Cabo San Lucas winter fishing a mix of striped marlin, sierra, and dorado

Mexico Fishing News, February 16, 2009

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORTS

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CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 9 trips by Gaviota Fleet and the Cabo San Lucas fishing charter boats Fish Cabo, Fish Cabo I, and Tuna Time, with a catch including released fish of: 9 striped marlin, 1 wahoo, 12 dorado, 1 bonito, and 31 sierra mackerel. "The full moon hampered the fish catching a little, in conjunction with cooling water," Edwards said.

Hotspots for game fish species caught by Cabo San Lucas boats included the Golden Gate Bank for striped marlin, along the Pacific-side beaches for sierra, and El Arco to Chileno for dorado.

Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was partly cloudy and cooler at 80 degrees, with cooler water temperatures on both sides of the arch averaging 72 degrees on the Golden Gate Bank and 73 to 74 degrees on the Cortez-side Gordo Banks. Water temperatures farther north, at the Pacific-side Finger Bank and north of the Gordo Banks on the Sea of Cortez side, were cooler at 67 degrees. Live mackerel bait was in very good supply at Pacific-side locations.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the previous fishing week, Edwards reported on 41 boats, with catch including released fish of: 113 striped marlin, 37 dorado, 15 sierra, and 18 yellowfin tuna.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Tommy Garcia of Cabo Magic reported on 54 boats fishing at Cabo San Lucas during the week, with a catch including released fish of: 37 striped marlin, 11 yellowfin tuna, 56 dorado, 15 wahoo, and good numbers of sierra and pargo.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the fishing week ending February 4, 2009, Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Fleet Sportfishing at Cabo San Lucas reported 92 percent of all charters catching a combined total of 228 striped marlin, with 226 of them released. Top outings for the week included a 15-marlin release day at the Finger Bank for the charter boat Falcon, an 11-release day for the Andale, 15 and 17-release days for El Gallo, and a 10-release day for the Tracy Ann. "The Golden Gate Bank is still alive with action and lots of marlin, sardines, mackerel, sea lions, pelicans, and whales," Ehrenberg said.

A unusual 19 percent of Pisces charters caught mako shark of 50 to 150 pounds. Fair numbers of yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds were caught, and one tuna estimated in the 300-pound class was lost after a fight of more than 4 hours on 40-pound line.

Cabo San Lucas fishing area weather was clear and calm, with water temperatures averaging 74 degrees.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Ramon Druck of the Cabo San Lucas charter sportfishing super panga Cheer's reported on 2 outings during the week with a total of 4 anglers, for a catch including released fish of: 18 sierra of 4 to 6 pounds, and 5 dorado of 6 to 25 pounds. The Cheer's fished with trolled lures and live baits along Cabo's Pacific-side beaches and outward to about 3 miles in water temperatures of 70 to 72 degrees and good sea sea conditions. Anglers fishing aboard the Cheer's included John Stone and Robert Wilhelm of Los Angeles, Calif., and Sara Adams, also of California.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: Jim Dillon of Salvador's Sportfishing reported on 10 outings by the Cabo San Lucas charter boats El Budster, El Budster I, and El Budster II, with a catch including released fish of: 1 striped marlin, 1 wahoo of 30 pounds, 1 yellowfin tuna of 30 pounds, 26 dorado of 25 to 30 pounds.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: For the week ending February 8, 2009, George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing at Cabo San Lucas reported Cortez-side water temperatures declining at about 72 to 73 degrees near shore, and 75 degrees found about 5 miles out. Pacific-side water temperatures were about 1 degree cooler. The Pacific-side Finger Bank was reported still wide-open for striped marlin, as marlin catches around the Golden Gate Bank became more scattered, but with Cabo San Lucas fishing boats still averaging 4 to 6 marlin per day in the general area. Dorado counts were up, partially due to rough water conditions at times on the Pacific side that caused boats to move over to the Cortez side for dorado. Yellowfin tuna action was slow, with a few boats reporting some school-sized tuna to about 20 pounds caught while trolling for dorado. Inshore fishing was good for sierra.

In other mainland Mexico and Baja fishing action this week:

ENSENADA FISHING REPORTS

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ENSENADA, MEXICO: Ivan Villarino of Vonny's Fleet at Ensenada reported no pangas fishing during the week due to inclement weather. "No fishing," Villarino said, "rainy and strong winds."

