SLOW ACTION FOR ONLY 19 FISH SPECIES CAUGHT

Nov. 23-30, 2005, John Snow, San Jose del Cabo fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Three rather slow days of panga fishing at San Jose del Cabo with Captain Pata and one strong day with 11 “footballs” for the day. San Jose del Cabo fishing water temperature was a consistent 78-degrees and was pristine blue with fishing mixed 50:50, small areas 25 to 30 miles north and 20 miles south of La Playita.

Water conditions and weather conditions were excellent except for a horrible El Norte on one day which made life totally miserable.

Overall, came in contact with only 19 individual species. The bait guys were present, in good spirits, but produced only two species, sardines and caballito, but they were small in size.

Major targeted game species count from four days of Panga fishing: Amberjack 1; Dorado 0; Grouper 0; Marlin 0; Sierra 1, Snappers 0, Yellowfin Tuna 12, and Wahoo 0. I would rate this week as very slow fishing for a week in late November. Also tried surf fishing again, two unproductive one hour trips.

I did go “tide pooling” for one day at the Gordo Point with an extreme low tide – six collections made, all little guys, but these will have be worked up over time.

Species Summary, 19 known and 0 new:

Amberjack, Pacific (Fish Number 53) Bass, Damsel Threadfin (Fish Number 106) ***Blenny, Largemouth (Fish Number 74) Cabrilla, Flag (Fish Number 61) Creolefish, Pacific (Fish Number 62) Halibut, Cortez (Fish Number 68) *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19) Needlefish, Flat (Fish Number 44) Needlefish, Giant Mexican (Fish Number 87) Pacific Porgy (Fish Number 2) *Bigeye Scad (Fish Number 88) Sierra, Pacific (Fish Number 60) Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9) Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26) Tuna, Frigate (Fish Number 150) Tuna, Skipjack (Fish Number 155) Tuna, Skipjack, Black (Fish Number 79) Tuna, Yellowfin (Fish Number 89) Whitefish, Ocean (Fish Number 15). *Collected in the bait tank. **Surface floating fish ***Surf catch

Day 1, Fishing at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 23, 2005, Km 15, Twin Dolphins, sixty minutes before sunset, modest surf, falling tide, water temperature 78-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 Largemouth Blenny, 7 inches, and one Orangeside Triggerfish, 12 inches.

Day 2, Fishing at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 29, 2005, Gordo Point Reef, midday, nominal surf, bottom out tide, water temperature 78-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: Skunked.

Day 1, Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Salome, La Playita at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 24, 2005, Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean had a consistent irritating blow from the Southeast the entire morning. Strong supply of live bait available with the size of the sardines increasing to somewhat usable size. Water was pristine blue, 78-degrees. Fished a small area from 3 miles north of the arch to Cabo Del Sol and a short unproductive stop at Point Palmilla on the way in. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines, fish scraps or squid or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Pacific Creolefish (ticareta), 1 pound, one Flat Needlefish (needlefish), 16 inches, one Giant Mexican Needlefish (needlefish), 14 inches, one Pacific Porgy (mojaron), 6 pounds, one Pacific Sierra (sierra), 16 inches, three Finescale Triggerfish (blanco), to 6 pounds, four Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to 2 pounds – all catch and release, one Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), 2 pounds. Miscellaneous: Nobody was catching anything in the area we fished!

Day 2, Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Salome, La Playita at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 26, 2005, Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean had a consistent irritating blow from the North the entire morning. Strong supply of live bait available with the size of the sardines increasing to somewhat usable size. Water was pristine blue, 78-degrees. Fished a small area 25 to 30 miles north of La Playita. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with yo-yo iron (due to the wind had to be abandoned) or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Pacific Amberjack (amberjack), 15 pounds, one Frigate Tuna, 12 inches, two Skipjack Tuna (blanco), to 10 pounds, three Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 9 pounds and eleven Yellowfin Tuna (footballs or atun), 14 to 16 inches. Miscellaneous: Nada!

Day 3, Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Salome, La Playita at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 28, 2005, Fishing for five hours with Captain Pata. Ocean had a horrible El Norte for most of the morning running 25 to 30 mph. Strong supply of live bait available with the size of the sardines increasing to somewhat usable size. Water was pristine blue, 78-degrees. Fished a small area 18 to 22 miles north of La Playita. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with yo-yo iron (due to the wind had to be abandoned) or with sardines, fish scraps or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Flag Cabrilla (cabrilla), 2 pounds, two Pacific Porgy, to 10 inches, five Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 6 pounds, three Finescale Triggerfish (blanco), to 6 pounds, five Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to 2 pounds – all catch and release. Miscellaneous: Not one but two wonderful opportunities to contribute mordida to the local polica on the way home!

Day 4 Fishing with Captain Pata, Panga Salome, La Playita at San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 30, 2005, Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was friendly with the exception of an exceedingly bumpy ride home. Strong supply of live bait available with the size of the sardines increasing to somewhat usable size. Water was pristine blue, 78-degrees. Fished a small area just north of The Arch, within the first mile off of Cabo Del Sol. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with with sardines or fish scraps or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Damsel Threadfin Bass (antennae), 4 pounds, one Flag Cabrilla (cabrilla), 2 pounds, one Cortez Halibut, 3 pounds, two Pacific Porgy, to 6 pounds, one Skipjack Tuna (blanco), two pounds, two Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to 2 pounds – all catch and release, one Yellowfin Tuna, 5 pounds, and two Ocean Whitefish, to 5 pounds. Miscellaneous: The adjacent boats had much less fish than we did because they do not probe the bottom. Apparently there is an enormous drop off very close to the coast in this area; we went to a place by mistake and I got spooled trying to reach the bottom, and then whamo, an Ocean Whitefish and a Damsel Treadfin Bass on the same drop from way down deep. We tried like hell but couldn’t find the spot again and of course GPS is off limits!

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