SUPER WIDE-OPEN YELLOWFIN TUNA FOR LA PLAYITA PANGAS

Oct. 14, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo (Los Cabos), Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The combined Los Cabos sportfishing panga fleets out of La Playita sent out approximately 96 charters for the week for a fish count of: 1,425 yellowfin tuna, 98 dorado, 14 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 9 wahoo, 6 amberjack, 22 miscellaneous snappers, 15 sierra, and 14 cabrilla.

This entire fishing week at San Jose del Cabo has been unbelievable for wide-open action for yellowfin tuna. The center of the tuna bite is about 1 mile offshore, directly in front of the new Puerto Los Cabos marina project, which is now nearing completion in the area of La Playita.

Scores of Baja sportfishing pangas, cruisers and yachts are coming from as far away as Los Barriles and Buena Vista and East Cape to get into this bite.

The yellowfin tuna being caught are averaging 20 pounds, with some a little smaller and some a little larger.

La Playita panga anglers have been returning regularly by 10 a.m., back on the beach with full limits and more of tuna. Mixed in with these tuna are a few sailfish, striped marlin, and roaming schools of medium sized dorado, but all these species found it very difficult to compete with the aggressive feeding frenzy of the yellowfin tuna.

Schooling tuna were found throughout the San Jose del Cabo fishing area, but the biggest numbers are in the area right off of La Playita. This has been an unprecedented bite for such close proximity to our panga launching area.

The Jaime Banks area on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas has been holding larger yellowfin tuna to over 100 pounds, although this spot is primarily suited for larger cruisers rather and pangas.

In recent days, the Outer Gordo Banks as well produced a handful of larger yellowfin tuna for anglers trolling baits such as bolito and smaller skipjack. These tuna were close to 100 pounds.

The more consistent Los Cabos billfish action has been found off of Cabo San Lucas, a mix of sailfish, striped marlin, blue marlin, and black marlin. There was at least one nice black marlin accounted for by a sportfishing cruiser from Palmilla on Friday. It hit on a trolled skipjack near the Gordo Banks and weighed approximately 400 pounds.

Several charter fishing pangas from La Playita got into the fall season’s first wahoo action this week. It was nothing spectacular, but at least these elusive speedsters have started to show signs of waking up. Most of the wahoo have been caught at the Inner Gordo Bank on trolled lures, particularly the Yo-Zuri Hydro Mag in purple or orange. The wahoo were weighed in the 25 to 40 pound class.

We are waiting for San Jose del Cabo fishing water temperatures to drop down into the 80-degree range. This will usually help entice the wahoo into striking more aggressively. Chihuil bait fish have been jigged up on the same banks and a couple of wahoo were also taken while slow trolling these candy baits. We look forward to better bait fish action later in the fall season. Last year the Chihuil never wanted to come up for some reason.

The Los Cabos fishing vacation area now has ideal weather conditions, with clear sunny skies, high temperatures in the upper 80s, and early mornings with just a slight fall chill to them.

Ocean conditions off San Jose del Cabo were calm, with no swell to speak of at all. Fishing water temperatures are still above normal, averaging from 86 to 88 degrees. It feels like there might be an El Nino current this winter.

Sardinas have remained the bait of choice and are being found in abundant supplies off La Playita. They are netted each morning by the commercial panguero fleet. San Jose del Cabo sportfishing boats are working in all directions, from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez.

(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.