WEATHER: We started last week with some very nice weather and then mid week we had some heavy clouds and rain move in. Wednesday was cloudy and had some decent rain in a few areas around here, up to an inch in scattered locations, but only a light scattering here in town. During the week were the low's were in the 50′s while highs were lucky to break the 80 degree mark early in the week, but by Saturday we had gotten 82 degrees showing here at the house. Late in the week saw some heavy wind from the north, the rest of the week it had been from the west.

WATER: The water on the Cortez side of the Cape changed this week after the cold front that brought us rain moved through. Early in the week there had been a hot area of 74 degree water just inside the 1,000 fathom line as well as a hot spot on top of the San Jaime Bank on the Pacific side. At the end of the week the water across our area had cooled to an average of 70 degrees on both side of the Cape with a cooler band of 68 degree water running along the beach on the Pacific side. Surface conditions early in the week were great but as the cold and rain moved in so did the wind and by Wednesday the Pacific side had really gotten rough and choppy, but it had calmed down by Friday. On the Cortez side the same conditions occurred but with less effect, and then at the end of the week the winds switched and started to come from the north, bringing up choppy conditions from San Jose and northward.

BAIT: Mackerel and Caballito were the baits available at the normal $3 each and there was a very limited supply of Sardinas to be found if you went to San Jose.

FISHING:

BILLFISH:
It appears that the Striped Marlin are scarce this week as few boats were returning with blue flags flying. Those that were getting fish were finding them offshore from 10 to 20 miles on both sides of the Cape, but there seemed to be slightly higher concentrations around the 1150 and 95 spots than in other areas. Fish were spotted on the surface on the Pacific side but most of them were not in the feeding mood, ignoring lures and live bait. My best guess is that less than 15% of the boats managed to hook a billfish this week, but not for lack of trying.

YELLOWFIN TUNA:
Just like last week, the offshore fishing for Yellowfin remained slow. There were pods of porpoise out there but you were only able to catch fish if you were in the right spot at the right time. The first boat to a school might get four of five fish and the second boat get nothing, or the first boat might just get one fish, it varied, but most of the porpoise found had no fish under them. Just like last week, the best action on Yellowfin seemed to happen close to the beach on the Cortez side up at the Inman Banks. Boats from San Jose were fishing there and an occasional boat from Cabo went the distance to try, but even for them it was scratchy fishing with fish from 20 to 80 pounds being the result of weeding through the skip-jack that were everywhere. Drifted Sardinas and chunks of skip-jack fished on fluro-carbon leader was the key.

DORADO:
The fishing for Dorado remained slow this week, just like last week. Very few are being caught and the majority of them are no larger than 10 pounds. Close to shore on the Pacific side and along the beach off of Palmilla have been where the majority of fish have been and the best results have been from drifting with live sardinas and chumming heavily. There have been a few fish in the 15-20 pound class, but they have been the exception.

WAHOO:
Most of the red or orange flags we have seen have been for Sierra or Shark instead of for Wahoo. The water is just on the cool side of the Wahoo preference so there have been very few of them caught this week.

INSHORE:
A repeat of last week with as many Sierra as you want, there does not seem to be a scarcity of them! Of course they are small, most between 2 and 4 pounds, but great smoked or used for ceviche. Trolling small hootchies or rapallas right outside the surf break resulted in most of the fish, but live bait on wire leader also worked. There were some very nice Yellowtail caught as well, but most of them were caught on live bait dropped down to just off the bottom on the rock piles. Unlike last week, iron worked just off the bottom did produce some fish, but unless it was blue/silver you worked your arms off for little result. There were some small Roosterfish as well as some Pompano and skip jack inshore. Those that targeted bottom fish managed to find snapper to 20 pounds in the rock piles right on the beach and there were plenty of trigger fish in water between 60 and 120 feet deep as well as some grouper to 15 pounds.

NOTES:
Football is over for the year so it's time to watch some golf and maybe play a few rounds, get in some time on the water to catch some Yellowtail and do some cooking on the grill on Sundays. Great weather and some fine inshore fishing should result in a fine week to come. This weeks report was written the the sounds of Tawny snoring at my feet, waiting for the trip to the beach and some swimming.

Have a great week, catch lots of fish, and get those reservations for Cabo made!