OUTER GORDO BANK CONSISTENT FOR YELLOWFIN TUNA

Sept. 4, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico Fishing Report:

This week the San Jose del Cabo fishing area saw clear sunny skies for the most part, with only isolated thundershowers over the mountains to the north of San Jose del Cabo, threatening to wash out the arroyo, but it never did happen. Ocean fishing conditions off San Jose del Cabo were calm with only moderate swells and light crowds of anglers enjoyed excellent all around action.

The water temperature was ranging from 83 to 86 degrees and live sardinas were plentiful and of good size.

The San Jose del Cabo panga sportfishing fleets out of La Playita found the Gordo Banks to be the most consistent spot. Both the Inner and Outer Gordo were holding schooling yellowfin tuna, striking on live and dead sardinas, and the average weights were from 25 to 50 pounds, with some tuna to over 75 pounds also mixed in.

The outer bank seemed to produce larger fish on the average. Most San Jose del Cabo charter fishing pangas were landing at least three of four yellowfin, but some boats landed as many as a dozen fish and very few boats were getting skunked. It was best to use 40 or 50 pound line because of the chance at larger fish.

Only a few dorado were being accounted for, maybe one for every five boats. There were some large dogtooth snapper hooked on the same banks, but most all of them were breaking off leaders due to the close proximity of the rocks.

The Gordo Banks is now attracting black and blue marlin, coming up and sniffing at 30 to 50 pound tuna as they were being fought. One sportfishing cruiser from Cabo San Lucas reported a double hookup on black marlin while trolling lures, both fish over 300 pounds. Other black and blue marlin were hooked from pangas while either soaking or trolling larger baits. Marlin to 350 pounds were brought into La Playita this past week.

Not much is happening for San Jose del Cabo surf fishermen, though one snook was reportedly taken from near where the new Puerto Los Cabos jetty construction is taking place.

The combined La Playita panga sportfishing fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out 52 charters for the week and anglers reported catching: 2 blue marlin, 3 black marlin, 5 sailfish, 1 striped marlin, 9 dorado, 7 dogtooth snapper, 245 yellowfin tuna, 10 cabrilla and 8 jack crevalle.

(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.