LOS CABOS SURF AND PANGA SPECIES FISHING REPORT

Dec. 17-26, 2005, John Snow, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo fishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Three New Species. One exceptional day, one strong day and two very slow days of Panga fishing with Captain Pata. The water temperature varied from 72 to 76 degrees as the oceans is quickly cooling from north to south and the bait/predators are moving southward. The water quality San Jose del Cabo varied with fishing mixed 50:50 between small areas 25 to 30 miles north and around the arch to the south.

Water conditions and weather conditions at San Jose del Cabo were excellent except for a horrible El Norte on one day which sprung up just before we were to make the 30 mile trip home.

Overall came in contact with 33 individual fish species. The San Jose del Cabo bait guys were present, in good spirits, with the sardines returning to very large size and in abundance. Major targeted game species count from four days of Panga fishing: Amberjack 0, Dorado 1; Grouper 0; Marlin 0; Sierra 2, Snappers 1 (a six inch model), Yellowfin Tuna 17, and Wahoo 0. I would rate this week as a mixed bag and if you could locate the Tuna very good action; if not you more or less got skunked.

Also tried surf fishing again, three one hour to two hour trips and slow action. Five days of San Jose del Cabo surf fishing with continued disappointing results. Still trying to learn new turf and my have finally found at least one good location to try on repeated occasions. Five trips, nine fish so the math is easy. Note: I did go “tide pooling” for one day at the Gordo Point with an extreme low tide, five collections made, all little guys, but these will have be worked up over time.

Species, Executive Summary –33 30 known and 3 new:

*Anchovy, Silverstripe (Fish Number 183) **Balloonfish (Fish Number 54) ****Blenny, Panamic Fanged (Fish Number 117) ****Blenny, Redside (Fish Number 187) – NEW! **Pacific Burrfish (Fish Number 134) Creolefish, Pacific (Fish Number 62) ***Croaker, Long Fin (Fish Number 152) Dorado (Fish Number 82) *Herring, Flatiron (Fish Number 19) *Herring, Yellowfin (Fish Number 10) *Jack, Green (Fish Number 65) *Mackerel, Pacific (Fish Number 115) ****Mexican Night Sergeant (Fish Number 40) Needlefish, Pacific (Fish Number 182) ****Mystery Fish (Fish Number 193) – NEW! ****Octopus, Sp. (Fish Number 194) – NEW! Porgy, Pacific (Fish Number 2) ***Puffer, Guineafowl (Fish Number 20) Puffer, Longnose (Fish Number 38) Sand Perch, Bridled (Fish Number 11) *Scad, Bigeye (Fish Number 88) Scorpionfish, Pacific Spotted (Fish Number 6) Serrano, Barred (Fish Number 17) Sierra, Pacific (Fish Number 60) Snapper, Red (Fish Number 2) ***Squirrelfish, Tinsel (Fish Number 113) Triggerfish, Finescale (Fish Number 9) Triggerfish, Orangeside (Fish Number 26) Tuna, Skipjack, Black (Fish Number 79) Tuna, Yellowfin (Fish Number 89) Whitefish, Ocean (Fish Number 15) ***Wrasse, Banded (Fish Number 13) ***Wrasse, Sunset (Fish Number 105)

*Collected in the bait tank. **Surface floating fish ***Surf catch ****Tidal Pool Collection

Part I, Surf Report, San Jose del Cabo, 100% Catch and Release:

Day 1, December 18, 2005, Km 6, East Cape Road, sixty minutes before sunset, nominal surf, bottom out tide, water temperature 73-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. Also made a tidal pool collection at the Gordo Point which produced one mystery fish, a Redside Blenny (new), a Panamic Fanged Blenny, an octopus (new), a Mexican Night Sergeant, and a Tinsel Squirrelfish.

Day 2, December 23, 2005, San Jose del Cabo, Km 24, Cabo Colorado, ninety minutes before sunset, nominal surf, bottom out tide, water temperature 73-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 Barred Wrasse, 7 inches.

