BIG SURF GROUNDS GORDO BANKS PANGAS BOATS FOR TWO DAYS

July 24, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico Report:

We are into the final week of July in the San Jose del Cabo vacation fishing area, and the normal blistering Baja heat has not really arrived. The water temperature continues to fluctuate daily up to 80 degrees, but once again dropped into the lower 70s.

The constantly changing water conditions attributed to inconsistent fishing action. The clarity has been up and down, patches of dirty green water and blue water being found further offshore. Most of the fishing at San Jose del Cabo has been relatively closer to shore, within 2 to 5 miles out. The most productive areas were from Chileno to San Luis.

At midweek tropical storm Eugene developed off of Manzanillo and passed with 200 miles southwest of San Jose del Cabo. The surf picked up to ten feet plus and closed down panga operations off of La Playita for two or three days. Bait fish were scattered and pangueros were working hard to find adequate supplies of mullet and a few sardinas.

Schools of bolito moved onto to the fishing grounds and were being caught with hoochies and small casting lures, enticing marlin strikes as well as a handful of dorado and yellowfin tuna, but actually there were more billfish at this time than any other offshore species.

On Saturday, Dan Redar from Indiana was fishing with Gordo Banks Pangas skipper Marcelino Castillo when he hooked into a black marlin while trolling with a live bolito in the area of San Luis and after a battle that lasted several hours he was able to bring the tail wrapped fish to gaff. This was the first Black reported this season and it weighed in at 342 pounds. A few blue marlin in the 200 to 250 pound class were also reported, but the majority of the billfish have been striped marlin in the 70 to 120 pound range.

Not much fishing action is being reported along the shoreline, though there were a scattering of roosterfish and dogtooth snapper reported, including one 50 pound specimen that John Rosales of the Bay Area landed off of Cardon while fishing with panga skipper Chame Pino. John's wife also accounted for a 50 pound class amberjack the same day.

Off the beach in front of the La Playita Estuary there were several hefty snook up to 40 pounds caught by local anglers over the weekend, this being the first significant snook action reported for the San Jose del Cabo summer fishing season.

The La Playita panga sportfishing fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out approximately 32 charters for the week and anglers accounted for a fish count of: 1 black marlin, 1 blue marlin, 12 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 14 yellowfin tuna, 15 dorado, 24 bonito, 6 dogtooth snapper, 8 amberjack, 12 pompano, 15 roosterfish, 18 jack crevalle, 14 cabrilla and 22 yellowtail snapper.

(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.