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25 Nov 2013 - GORDO BANKS PANGAS San Jose del Cabo November 24, 2013
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: Eric Brictson
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GORDO BANKS PANGAS
San Jose del Cabo
November 24, 2013
Anglers –
As we enter Thanksgiving Holiday week we are seeing a steady flow of
tourists arriving, it has been a busy fall season, next week is typically
when crowds will lighten, as many people will start preparing the Christmas
Holiday season. Los Cabos weather has been pristine, highs of 80 degrees,
with lows in the 60s, scattered cloud cover, but plenty of sunshine as
well, very nice climate now, how you wish you could feel and enjoy year
round. Winds are now prevalent from the north, though recently have been
moderate and anglers were enjoying comfortable ocean conditions most days.
Sportfishing fleets were traveling in all directions, targeting the normal
offshore fishing grounds, finding a mix of billfish, striped marlin, blue
marlin and sailfish were all reported, with multiple billfish days reported
from charters targeting the Pacific grounds. Water temperature are now on a
cooling trend, down to 75 degrees on the Pacific and still averaging right
about 80 degrees off of San Jose del Cabo and north towards Los Frailes.
Bait suppliers have been working overtime to obtain sufficient supplies and
variety for the full load of charters. Sardinas were being hauled in from
northern areas and were being sold by the bag, as brined fresh dead bait,
also there were limited supplies of live sardinas just in recent days being
offered. These baits have been working well for the for yellowfin tuna on
the grounds off of La Fortuna and the Iman Bank, combined with strips of
giant squid, also available at the dock in the morning, along with ballyhoo
and caballito. Drift fishing while chumming and fly lining baits has been
the most successful technique for finding yellowfin tuna in the 10 to 20
pound class, catches were a bit sporadic, some days fish would bite late
and on others the action was best early. Light leaders of 25/30 lb. worked
best. Catches ranged from a 2 or 3, up to 15 fish per boat. After last
week’s new local record 386 lb. yellowfin was brought in, the action for
the larger cow tuna on the Gordo Banks has been almost zero, surely a
combination of factors are contributing to the slower action, cooling
waters, heavy boat pressure, from pangas to large sportfishers, hungry sea
lions, dive operations anchoring on high spot and ever increasing numbers
of spear fishermen also concentrating on these same banks, this combined
with the fact that we have just not seen as many numbers of these giant
tuna this season.
Last weekend Wahoo Tournament out of La Playita was a success, a 54 lb.
specimen won jackpot honors. This weekend there is a new inaugural
tournament being held, Los Cabos Big Game. Anglers renting a charter boat
can enter free of charge, with $25 K in prize money guarantee, sounds like
a great deal. Anglers can enter one or both dates, participating charters
can depart from Cabos San Lucas, Puerto Los Cabos or Buena Vista. Will be
interesting to see how this goes, maybe next year with further advance
notice in order to promote increased interest, this could be a popular
format, with free entry, it is a no loose proposition, though the 7:30 a.m.
departure time was not to the liking of anglers wishing to target the ever
elusive wahoo.
Other action included drifting larger baits off the bottom structure for a
chance at hooking into a grouper or amberjack, though numbers were not
high, there were some impressive fish accounted for, amberjack to 40 lb.
and grouper to 70 lb. Inshore this past week we have seen more sierra
moving in, striking on trolled hoochies, as well as sardinas. A couple very
nice sized sierra of 8 to 9 lb. were brought in.
The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos
Marina sent out approximately 180 charters for this past week, with anglers
accounting for a fish count of: 9 striped marlin, 6 sailfish, 55 wahoo, 125
bonito, 6 roosterfish, 15 cabrilla, 8 grouper, 32 sierra, 170 dorado and
410 yellowfin tuna.
Good fishing, Eric
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GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson / Operator
619 488-1859
Los Cabos (624) 142-1147
e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com
WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM
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