THIRTY-FOUR FISH SPECIES CAUGHT IN LOS CABO PANGA AND SURF OUTINGS

Dec. 16-23, 2004, John Snow, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico Panga and Surf Fishing Report:

Executive Summary: Nine, one to two hour, surf fishing trips at San Jose del Cabo with below average results in general, with the exception of the last morning which for some unexplained reason was “quite good!”. The catch was the usual cast of characters with a few omissions. Sally Lightfoots were not available as they have disappeared but at Captain Pata’s recommendation went for the first time with left over frozen Sardines which changed the species to Jacks and related predators.

Four, six hour, San Jose del Cabo panga fishing trips with Captain Pata which had one phenomenal day, two modest days and one miserable day. The best day was probably one of my top five days from a true “sports fishing” putting dorado (mahi-mahi), tuna and a wahoo in the boat. The worst day was as bad as it gets trolling Chi-willies for four hours with two dorado hook failures to show for it. There were significantly more Gringos fishing at San Jose del Cabo as tourist season continues. The flavor of the week was Pacific Creolefish taken on Sabiki Rigs predawn which with the light of day the bite stopped abruptly. Overall came in contact with only 34 individual species with what I now believe to be two new species for me, the Cortez Halibut and the Speckled Flounder. The Pacific Needlefish being new for me. The San Jose del Cabo bait guys were far to the south and we elected to “make bait” versus travel to San Lucas and back before heading north. San Jose del Cabo weather from a temperature perspective was about as bad as it gets with no sun at all most days. Wind was not a factor for fishing at San Jose del Cabo other than contributing to the significant wind chill factor. The San Jose del Cabo sea surface water temperature was a frigid 75 degrees. Major targeted game species count from four days of San Jose del Cabo Panga fishing: Dorado – 7; Red Snapper – 1; Yellowfin Tuna – 4, and the elusive Wahoo – 2. I would rate this week as below average from a sportfishing perspective and poor from a species perspective since I only got limited time to explore the bottom.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, December 16 - 28, 2004:

Species, Executive Summary – 34 32 known and 2 new.

Balloonfish (Fish Number 54) Blenny, Largemouth (Fish Number 74) Creolefish, Pacific (Fish Number 62) Croaker, Yellowfin (Fish Number 35) Dorado (Fish Number 82) Goatfish, Mexican (Fish Number 14) Grunt, Burrito (Fish Number 1) Jack, Green (Fish Number 65) Jack Mackerel (Fish Number 34) Halibut, Cortez (Fish Number 68) - NEW Hawkfish, Giant (Fish Number 47) Flounder, Speckled (Fish Number 168) – NEW *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19) Hogfish, Mexican (Fish Number 7) Jack Crevalle (Fish Number 37) Needlefish, Flat (Fish Number 44) Needlefish, Giant Mexican (Fish Number 87) Pompano, Gafftopsail (Fish Number 24) *Bigeye Scad (Fish Number 88) Scorpionfish, Pacific Spotted (Fish Number 39) Sergeant Major (Fish Number 41) Serrano, Barred (Fish Number 17) Snapper, Dog (Fish Number 52) Snapper, Mullet (Fish Number 27) Snapper, Red (Fish Number 16) Squirrelfish, Tinsel (Fish Number 113) TriggerFish, Finescale (Fish Number 9) TriggerFish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26) Tuna, Black Skipjack (Fish Number 79) Tuna, Yellowfin (Fish Number 89) Wahoo (Fish Number 85) Wrasse, Banded (Fish Number 13) Wrasse, Cortez Rainbow (Fish Number 55) Wrasse, Sunset (Fish Number 105).

*Collected in the bait tank.

Part I, Surf Report, San Jose del Cabo, 100% Catch and Release.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 1, December 16, 2004:

Fishing at Km 21, Cabo Real, San Jose del Cabo, one and half hours before sunset, nominal surf, falling tide, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: two Sergeant Majors, to 6 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 2, December 17, 2004:

Fishing and tide pool collecting 6 and 8 miles north of La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, on the East Cape Road, three hours mid-afternoon, rock bottom tide, nominal surf, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: two Burrito Grunts, to 6 inches, one Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, 4 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 3, December 19, 2004:

Fishing and tide pool collecting 6 and 8 miles north of La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, on the East Cape Road, three hours mid-afternoon, raising tide, nominal surf, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: one Gafftopsail Pompano, 8 inches, one Banded Wrasse, 6 inches. From the tide pools a cast of characters yet to be identified and the omnipresent Tinsel Squirrelfish and even an uncatchable octopus that actually “inked me.”

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 4, December 21, 2004:

Fishing and tide pool collecting at Twin Dolphins, km 14, San Jose del Cabo, two hours high noon, rock bottom tide, nominal surf, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: one Orangeside Triggerfish, 1 pound, one Rainbow Wrasse, 6 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 5, December 24, 2004:

San Jose del Cabo fishing and tide pool collecting 6 and 8 miles north of La Playita on the East Cape Road, three hours mid-afternoon, bottoming out tide, nominal surf, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen whole Sardines (left over from yesterday). Catch summary: one Jack Cravelle, 1.5 pounds and one Spotted Pacific Scorpionfish, 2.5 pounds. From the tide pools a one unknown minnow and a crab that tried impersonate a rock – wait until you see this guy!

