DORADO STILL HIT AND MISS FOR LA PLAYITA PANGAS

Sept. 11, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico Fishing Report:

San Jose del Cabo enjoyed clear skies throughout the week. There was a southern swell pushing in, not so big that the local panga fleets could not launch safely. Water temperatures have been ranging from 80 to 86 degrees and blue water is now being found within a few miles of shore. Live sardinas were plentiful off of the San Jose Estuary area.

The panga sportfishing fleets out of San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos) had excellent fishing the entire week. With yellowfin tuna dominating the action, the bite had been on the Gordo Banks last week, but in recent days it has switched to the Iman Bank. Fishing with live or dead sardinas was the ticket to wide open success. Fly lining baits with no weight into the feeding frenzy resulted in instant hook ups. The numbers of fish landed increased, and average size fish now were in the 15 to 25 pound class, with some up to 50 pounds being accounted for everyday.

Boats were returning early with full fish boxes of yellowfin and some very exhausted anglers. Even the large boats from Cabo San Lucas were making the 35-mile run from the marina to get into this action.

Dorado were still very hit or miss, but with some sportfishing boats landing as many as five dorado (also mahi-mahi or dolphinfish) ranging up to 15 pounds, though the average was only around one dorado for every two charters. The majority were found in the same areas as were the tuna.

Other action included some sailfish, striped marlin, black and blue marlin. The numbers were not big, but there was good variety and always that chance of hooking into the monster.

Off the bottom there were a handful of grouper, cabrilla, rainbow runners and amberjack accounted for. A few hog sized dogtooth snapper were being landed as well, though most of these few fish were being lost in the nearby rocky outcroppings.

Off the beach there was not much to report except for one very impressive tripletail that weighed in the 20-pound range and one 38-pound snook that was landed by local expert Eben Browne on a rubber tailed jig off of the Estuary.

The combined charter fishing panga fleets out of La Playita sent out approximately 36 charters for the week and anglers accounted for a fish count of: 4 sailfish, 1 striped marlin, 20 dorado, 380 yellowfin tuna, 180 skipjack, 12 amberjack, 16 cabrilla, 8 grouper, 18 rainbow runners and 12 dogtooth 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.