Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 03/22/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

The arrival of cool green water plumes pushed by strong currents and the approaching full moon slowed the fishing results considerably this past week.  The Dorado counts were particularly affected this past week but the inshore fishing showed no slowdown! The Yellowfin Tuna counts were really hit and miss but some quality fish up to the 75 lb range were reported. As one captain remarked – “when you report that the Marlin fishing has slowed to 1 fish per boat – how bad is that really?”  We have been spoiled the past 4 months with absolutely outstanding Marlin fishing further cementing Cabo as the Striped Marlin capital.

The Striped Marlin fishing on the Pacific side continues to concentrate from just a few miles off the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  The seasonal migration has definitely turned the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez but these schools of bait are now scattered and so are the Stripers. Stripers are being reported off Palmilla and Punta Gorda and around the Gordos. Overall, the fleets reported fewer Striped Marlin with most boats still averaging 1-2 fish per day. The Yellowfin when found were in the 25-35 mile range to the south and southwest and also around the Golden Gate and the Gordos. It was a quiet week for the Dorado and Wahoo.

Inshore fishing was really solid with nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras and Jacks showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters were again reported this past week in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and up toward Migrino. Small to medium sized Yellowtail are also showing up in the most recent counts. Some nice catches of Sierras were reported off Migrino. Some nice catches of Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks.

Cabo Climate:  Early March was a bit cooler and windier than normal with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. The future outlook toward the end of the month is for a pleasant average daytime temps in the mid to upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy sunny skies with zero chance of rain forecast through the end of March. Winds are expected to lower a bit into the 8-12 mph range through the end of March mostly out of the West and WSW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase but with strong currents running from the north.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-12 mph range from the West and WSW. The Pacific side sea temps seemed showed significant variation from as low as 68 to 73 depending on the currents. Plumes of green water were reported from the Pacific side to inside east of the Gordos. Inside temperatures were running in the 70-72 range.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and northwest but decent action was again reported on the inside this past week.  The golden Gate was the prime Striper destination this past week. The Lighthouse area was again a major hot spot again this past week with most of the fish being found from 10 miles to 18 miles off shore toward the canyon.  Occasional success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla, the 95 spot and the Gordos. The Yellowfin, when found, were 25-30 miles out to the South and SW, around the Golden Gate or around the Gordos with some quality fish up to 75 lbs reported around the Gordos.  The best catches of Dorado seemed to be on the inside off Palmilla and Punta Gorda  

Favorite Baits: Trolled black/green or green/silver Mackerel looking lures along with live Mackerel or live Caballitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Jacks and Roosters. Dead bait was the ticket for the Groupers.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The Yellowfin showed up this past week to spice up the offshore fishing. Their inshore fishing continued to produce solid results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were once again generally rewarded with good action. The El Cid fleet lost a couple of days to port closure due to higher winds and rough seas and overall fisherman activity was unseasonably slow.

The offshore boats reported a mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin and Dorado. Early in week they dealt with some cooler water and unfavorable winds but finished the week a bit stronger. The inshore boats had a big week and reported good action on Snappers, Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 15 offshore days and 6 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 7 Striped Marlin 3 Sailfish, 2 Dorado and 10 Yellowfin from offshore. Inshore, they reported 45 Snappers, 13 Sea Bass, and 64 Queen Triggerfish and 1 Grouper.

Mazatlan Climate: Early March was cooler than normal but the outlook into late March and early April is favorable with low 80’s daytime and upper 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through early April is for mostly sunny with a few partly cloudy skies with breezes picking up a bit into the 10-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WSW toward early April.  Humidity is predicted to be in the upper 50’s and low 60’s going into early April for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast over the next couple of weeks.

Sea Conditions: The water has been seasonally cooling and now in the 71-73 degree range resulting in a seasonal showing of the Striped Marlin but fewer Sailfish sightings until the water warms again a bit. On longer runs out to 25 miles they are finding 75 degree water. After some stronger winds and rough seas early in the week, Mazatlan had a mix of calm seas in the later part of this past week with some afternoon swells and chop with winds in the teens. The future outlooks is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with some afternoon swells and chop as the winds pick up in the afternoons.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Yellowfin are being found a bit further out toward the 25 mile mark. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Tuna are being caught on feathers and cedar plugs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported another good week of a mixed bite on the Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin bite along with solid Sailfish action again this past week.  The Yellowfin were again found way out at the 30-35 mile mark for those willing to go the extra distance.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week slowed a bit as the water cooled.  Capt Temo reports the inshore fishing for Jacks remained HOT! Large schools of quality Jacks were reported off the white rocks. Nice Sierras were again being reported 100-200 yards off the beach.

The mid March sailfish action was very solid with fish this past week moving out a bit to the 15 mile mark as the green water continued to move offshore.   The overall action was solid this past week with most of the boats reporting at least 1-2 Sailfish for their clients along with Striped Marlin and smaller Blue Marlin.  The Yellowfin were found 30-35 miles out well past the 1000 fathom mark with fish in the 50--75 lb range. The Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin are being found as close as 18-20 miles out just past the prime Sailfish bite and were very active this past week likely equaling the Sailfish bite. Inshore the Bonito the Jacks were very aggressive for some fantastic fly fishing opportunities.  The White Rocks was again a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks with large schools of fish reported. The best Rooster counts when found were again to the south toward Vicente Guerrero.

IZ Climate: Mid March reflected their typical late winter to early spring climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. The 2 week outlook is for even warmer temps and mostly sunny skies. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the low to mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low to mid 60’s through early April. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected over the couple of weeks. The winds are expected to be relatively mild in the 8-10 mph range primarily from the WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The spring offshore water temperature has begun cooling a bit in the past week and is now in the 82-83 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  These temps should begin to bring in the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. Inshore temperatures are running a bit cooler at 80-81.  The offshore clear blue water has recently moved out to the 15-18 mile mark on out to the 1000 fathom mark. Inshore, the water is cooler and greener which has actually been very good for the top water bite. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

We were honored to host the CASS Tours group this past week and their 30 fishermen who enjoyed a good offshore bite with the Sailfish, Striped Marlin and small Blue Marlin and some excellent inshore fishing with large Jacks and some big Roosters.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

We did not get the detailed spreadsheet report this past week but our friends at the El Cid Marina reported overall great results for the tourists on the end of Spring Break. Due to the seasonal weather with occasional showers and thunderstorms, many anglers were opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs.  Overall, the close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.  

The offshore bit was highlighted by another strong showing of Mahi-Mahi on almost every trip along with a mix of Sailfish, King Mackerel, Giant Atlantic Barracuda, along with some Blackfin Tuna. The close in reef fishing continued to produce strong catches of Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), Mutton Snappers, Black Groupers, Queen Triggerfish and a few Amberjacks. The marina reported an average catch of 5-10 fish per trip depending on the length of the trip.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continued with the late winter early spring seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast through early April calls for an improvement toward their spring/summer weather for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with only a few days of occasional showers or isolated thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted on a warming trend into the mid 80’s and evenings in the low to mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 60’s to low 70’s. Winds are expected to be modest in the 6-12 mph range shifting primarily out of the ENE to the ESE through into early April.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel have been at their seasonal coolest and are now starting to warm again and are running in the 81-82 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 6-12 MPH with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 03/14/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

With spring break time the fishing tourist count was up and the Striped Marlin fishing continues to exceed seasonal expectations!  The Striped Marlin continued to spread out from the Pacific side around the corner to the east following the schools of bait which are now scattered around the turn. The Dorado counts were down this past week but the Wahoo counts were up! The Yellowfin Tuna counts were hit and miss but some quality fish up to the 80 lb range reported.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate from just a few miles off the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  The seasonal migration has begun to turn the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez but these are now scattered and so are the Stripers. Stripers are now reported off Palmilla and Punta Gorda and as far east as the Gordos. The fleets reported solid counts of Striped Marlin with most boats still averaging 1-2 fish per day. The Yellowfin were occasionally found in the 25-35 mile range to the south and southwest and also around the Golden Gate and the Gordos. The Wahoo were ranging from west of the Lighthouse along to the east off Palmilla.

