FIVE PANGA OUTINGS PRODUCE 24 FISH SPECIES AT LOS CABOS

Oct. 20-27, 2005, John Snow, San Jose del Cabo, Baja fishing, Mexico:

Executive Summary: One New Species, a yet to be identified Sea Turtle. Five days of Panga fishing with Captain Pata at San Jose del Cabo, one strong, one okay, and three very very very slow!. The water temperature was a consistent 86-degrees and was pristine blue, with fishing split between just north of the Arch and a small area 25 miles north of La Playita.

San Jose del Cabo fishing water conditions and weather conditions were excellent.

Overall came in contact with only 24 individual species, of which one was new as listed above. The bait guys were present but unable to produce quality bait and only limited amounts of small low quality sardines on three of the five days. Major targeted game species count from five days of Panga fishing: Dorado, 1, caught in the first 10 minutes of the first of the 5 days, and Yellowfin Tuna, 3, small and also caught on the first day.

I would rate this San Jose del Cabo fishing week as bad as I have ever seen it. It continues to be very frustrating to recognize that as the tourist business and sportfishing interest expands in the area that problems related to the supply of quality live bait and crowded fishing conditions will escalate.

Fish Species Summary, 24, 23 known and 1 new:

Cabrilla, Flag (Fish Number 61); Creolefish, Pacific (Fish Number 62); **Croaker, Long Fin (Fish Number 152); Dorado (Fish Number 82); *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19); Hogfish, Mexican (Fish Number 7); Jack, Green (Fish Number 65); Jack, Island (Fish Number 92); *Mojarra, Flagfin (Fish Number 186); Needlefish, Giant Mexican (Fish Number 87); Porgy, Pacific (Fish Number 2); Puffer, Longnose (Fish Number 38); Scorpionfish, Pacific Spotted (Fish Number 39); *Silverside, Longfin (Fish Number 69); Snapper, Blue and Gold (Fish Number 73); Snapper, Red (Fish Number 16); Squid, Giant Humboldt (Fish Number 139); Surgeonfish, Purple (Fish Number 45); Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26); Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9); Turtle, Sea (Fish Number 171); NEW! Tuna, Skipjack (Fish Number 155); Tuna, Skipjack, Black (Fish Number 79); Tuna, Yellowfin (Fish Number 89). *Collected in the bait tank. **Surf fish

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

San Jose del Cabo, Day 1, October 21, 2005--Km 6, on the East Cape Road, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling tide, water temperature 86-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: one Long Fin Croaker, 10 inches – sent to Dr. Robertson for confirmation of the identification.

San Jose del Cabo, Day 2, October 24, 2005--Km 24, Cabo Colorado, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling tide, water temperature 86-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: one Long Fin Croaker, 6 inches.

Part II, Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Solome, La Playita:

La Playita Sport Fishing activity picked up a little but has been plagued by Hurricane Otis and the lack of live sardines.

San Jose del Cabo, Day 1, October 20, 2005--Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was tranquil. Modest supply of live bait available limited to an abundance of 1 to 1.5 inch very small sardines that required one hour to fetch.. Water was pristine blue, 85-degrees. Fished a small area 25 miles south La Playita in front of Cabo Del Sol. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines, fish scraps or squid or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: three Pacific Creolefish, to 8 inches (all catch and release), one Dorado, 10 pounds, one Island Jack, 25 pounds, one Giant Mexican Needlefish, 15 inches, one Purple Surgeonfish, 5 pounds, three Finescale Triggerfish, to 6 pounds, seven Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds – all catch and release, three Skipjack, to 5 pounds, two Black Skipjack Tuna, to 10 pounds, and three Yellowfin Tuna, to 10 pounds. Miscellaneous: NADA!

San Jose del Cabo, Day 2, October 22, 2005 – Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was tranquil. Bait supply was non existent due to overfishing. Water varied from ugly green to pristine blue, 85-degrees. Fished an area from Point Palmilla to 25 miles south La Playita in front of Cabo Del Sol. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with fish scraps, giant Humboldt squid, or Monterey squid or yo-yo iron (non productive). Catch can be summarized as: two Flag Cabrilla, to 4 pounds, four Pacific Creolefish, to 3 pounds, four Pacific Porgy’s, to 3 pounds, one Longnose Pufferfish, 10 inches, one Gold and Blue Snapper, 1 pound, four Red Snappers, to 2 pounds, one Purple Surgeonfish, 5 pounds, two Finescale Triggerfish, to 6 pounds, six Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds – all catch and release. Miscellaneous: a tuff day until about 10:30 when I went to my special top secret bottom rig and then all hell broke lose!

San Jose del Cabo, Day 3, October 24, 2005--Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was tranquil. Modest supply of live bait available limited to an abundance of 1 to 1.5 inch very small sardines that required one hour to fetch. Water was pristine blue, 85-degrees. Fished a small area 25 miles south La Playita in front of Cabo Del Sol with a brief stop at Point Palmilla (which was a hurricane gulch and not fishable). Style was either yo-yo iron, traditional bottom fishing with sardines, fish scraps or squid or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Green Jack, 3 pounds, one Mexican Hogfish, 2 pounds, one Pacific Porgy, 12 inches, one Red Snapper, 1 pound, five Giant Humboldt Squid, to 40 pounds, one Orangeside Triggerfish, 1 pound – catch and release, one Sea Turtle, 30 pounds, catch and release. Miscellaneous: NADA!

San Jose del Cabo, Day 4, October 25, 2005--Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was tranquil. Bait supply was non existent due to overfishing. Water was pristine blue, 85-degrees. Fished a small area 25 miles north La Playita. Style was either yo-yo iron, traditional bottom fishing with sardines, fish scraps or squid or flylined pieces of giant squid. Catch can be summarized as: one Flag Cabrilla, 3 pounds, one Gold and Blue Snapper, and ten Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds – catch and release. Miscellaneous: the cattle boat arrived from the East Cape midmorning indicative that fishing was lousy there also.

San Jose del Cabo, Day 5, October 25, 2005--Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was tranquil. Bait supply was very limited with a small supply of Sardines (1 to 1.5 inches) that required a 1 hour trip to collect. Water was pristine blue, 85-degrees. Fished a small area 25 miles north La Playita. Style was either yo-yo iron (non productive), traditional bottom fishing with sardines, fish scraps or squid or flylined pieces of giant squid. Catch can be summarized as: one Flag Cabrilla, 3 pounds, one Longfin Pufferfish, one Pacific Porgy, 2 pounds (catch and release), three Finescale Triggerfish, to 5 pounds, more than ten Orangeside Triggerfish, to 2 pounds – catch and release. Miscellaneous: the La Playita fleet of pangas returned one tuna to the beach.

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