VACATION TRAVELER CROWDS ARRIVE AT LOS CABOS

Dec. 28, 2006, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita Beach, Los Cabos, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

The La Playita sportfishing panga fleets at San Jose del Cabo sent out approximately 66 charters during the past week with a fish count of: 2 striped marlin, 78 yellowfin tuna, 88 dorado, 22 sierra, 54 pargo, 10 cabrilla and 5 amberjack.

San Jose del Cabo sportfishing fleets were not very busy; Despite the crowds of vacationers, there were not many anglers in town.

Mexico's southern Baja peninsula is now busy with large crowds of tourists here for the holiday season. Los Cabos vacation area weather was mostly sunny with highs of about 75 degrees; there was wind on and off from both the north and south.

Los Cabos charter fishing fleets were scattered on the Pacific and into the Sea of Cortez. Schools of mackerel continued to attract big numbers of striped marlin on the Pacific side of Cabo and the bait fish schools are now starting to move off of San Jose del Cabo as well.

Sardinas were the most common bait for medium sized game fish and they were available on most mornings, although bait supplies were not as plentiful as during the past week.

San Jose del Cabo fishing water temperatures ranged from 73 to 76 degrees, with the warmest areas being off Cabo San Lucas and around the corner on the Pacific Ocean.

The most common fish caught on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas were striped marlin concentrated from El Faro to the Golden Gate Bank.

On the Sea of Cortez side, the fishing area around the Gordo Banks saw yellowfin tuna and dorado dominating the action. San Jose del Cabo anglers had the best success by slow trolling or drift fishing with bait.

The dorado caught this week averaged 8 to 25 pounds, with some larger fish mixed in. Some sportfishing panga charters landed as many as 5 or 6 dorado, very respectable for this time of year. However, the average catch was one or two dorado, and about the same number of tuna. The yellowfin tuna landed at the Gordo Banks averaged 25 to 50 pounds.

Other fishing action included a mix of bottom fish and inshore fish species, none very numerous.

Now is the time of year when larger schools of sierra should be arriving along Los Cabos beaches. However, with the offshore fishing remaining fairly productive and relatively close to shore, more anglers are targeting these species rather than going after inshore or bottom fish.