LOS CABOS PANGA FISHING REPORT

July 30, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo sportfishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

In Los Cabos fishing action, tropical Storm Emilia passed within 100 miles of the southern tip of Baja and brought with it much needed rainfall, anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain, and some wind gusts up to 30 m.p.h. Not much damage was reported besides minor flooding.

The combined La Playita panga sportfishing fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out 48 charters in the weather shortened week for a fish count of: 1 blue marlin, 1 wahoo, 3 striped marlin, 34 dorado, 5 sailfish, 110 yellowfin tuna, 125 skipjack, 135 various pargo and 8 amberjack.

The first band of bad weather arrived midday on Sunday and lasted on and off through Tuesday.

The La Playita panga sportfishing fleets did not resume charters until Thursday. Heavy surf combined with high tides from the new moon pounded the beaches and once again tested the new Puerto Los Cabos marina jetty. All in all it held up okay, although storm waves were crashing over the top of the unfinished northern jetty and eight to ten foot surf was closing out through the jetty entrance. It makes you wonder what will happen when a powerful hurricane makes direct landfall in this area. It is only a matter of time and we will find out.

San Jose del Cabo fishing action had started to slow before the storm. As the weather continues to settle down, conditions are improving and we expect the fishing will do the same.

Los Cabos fishing area water temperatures dropped down to an average of 78 to 82 degrees.

There is not much along the shoreline, as bait fish scattered with the storm. The current was very strong to effectively work the bottom.

Dorado were found throughout the area, but they were not numerous and ranged up to 40 pounds. Anglers were lucky to land one or two of them. There was also a mix of billfish, more striped marlin than anything else, although in the warmer water the stripers at times were not aggressive.

The most common catch was yellowfin tuna, most of them in the 10 to 20 pound range, though a few tuna over one hundred pounds were accounted for. Before the storm the best method was to drift fish while chumming, but in recent days it has proved more successful to chase the school with hoochies and then hook fish on the slide with bait. The best area for tuna the past few days has been near San Luis bank.

(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.