COOL WATERS SLOW ACTION FOR 31 SPECIES AT LOS CABOS

April 22-May 2, 2005, John Snow, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo species fishing, Baja, Mexico Trip Report:

Executive Summary: Five, 90-minute surf fishing trips with one excellent day and four poor days attributed to large pounding surf and new unfamiliar turf. Was able to collect a total of five new species. Four days of Panga fishing with Captain Pata had two strong days, one mediocre day and one exceedingly slow day.

The area continues to be plagued by ice cold water. Due to productivity, or lack thereof, there were only a limited number of Gringos fishing. Overall came in contact with only 31 individual species of which 5 were new to me. The bait guys were present and provided good bait. San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos) fishing weather from a temperature standpoint was better and “north pole type gear” was not necessary with early morning only requiring a double sweatshirt. Wind was only a significant factor on one day. Major targeted game species count from four days of Panga fishing: Grouper – 2, Red Snapper – 1. I would rate this week as improving but still far below average from a sportfishing perspective.

April 22 – May 2, 2005:

Species, Executive Summary – 31, 26 known and 5 new.

*Anchovy, Slender (Fish Number 28) Bonito, Cabrilla, Flag (Fish Number 61) Crab, Mole (Fish Number XX) – NEW! *Crab, Red Tuna (Fish Number 137) Creole Fish, Pacific (Fish Number 62) Croaker, Yellowfin (Fish Number 35) Grouper, Leopard (Fish Number 58) Grunt, Burrito (Fish Number 1) Grunt, Wavyline (Fish Number 189) – NEW!** Grunt, Yellowstripe (Fish Number 108) *Halfbeak, Naos (Fish Number 181) Hawkfish, Giant (Fish Number 47) *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19) *Herring, Yellowfin (Fish Number 10) Hogfish, Mexican (Fish Number 7) Jack Mackerel (Fish Number 34) Jack Crevalle (Fish Number 37) *Mojarra, Graceful (Fish Number 190) – NEW!** Mullet, Striped (Fish Number 21) Needlefish, Pacific (Fish Number 178) – NEW!** Pompano, Gafftopsail (Fish Number 24) Puffer, Guineafowl (Fish Number 20) Puffer, Longnose (Fish Number 38) Sergeant Major (Fish Number 41) Snapper, Blue and Gold (Fish Number 73) Snapper, Mullet (Fish Number 27 Snapper, Red (Fish Number 16) *Stingray, Whiptail (Fish Number 177) – NEW**! Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26) Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9) Tuna, Black Skipjack (Fish Number 79).

*Collected in the bait tank. **New but previously submitted to MexFish

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

Day 1, April 23, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at 6 Km north of La Playita on the East Cape Road, one hour at sunset, raging surf, falling tide, water temperature 73-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 cut Squid. Catch summary: skunked.

Day 2, April 25, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at Km 30, Cabo Colorado, one hour at sunset, raging surf, rising tide, water temperature 73-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 cut Squid. Catch summary: one Mole Crab, species unknown.

Day 3, April 27, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at 6 Km north of La Playita on the East Cape Road, one and a half hours at sunset, raging surf, rising tide, water temperature 73-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 cut Squid. Catch summary: two Burrito Grunts, to 1.5 pounds, one Sergeant Major, 6 inches.

Day 4, April 28, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at Km 30, Cabo Colorado, one hour at sunset, raging surf, rising tide, water temperature 73-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 cut Squid. Catch summary: one Mexican Hogfish, 3 pounds, one Guineafowl Pufferfish, 1 pound and caught be hand as it drifted ashore in an inflated state.

Day 5, May 1, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at Km 55 on the Todos Santos road (skunked) and at the Todas Santos Commercial Beach, midmorning to midday, raging surf, rising tide, water temperature 67-degrees, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 6, Mustad 92553 hooks with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: four Yellowfin Croakers, to 3 pounds, one Jack Crevalle, 2 pounds, one Wavyline Grunt, 2 pounds, and three Gafftopsail Pompano, to 2 pounds.