Day 3, December 24, 2005, San Jose del Cabo, Km 25, Palmilla Sur, ninety minutes before sunset, nominal surf, falling tide, water temperature 73-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 Longfin Croaker, 8 inches, and one Guineafowl Puffer, 2 pounds (1 pound of water).

Day 4, December 25, 2005, San Jose del Cabo, Km 25, Palmilla Sur, 2 hours before sunset, nominal surf, rising tide, water temperature 73-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 Tinsel Squirrelfish, 7 inches, and one Orangeside Triggerfish, 2 pounds.

Day 5, December 26, 2005, San Jose del Cabo, Km 14, Twin Dolphins, 90 minutes, midday, nominal surf, low tide, water temperature 73-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 Orangeside Triggerfish, 2 pounds, one Banded Wrasse, 7 inches, and two Sunset Wrasse, 7 inches.

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

Day 1, San Jose del Cabo, December 17, 2005: Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean had a consistent irritating blow from the Northeast the entire morning and the 70 minute ride home was absolutely horrible. Strong supply of live bait available of .great size. Water was pristine blue, 73-degrees. Fished a small area 1 mile north of THE ARCH. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines or fish scraps or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: five Pacific Needlefish (needlefish, all catch and release), to 3.5 feet, one Bridled Sand Perch (qual), 12 inches, three Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 10 pounds, seven Yellowfin Tuna (atun, 6 footballs and one 15 pounder), and one Ocean Whitefish (blanco), 4 pounds. Miscellaneous: GROAN – the ride home!

Day 2, San Jose del Cabo, December 19, 2005: Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was very friendly but with a slight breeze and when you got wet you felt the chill. Strong supply of live bait available of great size. Water was pristine blue, 73-degrees. Fished the area from 4 miles north of THE ARCH back to Point Palmilla – a very slow day! Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines or fish scraps or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Pacific Creolefish (ticareta), 2 pounds, one Pacific Porgy (mojarrón), 10 inches, two Pacific Spotted Scorpionfish (yikes!), to 3 pounds, one Barred Serrano (Serrano), 6 inches, one Red Snapper (huachinango), 6 inches, seven Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to two pounds (catch and release), two Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 10 pounds, and one Ocean Whitefish (blanco), 3 pounds. Miscellaneous: Nada!

Day 3, San Jose del Cabo, December 21, 2005: Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was very friendly but with a slight breeze with warm sun all morning. Strong supply of live bait available of great size. Water was pristine blue, 73-degrees. Fished the area 20 to 25 miles north of La Playita – an Atun Dia! Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines or fish scraps or flylined Sardines. Catch can be summarized as: one Pacific Creolefish (ticareta), 2 pounds, one Sierra (sierra), 16 inches, five Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to two pounds (catch and release), ten Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 10 pounds, and ten Yellowfin Tuna (atun), to 25 pounds. Miscellaneous: Very slow start to the day but finally located the Atun. Water temperature map was indicating a four degree change in about the last 30 miles of the Sea of Cortez. Did battle most of the morning with a large sea lion whom we began feeding Barrilete which only seemed to increase his appetite for Atun!

Day 4, San Jose del Cabo, December 23, 2005: Fishing for six hours with Captain Pata. Ocean was very friendly and flat calm with warm sun all morning. Strong supply of live bait available of great size but it took a trip to Cabo Real and back to fetch. Water was pristine blue, 73-degrees. Fished the area 20 to 25 miles north of La Playita. Style was either traditional bottom fishing with sardines or fish scraps, flylined Sardines, or yo-yo Fishing (nonproductive). Catch can be summarized as: one Dorado (dorado), 15 pounds, one Longnose Pufferfish (botete), 2 pounds one of which was water, one Sierra (sierra), 16 inches, one Finescale Triggerfish (blanco), 5 pounds, seven Orangeside Triggerfish (taxi), to two pounds (catch and release), two Black Skipjack Tuna (barrilete), to 10 pounds. Miscellaneous: Sighted the first whale of the season.

(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.