SAN QUINTIN FISHING REPORTS

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SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Pete Hillis of Pedro's Pangas reported heavy winds and rain in the San Quintin fishing area, but with some good yellowtail action found. "Boats that did brave the weather and remained out returned with good counts of nice yellowtail at the 15 fathom spot," Hillis said. Some quality lingcod were also caught by San Quintin boats during the week, and rockcod fishing remained steady.

SAN QUINTIN, MEXICO: Kelly Catian of San Quintin's K&M Offshore Sportfishing reported a session of wide-open yellowtail caught on iron in threatening weather conditions. "The weather looked stormy but the guys wanted to give it a shot anyway," Catian said. "We lucked out with good sea conditions." Fishing with Catian aboard the charter boat Offshore III were anglers Rich Gunther and John Cote.

MAGDALENA BAY FISHING REPORTS

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MAGDALENA BAY, MEXICO: Bob Hoyt, reporting for Baja On The Fly, said whale watching dominated charter boat activity at Magdalena Bay as the annual California gray whale migration continued at its peak season. Weather conditions offshore of Magdalena Bay had strong winds and rough seas most of the week. Magdalena Bay fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the mid-70s, with water temperatures at 67 to 73 degrees.

SAN JOSE DEL CABO (LOS CABOS) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO: Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas reported on 102 combined La Playita fleet pangas fishing out of San Jose del Cabo's Puerto Los Cabos marina, with a catch including released fish of: 565 dorado and 92 yellowfin tuna, 28 wahoo, 1 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 42 roosterfish, 18 pargo, 88 sierra, 28 bonito, and 12 amberjack. San Jose del Cabo fishing area water temperatures ranged from 73 degrees to as low as 68 degrees northward towards Los Frailes.

"For medium-sized game fish like dorado and yellowfin tuna, areas near San Jose del Cabo was where the best action was found including the Gordo Banks, Punta Gorda, La Fortuna, and Iman Bank," Brictson said. Most pangas trolled sardina baits as a very strong current hampered bottom fishing.

La Playita pangas found easy Mexico fishing limits on dorado of 10 to 20 pounds while fishing close to shore. "Some dorado were found along the beaches, where anglers trolled for roosterfish and sierra," Brictson said. Tuna of 20 to 50 pounds were caught consistently on chummed sardinas at La Fortuna and the Iman Bank. "In the strong current, it took a lot of bait to keep them surface feeding," Brictson said.

Winter wahoo action on fish to 50 pounds remained strong as wahoo were caught on trap-rigged baits, trolled lures, and cast jigs.

EAST CAPE FISHING REPORTS

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EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Gary Graham of Baja On The Fly reported East Cape boats fishing during a break in the wind for very good action on sierra at Punta Pescadero, some yellowtail beginning to show, and some Mexico fishing limits of dorado caught a few miles offshore in water temperatures reported at 74 to 75 degrees. "But on Wednesday morning, the north winds returned, effectively preventing anyone at East Cape from getting out to fish again," Graham said.

Baja On The Fly guide Lance Petersen reported dorado to 20 pounds spotted on the beach from his kayak and 10 to 15-pound roosterfish present. "

East Cape fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the high-70s, with water temperatures at 67 to 75 degrees.

EAST CAPE, MEXICO: Mark Daugherty of East Cape Guides reported another East Cape fishing information seminar scheduled for February 21, 2009, 12 noon to 2 p.m., at The Rod Rack, Hayward, Calif., EastCapeGuides.com.

LA PAZ FISHING REPORTS

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LA PAZ, MEXICO: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International reported the winter's first significant catches of yellowtail for his boats at La Paz. "We finally got some yellowtail," he said, "nothing spectacular yet, but yellowtail for the first time this year." Yellowtail of 12 to 16 pounds were caught by Tailhunter International boats fishing on both the La Paz and Las Arenas sides.

Roland noted the development of La Paz' first golf course. "I have mixed emotions about it," he said. "We have another service to offer, but it smacks of so many things that have gone wrong with Baja."

LA PAZ, MEXICO: Gerardo Hernandez of Tortuga Sportfishing reported windy, cold weather in the 60s at La Paz with few sportfishing anglers present. Tortuga charter pangas fishing in sheltered waters around Ensenada de los Muertos caught species including yellowtail, snappers, and sierra. "The wind wouldn't let us go farther out," Hernandez said. "But we got lots of yellowtail and other fish around Punta Perico at the beginning of the week. Lots of big yellowtail and pargo are at Isla Cerralvo. We're just waiting for good weather without wind. We have plenty of sardina and giant squid bait available."

SANTA ROSALIA FISHING REPORTS

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SANTA ROSALIA, MEXICO: Jim Anderson of San Bruno south of Santa Rosalia reported surprisingly poor yellowtail action over the high tidal flow period during the full moon.