Inshore fishing was really solid with nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras and Jacks showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters were reported this past week in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area. Small to medium sized Yellowtail are also showing up in the most recent counts.

Cabo Climate:  Early March was a bit cooler and windier than normal with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. The future outlook toward the end of the month is for a pleasant average daytime temps in the mid to upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy sunny skies with zero chance of rain forecast through the end of March. Winds are expected to lower a bit into the 8-12 mph range through the end of March mostly out of the West and WSW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-12 mph range from the West and WSW. The  Pacific side sea temps seemed have cooled a bit recently. Temps are running from 70-74 on the Pacific side with true west side temps near 70 and warmer temps to the south and warmer in the 72-73 range on the inside around the corner to the Sea of Cortez around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and northwest but decent action was again reported on the inside this past week.  The golden Gate was the prime Striper destination this past week. The Lighthouse area was again a major hot spot again this past week with most of the fish being found from 5 miles to 15 miles off shore toward the canyon.  Occasional success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla, the 95 spot and the Gordos. The Yellowfin, when found, are 25-30 miles out to the South and SW, around the golden Gate or the Gordos.  The  best catches of Dorado seemed to be on the inside off Palmilla and Punta Gorda  We did not get any first hand reports of the Finger Bank this past week but assume there are still good numbers of Striped Marlin there for those willing to make the 50 mile run. Wahoo were being reported from west of the Lighthouse around the inside off Palmilla.

Favorite Baits: Trolled black/green or green/silver Mackerel looking lures along with live Mackerel or live Caballitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Jacks and Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

Overall angler activity was down a bit this past week and the offshore bite slowed a bit. Their inshore fishing continued to produce solid results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were once again generally rewarded with good action.

The offshore boats reported a mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish and Dorado. Early in week they dealt with some cooler water and unfavorable winds but finished the week a bit stronger. The inshore boats had a big week and reported some great action on quality Jacks and continued success on the Snappers, Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 16 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 3 Striped Marlin 3 Sailfish and 5 good quality Dorado from offshore. Inshore, they reported 12 Jacks, 213 snappers, 51 Sea Bass, and 72 Queen Triggerfish.

Mazatlan Climate: Early March was cooler than normal but the outlook into late March is favorable with low 80’s daytime and upper 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through late March is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with breezes lowering a bit into the 6-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WSW toward late March.  Humidity is predicted to be in the upper 50’s and low 60’s going into late March for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast over the next couple of weeks.

Sea Conditions: The water has been seasonally cooling and now in the 71-73 degree range resulting in a seasonal showing of the Striped Marlin but fewer Sailfish sightings until the water warms again a bit.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas later part of this past week with some afternoon swells and chop with winds in the teens. The future outlooks is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with some afternoon swells and chop as the winds pick up in the afternoons.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Tuna are being caught on feathers and cedar plugs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported a very active week on the Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin bite along with solid Sailfish action again this past week.  The Yellowfin were again found out at the 30-35 mile mark for those willing to go the extra distance.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was again good as there was cooler green water very near the shore and the Roosters were again cruising the break lines. Capt Temo reports the inshore fishing for Jacks is HOT! Large schools of quality Jacks were reported off the rocks. Nice Sierras were again being reported 100-200 yards off the beach. Nice catches of Roosters were reported.

The early March sailfish action was very solid with fish this past week moving out a bit to the 12-15 mile mark where the blue water was.   The overall action was solid this past week with most of the boats reporting at least 1-2 Sailfish for their clients and a Marlin.  The Yellowfin were found 30-35 miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with fish in the 60-90 lb range. The Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin are being found as close as 15 miles out just past the prime Sailfish bite and were very active this past week likely equaling the Sailfish bite. Inshore the Bonito the Jacks were very aggressive for some fantastic fly fishing opportunities. The Roosters made a solid showing to the south cruising the break lines along a bit of off colored cooler green water very near the shoreline. The White Rocks was again a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks with large schools of fish reported. The best Rooster counts were again to the south toward Vicente Guerrero.

IZ Climate:  Early March reflected their typical late winter to early spring climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. The 2 week outlook is for even warmer temps and mostly sunny skies. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid to upper 60’s through late March. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected over the couple of weeks. The winds are expected to be mild in the 8-10 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The spring offshore water temperature has stabilized and is now in the 82-83 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running a bit cooler at 79-81.  The offshore clear blue water has recently moved out to the 10-12 mile mark on out to the 1000 fathom mark. Inshore, the water is cooler and greener which has actually been very good for the top water bite. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported some great results this week during a busy Spring Break time period. The Mahi-Mahi made a strong showing offshore this past week highlighting a very productive week. Due to the seasonal weather with occasional showers and thunderstorms, many anglers were opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs.  Overall, the close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.  

The El Cid fleet was quite busy and reported on a total 64 trips this past week with many clients opting for 4 hour or 6 hour trips to work around the scattered showers and thunderstorms.  The Sailfish are finally beginning to show up on their seasonal migration.  Offshore, in addition to 6 Sailfish and 3 Wahoo, they reported counts of 12 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 14 King Mackerel, 72 Mahi-Mahi, 42 Bonito, 6 Blackfin Tuna  and 1 Hammerhead Sharks. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 12 Black Grouper, 54 Mutton Snappers, 218 Chack Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 64 Queen Triggerfish, 18 Banana fish and 2 large Amberjacks.  A total of 524 fish boated for an average of over 8 fish per trip– there were many happy first time fishermen on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the late winter early spring seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast through late March calls for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with scattered early morning showers and late afternoon thunderstorms with a 20-30% chance of scattered showers on almost daily basis into late March.  Daytime temperatures are predicted on a warming trend in the mid 80’s and evenings in the low to mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the low 70’s. Winds are expected to lower a bit into the 6-13 mph range primarily out of the ESE through late March.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now starting to warm again and are running in the 80-81 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 6-13 MPH with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 02/28/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

Another solid week of Striped Marlin success! Following the full moon the fish seemed to be more spread out but the bite continued to be good starting just a few miles out of port. The Striped Marlin continued to spread out from the Pacific side around the corner to the east following the schools of bait. The Dorado counts were spotty this past week and the Yellowfin Tuna counts were also down a bit from the previous 2 weeks perhaps because of fewer boats targeting the Tuna almost 30 miles out.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce positive results on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate just a few miles off the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  The seasonal migration has begun to turn the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez. Stripers were again reported off Palmilla and around the Gordos. The fleets reported solid counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 1-2 fish per day with a few still reporting multiple fish for their anglers. The Yellowfin were occasionally found in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate and Gordo banks – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna.  Average size this past week was averaging in the 20-30 lb range.

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras and Jacks showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters had a good showing this past week in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  Late February was a bit cooler than normal with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. The future outlook is for warming to average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy sunny skies with zero chance of rain forecast through mid March. Winds are expected to pick up a bit into the 9-12 mph range through mid March mostly out of the West and WSW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s into mid March.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 9-12 mph range from the West and WSW.  Sea temps have cooled and stabilized but there are some plumes of cooler water being pushed by the currents. Temps are running from 70-74 on the Pacific side and in the 72-73 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and north but decent action was again reported on the inside this past week.  The Lighthouse area was a major hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish were being found from 2 miles to 12 miles off shore.  Good numbers of Stripers are also showing in the Golden gate and San Jamie areas. Success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla and the Gordos. The Yellowfin, when found, are 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the Herradura, 110, 120, 140 and 160 Spots.  Catches of quality Yellowfin were also reported off the Golden Gate area and some larger, although fewer, Yellowfin were also reported around the Gordos.  We did not get any first hand reports of the Finger Bank this past week but assume there are still good numbers of Striped Marlin there for those willing to make the 50 mile run.

