East Cape Fishing Report! 11/1/12
Fishing is excellent in the Sea of Cortez right now. A mixed bag of yellowfin tuna, dorado, and some very nice wahoo make up the primary offshore catches of our delicious species to eat. Unfortunately, the average size of both the tuna and dorado is small: 10-20# ahi and ‘chicken’ mahi-mahi in a similar size range. Every so often, a bigger specimen shows up at the docks. At least the number of fish are good, so anglers are getting plenty of fillets to take home, and plenty of freshly prepared fish are making the rounds for bartime snacks and during evening meals as well.
Striped marlin action is steady. A few boats are enjoying multiple catch-and-release opportunities for stripers, and some big sailfish are showing up in trolling spreads. Blue marlin and black marlin are mostly absent. It just hasn’t been a good season for the big brutes this year, other than for a few weeks back in July and August when blue marlin action was consistent. This low catch rate for blue marlin is unusual for East Cape waters in October, even more so due to the fact that ample bait is available for big predators. This is usually primetime for blues, with the action lasting well into November.
Inshore, roosterfish action is hot’lots of numbers and some good size still available. Sierra mackerel’delicious table fare’also have returned for the fall season, making an inshore angling stop for a few hours of the fishing day well worth the effort.
Superb sea surface temperatures of 83-85 degrees make the Sea of Cortez a fantastic fishing spot right now.
East Cape Fishing Report! 9/30/12
Steady fishing action has been the norm for most of October, right up until two days of wind and rain swept across the East Cape. Excellent numbers of yellowfin tuna are being caught to the south of our hotels near Los Frailes, and while many of the tuna are football-size, some bigger specimens are showing up in catches.
Dorado fishing is very steady. Many mahi-mahi in the 25# class are biting, with a few bulls of 40#-plus mixed in. While inconsistent in terms of overall numbers, some big wahoo are available as well. Between the hoards of yellowfin and the dorado and wahoo hooking up, plenty of tasty fillets for the cooler make a trip to the East Cape rewarding and productive.
Big sailfish are numerous. Boats targeting billfish are catching and releasing multiple fish per day. Quite a few striped marlin also are showing up in catches. A few blue marlin are in the mix as well. If you want to catch marlin and sailfish, you can’t miss when fishing the Sea of Cortez.
Inshore, roosterfish are numerous. Some big specimens still are available, with potential for 40#-class fish, as well as many smaller roosters. Pargo and cabrilla round out the inshore bite. The season is winding down for true trophy roosterfish. In 2012, we can boast breaking the IGFA 20# line-class record with a 101-pounder as well as incredible numbers of 50-80 pound fish in the catch-and-release annals.
East Cape Fishing Report! 9/1/12
Fishing is steady for yellowfin tuna and dorado on the East Cape right now. Excellent numbers of both species are available, with a big tuna school to the southeast 5-10 miles from the resorts. Good numbers of dorado are available both north (near Punta Pescadero) and south (near La Ribera and Punta Arena). While limits of both species are easy to come by–and anglers are going home happy with full coolers of processed fillets–the average size is nothing to brag about. Most of the yellowfin are football-size in the 10# range, with some specimens up to 35#. Big tuna over 100# are a rare occurance indeed. Average size of the dorado is better, with lots available between 25-35#, and a few larger bulls also.
Inshore, roosterfish still can be caught in good numbers. A few pargo and triggerfish are mixed in. Not too many wahoo are being caught.
Offshore, Striped marlin and sailfish are roaming the Sea of Cortez in good numbers, but our catch rates are down with most guests targeting the tuna schools and ample numbers of dorado. Blue marlin are few and far between, and black marlin are absent.
A 150# striped marlin was hooked this week within 100 yards of shore, right in front of the guests sitting in the pools at the hotels! Our Cruiser ‘El Tio’ was coming into her mooring after a fishing day and spotted the fish swimming amongst our moored fleet. A 30-minute battle ensued after the hookup!
East Cape Fishing Report! 8/1/12
Fishing the past few weeks has been steady, with excellent numbers of fish and many species represented. Right now on the East Cape you can catch yellowfin tuna, dorado, roosterfish, wahoo, triggerfish, pargo, striped marlin, Pacific sailfish, blue marlin, and black marlin. Not a bad mix of sportfish and plenty of variety!
If there are any complaints, it’s about the lack of size for some of our key species. Typically in July and August we see the biggest specimens of the year for species like tuna and dorado. For the mahi, we actually enjoyed better average size in April, May, and June this year, with lots of fish over 50#. In our Dorado Shootout Tournament ten days ago, a 41# fish won the event for biggest dorado. Likewise the tuna: hoards of 10-30# yellowfin are being caught, but the monsters few and far between.
Schools of tuna are in all directions, with schools being reported straight east (42 miles), to the south off Cabo Pulmo (6-15 miles), further south off Los Frailes and Los Meganos Blancos (42-47 miles) and to the north (6-12 miles and 18-22 miles).
Striped marlin and sailfish are being caught in good numbers. These species are averaging 100-150#. Best marlin numbers are being reported from Punta Pescadero to the north (6-12 miles), north off El Cardonal (6 miles), and in several locales to the south, including Cabo Pulmo (6-13 miles), Los Frailes (5 miles) and Destiladeras (6 miles).
Blue marlin fishing has been good, but like the keeper species above, size is lacking. The blues are in the 200# range, considered juveniles for our waters. A few black marlin are being reported. The best blue marlin action has been off Cabo Pulmo.
The East Cape Bisbee Tournament just concluded. To give you an idea of the potential big fish swimming in East Cape waters, the two biggest tuna of the tournament weighed in at 262-pounds and 213-pounds. A 57# dorado was the biggest of that species. No qualifying marlin over 300 pounds were caught, but ninety-four total billfish were released.
Roosterfish remain numerous. Boats targeting them exclusively can catch and release more than 20 roosters per day. Fish range across the size range/spectrum, with plenty of fish in the 40-80 pound range being landed, along with many smaller specimens. Jack crevalle, pargo, pompano, amberjack, and triggerfish round out the inshore bite.
As mentioned in our mid-July fishing report, a 101-pound roosterfish was landed on 20# test, and is a pending IGFA line class record.
The hot summer weather is here, and fishing’s likewise hot. For bait, plenty of ballyhoo, jurelito, caballito, and some small sardines are available. Sea surface temperatures are in the 85-90 degree range across most of our fishing grounds. All in all, with the tremendous variety and overall numbers of gamefish, it’s a great time to visit the East Cape!
East Cape Fishing Report! 7/16/12
A stellar bite for many species is going on right now on the East Cape!
First off, the numbers of yellowfin tuna and dorado are just off the charts. While many of the tuna are 10#-40# size, we are seeing some real brutes with a few specimens breaking the elusive 200# barrier. It seems the quantities of fish over 100# also is increasing in lockstep with our warmest sea surface temperatures of the year.
Likewise for good average size dorado–lots of fish between 10-40# range.
The 20# IGFA line class record was broken (pending certification by IGFA) by one of our guests who landed a 101-pound rooster fish hooked near the Punta Arena lighthouse just five miles east of Punta Colorada. The quality of rooster fish on the East Cape right now is among the best seen anywhere in the world–we are seeing numbers of fish 35-50#, and plenty of monsters 70#, 80#, and 90#. You just can’t get any better for roosters!
We’ve seen amberjack over 60 pounds, plenty of blue marlin up to 400#, loads of striped marlin to 200#, and good numbers of big sailfish 125# are starting to show up as well. When you throw in the 40# wahoo, plus inshore cabrilla, snapper, bonita, triggerfish, and more, it simply puts the East Cape at the top of your list for exciting big game action at an affordable price!
East Cape Fishing Report! 7/1/12
Spectacular fishing continues to be the norm here on the East Cape! We’ve had a great run of fun tournaments at Hotels Palmas de Cortez and Playa del Sol this past month, with anglers enjoying some fantastic catches of a variety of species.
Striped marlin fishing remains steady with 2-4 releases per day for many boats focusing primarliy on billfish. Some big sailfish are available as well, but the typical big summer numbers we usually see have not arrived yet. A few blue marlin are being caught.
Dorado fishing is excellent. Good numbers of quality fish have been in East Cape waters since May, and although there are lulls in overall catch rates for a few days here and there, overall the mahi mahi are stellar. Many quality fish 25-40# are being brought in, with occasional brutes topping the scales at 50#.
Roosterfish are numerous. Some boats focusing on inshore species exclusively are catching and releasing as many as 20 roosters per day. Fish range across the size range/spectrum, with some fish over 50 pounds being landed. Jack crevalle, pargo, and triggerfish round out the inshore bite.
Yellowfin tuna schools are showing up, but most of the fish are football size up to about 50 pounds. Occasional fish in the 100# class are being caught, but the summer monsters have not appeared as of yet.
The hot summer weather is here, and fishing’s likewise hot. Plenty of bait is available. Sea surface temperatures are in the 83-86 degree range across most of our fishing grounds. It’s a great time to visit the East Cape!
East Cape Fishing Report! 6/1/12
We’re excited to report the first yellowfin tuna of the season have been caught in the past week down here in the Sea of Cortez! Tuna in the 20-70# range showed up last week with a school contacted by Capt. Mario on ‘Fresh Catch’ to the east of the Ocho-Ocho Reef (north of us near Cerralvo Island). In the same area, huge numbers of striped marlin are being caught as well Some boats are catching and releasing 8-10 billfish per day. This is a big increase from mid-May, when we saw a drop in billfish catch rates compared to early May. 1-3 marlin releases was the norm for about two weeks, after a 2-4 fish average starting out the month.
Dorado fishing remains excellent’not in terms of numbers but in terms of the quality of the fish. Numerous specimens 20-45# are being caught, so plenty of fillets to fill those coolers, and plenty of fresh fish being passed around at the Pool Bars!
Roosterfish continue to impress, with boats targeting them specifically catching many fish, up to about 30#. A few pargo, jack crevalle, and triggerfish are mixed in. For some reason, not too many wahoo around so far this season.
Fishing is hot, the weather is gorgeous, and it’s time to get yourself down to the East Cape for some awesome multi-species saltwater action!
East Cape Fishing Report! 5/1/12
Fishing success has just exploded down here on the East Cape! With water temperatures in the mid-70s and rising, the Spring fishing season is in full swing. We have a number of great stories to share this month. Leading the way are the large numbers of roosterfish that are making our early season inshore opportunities very memorable indeed. One of our guests who focused on roosters exclusively caught and released an amazing 113 fish in five days of fishing, along with some nice jack crevalle mixed in! Now that’s inshore fishing at its finest!
Offshore, huge number of striped marlin are in the Sea of Cortez. Unfortunately, we are a little thin on bait so far (mackerel were available a few weeks ago but seem to have dropped off in the past week). Since striped marlin eat mackerel like candy, it’s reducing our hookups by having to rely on trolled lures for most fish. Anglers are seeing striped marlin all over our fishing grounds. Typical catch rates are 1-3 releases per day. A few sailfish are mixed in. Last week, our first blue marlin of the season was caught! This is more than a month earlier than average for blue marlin.
Mahi mahi are off the charts as well. A few weeks ago, numbers of fish were significant; in the past week overall catch rates have dipped, but the average size of dorado is incredible. We have already seen some 50# class fish caught, along with quite a few in the 40# range, and many more in the 20-30# range. These average sizes are more typical for June and July fishing.
Wahoo are available, and some cabrilla and pargo are showing up in inshore catches as well, although they are small fish. Earlier in April, excellent numbers of 40# class yellowtail were being caught; yellowtail numbers have dropped as of this past week.
We’re still awaiting the annual yellowfin tuna bite to get cranked up, but with hot fishing for so many other species, it’s hard to find enough hours in the day to catch everything! The peak season has indeed started off with a big bang! We hope to see you this year fishing on the East Cape!
East Cape Fishing Report! 4/1/12
Fishing success has increased dramatically in just a few weeks here on the East Cape! We had a VERY windy couple of weeks early in March but once the trade winds diminished, sea surface temperatures spiked rapidly, and an influx of striped marlin and dorado started our peak fishing season off with a bang.
Our boats are seeing average catch rates for March striper fishing: one to three releases per day is normal, with shots at additional marlin mixed in. Dorado are small’10 to 15 pounds’but numerous. The poolside grills at our Hotels are starting to sizzle with fresh fish tacos, and delicious dorado ceviche is being served at the pool bar.
Inshore, yellowtail fishing has been exceptional, with 40-pound fish being caught in the past month. Unfortunately, sierra mackerel numbers are down as peak fishing for them winds down, and there isn’t much action inshore for other species as of yet. No roosterfish have been spotted.
A few wahoo are showing up, although they are running small’in the 30 pound class. With sea surface temps approaching the mid-70s, it won’t be long before yellowfin tuna and even more striped marlin start to appear, along with blues and blacks, Pacific sailfish, and of course the annual return of the roosters.
Despite a windy month, fishing has cranked up significantly. Plan your visit to the East Cape soon to enjoy some awesome big game fishing in 2012!
East Cape Fishing Report! 3/1/12
Despite many windy days in February that limited the fishing, we are starting to trend upward in terms of both sea surface temperatures and overall fishing. Warm southern currents have been pushing water in the mid-70’s into the Sea of Cortez, and with it, the arrival of both striped marlin as well as some dorado. The stripers range in the 125-180# class, typical for Spring stripers in our waters. The dorado are running small’only 10-15 pounds on average. While overall catches are nowhere near what we expect by later in March, the early trend bodes well for a strong kickoff to the 2012 fishing season! Inshore, sierra mackerel are plentiful, and some yellowtail also can be found. A few wahoo have been reported also. We look forward to seeing you on the East Cape this year!
East Cape Fishing Report! 10/31/11
A mix of striped marlin, sailfish, dorado, and yellowfin tuna make up the bulk of catches in the East Cape fleet right now. Fish are scattered far and wide across the Sea of Cortez, with several distinct tuna schools, roaming billfish, and pods of dorado throughout our fishing grounds. Most fish are being caught with trolled lures.
Unseasonable north winds cooled our sea surface temps a bit this past week, and in lockstep with that we saw a big increase in the numbers of dorado being caught. While most of the fish are schoolie size, a few nicer-sized mahi mahi in the 20-25# class are being hooked.
Billfishing is excellent. Our fleet has tallied more than 300 striped marlin and sailfish recently, and some big blue marlin are mixed in with the marlin catches also. Yellowfin tuna remain in our waters, but are becoming less consistent in catches, with numbers of fish in the 60-120# range being caught, although the vast majority of tuna are football size. Inshore, fishing is great, with a mix of roosterfish, amberjack, jack crevalle, big-eye jacks, ladyfish, and pargo available.
Sea surface temps range from 82-86 degrees and air temps have been in the high 90’s every day. Our third consecutive year of no hurricanes! See you on the East Cape soon!