LOS CABOS SURF AND PANGAS TRIPS YIELD 14 OR 15 FISH SPECIES

Aug. 5, 2005, John Snow, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico Species Fishing:

The San Jose del Cabo river opened up to the sea, and all sorts of goof balls have showed up for the abundance of new free chow. With more time exploring, I am discovering more and more places to find new species.

My standard reference books have no clue about what lives in pseudo fresh water, as in the San Jose del Cabo estuary. The San Jose del Cabo locals with the cast nets know these species well since they probably represent a source for their major chow, so I have go spend some time with them figuring out what these local fish are called. Captain Pata of course has lived in that river valley for 50 years, he is slowly warming up to what I am trying to do.

My actual count of new fish species caught on this last trip is either 14 or 15.

Last night, I asked a guy, "como se llama?" He answered "roncador." Didn't look like any roncador I ever saw.

July 21-Aug. 3, 2005, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico Species Fishing Report:

Executive Summary: Seven, 60 to 90-minute San Jose del Cabo surf fishing trips with poor results, except an excellent outing to the Todos Santos fish reserve with amigo Roberto. Two new fish species were collected, both from the Pacific, a Sand Grunt and a Round Stingray. Probing the river mouth and the blend of the sea with aqua dulce produced vast new species which will take months to characterize.

For five days of San Jose del Cabo Panga fishing with Captain Pata, we had to scratch hard on all but the last day in which we experienced a “hot bite” which lasted 30-minutes and then was over. For the second time, making two out of three, the Panga Salome actually got skunked in over 300 trips with Captain Pata.

The water has improved significantly with water 80-degree blue water now omnipresent. San Jose del Cabo fishing weather by and large was excellent except very toasty as each day proceeded. Overall, I came in contact with only 30 individual species. The bait guys were present and unable to provide sardines. A panga with no sardines makes for a long day and limited productivity. Major targeted game species count from five days of Mexican panga fishing: Dorado (small); 1; Dog Snapper (El Grande!) 1; Red Snapper 1; Yellowfin Tuna (Muy Fuerte!) 4. I would rate this week as marginal, however with signs of significant improvement. Gringo’s present, a few but for them productivity “almost zero”.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, July 21 – August 3, 2005:

Species, Executive Summary – 30 28 known and 2 new:

*Anchovy, Silverstripe (Fish Number 183); *Anchovy, Slender (Fish Number 28); *Barracuda, Mexican (Fish Number 81); Blenny, Largemouth (Fish Number 74); Bonito, Eastern Pacific (Fish Number 173); **Catalufa, Popeye (Fish Number 43); Creole Fish (Fish Number 62); Croaker, Yellowfin (Fish Number 35); Dorado (Fish Number 82); Grunt, Golden Eye (Fish Number 50); **Grunt, Sand (Fish Number 148) – NEW!; *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19); *Herring, Slender Thread (Fish Number 48); *Herring, Yellowfin (Fish Number 10); Jack Crevalle (Fish Number 37); Hamlet, Pacific Mutton (Fish Number 72); *Mojarra, Pacific Flagfin (Fish Number 186); *Mullet, White (Fish Number 156); Pompano, Gafftopsail (Fish Number 24); *Scad, Bigeye (Fish Number 88); Snapper, Dog (Fish Number 52); Snapper, Red (Fish Number 16); Stingray, Round (Fish Number 148) – NEW!; Tilefish, Pacific Golden Eye (Fish Number 49); Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26); Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9); Tuna, Yellowfin (Fish Number 89); Yellowtail Amberjack (Fish Number 120); Wrasse, Banded (Fish Number 13); Wrasse, Sunset (Fish Number 105).

*Collected in the bait tank. **Beach collections.

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

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 1, July 23, 2005:

Fishing at the commercial beach, Todos Santos, with amigo Roberto, ninety minutes at high noon, nominal surf, flat 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 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: four Gafftopsail Pompano, to 10 inches, six Jack Crevalle, to 12 inches, and one Yellowtail Amberjack, 14 inches. Beach collections included one Popeye Catalufa, 15 inches and one Sand Grunt, 10 inches. Note: the pangueros, out in abundance surprisingly out it mass, had massive numbers of fish and species and were most hospitable.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 2, July 24, 2005:

Fishing at Cero Colorado, km 24, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling, water temperature 74 and ugly green but showing signs of improvement, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: skunked. Note: the snaggers had a few Stripped Mullet, and one 35 pound Jack Crevalle on the beach. We were visited on two occasions by a surf crashing Rooster Fish chasing mullet.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 3, July 25, 2005:

Fishing at Twin Dolphins, km 14, ninety minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling, water temperature 75 and reasonably blue, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: one Pacific Mutton Hamlet, 8 inches. Note: a large family with three fishermen utilizing large hooks (7/0), and large pieces of cut squid and the helicopter launch system sent far-out put two Round Stingrays on the beach and gave me one (in exchange for advise on how to open a coconut).

