BILLFISH ACTION LIMITED FOR LA PLAYITA FLEET BOATS

Aug. 20, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, Baja, Mexico fishing:

Light crowds of anglers at San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos) have been greeted with hot and humid fishing conditions. There has been no wind to speak and only one day with large swells that made for tricky panga launching.

San Jose del Cabo fishing water conditions were favorable, calm, clear and blue, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 85 degrees. Off of La Playita beach schools of sardinas have now moved back in, and they were the most plentiful bait fish available. There were only limited numbers of mullet. On the San Jose del Cabo offshore fishing grounds, schools of bolito were now more prevalent and they were attracting various larger game fish.

The most common catch for the San Jose del Cabo sportfishing panga fleet this week was yellowfin tuna, the majority found with porpoise, though some were taken on the banks as well. The fish were striking on lures, bait and even flies. They weighed in the 25 to 40 pound class. The average fishing action per San Jose del Cabo charter boat varied from 2 to 7 yellowfin per day.

Dorado continued to be surprisingly scarce at San Jose del Cabo, with fish found in no particular area to 40 pounds, though the majority were smaller fish.

Only a few stray wahoo were reported. Dogtooth snapper were hooked on the Gordo Banks by anglers drift fishing with chunk bait. Though the majority of these fish ending up cutting or breaking leaders, a handful were landed and they weighed up to 35 pounds.

Billfish action was limited, though there was an outside chance for anglers to catch a grand slam of sailfish, striped, black and blue marlin, with sailfish and blues being the most numerous. Off of Vinorama there good numbers of sailfish reported, striking best on trolled bolito and several of the sails topped the 90 pound mark. One large black marlin was lost from a panga after a three hour battle. The fish hit a trolled bolito and was just too large to handle.

Off the beach anglers reported several nice sized snook while fishing in front of the San Jose del Cabo Estuary and in the evening there were also a few triple tail landed.

The La Playita panga sportfishing fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out approximately 38 panga charters for week and anglers accounted for a fish count of: 8 sailfish, 1 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 14 dorado, 112 yellowfin tuna, 14 dogtooth snapper, 24 yellowtail snapper, 22 huachinango, 8 amberjack, 6 roosterfish, 18 jack crevalle, 10 rainbow runners and 10 cabrilla.

(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.