Favorite Baits: Trolled black/green or green/silver Mackerel looking lures along with live Mackerel or live Caballitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Jacks and Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The Sailfish showed up again balanced against the Yellowfin disappearing from the counts. The Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration.  Their inshore fishing continued to produce exceptionally strong results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were again generally rewarded with good action. The port lost one day of action due to storms, high winds, and rough water.

The offshore boats reported a mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish and Dorado.  More Striped Marlin were sighted than were hooked as the fish were still a bit finicky perhaps coming off the full moon. The Sailfish reappeared late in the week and were cooperative on trolled lures. The Dorado showed up late in the week to add to the action.  The inshore boats reported great action on the Snappers and continued success on the Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 24 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 11 Striped Marlin, 5 Sailfish and 8 good quality Dorado from offshore. Inshore, they reported 159 snappers, 20 sea bass, 42 Queen Triggerfish and 15 nice Jacks.

Mazatlan Climate: Late February was very pleasant but cooler than normal but the outlook into early March is favorable with low 80’s daytime and upper 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through mid March is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with breezes picking up a bit into the 9-13 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WSW and WNW toward mid March.  Humidity is predicted to be in the upper 50’s going into mid March for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the middle of March.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 70-72 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin but fewer Sailfish sightings.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas the majority of this past week with some afternoon swells and chop with winds in the teens. The future outlooks is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with some afternoon swells and chop as the winds pick up in the afternoons.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Tuna are being caught on feathers and cedar plugs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported a pickup in Sailfish action again this past week along with some bonus Blue Marlin out toward the 1000 fathom mark.  The close in Dorado action was again slow but there was a good bite on the Blue Marlin further out. The Yellowfin were again found out at the 30-35 mile mark for those willing to go the extra distance. Great warm blue water extends almost all the way from the 100 fathom line at 5-6 miles out to the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was good as there was cooler green water very near the shore and the Roosters were cruising the breaklines. Large schools of quality Jacks were reported off the rocks. Nice Sierras were again being reported 100-200 yards off the beach.

The February sailfish action was very solid with fish this past week moving out a bit to the 8-10 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. The overall action was solid this past week with most of the boats reporting at least 1-2 Sailfish for their clients.  The Yellowfin were found 30-35 miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with some fish over the 100 lb mark. The Blue Marlin are being found as close as 12-15 miles out just past the prime Sailfish bite. Inshore the Bonito and the Jacks continued to be cooperative. The Roosters made a solid showing cruising the breaklines along a bit of off colored cooler green water very near the shoreline. The White Rocks was a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks with large schools of fish reported. The best Rooster counts were to the south toward Vicente Guerrero.

IZ Climate:  February reflected their typical late winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. The 2 week outlook is for warmer temps and mostly sunny skies. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid to upper 60’s through mid March. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into mid March. Winds are expected to be mild in the 7-10 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has stabilized and is now in the 82-84 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running a bit cooler at 79-81.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into the 100 fathom mark. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our report for our friends at the El Cid Marina only covers a 4 day reporting period but with fabulous results. Due to the seasonal weather with occasionalshowers and thunderstorms, many anglers were opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs.  Overall, the close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.  The Mahi-Mahi made a nice showing offshore this past week.

The El Cid fleet reported on a total 49 trips this past week with many clients opting for 4 hour or 6 hour trips to work around the scattered showers and thunderstorms.  The Sailfish are finally beginning to show up on their seasonal migration.  Offshore, in addition to 1 Sailfish and 1 Wahoo, they reported counts of 9 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 6 King Mackerel, 42 Mahi-Mahi, 21 Bonito and 1 Hammerhead Sharks. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 3 Black Grouper, 71 Mutton Snappers, 464 Chack Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 17 Queen Triggerfish and 1 Jack Crevalle.  A total of 464 fish boated for an average of over 11 fish per trip– there were many happy first time fishermen on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the late winter seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast through mid March calls for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with scattered early morning showers and late afternoon thunderstorms with a 10-20% chance of scattered showers on almost daily basis into mid March.  Daytime temperatures are predicted on a warming trend in the mid 80’s and evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 70’s. Winds are expected to pick up a bit into the 10-15 mph range primarily out of the ESE through the middle of the month.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now starting to warm again and are running in the 80-81 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 10-15 MPH with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 02/21/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

It seems as though the combination of the full moon and some cooling water temperatures slowed the recent hot marlin bite this past week.  The Striped Marlin were continuing to spread out from the Pacific side around the corner to the east as they follow the schools of bait. The Dorado counts were sparse again this past week.  The Yellowfin Tuna counts were also down a bit from the previous 2 weeks.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce positive results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate around the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  The seasonal migration has begun to turn the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez. Stripers were again reported off Palmilla and around the Gordos although the inside fishing was also a bit slower than the previous week. The fleets reported solid counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging a fish per day with a few still reporting multiple fish for their anglers. The Yellowfin were again showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate and Gordo banks – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna.  Average size this past week was averaging in the 15-30 lb range.

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras and Jacks showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  Mid February has been  a bit cooler with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for more of the same with average daytime temps in the mid 70’s and evenings in the low 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies with zero chance of rain forecast through early March. Winds are expected to lower a bit into the 8-11 mph range through early March mostly out of the West and WSW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s into early March.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-11 mph range from the West and WSW.  Sea temps have cooled and stabilized but there are some plumes of cooler water being pushed by the currents. Temps are running from 70-74 on the Pacific side and a bit cooler in the 70-73 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and north but decent action was again reported on the inside this past week.  The Lighthouse area was a major hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish were being found a bit further out from shore in the 6-15 mile range.  Good numbers of Stripers are also showing in the Golden gate and San Jamie areas. Success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla and the Gordos and the 1150 spot. The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the Herradura, 110, 120, 140 and 160 Spots.  Catches of quality Yellowfin were also coming off the Golden Gate area and some larger Yellowfin were also reported around the Gordos.  We did not get any first hand reports of the Finger Bank this past week but assume there are still good numbers of Striped Marlin there for those willing to make the 50 mile run.

Favorite Baits: Trolled black/green or green/silver Mackerel looking lures along with live Mackerel or live Caballitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Jacks and Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

It seems the Yellowfin disappeared this past week after a strong showing the previous week. The Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration.  The Dorado showed up again in the counts this week. Their inshore fishing continued to produce exceptionally strong results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were generally rewarded with good action.

The offshore boats reported a mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish and Dorado.  More Striped Marlin were sighted than were hooked as the fish were a bit finicky perhaps due to the full moon. The Dorado showed up late in the week to add to the action.  The inshore boats reported great action on the Snappers and continued success on the Sea Bass whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 27 offshore days and 13 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 8 Striped Marlin, 2 Sailfish and 9 good quality Dorado from offshore. Inshore, they reported 254 snappers, 204 sea bass, and 9 Queen Triggerfish and 6 nice Jacks.

Mazatlan Climate: February was very pleasant but cooler and the outlook into early March is favorable with upper 70’s daytime and upper 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through early March is for mostly sunny skies with breezes calming into the 8-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WSW toward early March.  Humidity is predicted to be in the low 60’s going into early March for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the middle of March.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 70-74 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin but fewer Sailfish sightings.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells and chop with winds in the teens. The future outlooks is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with some afternoon swells and chop as the winds pick up in the afternoons.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Tuna are being caught on feathers and cedar plugs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The full moon and some cooler water slowed the over bite but the independent fleet reported solid Sailfish action again this past week.  The Dorado action was slow but there was a good bite on the Blue Marlin further out. The Yellowfin were again found out at the 30 mile mark. Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the 100 fathom line at 5-6 miles out.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was good as there was cooler green water very near the shore and the Roosters were cruising the breaklines. Good catches of Groupers and Jacks were again reported off the rocks. Nice Sierras were again being reported off 100-200 yds off the beach.

