Fish Report for 7-17-2011

Billfish is So-So, Yellowtail the best, then Dorado at Cabo

7-17-2011
George Landrum

WEATHER:
This was a pretty nice week, even though it was warm. Our daytime highs were in the high 90's and the nighttime lows in the high 70's, but it was still cooler than in a lot of the states. Quite a heatwave you have going on up there, come to Cabo and cool down! We had partly to mostly cloudy skies at the end of the week but plenty of sun during the middle of the week and the week started off with a light sprinkle on Monday, just enough to spot up the cars.

WATER:
We had an early week upwelling of cool water along the beach on the Pacific side where the water went from 80 degrees down to 73 degrees and it has been slow to get back up there. This cool water wrapped around the Cape for a few days, cooking the water in the bay, but then the warm water from the Sea of Cortez took over and replaced the cool bay water. The Pacific near-shore water remains a bit cooler than we have on the Cortez side, staying in the high 70′s. On the Cortez side of the Cape we have been seeing water temperatures ranging from 80 to 85 degrees with the warmer water coming from farther to the east mid week. Surface conditions on both side of the Cape were good this week with light winds in the afternoon bringing some small whitecaps on the Pacific side. The swells got smaller as the week progressed and at the end of the week we were seeing swells of 1-3 feet on the Cortez side and 3-5 feet on the Pacific.

BAIT:
Caballito and Mullet were the baits of the week with a few Mackerel in the mix. Everything was the normal $3 per bait.

FISHING:

BILLFISH:
The Striped Marlin bite has fallen off as we expect when the water gets over 80 degrees, but there are still some to be found. My guess, based on what I have been seeing is a success rate of about 35%. I have not seen very many boats flying multiple flags, two at the most, and the fish have been scattered. Best results on the Striped Marlin have been from the area of cool water on the Pacific side close to the beach. There have been more frequent attacks on lure from the larger Marlin as well! Reports of Blue Marlin up to 500 pounds taking Yellowfin Tuna as they are being reeled in gives you a reason to get out there, but they have not yet arrived in any numbers, just an occasional fish or so. Smaller Blue Marlin and possibly a few Black Marlin have been reported attacking lures pulled around the Tuna schools, maybe it's time to down-rig a few Tuna on the banks?

YELLOWFIN TUNA:
A bright star for our fishing this week was the Yellowfin Tuna action. As is normal with these fish, first boats to the action had the best luck, and finding the action for the most part consisted of finding Porpoise. Find those mammals and you stood a fair chance of getting into Yellowfin that averaged 15 pounds and once in a while jumped over the 40 pound mark. I did hear reports of a few larger fish coming from the area outside of Punta Gorda, fish that went over the 100 pound mark. Almost anyone that wanted Tuna this week were able to get a few, and some anglers limited out. On a worry note, the purse seiners nave started to show up, but that means that there are more fish on the way, just hope they don't get them all before we have a chance at some!

DORADO:
Another bright spot this week was the number of Dorado we have been seeing, and pretty nice fish for the most part at an average of 12 pounds. There have been a few really small ones that bode well for the next few months as they get larger, and of course the 40 pound fish that get everyone all excited. The majority of the larger Dorado are being found on the Cortez side in the warmer water and the smaller fish are being found close to the beach.

WAHOO:
Full moon this week did bring out reports of some Wahoo being caught out there. As far as I could determine there was no concentrated effort for them, most of the fish were incidental catches made while fishing for other species.

INSHORE:
Inshore fishing was a repeat of last week with the inclusion of a few more Dorado showing up. Roosterfish to 60 pounds, Amberjack, Jack Crevalle, Bonito, Grouper, Snapper, all the inshore fish are showing in the reports this week. The ones not there are the cooler water fish such as Yellowtail and Sierra. Slow trolling live bait is the key to getting most of the fish except the bottom species, and those were biting on butterfly jigs.

NOTES:
I have the birds singing in the background for my report music, and can just hear my dog snoring in the next room, life is good! Time to get her and Mary to the beach for our weekly walk, come home for a Sunday breakfast and watch the finish of the British Open and the ladies World Cup!

Until next week, tight lines!


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