LARGE YELLOWFIN TUNA FEEDING AT GORDO BANKS

April 30, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita Los Cabos, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico Report:

The combined La Playita sportfishing panga fleet at San Jose del Cabo sent out 84 pangas this past week and anglers accounted for: 145 sierra, 45 jack crevalle, 12 roosterfish, 92 pompano, 220 pargo, 85 cabrilla, 6 yellowtail, 16 yellowfin tuna, 40 dorado, 22 striped marlin, and 4 hammerhead sharks.

Sportfishing fleets at San Jose del Cabo found the more consistent action relatively close to shore, anywhere from 2 to 8 miles out, from Cabo San Lucas to Destiladeras.

Supplies of both mackerel and sardinas were readily available for purchase in the early morning at San Jose del Cabo. Most common offshore species was striped marlin, but more dorado were also found this past week, along with a handful of wahoo and yellowfin tuna. Off the bottom there were some quality cabrilla, pargo and yellowtail accounted for and along the shoreline anglers found a variety of pompano, pargo, jack crevalle and sierra providing plenty of action.

Striped marlin were spread out. San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos) charter fishing boats targeting marlin averaged about one fish per day, but some charters were catching as many as three, down from last week when the bite was so red-hot. There has been a large concentration of squid on the local fishing grounds and this has attributed to less consistent action

Dorado are still only one or two here and there, but much improved.

A few wahoo were also spotted and hooked into this past week by San Jose del Cabo fishing boats.

The Gordo Banks has had large yellowfin tuna feeding there all week. These fish are ranging from 20 pounds up to possibly 300 pounds. Huge tuna were seen clearing themselves all the way out of the water, quite a show, but they had practically no interest in any of the anglers offerings, as they were gorging on the abundant red crabs and squid.

Several tuna were hooked into with sardinas, but they were the exception. One specimen of 104 pounds was landed from a panga out of La Playita and several other to 40 pounds were taken, but the size of some of the yellowfin tuna seen breezing through the area had both anglers and skippers in awe. An additional bonus on the banks off San Jose del Cabo has been the whale sharks, which are now being spotted daily.

Shallow water bottom fishing at San Jose del Cabo produced quality-sized cabrilla and pargo to 20 pounds, with a few yellowtail mixed in, bait fishing proved to be better than jigs. Fish were not too numerous but the quality was there.

Surf anglers reported improved action for jack crevalle, a few pargo and halibut off of the San Jose Estuary and La Playita area. There was at least one 20-pound snook reportedly taken by a local angler in the afternoon.

San Jose del Cabo vacationers are now being welcomed by ideal springtime weather conditions, plenty of warm sunshine, and air temperatures of 80 to 85 degrees. Overall the ocean conditions were improving. Clean blue water was within several miles of shore and the water continued to warm, as average temperatures throughout the region ranged from 69 to 74 degrees.

(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.