The February sailfish action has been very solid with fish this past week moving out a bit to the 8-10 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. Although the overall action was a bit slower this past week most of the boats reported at least 1-2 Sailfish for their clients.  The Yellowfin were found 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark with some fish over the 100 lb mark. The Blue Marlin are being found near the 1000 fathom mark 25-35 miles out. Inshore the Bonito and Skipjacks were a bit harder to find this past week but the Jacks continued to be cooperative. The Roosters made a solid showing cruising the breaklines along a bit of off colored cooler green water very near the shoreline. Trocones was a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. The best Rooster counts were to the south toward Vicente Guerrero.

IZ Climate:  February has reflected their typical late winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. The 2 week outlook is for warmer temps and sunny skies. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s through into early March. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into early to mid March. Winds are expected to be mild in the 7-10 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has cooled a bit and is now in the 81-82 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running a bit cooler at 77-80.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into the 100 fathom mark. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina have been struggling lately with the seasonal weather and port closures due to thunderstorms. They finally got in almost a full week of fishing with great results! This week with the port closed Wednesday due to thunderstorms. Due to the weather a lot of anglers were opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs.  Overall, the close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 54 trips this past week with many clients opting for 4 hour or 6 hour trips to work around the scattered thunderstorms.  The Sailfish are finally beginning to show up on their seasonal migration.  Offshore, in addition to 1 Sailfish and 1 Wahoo, they reported counts of 31 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 10 King Mackerel, 14 Mahi-Mahi, 1 Blackfin Tuna, 26 Bonito and 2 Hammerhead Sharks. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 11 Black Grouper, 59 Mutton Snappers, 310 Chack Chi, and 1 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 534 fish boated for an average of 10 fish per trip– there were many happy first time fishermen on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the late winter seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast through early March calls for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with scattered early morning showers and late afternoon thunderstorms with a 20% chance of scattered showers on almost daily basis into early to mid March.  Daytime temperatures are predicted on a warming trend in the low to mid 80’s and evenings in the low to mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 70’s. Winds are expected to flatten a bit into the 8-12 mph range primarily out of the ESE settling into single digits toward the end of the month.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 79-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 8-12 MPH with single digit winds going into early March.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 02/14/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

Even with a bit of cooling weather and cooling water, the fleets reported another solid week for Striped Marlin fishing in the Cabo area.  Many boats were still reporting 1-2 fish per day and a few in the 4-6 range.  The Striped Marlin were continuing to spread out from the Pacific side around the corner to the east as they follow the schools of bait. The Dorado counts were down again this past week however.  The Yellowfin Tuna counts were solid although down a bit from the previous 2 weeks.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce positive results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate around the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  It appears the seasonal migration has begun to turn the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez. Stripers were again reported off Palmilla and around the Gordos although the inside fishing was a bit slower than the previous week. The fleets reported solid counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 1-2 fish per day. The Yellowfin were again showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate and Gordo banks – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna.  Average size this past week was down averaging in the 15-30 lb range.

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras and Jacks showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  Early February has been  a bit cooler with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for more of the same with average daytime temps in the low to mid 70’s and evenings in the upper 50’s to low  60’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly partly cloudy skies with zero chance of rain forecast through the end of February. Winds are expected to pick up in the 8-13 mph range through end of February mostly out of the West and WNW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s into early March.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-13 mph range from the West and WNW.  Sea temps have cooled and stabilized but there are some plumes of cooler water being pushed by the currents. Temps are running from 70-74 on the Pacific side and a bit cooler in the 70-72 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and north but decent action was again reported on the inside for the first time this year.  The Lighthouse area was the major hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish are being found 2-8 miles out from shore.  Large numbers of Stripers are also showing in the Golden gate and San Jamie areas. Success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla and the Gordos. The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the Herradura, 110, 120, 140 and 160 Spots.  Catches of quality Yellowfin were also coming off the Golden Gate area and some larger Yellowfin were reported around the Gordos.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing up to double digit Striped Marlin counts. Traffic is lighter up there recently as the fish counts closer to home have increased. 

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel or live Caballitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank and off the Lighthouse area produced successful multiple Striper counts. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Jacks and Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The Yellowfin showed up in good numbers this past week and the Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration.  Many of the boats targeted the Yellowfin with less attention paid to the Striped Marlin. Their inshore fishing continued to produce strong results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were generally rewarded with good action.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin and Yellowfin.  As the water has cooled, the Sailfish have disappeared the past couple of weeks. The Dorado were also hard to come by this past week.  Quality Yellowfin in 25-50 lb range were a welcome addition this past week. The inshore boats reported great action on the Snappers and continued success on the Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 17 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 3 Striped Marlin and 34 good quality Yellowfin Tuna from offshore. Inshore, they reported 147 snappers, 40 sea bass, and 17 Queen Triggerfish and 54 Corvinas.

Mazatlan Climate: The start of February was very pleasant but cooler and the outlook into the end of February is also favorable with mid to upper 70’s daytime and upper 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through the end February is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with breezes picking up in the 11-14 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW toward month end. Humidity is predicted to be in the low 60’s going into early March for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the end of the month.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 70-74 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin but few Sailfish sightings.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlooks is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with some afternoon swells and chop as the winds pick up going into month end.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The schools of Tuna are showing up in the 12-15 mile range. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Tuna are being caught on feathers and cedar plugs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported solid Sailfish action again this past week.  The Dorado action was slow but there was a good bite on the Blue Marlin further out. The Yellowfin showed up out at the 30 mile mark. Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the 100 fathom line at 5-6 miles out.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was good as there was cooler green water very near the shore and the Roosters were cruising the breaklines. Good catches of Groupers and Jacks were again reported off the rocks. Nice Sierras were being reported off 100-200 yds off the beach.

The February sailfish action has picked up nicely with fish this past week moving out a bit to the 8-10 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This time of year they see a lot of European tourist who like to challenge the Sailfish with fly fishing which lowers the overall catch rate but most of the boats were raising 4-6 fish per day and boating 2-3 or more on conventional tackle.  The Yellowfin made a showing late in the week 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark with quality fish up to 150 lbs. The Blue Marlin are being found near the 1000 fathom mark 25-35 miles out. Inshore the Bonito and Skipjacks were a bit harder to find this past week but the Jacks continued to be cooperative. The Roosters made a strong showing cruising the breaklines along a bit of off colored cooler green water very near the shoreline which is a change from the very clear water of January.  Recently there has been a big inflow from the Rio Balsas to the north and that has lead to the cooler greener water close to shore. The White Rocks were a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. Rooster counts to the south toward Vicente Guerrero were very good although typically not large fish.

IZ Climate:  Early February has reflected their typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s through end of February. The outlook heading into the end of February is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into late February. Winds are expected to be mild in the 6-9 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has cooled a bit and is stabilized in the 83-84 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running a bit cooler at 81-82.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into the 100 fathom mark. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina changed staff this past week and we are only reporting for Monday and Tuesday of this week with the port closed Wednesday due to thunderstorms. Due to the weather most trips were opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 15 trips Monday and Tuesday with many clients opting for ½ day trips to work around the scattered thunderstorms.  The Sailfish are beginning to show up on their seasonal migration.  On only 2 offshore trips, in addition to 1 Sailfish and 1 Wahoo, they reported counts of 1 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 2 King Mackerel, 4 Mahi-Mahi and 26 Bonito. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 1 Black Grouper, 20 Mutton Snappers, 110 Chack Chi, and 1 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 146 fish boated for an average of over 9 1/2 fish per trip– there were many happy first time fishermen on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast through early March calls for a mix of sunny to partly cloudy skies to scattered early morning showers with a 20-30% chance of scattered showers on almost daily basis through the end of February.  Daytime temperatures are predicted on a warming trend in the low to mid 80’s and evenings in the low to mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 70’s. Winds are expected in the 9-15 mph range primarily out of the ESE settling into single digits toward the end of the month.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 9-15 MPH with single digit winds the last week of February.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 02/07/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

The fleets reported another solid week for Striped Marlin fishing in the Cabo area.  Many boats were still reporting multiple fish days and the overall daily success was still exceptional for anglers chasing that dream fish. The Marlin were starting to spread out as they follow the schools of bait. The Dorado counts were down substantially this past week however.  The Yellowfin Tuna counts continued to be good for the third week in a row although the fish are now a bit more scattered.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce positive results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate around the Lighthouse and out to the Golden Gate and San Jamie Banks.  It appears the seasonal migration has begun to turn the corner following schools of bait into the Sea of Cortez. Stripers were reported off Palmilla and around the Gordos. The fleets reported solid counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 1-2 fish per day. The Yellowfin were again showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate and Gordo banks – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna with most averaging in the 30-100 lb range this past week with some up to 150 lbs.  

