With the official start of the spring season the first wave of annual spring breakers are traveling to the ever popular Los Cabos resort area. Tourists are enjoying great all around weather, highs are reaching the upper 70s, and winds have been moderate, a bit unpredictable, swirling from the west, north and out of the south. Water temperatures are on the chilly side, averaging 64 to 68 degrees, with the lengthening days, the ocean should soon be on a warming trend. Whale watching activity continues to be in full swing, though should start tampering off as these mammals prepare to begin their northern migration.

Local waters are holding schools of mackerel, sardinas and giant humbolt squid. Offshore fishing action remained inconsistent, on some days yellowfin tuna were being found traveling with porpoise, those this bite varied from day to day and most of the time was 20 to 30 miles from shore, average sized tuna were under 15 pounds. Striped marlin action remained very slow, but should improve soon as the water conditions become more favorable.

Shallow water bottom action and inshore trolling was the best bet recently. With yellowtail, Mexican bonito and sierra highlighting the the fish counts. Trolling with sardinas, hoochies, rapalas were all productive and working the bottom rock piles with yo-yo jigs produced Mexican bonito, amberjack, yellowtail and a handful of cabrilla. Most of these species were under ten pounds, but an occasional specimen in the 25 to 30 pound range was accounted for. Panga fleets out of San Jose del Cabo fished areas from La Fortuna, Iman to Punta Gorda, the most consistent area proved to be from Palmilla Point to the Hilton Hotel.

Last Sunday, March 16 th, a local Government Cup Tournament for boats ranging up to 28 feet in length was held out of Palmilla Beach. Close to fifty teams entered the event, which had a minimal fish qualifying weight of 25 pounds required, no billfish or shark allowed. James Rosenwald from Marine On St. Croix, Minnesota caught the first place fish, a 28 pound yellowtail, which hit on a rainbow patterned yo-yo jig from the area San Luis Bank. Rosenwald was fishing with local Playita skipper Antonio Guluarte and two fellow anglers, Joe Haid from Elko, Nevada and Dick Browning of Redlands, California. Rosenwald, who has been on an extended visit to Southern Baja, benefitted by his local knowledge and his planned strategy of concentrating on the rock piles north of Punta Gorda and using yo-yo iron jigs proved to right on the money, some $ 5,000 worth.


The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 59 charters for the week and anglers reported a fish count of: 9 giant squid, 3 hammerhead shark, 18 huachinago(red snapper), 14 cabrilla, 17 yellowfin tuna, 235 Mexican bonito, 8 roosterfish, 27 amberjack, 128 sierra and 154 yellowtail.