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 6, December 25, 2004:

Fishing San Jose del Cabo at Km 21, Cabo Real, second hour of daylight, nominal surf, high tide, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardines and cut Squid. Catch summary: two Green Jacks, to 1.5 pounds.

Fishing at Twin Dolphins, km 14, San Jose del Cabo, one and a half hours high late afternoon, rock bottom tide, nominal surf, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardines and cut Squid. Catch summary: two Blenny’s (species unknown), to 6 inches and one Rainbow Wrasse, 6 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 7, December 26, 2004:

Fishing the Todos Santos Loop with stops at Km 92, Km 67 and the Commercial Beach during mid day. Huge raging surf made the conditions unfishable! Water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardines and cut Squid and a 2-oz sinker with a double dropper loop with size 1/0, Mustad 92553 hook.. Catch summary: two Yellowfin Croaker, to 7 inches (caught literally on the beach in less than 2” of water..

Day 8, December 27, 2004:

Fishing at Km 21, Cabo Real, San Jose del Cabo, at sunrise for one and a half hours, nominal surf, rising high tide, water temperature 75-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 10, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardines. Catch summary: one Mexican Goatfish, 12 inches, one Giant Hawkfish, 11 inches, two Jack Crevalle, to 11 inches, and one Dog Snapper, 12 inches.

Part II. Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Solome, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo. La Playita Sport Fishing activity was modest.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 1, December 18, 2004:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. San Jose del Cabo, the ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm. Excellent supply of live bait available. Water a quality 75-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita adjacent to multiple boats. Style was a blend of trolled jigs (non-productive), Sabiki rigs, small cut bait for making bait, flylined sardines, and slow trolled Jack Mackerel. Catch can be summarized as follows: more than ten Pacific Creolefish, to 1.5 pounds, four Dorado, to 20 pounds, four Green Jacks, to 3 pounds, six Jack Mackerel, to one pound, four Flat Needlefish, to 6 pounds, one Barred Serrano, 5 inches, two Mullet Snappers, to 3 pounds, two Finescale Triggerfish, to 6 pounds, one Orangeside Triggerfish (catch and release), 1 pound, three Yellowfin Tuna, to 15 pounds, and one Wahoo 30 pounds. Miscellaneous: nada.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 2, December 20, 2004:

Fishing San Jose del Cabo for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was generally cold and windy until mid-morning when El Sol arrived. Excellent supply of live bait available. Water a quality 75-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita adjacent to multiple boats. Style was a blend of Sabiki rigs, small cut bait for making bait, flylined sardines, and slow trolled Jack Mackerel. Catch can be summarized as follows: one Balloonfish, 4 pounds (of which 3 were water), more than ten Pacific Creolefish, to 2.5 pounds, one Dorado, 10 pounds, one Cortez Halibut, 2 pounds, seven Jack Mackerel, to one pound, three Giant Mexican Needlefish, to 6 pounds, one Red Snapper, 2 pounds, two Black Skipjack Tuna, to 10 pounds, one Mullet Snappers, 2 pounds, two Finescale Triggerfish, to 6 pounds, and one Yellowfin Tuna, to 10 pounds. Miscellaneous: nada.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 3, December 22, 2004:

Fishing for six hours at San Jose del Cabo with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm. Supply of live bait an unknown. Water a quality 75-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita adjacent to multiple boats. Style was a blend of Sabiki rigs, small cut bait for making bait and slow trolled Jack Mackerel. Catch can be summarized as follows: more than ten Pacific Creolefish, to 2 pounds, two Dorado, to 20 pounds, four Green Jacks, to 3 pounds, seven Jack Mackerel, to two pounds, one Mullet Snappers, 1 pound, one Orangeside Triggerfish (catch and release), 1 pound, and one Wahoo 20 pounds. Miscellaneous: a sea lion (not a factor) visited us on the Gordo Banks; one large massive whale (the first of the year) pass bye at 100 yards.

San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico, Day 4, December 23, 2004:

San Jose del Cabo fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was OK but there was no sun so and a 15 mph wind making life 100% miserable. Excellent supply of live bait. Water a quality 75-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita adjacent to multiple boats. Style was a blend of Sabiki rigs, small cut bait for making bait, flylined sardines and slow trolled Jack Mackerel. Catch can be summarized as follows: more than ten Pacific Creolefish, to 2 pounds, one Mexican Hogfish, 1 pound, eight Jack Mackerel, to two pounds, one Flat Needlefish, 4 pounds, two Mullet Snappers, to 1 pound, one Finescale Triggerfish, 6 pounds, and five Orangeside Triggerfish (catch and release), 1 pound. Miscellaneous: a sea lion (not a factor) visited us on the Gordo Banks.

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