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  Early February has been  very pleasant weather with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for more of the same with average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid  60’s. More good news is in the forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with zero chance of rain forecast through the 3^rd week of February. Winds are expected in the gentle 8-11 mph range through late February mostly out of the WSW and WNW.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s into late February.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-11 mph range from the WSW and WNW.  Sea temps have cooled but stabilized and are running from 73-76 on the Pacific side and a bit cooler in the 72-74 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained primarily to the west and north but good action was reported on the inside for the first time this year.  The Lighthouse area was a major hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish are being found 1-8 miles out from shore.  Large numbers of Stripers are also showing in the Golden gate and San Jamie areas. Success was also reported soaking live baits off Palmilla and the Gordos. The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the Herradura, 110, 120,180 and 200 Spots.  Good counts of quality Yellowfin were also coming off the Golden Gate area and some Yellowfin up to the 100 lb mark were reported around the Gordos.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing double digit Striped Marlin counts. Traffic is lighter up there recently as the fish counts closer to home increase. 

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel or live Cabillitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank and off the Lighthouse area produced successful multiple Striper counts. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN FISHING REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The Yellowfin showed up offshore again this past week and the Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration. Their inshore fishing continued to produce strong results. Tourist activity has been a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were generally rewarded with good action.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin and Yellowfin.  As the water has cooled, the Sailfish have become harder to find the past couple of weeks. The Dorado were also hard to come by this past week.  Quality Yellowfin in 25-50 lb range were a welcome addition this past week. The inshore boats reported great action on the Snappers and continued success on the Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet only fished a total of 14 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 9 Striped Marlin and 22 good quality Yellowfin Tuna from offshore. Inshore, they reported 161 snappers, 44 sea bass, and 53 Queen Triggerfish.

Mazatlan Climate: The start of February was very pleasant and the outlook into the end of February is also favorable with low 80’s daytime and low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast through the end February is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with breezes in the 6-9 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WSW toward month end. Humidity is predicted to be in the upper 60’s going into late February for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the end of the month.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 72-74 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas with mild breezes predominately from the West and WSW in the 6-9 mph range. A bit of afternoon chop is expected with the slightly higher breezes.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The schools of Tuna are showing up in the 12-15 mile range. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Dorado seem to be favoring feathers and smaller trolling lures like Doorknobs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported improved Sailfish action this week on the new moon.  The Dorado action was slow but there was a good bite on the Blue Marlin further out. Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the shore.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was good as there was a bit of cooler green water very near the shore and the Roosters were cruising the breaklines. Good catches of Groupers were again reported off the rocks.

The sailfish action picked up nicely with fish showing as close as the 8 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This time of year they see a lot of European tourist who like to challenge the Sailfish with fly fishing which lowers the overall catch rate but most of the boats were raising 6-8 fish per day and boating 3- 4 or more on conventional tackle.  The Yellowfin have been a little harder to find lately and when found, are 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark but, when found, are quality fish up to 150 lbs. The Blue Marlin are being found near the 1000 fathom mark 25-30 miles out. Inshore the Bonito and Skipjacks were a bit harder to find this past week but the Jacks continued to be cooperative. The Roosters made a strong showing cruising the breaklines along a bit of off colored green water very near the shoreline which is a change from the very clear water of January.  There has been a big inflow from the Rio Balsas to the north and that has lead to the cooler greener water close to shore. The White Rocks were a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. Rooster counts to the south toward Vicente Guerrero were very good although typically not large fish.

IZ Climate:  Early February has reflected their typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s through end of February. The outlook heading into the end of February is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into late February. Winds are expected to be mild in the 6-9 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has cooled a bit and is stabilized in the 82 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running in the same range to a bit cooler at 81.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue almost all the way into shore. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported a great week of fishing with overall good weather sandwiched in between a few scattered early morning and late afternoon thunder showers and solid tourist traffic. With tourist traffic still brisk, the boats were quite busy with many clients opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 63 trips the past week with many clients opting for ½ day trips to work around the scattered thunderstorms.  Although still a bit early of their seasonal migration, the Sailfish showed up this past week for the offshore boats.  In addition to 4 Sailfish and 5 Wahoo, they reported solid counts of 62 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 14 King Mackerel, 7 Mahi-Mahi and 57 Bonito. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 11 Black Grouper, 23 Mutton Snappers, 472 Chack Chi, 3 Jack Crevalle and 16 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 673 fish boated for an average of over 10 1/2 fish per trip– there were many happy first time fishermen on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast calls for a mix of sunny to mostly partly cloudy skies to scattered thunderstorms with a 20-30% chance of scattered thunderstorms on almost daily basis through the end of February.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low 80’s and evenings now in the low 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid to upper 70’s. Winds are expected in the 9-13 mph range primarily out of the ESE.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have shifted toward their spring pattern and are predicted to be out of the ESE at 9-13 MPH through the end of February.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Mayte Delgadillo at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 01/31/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

Another exceptional week for Striped Marlin fishing on the down side of the full moon!  More multiple fish days reported throughout the fleet and the action was again mostly close in. The Dorado counts were down substantially this past week however.  The Yellowfin Tuna counts continued to be good for the second week in a row although the fish were a bit more scattered.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce excellent results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate around the Lighthouse out to the Golden Gate.  The fleets reported exceptional counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 2-3 fish per day. The Yellowfin were again showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna with most averaging in the 30-100 lb range this past week with some up to 175 lbs.  

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  January has been  very pleasant weather with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid  60’s. More good news is in the forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with zero chance of rain forecast through mid February. Winds are expected in the gentle 8-10 mph range through early February mostly out of the West and SW.  Humidity is expected to run in the low to upper 60’s into mid February.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-10 mph range from the West and SW.  Sea temps have cooled but stabilized and are running from 73-76 on the Pacific side and a bit cooler in the 72-74 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained to the west and north.  The Lighthouse area was a major hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish are being found 1-8 miles out from shore.  Large numbers of Stripers are showing in the Golden gate area. The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the Herradura, 110, 120,180 and 200 Spots.  Good counts of quality Yellowfin were also coming off the Golden Gate area and some Yellowfin up to the 100 lb mark were reported around the Gordos.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing double digit Striped Marlin counts. Traffic is lighter up there recently as the fish counts closer to home increase. 

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel or live Cabillitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank and off the Lighthouse area produced successful multiple Striper counts. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Poppers near the surf were the most successful bait for the Roosters.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN FISHING REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The Yellowfin showed up offshore this past week and the Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration. Their inshore fishing continued to produce strong results. Tourist activity was a bit down compared to historical averages but those anglers that went out were generally rewarded with good action.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin and Yellowfin.  As the water has cooled, the Sailfish have become harder to find the past 2 weeks. The Dorado were also hard to come by this past week.  Quality Yellowfin in 25-50 lb range were a welcome addition this past week. The inshore boats reported great action on the Snappers and continued success on the Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet only fished a total of 12 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 6 Striped Marlin and 15 quality Yellowfin from offshore. Inshore, they reported 181 snappers, 14sea bass, and 53 Triggers.

