LA PLAYITA FLEETS SEND OUT 83 SPORTFISHING PANGAS

Jan. 29, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja fishing, Mexico:

The combined San Jose del Cabo sportfishing panga fleet from La Playita sent out approximately 83 charters for the week, with a catch total of 445 pargo (huachinango), 14 amberjack, 2 yellowtail, 13 dorado, 10 yellowfin tuna, 1 striped marlin, 380 sierra, 22 cabrilla, 36 whitefish, and 44 bonito.

San Jose del Cabo fishing weather the past week varied from day to day. On Friday there was the first recorded rainfall of 2006. Prevailing winds blew from the north, but not as stiff as the previous week, staying in the 10 to 15 mile an hour range and this helped water clarity to improve.

Water temperatures around the San Jose del Cabo fishing area ranged widely from 65 to 75 degrees. Further north into the Sea of Cortez the water was coolest and offshore surface action was almost nonexistent. Sportfishing fleets were scattered in all directions, though the Pacific was more concentrated since that is where the billfish action was concentrated.

The red crabs continued to be on the fishing grounds and many days did come to the surface. Recently the pargo (huachinango) bite was best off the bottom, in about 150 to 180 feet of water, with the majority of the snapper under five pounds. Fishing with either red crabs or sardinas was most productive, though limited action was also accounted for while using yo-yo style jigs retrieved over the rock piles, for various pargo species, cabrilla and amberjack, a couple specimens weighed up to 30 pounds.

Bait fish including mackerel and sardinas were more abundant and spread throughout the region.

For sportfishing pangas launching out of La Playita the most common catches were pargo, sierra and miscellaneous bottom species. Opportunities were basically limited to inshore or bottom action due to the cooler currents. Offshore fishing efforts were limited to a few stray dorado, yellowfin tuna and skipjack. Numbers were few and far between and most San Jose del Cabo anglers settled for the inshore action.

Most consistent areas were either from Red Hill to Chileno of near Cardon or La Fortuna, nothing reported off of the Gordo Banks in recent days.

Along shore there were increased numbers of sierra off the beaches between San Jose and Cabo San Lucas. These fish were averaging under three pounds, with the largest being in the six pound range.

(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.