WEATHER:???? Our temperatures continue to cool a bit as we start into October, normally we notice the first cool day on the 15th, but we don't mind it starting a bit early.?? We have been very fortunate this year to experience a fairly cool summer.?? This week our daytime highs were in the high 80's, occasionally touching the low 90's and our nighttime lows were in the mid 70's.?? A few cloudy days occurred during the middle of the week that threatened us with rain, but they dropped their water over the Sea of Cortez instead of on us.

WATER:???? As the weather has cooled off the water has warmed up.?? On the Cortez side of the Cape we have had temperatures as high as 90 degrees in some spots, but for the most part it has averaged 85-86 degrees and has been a deep blue color.?? On the Pacific side it has been cooler with most of the water in range of the fleets between 80-83 degrees with the cooler water farther north.?? Surface conditions at the end of the week were not great though as we had winds from the west-northwest develop Friday morning and it was like a sheep farm out there Friday and Saturday.?? The wind settled on Sunday but it was still choppy.

BAIT: ??There was some Mackerel available this week but they were not lasting long in the bait tanks.?? Most of the boats were getting Caballito and both baits were the normal $2 per bait.?? There were Sardinas available as well at the normal $20 per scoop.

FISHING:

BILLFISH:?? Late in the week there was a good bite on Blue and Striped Marlin at the Gorda Banks, there were tailing Stripers to be found on the 95 Spot and there were Sailfish 6 miles off of the Arch.?? Billfish were scattered all over the place but the bottom structure seemed to be the place to find them this week.?? While I did not go there myself, I heard reports of a very good Striped Marlin bite up at the Finger Bank early in the week with many boats getting double digit numbers of fish released.?? Our best lure color this week was Bleeding Mackerel for the Sailfish and Striped Marlin and Purple-Blue-Silver for the Blue and Black Marlin.

YELLOWFIN TUNA:?? At the end of the week there was a decent school of Yellowfin found at the Golden Gat Bank but you really took a pounding to get to them.?? Reports were the fish were averaging 20 pounds and most boats were able to get a dozen or more.?? Yellowfin were also found to the north side of the Cabrilla Seamount among porpoise and again, they averaged 20 pounds with a few larger fish to 50 pounds in the mix.?? For boats that were able to do multi-day trips up the Pacific side, the Ridge and Morgan Banks reportedly had fish in the 80 pound class holding deep, small Skipjack run on downriggers were the ticket for a few of the private boats that ventured that way and worked the fish.

DORADO:?? There were Dorado scattered just about everywhere but the best concentrations were on the Pacific side 3 miles off the beach inside the Golden Gate Bank and north of there.?? As was usual, bright colored lures trolled at 9 knots and better brought in the first fish and live bait dropped behind the first fish caught managed to get quite a few anglers hooked into doubles or triples.?? Also as normal, anything found floating on the surface was worth working and at the end of the week there were a couple of logs found just to the outside of the 95 Spot that supplied a lot of action on fish averaging 25 pounds. On Wednesday there was a school of fish found just one mile off of the Arch and that kept boats busy for the day working fish in the 15-pound class.

WAHOO:?? We did not have a full moon this week so the bite on Wahoo was a bit off compared to what it had been, but still, boats that worked the 100 fathom and shallower areas just off the beach on the Pacific side, and the Gorda Banks area on the Cortez side were able to report some action on these speedsters.?? The best lures were swimming plugs such as Marauders and big Rapalla countdowns run close to the boat, mostly within the first three wakes.

INSHORE:?? Inshore action remained slow for most of the week, at least for the traditional fish.?? There was a good bite for Dorado just off the beach, at least until Thursday morning, and then the wind really started to kick in.?? The remainder of the week the action shifted to the Cortez side and things became really slow with the exception of a good bite on Skipjack and a few Bonita.

Notes:?? I love baseball during the playoffs; it is fun watching the best of the best.?? My golf game is getting better but this is the time of year when I get busy on the water so I know that the golf is going to suffer.?? Oh well, the paycheck is worth it!?? I know that I have been running the following for the past three weeks, but if you have not yet had a chance, or have been reluctant to go to the attached web site, please take the time this week to fill in the survey, it's important for our fisheries here.?? Thanks for your support, and until next week, tight lines!