Mazatlan Climate: January was very pleasant and the outlook into the middle of February is also favorable with upper 70’s and low 80’s daytime and low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid February is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with winds up slightly in the 10-14 mph range primarily out of the WSW trending toward the WNW toward mid February. Humidity will be in the low 60’s to mid 70’s going into mid February for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast into the middle of February.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 72-74 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas with mild breezes predominately from the WSW and WNW in the 10-14 mph range. A bit of afternoon chop is expected with the slightly higher breezes.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear from the shore out to the offshore breaks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Dorado seem to be favoring feathers and smaller trolling lures like Doorknobs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported a nice pickup in Sailfish action this week on the downside of the full moon.  Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the shore.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week picked up as there was a bit of off colored water very near the shore and the Roosters were cruising the breaklines. Good catches of Groupers were again reported off the rocks.

The sailfish action picked up nicely with fish showing as close as the 5-7 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This time of year they see a lot of European tourist who like to challenge the Sailfish with fly fishing which lowers the overall catch rate but most of the boats were raising 6-8 fish per day and boating 4 or more on conventional tackle. Quality Dorado’s to the 20 kg range were still in the mix this past week. The Yellowfin have been a little harder to find lately and when found, are 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark but, when found, are quality fish up to 150 lbs. Inshore the Bonito and Skipjacks were a bit more plentiful  this past week and the Jacks continued to be cooperative. The Roosters made a strong showing cruising the breaklines along a bit of off colored water very near the shoreline which is a change from the very clear water of the past several weeks.  Ixtapa Island was again a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. Nice counts of Groupers were reported of the rocks.

IZ Climate:  January has been their typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s through mid February. The outlook heading into the middle of February is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into early February. Winds are expected to be mild in the 8-10 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has cooled a bit and is now in the 82-84 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running in the same range to a bit cooler.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue almost all the way into shore. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks. Cedar plugs and feathers are working best on the Yellowfin when found.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported a great week of fishing with overall good weather sandwiched in between some scattered early morning and late afternoon thunder showers and solid tourist traffic. With post holiday tourist traffic still brisk, the boats were quite busy with many clients opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 57 trips the past week with many clients opting for ½ day trips to work around the scattered thunderstorms.  The offshore targeted boats reported no sailfish this week as we are still a bit ahead of their seasonal migration. They reported solid counts of 23 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 15 King Mackerel, 5 Mahi-Mahi, 8 Blackfin tuna, and 34 Bonito. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 51 Black Grouper, 73 Mutton Snappers, 343 Chack Chi, 23 Jack Crevalle and 6 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 496 fish boated for an average of almost 8 3/4 fish per trip– many happy first time fishermen with many on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered early morning or late afternoon thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast calls for a mix of sunny to mostly partly cloudy skies to scattered thunderstorms with a 20-40% chance of scattered thunderstorms on almost daily basis through mid February.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low 80’s and evenings now in the low 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid to upper 70’s. Winds are expected in the 7-11 mph range out of the ENE trending to the East by mid February.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have lowered a bit and are out of the ENE at 7-11 MPH.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Mayte Delgadillo at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 01/24/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

The exceptional Striped Marlin fishing just continues! Even with the full moon, results were fantastic with multiple fish days reported throughout the fleet and the action was again mostly close in. The Dorado counts were down a bit but many boats still found quality Dorado. The Yellowfin Tuna counts were up for those willing to make the longer runs offshore.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce excellent results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to concentrate around the Lighthouse as the new center of activity.  The fleets reported exceptional counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 2-3 fish per day. The Yellowfin were again showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest and also off the Golden Gate – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna with most averaging in the 30-100 lb range this past week.  The Dorado fishing softened a bit but still plenty of Dorado flags flying and plenty of filets! 

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of smaller Dorado and schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

We should note that the 34’ Tuna Time of the Fish Cabo fleet is back in the water after several months of rehab and newly rebuilt engines and transmission and wasted no time in producing 6 Striped Marlin and 14 large Yellowfin for her anglers in 3 days of fishing.

Cabo Climate:  January has been  very pleasant weather with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid  60’s. The good news is the forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with zero chance of rain forecast through into early February. Winds are expected in the gentle 8-10 mph range through early February mostly out of the SW shifting to the WSW at month end.  Humidity is expected to run in the low to mid 60’s into early February.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  The pat week reported a single day of seas in the 4-5 ft range. Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 8-10 mph range from the SW and WSW.  Sea temps have cooled but stabilized and running from 72-75 (Pacific) and into the 73-75 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The Marlin hot spots have remained to the west and north.  The Lighthouse area was clearly the hot spot again this past week.  Most of the fish are being found 1-8 miles out from shore.  There were also very positive reports from the Golden gate area. The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the South and SW near the 110, 120 or 180 Spots.  Good counts of quality Yellowfin were also coming off the Golden Gate area and some Yellowfin up to the 100 lb mark were reported around the Gordos.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing double digit Striped Marlin counts with a few boats reporting over 20 fish per day. Traffic is light up there competing for the large numbers of migrating Striped Marlin.  As the Yellowfin have moved in so have the commercial tuna boats and Captain Roberto Marquez reported the appearance of several commercial tuna boats with helicopters so there is concern the Yellowfin fishing will hold up strong again in the coming 2 weeks.

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel or live Cabillitos were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank produced successful multiple Striper counts. Drifting live bait around the Lighthouse was also very productive. Everything seemed to work for the Dorado from trolled lures to drifted baits. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN FISHING REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The past week was a little slower for our friends at the El Cid in Mazatlan. Their overall tourist traffic was off a bit and their fishing trips were slower than usual. The anglers that went out were overall rewarded with solid results as their Striped Marlin fishing continues to improve with the seasonal migration. Their inshore fishing continued to produce strong results.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of quality Sailfish with most over 40-50 kgs and Striped Marlin. With the seasonal Striped Marlin migration showing up, the release counts are now 2:1 or 3:1 Marlin over Sailfish. The Dorado were hard to come by this past week.  No significant tuna action was reported. The inshore boats reported good action on Snappers, Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips and the Jacks were producing nice action on poppers.

The El Cid fleet only fished a total of 11 offshore days and 11 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 3 Sailfish, 8 Striped Marlin, and 9 Bonito from offshore. Inshore, they reported 166 mixed snappers, 12 sea bass, 46 Triggers, 13 Jacks and 4 Roosterfish.

Mazatlan Climate: January has been very pleasant and the outlook into the end of January and early February is also favorable upper 70’s daytime and low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into late January and early February is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with winds in the 9-10 mph range primarily out of the WSW trending toward the WNS in early February. Humidity will be in the low 60’s going into February for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast into the first week of February.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 72-75 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas with mild breezes predominately from the West and SW in the 9-10 mph range.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks. The water is very clear and the Jacks

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Dorado seem to be favoring feathers and smaller trolling lures like Doorknobs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The independent fleet reported a slowdown in Sailfish action this week related to the full moon and the extremely clear water. Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the shore.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week was a bit slow as they are now past their peak season. Good catches of Groupers were again reported off the rocks.

The sailfish action although down a bit was steady with fish showing as close as the 5-7 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This time of year they see a lot of European tourist who like to challenge the Sailfish with fly fishing which lowers the overall catch rate. This past week quality Dorado’s to the 20 kg range were still in the mix. The Yellowfin have been a little harder to find lately and when found, are 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark but, when found, are quality fish up to 150 lbs. Inshore the Bonito and Skipjacks were a bit more finicky this past week but the Jacks continued to be cooperative. Most of the inshore action is taking place 100-200 yds offshore due to the very clear blue water. Ixtapa Island was a hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. Nice counts of Groupers were reported of the rocks.