"It is no wonder that fishing is such a fascinating pursuit," he said. "Last week the tides were very strong and we really expected that yellowtail fishing would be very good, but they refused to cooperate. The fishing was just plain in the tank. Even though the Mulege Tournament brought out a lot of boats and fishermen, there were just not very many fish caught, especially in the area of San Marcos Island. There were some scattered reports of a few fish found at Tortuga Island but nothing very consistent there either.

"I can remember past years where this same thing happened. It seems to be related to migration of fish schools. While there are a few resident fish available on the reefs, most seem to have migrated to other regions, and so we will anxiously await the arrival of the next group of fish."

SAN FELIPE FISHING REPORTS

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SAN FELIPE, MEXICO: Catalina Meders of the San Felipe Title Company bookstore at San Felipe reported 61-degree weather, with cloudy skies but no rain at midweek. Noting continued slow business for San Felipe's tourism businesses, Meders said, "We badly need visitors. We have been making change for people, using small bills, and encouraging them to buy a few little gifts from the street vendors, who seldom have change for large bills. The vegetable and yogurt sellers have started coming around to the stores with coolers and baskets of their wares. This is a very nice service for me because I have little time to find the freshest veggies in town."

SAN CARLOS (SONORA) FISHING REPORTS

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SAN CARLOS, MEXICO: Bryan Replogle of San Carlos reported some mixed-size yellowtail being caught close to town. "Things have cooled off a bit in San Carlos," Replogle said. "Some decent fishing reports are coming from San Pedro Island when boats can make it out there. We are all prepped for a great yellowtail tournament on Valentine's Day weekend, along with a spear fishing tournament."

MAZATLAN FISHING REPORTS

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MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 26 Aries Fleet offshore charter boats out of Mazatlan's Marina El Cid, with a catch including released fish of: 2 dorado, 11 striped marlin, and 1 hammerhead shark. Three inshore super pangas had a catch of: 20 triggerfish, 35 mojarra, and 6 jack crevalle.

"The full moon and falling water temperatures took a real toll on Mazatlan fishing," Edwards said. "Skippers are searching far and wide for the offshore bite. As the cooling trend continues, look for swordfish and mako shark to show up in the mix."

Mazatlan fishing area weather was mostly clear in the low-80s, with water temperatures at 70 to 71 degrees inshore and 72 to 73 degrees offshore. Offshore boats fished a wide area with rigged mullet baits.

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: For the previous fishing week, Edwards reported on 29 offshore charters, with a catch including released fish of: 17 striped marlin, 2 sailfish, 6 jack crevalle, and 6 yellowfin tuna. Eight inshore super pangas had a catch of: 4 jack crevalle, 8 snappers, and 76 triggerfish.

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: Tadeo Hernandez of Flota Bibi Fleet reported some tough fishing conditions during the week for Mazatlan boats. "With a port closure on Monday, and winds to Tuesday, fishing slowed down, as well as the number of outings," Hernandez said.

PUERTO VALLARTA FISHING REPORTS

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Stan Gabruk of Master Baiter's Sportfishing & Tackle at Puerto Vallarta reported good winter fishing action at Punta Mita including a 15-dorado outing by Capt. Chema. Sailfish and marlin were targeted by Puerto Vallarta sportfishing boats about 12 to 15 miles farther north. "Once you’re past Sayulita you have to keep your eyes peeled for jumping billfish," Gabruk said. "With a well-equipped boat and prepared crew you’ll have a shot, even in February."

Offshore water was off-color between Roca Corbeteña and El Banco due to upwellings. "The water is coffee brown," Gabruk said. "Sailfish are taking baits, if they can see them. Dirty water has plagued El Banco lately. Your fuel dollar is probably best spent elsewhere."

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORTS

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IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Ed Kunze, reporting for Baja On The Fly, said offshore Ixtapa fishing slowed down over the full moon period. "The 82-degree blue water is only about 5 miles off the beach, but the fish aren't biting," Kunze said. "Capt. Adolfo of the Dos Hermanos said it's real bad, and when one of the best captains at Ixtapa Zihuatanejo can't get a sailfish in blue water, it's really bad. Adolfo thinks the fish are here and in 1 more week we'll have good fishing action again."

Kunze's outing to Puerto Vicente Guerrero with fly fishing angler John Spriggs produced 4 sailfish raised, 2 teased to the boat, and 1 hooked.

