YELLOWFIN TUNA BITE CONTINUES AT LA FORTUNA-IMAN BANK

Sept. 24, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The combined panga sportfishing fleets out of La Playita reported 52 charters for the week, with a fish count of: 2 sailfish, 1 blue marlin, 1 wahoo, 12 rainbow runners, 8 dogtooth snapper, 18 pargo, 6 amberjack, 8 cabrilla, 62 dorado, 160 skipjack, and 465 yellowfin tuna.

The Los Cabos fishing area welcomed the start of the fall season this week. This was one of the warmer summers on record. Mornings are becoming cooler, with the predominate airflow now from the north. Crowds of tourists continued moderate, normal for late September. Within a couple of weeks all this will change as southern Baja will be attracting visiting anglers by the thousands from all over the world.

San Jose del Cabo anglers enjoyed pristine ocean conditions this week, clear sunny skies, humid days and with minimal swells. Water temperatures ranged from 83 to 86 degrees throughout the region. Supplies of sardina bait remained plentiful.

Sportfishing fleets at Los Cabos continued to find the most productive fishing action from La Fortuna to the Iman Bank.

The same fishing location has seen roaming schools of medium sized dorado throughout the day and if anglers were in the right spot at the right time they could catch several of the do-dos.

Yellowfin tuna dominated the action, as they have for the past couple of months. Anglers found the best success while drift fishing and fly lining live baits. The average sized yellowfin tuna ranged from 12 to 25 pounds, with some specimens taken that were in the 30 to 60 pound class.

Also caught this week was a mix of skipjack, both the black variety and the good eating white type.

Overall the billfish bite has been slow recently, the best area seemed to be around the 95 spot. Sportfishing cruisers trolling lures in this area have been hooking into a handful of blue marlin everyday, medium sized fish in the 150 to 275 pound range.

Sailfish in the same area were striking on sardinas.

Fishing off the beach, shore anglers reported mainly jack crevalle, a few needlefish, and one tripletail of ten pounds was accounted for, all at the San Jose del Cabo estuary area.

Only limited fishing was reported for bottom fish at San Jose del Cabo, with a few dogtooth snappers, amberjack, rainbow runners, cabrilla and pargo caught.

(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.