LA PLAYITA PANGAS FISHING IN NEAR-PERFECT NOVEMBER WEATHER

Nov. 19, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, La Playita Beach, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The combined San Jose del Cabo sportfishing panga fleets launching from La Playita sent out approximately 226 charter boats for the week, for a fish count of: 7 striped marlin, 14 sailfish, 345 dorado, 18 wahoo, 225 white skipjack, 338 yellowfin tuna, 14 cabrilla, 18 roosterfish, 5 amberjack, 9 grouper, 20 pargo, 15 rainbow runners, and 72 sierra.

The Los Cabos fishing area enjoyed pristine fall season weather this week, with clear skies and highs in the mid 80s. North winds have not been too much of a factor. Ocean conditions have been comfortable.

Los Cabos sportfishing fleets worked the waters from the Golden Gate Bank on the Pacific to inside the Sea of Cortez, north to Los Frailes.

San Jose del Cabo fishing water clarity was clear and blue within a couple miles of shore. Water temperatures ranged from 79 to 82 degrees throughout most of the region.

Live sardinas have been plentiful around La Playita for the past several months, but this week was different, as this preferred bait fish moved further south, from Palmilla to Santa Maria, and they were of smaller size.

La Playita pangas had to backtrack for bait and this contributed to more difficult fishing for the San Jose fleets.

Cabo San Lucas charter fishing boats reported excellent action for dorado on the Pacific side, particularly on the more distant banks. The dorado action inside the Sea of Cortez was much more scattered and the fish were of smaller size, most of them weighing less than 20 pounds.

Fishing was good for striped marlin on the Pacific and outside of Chileno, up to 30 miles out. On Saturday there was a double hook up on blue marlin reported from a cruiser out of Palmilla, fishing within a mile of Cabo Real with lighter 40 pound gear. They did manage to land one after a five hour battle. It weighed in the 400 to 450 pound range.

Some larger yellowfin tuna continued to be caught on both the Inner and Outer Gordo Banks. Although the number of fish landed was not significant, the quality was definitely there. Many fish weighed from 50 to over 100 pounds and several fish that would have topped 200 pounds were lost after extended battles. The most successful techniques were using fresh dead sardinas in a chum line, chunking with skipjack or cocinero bait, and trolling with chihuil. Fluorocarbon leaders of 50 to 90 pound test also proved to be an advantage.

Wahoo action was very slow. Only about one in a dozen charters caught one fish. We still are hoping that there will be a late season bite on these wahoo. Water temperatures are above normal and hopefully these prized game fish will become more prevalent in the coming weeks.

In for San Jose del Cabo bottom fishing, a handful of cabrilla, grouper, pargo, rainbow runner, and amberjack were caught, most of them on whole baits that were drifted over rock piles, and a few on yo-yo jigs.

Inshore there were skipjack, sierra, jack crevalle and roosterfish caught, but most of them were under five pounds.

(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.