PANGA AND SURF FISHING TRIPS CATCH 26 SPECIES

March 15-23, 2005, John Snow, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico sportfishing:

One 90-minute surf fishing trip at San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos) with below average results but at a new location which will take time to learn. The best catch of the week were 7 Giant Humboldt Squid (6 caught on yo-yo iron and one with a gaff) found in a one acre field close to shore dining on the surface feasting on a small school of Red Pelagic Tuna Crabs. The fishing was exceedingly limited however as ugly green water was omnipresent which Captain Pata attributed to a strong El Sur which had been blowing in Green Water for two weeks.

Four, six hour, Panga fishing trips off San Jose del Cabo with Captain Pata which had one strong day and one three exceedingly slow days including the worst day I have had from a collection perspective since fishing “down south.”

There were only a limited number of Gringos fishing but the beach at San Jose del Cabo was crowded as it was Easter Week and all of the local businesses were closed.

Overall came in contact with only 26 individual fish species with three new species for me: the Giant Humboldt Squid, a Pacific Flagfin Mojarra, and a White Mullet. The San Jose del Cabo bait guys were present and provided good bait on two of the four days and marginal bait on the other two days. San Jose del Cabo weather from a temperature perspective improved to the mid-70’s-degresses with strong sun all days. Wind was only a significant factor for two hours on one of the four days of Panga fishing at San Jose del Cabo. Major targeted game species count from four days of San Jose del Cabo Panga fishing: Sierra-15, Red Snapper-1 (small). I would rate this week as far below average from a sportsfishing perspective.

Fish Species, Executive Summary, 23 known and 3 new: *Anchovy, Slender (Fish Number 28) *Balloonfish (Fish Number 54) Bass, Threadfin (Fish Number 142) Cabrilla, Flag (Fish Number 61) Coronetfish (Fish Number 103) **Crab, Red Tuna (Fish Number 137) *Crab, Sand Swim (Fish Number 110) Creole Fish, Pacific (Fish Number 62) Croaker, Longfin (Fish Number 152) Flounder, Speckled (Fish Number 168) *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19) Jack Crevalle (Fish Number 37) *Mojarra, Pacific Flagfin (Fish Number 176) - NEW *Mullet, Stripped (Fish Number 21) *Mullet, White (Fish Number 156) - NEW Porgy, Pacific (Fish Number 2) *Ray, Manta (Fish Number 59) *Salema, California (Fish Number 90) Sierra (Fish Number 60) Snapper, Blue and Gold (Fish Number 73) Snapper, Red (Fish Number 16) Squid, Humboldt (Giant) – Fish Number 139) – NEW! Tilefish, Pacific Golden Eye (Fish Number 49) Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26) Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9) Whitefish, Ocean (Fish Number 15)

*Collected in the bait tank. **Collected at sea with a bait net

Part I, Surf Fishing Report, 100% Catch and Release:

Day 1, March 22, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at Km 26, Cero Colorado, one and half hours at sunrise, modest surf, high tide, water temperature 70-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 6 and 8, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen Sardinas and cut Squid. Catch summary: two Longfin Croakers, to 8 inches.

Part II. Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Solome, La Playita. La Playita Sport Fishing activity was exceedingly slow with about 7 of the 40 Pangas in use each day. Captain Pata attributed this to very slow fishing due to a strong and consistent El Sur which blew very green water into the Los Cabos area which has continued for several days.

Day 1, March 17, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing for five hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun all day. Very Limited live bait available. Water a quality 70-degrees of ugly green. Fished an area 5 to 10 miles south of La Playita (Palmilla point). Style was traditional bottom fishing with cut bait (dead anchovies, Chocolate Clams, or Squid) or yo-yo iron down deep or flylined live bait (whatever we had which was limited). Catch can be summarized as very slow: one Flag Cabrilla, 2 pounds, two Pacific Creole Fish, to 2 pounds, one Speckled Founder, 2 pounds, four Sierra, to 6 pounds, one Blue and Gold Snapper, 1 pound, one Finescale Triggerfish, 4 pounds, five Orangeside Triggerfish (catch and release). Miscellaneous: the small high flying somersaulting juvenile Manta Rays were omnipresent.

Day 2, March 19, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun all day. Good supply of live bait available but had to wait a long time. Water a quality 70-degrees of ugly green. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita. Only one eatable fish – a Pacific Porgy, 2 pounds and 5 Orangeside Triggerfish (catch and release). The slowest production day I have experienced in fishing the Los Cabos waters with Captain Pata. Miscellaneous: large Whales and juvenile Manta Rays omnipresent including one provided by the bait guys..

Day 3, March 21, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was dead flat until 10:00 a.m. and then a horrible El Norte arrived which finished the day. Good supply of live bait available. Water a quality 70-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita. Day had a modest return: one Threadfin Bass, 6 inches, three Flag Cabrilla, to 6 pounds, one Sierra, 8 pounds, one Red Snapper, 2 pounds, one Finescale Triggerfish, 4 pounds, more than ten Orangeside Triggerfish (three kept, others catch and release), four Golden Eye Tilefish, to 4 pounds, and one Ocean Whitefish, 6 pounds. Miscellaneous: passed bye one large Whales waving its arms time and time again.

Day 4, March 23, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was flat calm. Good supply of live bait available but Captain Pata complained of the quality indicating that they were full of eggs, thus bloated and did not swim well.. Water a quality 70-degrees of pristine blue color. Fished an area 3 to 5 miles south of La Playita. Catch can be summarized as wild and totally goofy: one Coronetfish, 12 inches, six Giant Squid, to 40 pounds (5 on yo-yo iron and one with a gaff!), more than 10 Sierra, one Finescale Triggerfish, 3 pounds, and more than 10 Orangeside Triggerfish (all catch and release). Miscellaneous: nada!

(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.