Ixtapa fishing area weather was mostly clear in the mid-80s, with water temperatures of 78 to 83 degrees.

IXTAPA ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported good inshore fishing for jack crevalle, sierra, and bonito, but roosterfish not biting. "The offshore fishing is pretty good at 10 to 12 miles and beyond," Edwards said. "There was a better showing of black marlin, blue marlin, and yellowfin tuna in the 20-pound range. Marlin love those tuna." Ixtapa fishing area weather was in the low-90s, with water temperatures at 80 degrees inshore and 82 degrees offshore.

CANCUN FISHING REPORTS

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CANCUN, MEXICO: Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters reported on 5 outings by the El Cid Caribe sportfishing fleet at Puerto Morelos near Cancun, with a catch including released fish of: 2 king mackerel, 2 Atlantic barracuda, 1 grouper, 2 yellowfin tuna, 1 amberjack, and 1 red snapper. "Unfortunately, it was a terribly slow charter fishing week for the Puerto Morelos area, " Edwards said. "The full moon also took its toll on the fishing, a difficult week." Cancun fishing area weather was partly cloudy in the mid-80s, with light winds, good water clarity, and water temperatures at 78 to 79 degrees.

CANCUN, MEXICO: For the previous fishing week, Edwards reported on 9 charters, with a catch including released fish of: 8 king mackerel, 5 grouper, 2 Atlantic barracuda, 6 bonito, 5 amberjack, 1 triggerfish, 1 Spanish mackerel, and 1 wahoo.

DOWNTOWN CABO PANGA--"Mr. Adams" and his wife Sara chartered the panga Cheer's out of the downtown Cabo San Lucas marina, and local fishing with Capt. Ramon Druck produced 3 dorado to 25 pounds in action from near shore out to about 3 miles. PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMON DRUCK.

Family Cabo San Lucas fishing trip 1

Family Cabo San Lucas fishing trip 2

Family Cabo San Lucas fishing trip 3

Family Cabo San Lucas fishing trip 4

CABO FAMILY FISHING--On a trip chartered with Cabo Magic, the Bayhem family of Martinez, Calif., fished aboard the Cabo San Lucas boat Cabo Bandit for a good day of fun and action including this nice wahoo and some close-up winter whale watching. More photos below. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LORI GARCIA.

San Quintin yellowtail fishing 1

San Quintin yellowtail fishing 2

San Quintin yellowtail fishing 3

QUINTIN WINTER FISHING--An outing with K&M Sportfishing between periods of San Quintin winter winds produced very good yellowtail action for Rich Gunther, red shirt, and John Cote. With them on the charter boat Offshore III were Capt. Kelly Catian and deckhand George "El Pajaro" Catian. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELLY CATIAN.

La Paz fishing for yellowtail and sierra

WINTER BAJA FISHING--Christina and Gilles Jalbert of Canada fished in sheltered waters at La Paz during a windy week for good action on sierra and yellowtail with Tortuga Sportfishing's Capt. Jorge Lucero. PHOTO COURTESY OF GERARDO HERNANDEZ.

TOUGH WEEK MARLIN--Some tough seas and tough fishing conditions at Mazatlan last week didn't keep anglers, from left, Jason Davis, Frank Coutu, and Tera Coutu from landing this striped marlin about 15 miles offshore during a trip aboard the Flota Bibi Fleet charter boat Paty C with Capt. Alex and deckhand Alex Jr. PHOTO COURTESY OF TADEO HERNANDEZ.

Puerto Vallarta fishing for sierra

LIGHT TACKLE AT VALLARTA--George Lozano's Puerto Vallarta fishing trip aboard the Master Baiter's Sportfishing & Tackle charter panga Mi Jenny produced a big catch of sierra on light tackle. "He just wanted to catch a bunch of fish," said Master Baiter's Stan Gabruk. "Capt. Chema put him on a nice school. The 3-inch Diamond Jig was really knocking them down." PHOTO COURTESY OF STAN GABRUK.

Ixtapa fishing sailfish release

IXTAPA BLUE MARLIN RELEASE--Len Gruup, center, of Canada, released this blue marlin off Ixtapa Zihuatanejo during a trip aboard the charter panga Gitana with Capt. Santiago, left, and first mate Francisco. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL PHILLIPS.

Mexican needlefish with blue teetch

BAJA BLUETOOTH--An agujon, or Mexican giant needlefish, shows off its strange blue dental work during an early fall 2008 trip to Mulege by Denny Greif of Mount Vernon, Iowa. The fish hit a purple cedar plug. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENNY GREIF.

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