IMAN BANK WIDE-OPEN TUNA CONTINUES

Aug. 20, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja fishing, Mexico:

The combined San Jose del Cabo sportfishing panga fleets at La Playita sent out approximately 88 charters for the week with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 640 yellowfin tuna, 2 striped marlin, 9 sailfish, 76 dorado, 95 skipjack, 42 pargo (various species) and 8 amberjack.

Ocean swells in the San Jose del Cabo fishing area have been minimal and there has been only a moderate breeze picking up in the afternoon. Water temperatures averaged 85 degrees, with some areas closer to 90 degrees further inside the Sea of Cortez.

Sardinas have been plentiful off La Playita. This is the bait proving to be best for the continued wide-open action for yellowfin tuna on the Iman Bank.

Sportfishing fleets from as far north as East Cape have been congregating on this spot and the bite has not slowed down. In fact it might have even become better.

Anglers are drift fishing with both live and dead sardinas and hooking into as many tuna as they like, averaging 30 pounds. Everyday there are specimens of 50, 60, 70 and over 80 pounds being accounted for. Many larger fish are being lost because most anglers are using medium sized tackle suited for the average 30-pound yellowfin.

But the yellowfin tuna have not been line shy and are striking on 60 to 80 pound leaders without hesitation. Actually the larger tuna have been hitting more often on dead bait, fished a bit deeper.

For about every ten yellowfin tuna landed there has been a dorado or two mixed in, mostly in the 8 to 15 pound class, but some much larger, including one bull that weighed close to 60 pounds.

There has been no consistent bottom action to report.

Billfish action was best outside of Cabo San Lucas, where one black marlin of 500 pounds was reported, plus several blues over 300 pounds, and many smaller striped marlin. There is nothing around the Gordo Banks now, just a handful of sailfish around Iman Bank where all of the tuna activity is.

Off the beach there were a few tripletail caught up to 20 pounds by anglers fishing with chunk bait during the evening on the south side of the new Puerto Los Cabos. Most of the tripletail action came from 9 to 11 p.m.

(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.