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 4, July 26, 2005:

Fishing at Cabo Real, km 21, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling, water temperature 80 and reasonably blue, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: one Banded Wrasse, 8 inches and two Sunset Wrasse, to 7 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 5, July 27, 2005:

Fishing at Cabo Real, km 21, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling, water temperature 80 and reasonably blue, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Upon arrival there was a horrific blow from the southeast pumping up the waves, which abruptly changed directions 180-degrees and then stopped completely leaving no waves what-so-ever. However, the first were all sea sick and not biting. Catch summary: one Orangeside Triggerfish, 13 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 6, July 28, 2005:

Fishing at Cabo Colorado, km 24, sixty minutes before sunset, large surf that dissipated, water temperature 80 and reasonably blue, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: one Orangeside Triggerfish, 13 inches.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 7, July 31, 2005:

Fishing for two hours at the Todos Santos Commercial Beach and 2 hours at the Trailer Park, midday, nominal surf, water temperature 67 and reasonably blue, utilizing a fish finder rig – 15-pound test, 0.5-oz barrel sinker, bead, swivel, 15 pound test and size 4, Mustad 92553 hook with frozen cut Squid. Catch summary: two Largemouth Blenny, to 7 inches, one Golden Eye Grunt, 6 inches, one Yellowfin Croaker, 12 inches, and one Round Stingray, 10 inches.

Part II. Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Solome, La Playita. La Playita Sport Fishing activity continued exceedingly slow with about 10 of the 40 Pangas in use two days and only 5 on the third day.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 1, July 21, 2005:

Fishing for five hours with Captain Pata and amigos Roberto and Jeanie. Ocean was OK early but an El Sur developed making traveling very difficult. Poor supply of live bait available being limited to mullet. Water an ugly green, 73-degrees. Fished an area 15 to 20 miles northeast of La Playita with a brief stop at Gordo I. Style was either yo-yo iron, or traditional bottom fishing with cut clams, fish scraps or squid. Catch can be summarized as: one Pacific Creole Fish, 7 inches, 3 Finescale Triggerfish, to 3 pounds, and six Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds – all catch and release. Miscellaneous: NADA!

Day 2, July 22, 2005:

Fishing for five hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun. Poor supply of live bait available being limited to only four mullet. Water an ugly green, 74-degrees. Fished an area 10 to 15 miles southeast of La Playita spending about half the time “big game hunting. Style was either trolled jigs, yo-yo iron, or traditional bottom fishing with cut clams, fish scraps or squid. Catch can be summarized as: NADA! Miscellaneous: also NADA!

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 3, July 29, 2005:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun. Poor supply of live bait available being limited to approximately 20 small mullet which were not utilized. Water varied from pristine blue to off green, 80-degrees. Fished an area 20 to 25 miles northeast of La Playita. Style was either yo-yo iron, or traditional bottom fishing with cut clams or fish scraps. Catch can be summarized as: one Red Snapper, 10 pounds, one Pacific Golden Eye Tilefish, 5 pounds, two Finescale Triggerfish, to 3 pounds, one Orangeside Triggerfish, 3 pounds (catch and release), and one Yellowfin Tuna, 25 pounds. NADA! Miscellaneous: also NADA!

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 4, August 1, 2005:

Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was quite friendly being more or less flat calm with good sun. Poor supply of live bait available being limited to approximately 10 Slender Thread Herring. Water varied from pristine blue to off green, 80-degrees. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles northeast of La Playita. Style was either yo-yo iron (nonproductive), or traditional bottom fishing with cut clams or fish scraps. Catch can be summarized as: one Dog Snapper, 5 pounds and sixteen Finescale Triggerfish, to 5 pounds. Miscellaneous: one sharp Turtle made correct evasive moves to avoid Salvador’s dinner table.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Day 5, August 2, 2005:

Fishing for five hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was OK early but turned choppy as the morning progressed making the ride home long, tedious and uncomfortable. Poor supply of live bait available being limited to approximately 10 small mullet which were not utilized. Water varied from pristine blue to off green, 80-degrees. Fished an area 10 to 25 miles northeast of La Playita. Style was either trolled jigs (pick up the small dorado), yo-yo iron, or traditional bottom fishing with cut clams or fish scraps. Catch can be summarized as: one Dorado, 10 pounds and three very nice Yellowfin Tuna, to 30 pounds. NADA! Miscellaneous: the Dolphins were out en mass and buzzed us twice.

(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.