IZ Climate:  January has been their typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s through early February. The outlook heading into the end of January and into February is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected into early February. Winds are expected to be very mild in the 4-8 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature cooled a bit into the 82-83 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running in the same range to a bit cooler.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into shore. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported a great week of fishing with good weather and solid tourist traffic. With the post holiday tourist traffic still brisk, the boats were quite busy with many clients opting for ½ day fishing at the very productive shallow reefs. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 51trips the past week.  The offshore targeted boats reported no sailfish this week as we are still a bit ahead of their seasonal migration. They reported solid counts of 19 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 12 King Mackerel, 14 Mahi-Mahi, 5 Blackfin tuna, and 24 Bonito. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 24 Black Grouper, 38 Mutton Snappers, 176 Chack Chi, 8 Jack Crevalle and 2 Queen Triggerfish.  Still, a total of 318 fish boated for an average of almost 6 1/2 fish per trip– many happy first time fishermen many on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The extended forecast calls for a mix of sunny to mostly partly cloudy skies to scattered thunderstorms with a 20-30% chance of scattered thunderstorms on almost daily basis through early February.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and evenings now in the upper 60’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the upper 60’s to mid 70’s. Winds are expected in the 8-11 mph range out of the ENE trending to the East by early February.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have lowered a bit and are out of the ENE at 8-11 MPH.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 01/17/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

Another exceptional week for Striped Marlin fishing! Fishermen enjoyed very productive multiple fish days and the action was mostly close in. In addition to the Stripers, the boats continued to find quality Dorado. The Yellowfin Tuna counts were good for those willing to make the long run offshore. The Yellowtail made their first solid showing of the year with most fish in the 10-15 lb class.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce excellent results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to move southward with the Lighthouse as the new center of activity.  The fleets reported exceptional counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 2-3 fish per day. The Yellowfin were showing in the 25-30 mile range to the south and southwest – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna with most averaging in the 30-100 lb range this past week.  The Dorado fishing softened a bit but still plenty of Dorado flags flying and plenty of filets!  The Yellowtail showed with decent counts showing up along the area from the Lighthouse up toward Migrino.

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of smaller Dorado and schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras showing in good numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  The past week was very pleasant weather with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the low to mid  60’s. The good news is the forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with very little chance of rain forecast through the end of January into early February. Winds are expected in the gentle 7-10 mph range through end of the month mostly out of the WSW.  Humidity is expected to run in the low 60’s to low 70’s through the end of the month.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 7-10 mph range from the WSW.  Sea temps have stabilized and running from 77-79 (Pacific) and into the 77-78 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The hot spots have remained to the west and north.  The Lighthouse area was clearly the hot spot this past week.  Most of the fish are being found 1-8 miles out from shore.  The Yellowfin are being found 25-30 miles out to the SW near the 110 or 180 Spots.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing double digit Striped Marlin counts with a few boats reporting over 20 fish per day. Traffic is light up there competing for the large numbers of migrating Striped Marlin.

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank produced successful multiple Striper counts. Drifting live Mackerel around the Lighthouse was also very productive. Everything seemed to work for the Dorado from trolled lures to drifted baits. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN FISHING REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

The past week was a little slower for our friends at the El Cid in Mazatlan. They lost a couple of fishing days due to weather and slower tourist count and the offshore fishing results were off a bit.  Inshore fishing continued to be productive.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of quality Sailfish with most over 40-50 kgs and Striped Marlin. With the Striped Marlin migration showing up, the release counts are now 2:1 Marlin over Sailfish. The Dorado count was down a bit this past week.  No significant tuna action was reported. The inshore boats reported good action on Snappers, Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet only fished a total of 19 offshore days and 4 Super Panga inshore trips.  They reported 3 Sailfish, 7 Striped Marlin, and 6 Dorado from offshore. Inshore, they reported 10 mixed snappers, 20 sea bass, 16 Triggers, 20 Permit and 11 Sierra.

Mazatlan Climate: The Mazatlan climate has been relatively pleasant in early January and the outlook into the end of January and early February is also favorable – low 80’s daytime and low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into late January is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with winds in the 8-9 mph range primarily out of the West and SW. Humidity will be in the low 60’s going into February for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the end of the month.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 72-75 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas with mild breezes predominately from the West and SW in the 8-9 mph range.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are showing in good numbers a bit closer to shore. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Dorado seem to be favoring feathers and smaller trolling lures like Doorknobs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The fleet reported a very stable week in the billfish action to what has been a great start to the season.  Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the shore and the fleet is still reporting some really solid fishing both offshore in inshore.  Fly-fishing and spinning rigs for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week slowed a bit as they are now past their peak season. Good catches of Groupers were reported off the rocks.

The sailfish action stayed steady with fish showing as close as the 5-7 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This past week the boats were reporting the Sailfish to be a bit finicky. This past week quality Dorado’s to the 20 kg range were plentiful in the mix with most of the pelagic fishing taking place just 10-15 miles out of the marina.  Closer to shore, Dorado schoolies have been easily found around tide lines with floating flotsam. The Yellowfin have been a little harder to find lately and when found, are 30-35 miles out at the 1000 fathom mark but, when found, are quality fish up to 150 lbs. The Jacks, Bonito, and Skipjacks continued to be cooperative inshore this past week.  Most of the inshore action is taking place 100-200 yds offshore due to the very clear blue water. Ixtapa Island was the hot spot this past week for the big Jacks. Nice counts of Groupers were reported of Las Rockas.

IZ Climate:  January has been their  typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s. The outlook heading into the end of January and into February is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is almost no precipitation projected through the end of January except for a single day of early morning showers. Winds are expected to be very mild in the 6-7 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature has stabilized in the 83-84 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running in the same range to a bit cooler.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into shore. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish, Bonito and Jacks.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported a great week of fishing with good weather and heavy tourist traffic. With the post holiday tourist traffic still brisk, the boats were quite busy. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 55 trips the past week.  The offshore targeted boats reported only a single Sailfish this past week after a good Sailfish count the previous week but good counts of 47 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 45 King Mackerel, 5 Mahi-Mahi, 4 Blackfin tuna, and 25 Bonito. Many first time fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted inshore and shallow reef fishing boats tallied 52 Black Grouper, 44 Mutton Snappers, 89 Chack Chi, 59 Jack Crevalle and 9 Queen Triggerfish.  Still, a total of 381 fish boated for an average of almost 7 fish per trip– many happy first time fishermen many on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The  extended forecast calls for a mix of sunny to mostly partly cloudy skies to scattered thunderstorms with a 30-50% chance of scattered thunderstorms on almost daily basis January 22^nd-24^th, but then clearing toward the end of January.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and evenings now in the mid 60’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the upper 60’s to low 70’s. Winds are expected in the 8-12 mph range out of the ENE and NNE.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have lowered a bit and are out of the ENE and NNE at 8-12 MPH and are expected to continue as such through end of January.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 01/10/19

THE CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING REPORT FOR THE GAVIOTA SPORT FISHING FLEET AND FISH CABO FLEET

The past week was yet another exceptional week for Striped Marlin fishing. Fishermen enjoyed very productive fishing and, the action was mostly close in. In addition to the Stripers, the New Year’s fisherman also enjoyed good catches of quality Dorado. The Yellowfin Tuna counts were way up for those willing to make the run offshore.

The Striped Marlin fishing continues to produce excellent results overall on the Pacific side with fishing continuing to be productive from the Finger Bank down to Los Arcos.  The fleets reported exceptional counts of Striped Marlin with most boats averaging 2-3 fish per day. The Yellowfin were now showing in the 30-35 mile range to the south and southwest – the key is to find the pods of Porpoise and you will find the Tuna with most averaging in the 15-30lb range.  The Dorado fishing softened a bit but still plenty of Dorado flags flying and plenty of filets! 

Inshore fishing has continued to produce nice catches of smaller Dorado and schools of Skipjacks with the Sierras showing in increasing numbers from Solmar to El Arco. Roosters are showing occasionally in the surf from Solmar around the point at the Lighthouse and also in the Palmilla area.

Cabo Climate:  The early month started with very pleasant weather with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with the future outlook for average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the low 60’s. The good news is the forecast is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with very little chance of rain forecast through the end of January. Winds are expected in the gentle 6-9 mph range through end of the month mostly out of the WNW.  Humidity is expected to run in the low to mid 60’s through the end of January.

