OFFSHORE BOATS AVERAGE 2 TO 4 STRIPED MARLIN PER OUTING

May 8, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

In May, San Jose del Cabo always seems to offer very pleasant weather, highs in the 80s and lows around 65 degrees. Days have been full of sunshine, very few clouds in the sky, some wind out of the north, but not too bad, anglers enjoyed good overall ocean conditions.

San Jose del Cabo area fishing waters into the Sea of Cortez are on a warming trend, now averaging 74 to 76 degrees, though straight out from Cabo San Lucas and around on the Pacific water temperatures were dipping into the 60s. San Jose del Cabo sportfishing charters are now concentrating their efforts in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, with the areas from Red Hill, Gordo Banks and Destiladera Bank producing the more consistent action. Live bait supplies have been steady for mackerel out of Cabo San Lucas, and off of San Jose del Cabo there have been sardinas and mullet available. Anglers were also able to jig up their own mackerel right on Destiladera Bank where the hot striped marlin bite was over the weekend.

La Playita panga sportfishing fleets sent out approximately 78 panga charters for the week and anglers accounted for: 24 dorado, 22 yellowfin tuna, 8 sailfish, 62 striped marlin, 80 jack crevalle, 45 sierra, 22 pompano, 260 various variety of pargo and 2 hammerhead sharks.

Striped marlin was the main species found in offshore at San Jose del Cabo, averaging 2 to 4 striped marlin per boat over the weekend. Live bait was best, either slow trolling, drifting them down deeper or chasing feeding marlin and casting into the frenzy. Some marlin and sailfish were hooked into while fishing with smaller live sardinas, but mackerel was the favorite. The stripers were averaging anywhere from 90 to 120 pounds.

Large numbers of yellowfin tuna in the 30 to 150 pound class were seen feeding on the Gordo Banks off San Jose del Cabo, but they would rarely strike on anything. The few that we're hooking into were on sardinas, or trolling larger baits such as chihuil or bolito. One of these days these yellowfin are bound to go on a wide-open bite.

Dorado fishing at San Jose del Cabo was very limited. Wahoo were becoming more active with the warming currents. Few were landed, but as the water warms and more bait moves in with clean blue water they should become more prevalent in the daily catches.

Other bottom catches by San Jose del Cabo charter fishing boats included limited numbers of pargo, cabrilla, pompano and grouper. Currents were at times strong and made bottom fishing that much more difficult. Anglers fishing the area of the Gordo Banks have been seeing whale sharks frequently.

(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.