreline where there is an abundance of baitfish. Most San Jose del Cabo charters were averaging a couple of dorado in their combined daily catch, with sizes ranging from 5 to 40 pounds and fish striking on both bait and lures. Some San Jose del Cabo boats were more fortunate and accounted for up to 6 dorado, while others never saw even one. Only spotty reports of yellowfin tuna, most of them football sized and mixed with skipjack, there were better reports of tuna action off the East Cape region, but reportedly this involved long boat rides.

Along the beaches near San Jose del Cabo anglers found on and off action for roosterfish, with fish to over 40 pounds being caught and released, trolling with live mullet proved to be most affective, some anglers caught as many as a half dozen roosters, while others never were able to locate any cooperative fish. There were also sierra, jack crevalle and pargo found close to shore, with the best bet being on trolled sardinas. Freddy Pino from La Playita was one incredibly fortunate local beach angler, also very skilled, he single handedly caught three trophy-sized snook weighing 20 to 40 pounds while fishing with anchoveta baitfish off the beach of La Playita on Thursday evening in the span of one and a half hours.

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