Sea Conditions:  Seas have been relatively calm in the mornings throughout the area with some swells and chop showing up in the afternoons.  Forecast is for more of the same with winds in the 6-8 mph range from the WNW.  Sea temps are definitely cooling and running from 70-74 (Pacific) with cooling into the 71-74 range on the inside around the Gordos.

Best Fishing Areas:  The hot spots have remained to the west and north.  Good counts of Striped Marlin are showing up around Cabo Falso and the Lighthouse.  Most of the fish are being found 1-4 miles out from shore.  The Yellowfin are being found 30-35 miles out to the SW of the San Jamie Bank near the 180 Spot.  For those willing to make the longer 50 mile run, the Finger Bank has continued producing double digit Striped Marlin counts with a few boats reporting over 20 fish per day. Traffic is light up there competing for the large numbers of migrating Striped Marlin.

Favorite Baits: Trolled blue/green smoke trail lures along with live Mackerel were the favorite for the Marlin. Soaking live baits around the Finger Bank produced successful multiple Striper counts. Drifting live Mackerel around the Lighthouse was also very productive. Everything seemed to work for the Dorado from trolled lures to drifted baits. Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled feathers and cedar plugs were the ticket for the Yellowfin.

Bait Supply: Live bait is available at the $3.00 per bait upon exit from the harbor. Mackerel, when available, are popular with the captains.

Our local reporters: Captain Roberto Marquez-Castro of the Fish Cabo Fleet and Gaviota Fleet Dock Manager Carlos Pena-Mirales. 

THE MAZATLAN FISHING REPORT FOR THE ARIES SPORT FISHING FLEET – MARINA EL CID AND El CID MEGA RESORT, PACIFIC

Early January brought more fine fishing weather and a continued showing of the Striped Marlin to go with Sailfish counts for the El Cid fleet in Mazatlan. Inshore fishing continued to be productive.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of quality Sailfish with most over 40-50 kgs and Striped Marlin. The Dorado count was down a bit this past week.  No significant tuna action was reported. The inshore boats reported good action on Snappers, Sea Bass and Queen Triggers whether on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total of 24 offshore days and 14 Super Panga trips.  They reported 5 Sailfish, 9 Striped Marlin, and 5 Dorado from offshore. Inshore, they reported 168 mixed snappers, 13 sea bass, 35 Triggers and 2 Permit.

Mazatlan Climate: The Mazatlan climate has been very pleasant in early January and the outlook into the end of January is also favorable – low 80’s daytime and low 60’s in the evenings.  Forecast into late January is for mostly partly cloudy skies with winds in the 8-10 mph range primarily out of the WNW and NW. Humidity will be in the low 60’s going into the end of January for very pleasant fishing conditions. There is no precipitation forecast through the end of the month.

Sea Conditions: The water is seasonally cooling and now in the 71-74 degree range resulting in a larger showing of the Striped Marlin.  They enjoyed mostly calm seas this past week with some afternoon swells. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas with mild breezes predominately from the WNW and NW in the 8-10 mph range.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting about 10-12 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are showing in good numbers a bit closer to shore. In shore, the Super Pangas are finding success all along the coast especially around the rocks.

Best Bait & Lures:  Freshly caught rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures produced best results for the billfish. The Dorado seem to be favoring feathers and smaller trolling lures like Doorknobs.

Bait Supply: Freshly caught baits are readily available from the bait boats

Our Local Reporter: Ms. Kitcia Berenice Ceja-Diaz, the Aries Fleet and Marina El Cid Office Manager and fishing reporter

THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISHING REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT SPORT FISHING FLEET

The fleet reported a very stable week in the billfish action to what has been a great start to the season.  Great warm blue water extends almost all the way to the shore and the fleet is still reporting some really solid fishing both offshore in inshore.  Fly-fishing and spin casting for Jacks and Bonitos inshore has continued to be steady. Rooster action this past week slowed a bit as they are now past their peak season.

The sailfish action stayed steady with fish showing at the 5-7 mile mark.   Capt. Temo reports quality size Sailfish with many surpassing the 100 lb range. This past week the boats were reporting the Sailfish to be a bit finicky. This past week quality Dorado’s to the 20 kg range were plentiful in the mix with most of the pelagic fishing taking place just 10-15 miles out of the marina.  Closer to shore, Dorado schoolies have been easily found around tide lines with floating flotsam. The Yellowfin have been a little harder to find lately and when found, are 30-35 miles out but, when found, are quality fish up to 150 lbs. The Jacks, Bonito, and Skipjacks continued to be cooperative inshore this past week.  Most of the inshore action is taking place 100-200 yds offshore due to the very clear blue water.

IZ Climate:  January has kicked off with their typical winter climate and a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days. Daily temps are in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to low 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s. The outlook heading into the end of January is for more of the same. They are now in their dry season and there is no precipitation projected through the end of January. Winds are expected to be very mild in the 4-7 mph range from the West and WSW. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is beginning to cool a bit and is now in the 83-84 degrees range from the 5-6 mile mark at the 100 fathom line all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 25-30 miles.  Inshore temperatures are running in the same range to a bit cooler.  The offshore water at the 1000 fathom mark is now clear blue all the way into shore. With breezes in mid single digits, the seas are very calm particularly in the mornings.

Best Baits & Lures:  Rigged trolling baits and smoke trail lures continue to produce for the Billfish and Dorado with most boats preferring a mix of rigged baits for the Billfish and smaller lures and feathers for the Dorado.   Inshore top water poppers are the favorite for the Roosterfish and Jacks.

Bait Supply: The bait supply remains good and freshly caught baits are provided gratis with most charters. Live baits are readily available at this time and are $5.00/dozen paid directly to the bait vendors.

Our Local Reporter: Captain Temo Verboonen – owner/operator of the Secuestro de Amor and Macho Banana.

CANCUN/PUERTO MORELOS FISHING REPORT FOR THE EL CID MARINA

Our friends at the El Cid Marina reported another solid week of fishing when the boats could get out. Their fishing week was interrupted by seasonal thunderstorms which, although not severe, created suspension of fishing due to proximity of lighting for a total of 2 days.  With the post holiday tourist traffic still brisk, the boats were quite busy. The close-in fishing available at Puerto Morelos continues to produce great action both offshore and inshore for our clients, many fishing for the first time on half day or 6 hour trips.

The El Cid fleet fished a total 47 trips the past week.  The offshore targeted boats reported only a single Sailfish this past week after a good Sailfish count the previous week but good counts of 37 giant Atlantic Barracuda, 58 King Mackerel, 30 Mahi-Mahi, 4 Blackfin tuna, and 8 Bonito. Due to the weather many fishermen opted for shorter ½ day or 6 hour trips mixed between offshore and inshore. The targeted shallow reef fishing boats tallied 38 Black Grouper, 51 Mutton Snappers, and 86 Queen Triggerfish.  Still, a total of 313 fish boated for an average of almost 6 3/4 fish per trip– many happy first time fishermen many on ½ day trips.

PM/Cancun Climate:  Occasional brief scattered thunderstorms continue with the seasonal weather pattern.  The 10 extended forecast calls for a mix of sunny to mostly partly cloudy skies to scattered thunderstorms with a 10-50% chance of scattered thunderstorms on almost an every other day daily basis but clearing toward the end of January.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low 80’s and evenings now in the mid 60’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the upper 60’s to low 70’s. Winds are expected in the 8-10 mph range out of the East and NE.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are at their seasonal coolest and are now running in the 78-80 degree range. Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds have lowered a bit and are out of the East and NE at 8-10 MPH and are expected to continue as such through end of January.

Best Bait & Lures:  Rigged Ballyhoo, small smoke trail lures were working well for the billfish with feathers also working for the Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Giant Barracuda.  Cut bait is the preferred fare for the reef fishing.

Bait Supply:  The bait supply of locally caught Ballyhoo remains good and are provided gratis with most charters.

Our Local Reporter:  Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina