LOS CABOS CHARTER BOATS
AVERAGING 5 TO 12 DORADO PER DAY

June 27, 2004, Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

Summer has now officially started, bringing warmer weather to San Jose del Cabo, daytime temperatures are now reaching into the 90s and the humidity is steadily rising. At this time there are no tropical storms on the horizon, though it is the season when they can develop over night. Ocean conditions at San Jose del Cabo were favorable, minimal winds from the northwest through much of the week.

Water temperatures averaged from 78 to 81 degrees throughout the region, with the exception of on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas where the water was in the low 70s.

Overall the fishing at San Jose del Cabo improved this week, until it slacked some over the weekend, catches included dorado, yellowfin tuna, striped marlin, sailfish, wahoo, sierra, jack crevalle, pargo and roosterfish. Over the weekend there was a southern swell that developed and this attributed to cooler water temperatures from San Jose del Cabo to Vinorama, also a big drop in the numbers of dorado and tuna being caught.

Sportfishing fleets continued to concentrate their efforts on the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula where the water has been warmest and concentrations of squid and baitfish are attracting a variety of gamefish. The week started off with increased numbers of dorado being found, boats were catching an average of 5 to 12 per day, they were striking on sardinas, mullet, caballito and trolled lures. The dorado (also dolphinfish) were found from 1 to 8 miles from shore, throughout the area, located near schools of baitfish, bolito was one of the preferred baits for enticing trophy sized bull dorado. The majority of the dorado were weighing 8 to 12 pounds, though many larger specimens of 25 to 45 pounds accounted for.

There continued to be good numbers of striped marlin seen tailing on the surface around San Jose del Cabo, most them within 10 miles of shore, also more sailfish moving into the warming local waters. At times the billfish would have lock jaw and be difficult to hook, but on other days they would readily strike on both lures and bait, with many charters accounting for multiple marlin days.

Stripers were averaging 90 to 140 pounds and were found to be full of squid. San Jose del Cabo marlin action shifted from Destiladera to the Chileno and Red Hill areas and there were reports of blue marlin being found off of Los Frailes. The sailfish have just recently moved in are running 50 to 90 pounds, pangueros trolling around the Gordo Banks reported many sailfish hook ups, as well as a few wahoo of 20 to 40 pounds being landed, though many others were lost due to their preference of striking monofilament leaders. Anglers reported seeing good numbers of wahoo free swimming underneath while they were drift fishing on the banks, though they proved to be very finicky.

Yellowfin tuna made an appearance early in the week, they were the football variety, weighing from 5 to 15 pounds, striking hoochies and other small lures, but the best bite was on live sardinas in the area from the Gordo Banks to Iman. For several days the San Jose del Cabo panga fleets were accounting for respectable numbers of the tuna, skipjack to 15 pounds were mixed in with the yellowfin tuna schools and packs of dorado would move through the same areas.

Along the shoreline anglers reported catching sporadic numbers of sierra, pargo, roosterfish and jack crevalle. Trolling with mullet and sardinas was the best technique, though the bite was not consistent and most anglers opted to try their luck offshore.

(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.