Part II. Fishing at San Jose del Cabo with Captain Pata, Panga Salome, La Playita. La Playita Sport Fishing activity continued slow with about 15 of the 40 Pangas in use each day.

Day 1, April 23, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at San Jose del Cabo for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun all day and nominal wind. Limited amount but high quality live bait available. Water a quality pristine blue, 73-degrees. Fished an area 5 to 15 miles east and northeast of La Playita which included one hour of “big game hunting”, two hours on Gordo I, and one hour of “big game hunting. Style was a blend of trolling of lures and live Jack Mackerel (nonproductive) and traditional bottom fishing with cut bait (dead anchovies, cut Squid or cut Clams) with a live Sardine thrown in to attract attention. Note: the fish were at mid-depth range and accessible with a small sinker rig. Catch can be summarized as “hot” for Ticareta: with catch summarized as: three Jack Mackerels, to 15 pounds, more than ten Pacific Creolefish, to 2 pounds, more than ten Mullet Snappers, to 2 pounds, and more than ten Orangeside Triggerfish, to 3 pounds (catch and release). Miscellaneous: herd of dolphins surfed the bow of the boat; one Sea Lion in residence but not a problem. Red Tuna crab and a school of squid were present creating an abundance of feeding fish on the Gordo Banks.

Day 2, April 25, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at San Jose del Cabo for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was ugly with large waves and strong El Norte making life more or less miserable for the day. Limited amount but high quality live bait available. Water a quality 73-degrees of and an off blue. Fished the same pattern as Day 1 of this trip and all the fish had disappeared. Style was traditional bottom fishing with cut bait (cut Yellowfin Herring or Squid) or live Sardines down deep or flylined live Sardines or dead Anchovy. Catch can be summarized as one eatable fish – a 5 pound Leopard Grouper plus one Giant Hawkfish, two pounds, one Pacific Needlefish (new for me!), 6 pounds, two Gold and Blue Snappers (catch and release), and seven Orangeside Triggerfish, to 3 pounds (catch and release). Miscellaneous: a very large Whale surfaced about 10 yards from the Panga.

Day 3, April 27, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at San Jose del Cabo for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was flat calm and no wind all day. Reasonable amount of high quality live bait available. Water a quality 73-degrees of and an off blue. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles north of La Playita. Style was traditional bottom fishing with cut bait (cut Yellowfin Herring or Squid) or live Sardines down deep or flylined live Sardines or dead Anchovy. Catch can be summarized as eleven keeper – three Flag Cabrilla, to 4 pounds, one Leopard Grouper, 5 pounds, one Longnose Puffer, 1 pound, two Black Skipjacks, to 3 pounds, seven Finescale Triggerfish, to 7 pounds, and more than ten Orangeside Triggerfish, to 3 pounds (catch and release). Miscellaneous: one large turtle passed about 10 yards from the Panga.

Day 4, April 30, 2005, San Jose del Cabo:

Fishing at San Jose del Cabo for six hours with Captain Pata and amigo Sean. Ocean was flat calm and no wind all day. Large amount of high quality live bait available. Water a quality 73-degrees of and an off blue. Fished the Gordo I for the day. Style was traditional bottom fishing with cut bait (cut Clams or Squid) or live Sardines down deep or flylined live Sardines with small sinker. Catch can be summarized as: three Jack Mackerel, to 10 pounds, more than 10 Pacific Creole Fish, to 3 pounds, 5 Mullet Snappers to 2 pounds, one Red Snapper, 12 pounds, one Finescale Triggerfish, 7 pounds, and six Orangeside Triggerfish, to 3 pounds (catch and release). Miscellaneous: the yellowfin tuna were present but not interested in what we had to offer; our neighbors caught a marlin and little of anything else of interest.

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