Fish Report for 5-24-2012

The Billfish bite at Cabo San Lucas was wide open for 3 days and then just shut down

5-24-2012
Larry Edwards

It's hard to believe that a wide-open bite can go so strong for 3 days and the very next day just shut down as if it never happened. That was how the IGFA Tournament wound up and only 8 fish were recorded for the final fishing day for the 47 boats entered in the event. The cooler waters from the Pacific side wrapped around Cabo and literally shut the bite off and it is just now starting to come back a little. The skippers are seeing the fish but the bite is way off the mark from where it was just a week ago. According to the owner of the Fish Cabo Fleet, Roberto Marquez, the billfish that were taken during the past few days were reflecting a lot of squid in their diet along with small bait fish that looked a bit like baby caballitos but some of the local fishing intellectuals thought they were baby dorado. No one knows for sure. They only know that the fish they are now seeing are not being cooperative, at all. The overall fish counts for 21 days reflected a total of 13 stripers released, 1 yellowtail, 1 dorado, 5 roosterfish and 4 skipjack. The "Gaviota I" was high billfish boat with 6 releases for 6 days fished.

Cabo Climate: Cool mornings and evenings with temps down to 63 degrees and rising to 92 daytime highs.

Sea Conditions: Generally, good sea conditions with light and variable surface breezes. Water temps were cool on the Pacific side and rose to 70 degrees by San Jose Del Cabo and then gradually increasing to 72-73 just above the Gorda Banks and up to 77-79 degrees by Boca Del Tule and above into the Sea of Cortez. Temps continued to fall over the past 18 hours as the Pacific current pushed it's way around the corner and into the Sea of Cortez that could hamper the sportfishing effort for the entire Cabo Fishing Fleet.

Best Fishing Area: The 1150 area and on up to and above the Gorda Banks but look for changes with the falling water temps.

Best Bait/Lure: The billfish during the IGFA tournament were all taken on rigged ballyhoo baits but for the boats not in the event, the live caballitos were working very well.

Live Bait Supply: Remained very good throughout the week.


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