WEATHER: Our daytime highs reached the high 80's this week and our nightime lows were in the low 70's. There were partly cloudy skies most days as well. During the middle of the week the wind shifted and started coming out of the east and as Sunday approached it slowly moved back through the south, west and then the normal northwest direction.

WATER: Water conditions remained very nice again, and even the shift in wind direction had little effect other than making the Sea Of Cortez side if the Cape a bit choppy. It did not blow from any one direction long enoigh to set up swells. On the Cortez side the water remained several degrees warmer than the Pacific side, averaging 82 degrees. The swells remained slight at 1-3 feet. On the Pacific side the swells were moderate at 3-5 feet but spaced well apart. The water averaged 79 degrees with occasional light chop.

BAIT: Caballito were available at the normal $3 per bait, Mackerel were a "catch your own at Golden Gate Bank" bait and I did not hear if there were any sardinas.

FISHING:

BILLFISH: Striped Marlin continued to bite for everyone, but there were a couple of slower days when they kept their mouths closed. Boats were averaging 2-5 hook-ups per trip at the Golden Gate but a few were able to be at the right place at the right time and do better, often releasing 6 or more fish. Matching the hatch by catching your own Mackerel was key to a decent catch rate. Farther to the north at the Finger Bank boats were consistently in double digit numbers, one of my friends released 30 marlin in three hours while fishing with very experienced anglers. Elsewhere the bite was slow, a few Stripers here, a few there with no concentration to be found.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: We got out on Monday for a food trip, targetting Yellowfin. The focus was to the sought of the San Jaime Bank as a friend had reported there being a nice school of fish there. We went to the numbers and could not find a thing. We fianlly found some white-bellied dolphin in the middle of the San Jaime and were able to pick a double on the first pass, decent fish at 25 pounds. After working them for a while, and having to return soon, we did the run and gun, getting ahead of the moving pod of dolphin and dropping back two mackerel. That resulted in a double hook-up of 35-40 pound fish. That was it for the trip for us. Other boats reported the same slow pick results from small pods of dolphin both to the south of us and slightly to the north and west. Boats that ventured much farther north (private boats on multi-day trips) reported continued good action on fish in the 100-200 pound class usinf live bait on downriggers and on kites.

DORADO: Once again the Dorado remained on the bite off of the beach on the Pacific side between the lighthouse and El Arco. Slow trolled live bait and fast trolled plastic lures worked well there, and they also did the job on fish that were on the Cortez side up around Punta Gorda. Most boats were able to get several fish between 12 and 20 pounds and there were a few larger ones to 40 pounds as well. A few of the boats on the Pacific side were able to get schools of Dorado behind an already hooked fish and were able to catch limits.

WAHOO: There were a few nice Wahoo taken this week ranging in size from 20 to 40 pounds. Most of the action was around the rocky points on the Pacific side or up around Punta Gorda on the Cortez side of the Cape. A few boats working the Finger Bank reported multiple strikes as well while trolling lures. A few fish were reported caught while blind trolling offshore.

INSHORE: I saw a few Pangas coming in with nice Sierra to 9 pounds, a few with a lot more fish but smaller in size, a few decent Yellowtail to 25 pounds, a few nice Grouper to 20 pounds. There were quite a few Dorado caught just off the beach as well.

NOTES: As you can tell from the report, the fishing has been good this week, a bit on and off day to day but good overall. With the economy the way it is you can probably get some excellent deals on rooms in Cabo right now, and since fuel prices are back down it might result in cheaper air fares as well. Treat yourself to an early Christmas present, come to Cabo and get some fishing in! This weeks report was written to the music of "The Marmalades" . a mostly cover band from the 60's. Until next week, tight lines!