NEAR SHORE PANGA ACTION BEST FOR FOOTBALL TUNA

Dec. 18, 2005, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo sportfishing, Baja, Mexico:

At La Playita there were approximately 68 total San Jose del Cabo sportfishing pangas launched this week, with anglers catching a total of 42 dorado, 235 yellowfin tuna, 5 striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 160 skipjack, 35 pargo, 40 triggerfish, 14 amberjack, 22 cabrilla, 8 grouper, 45 roosterfish and 90 sierra.

Crowds of tourists are now increasing at San Jose del Cabo as we approach the Christmas Holiday season. San Jose del Cabo fishing weather this week was unpredictable. At times it was quite warm in the low 80s, then the cloud cover would move in and would cool the temperatures down in a hurry.

The wind in the San Jose del Cabo sportfishing area was predominately out of the north up to a brisk 20 miles per hour.

Combined daily fishing catches included striped marlin, dorado, yellowfin tuna, skipjack, sierra and a mix of bottom species. Live sardinas and mackerel were available for purchase from local pangueros. Water clarity improved as the swells were minimal and water temperature was ranging from 70 to 75 degrees.

La Playita charter fishing panga fleets found the most consistent action close to shore, from the Cabo San Lucas arch to Iman Bank. The best fishing for the medium sized game fish was with live sardinas.

Yellowfin tuna ranged in sizes from 8 to 15 pounds. Some of the tuna were found traveling with porpoise, but more often they were simply found inshore over structure while chumming with the sardinas. Over the weekend the bite really did pick up, as pangas were averaging anywhere from 10 to 20 yellowfin per outing.

Wahoo were virtually nonexistent.

Dorado counts improved over last week, with some San Jose del Cabo sportfishing boats landing as many as 2 to 4 fish in the 5 to 20 pound class, many found close to shore where the bait fish were now congregating.

Some marlin were found from Red Hill to Santa Maria, though not in the numbers as on the Pacific.

Off the bottom, San Jose del Cabo anglers used yo-yo jigs and bait for a mix off cabrilla, amberjack, pargo, pompano and grouper, but not in any significant numbers. One 55-pound amberjack was landed off the Iman Bank on a whole skipjack.

(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.