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12 May 2008 - Gordo Banks Panga report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: eric
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Gordo Banks Pangas
San Jose del Cabo
May 11, 2008
Anglers -
Ideal time to visit Southern Baja, clear sunny skies with highs in the 80s, crowds are lighter than usual and fishing action is steady enough to please most serious anglers.
Ocean conditions have been a bit unpredictable, but on most days anglers were able to find comfortable seas. Water temperatures ranged from 73 to 77 degrees, with the warmest currents now found near Los Frailes. Mackerel were scarcer, but sardinas remained plentiful, particularly in the area of the Puerto Los Cabos Marina Jetties.
Striped marlin were found in significant numbers from La Fortuna to Desteladera, the marlin could be seen feeding and at times anglers were able to jig up their own bait when they were found schooling on the surface. The cruiser fleets launching from Cabo San Lucas had better access to larger baitfish such as mackerel and caballito, so they were able to target the billfish more efficiently.
The local panga fleets had a variety of options, one of them was on the Inner Gordo Banks, where they targeted yellowtail and dorado ranging in the 20 to 40 pound class These fish were hooked into while slow trolling sardinas on the surface. The yellowtail were seen in significant numbers, but were proving a bit finicky and lighter tackle resulted in more hook ups, but also more lost fish, because these yellowtail were extremely powerful and found many different ways of gaining their freedom, one of them by going straight down and cutting anglers lines off on the nearby rocky high spots. There were a few days early in the week where cross winds resulted in choppy conditions and some anglers opted to fish in more protected areas closer to shore. There was good action found for sierra, roosterfish, yellowtail and Mexican bonito found off of Palmilla and to Chileno. Most of these fish were ten pounds of less, but provided great sport on lighter tackle, again trolling with live sardinas was the best technique, though yo-yos and rapalas also produced well.
After the yellowfin tuna schools were all but decimated last week by the seiner fleets
Working the fishing grounds near Cabo San Lucas there were new schools of tuna that moved back into this same region, only to be followed once again by the commercial seiners, not the dozen or more vessels that had initially raped the area the previous week, but nevertheless several of the larger sized seiners with their helicopter pads on top. This situation seems to be turning more political, common sense would acknowledge that these vessels stay clear of such a populated tourist zone, but authorities higher up apparently are showing how influential they really are and that these are their oceans and they will do as they please. Maybe it is time for the U.S. residents to consider boycotting purchasing tuna that is captured from Mexican waters.
A variety of snapper were found, though this bite was not consistent from day to day, a couple of days saw anglers catching nice pargo near the surface on the Gordo Banks, also a few pompano, cabrilla and amberjack mixed in.
The combined panga fleet launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out approximately 55 charters for the week and anglers reported a fish count of:
2 mako sharks, 8 striped marlin, 17 yellowfin tuna, 142 yellowtail, 24 dorado, 8 pompano, 13 cabrilla, 6 amberjack, 78 Mexican bonito, 74 roosterfish and 122 sierra.
Good Fishing, Eric
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