Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 12/27/19

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

Santa was pretty nice to Cabo anglers this past week.  The Striped Marlin bite slowed a bit and seemed to spread out a bit towards the inside and although the overall success rate remained high, the number of multiple Marlin report were down but again offset by many limits of Dorado and some great targeted Yellowfin Tuna fishing. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 150 lb range. The Dorado counts were up for the Christmas break with really nice overall size with lots of 18-20 lbs fish with some occasionally into the 30-40 lb range. The Wahoo counts were down a bit with most in the 20-30 lb range with a few over 50 lbs reported and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity was again on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Cabo Falso and the Lighthouse on up to Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots.  There were also some favorable reports off Palmilla and toward the Gordos. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with very good action off the San Jamie and Golden Gate banks but some closer in action off El Arco when they found the dolphins.  Action on the inside picked up a bit with some large Yellowfin to 75 lbs reported off the Gordos and some decent action off the 1150. Most of the Dorado were running in the 15-20 lb range with some larger fish in the 30-40 lb range and still plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  While overall Marlin fishing remained strong there were far fewer Blues and Sails reported this past week as the water begins to cool. The anomaly was numerous reports of Sailfish along the Palmilla corridor east to the Inner Gordos.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters were slower but showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 20-25 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Cabo Climate:  Mid December was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into early January is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the low to mid 70’s and evenings in the low 60’s. The 2 week forecast is mostly clear but with a 40% chance of showers around New Years and again in the period from the 8^th-10^th. Winds are expected to be in the 7-11 mph range out of the SW shifting to the WNW into mid January. Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s.

Congratulations to one of our favorite boats the 34’ TUNA TIME – released 5 Marlin and boated 9 Yellowfin and 10 Dorado on 3 days of fishing!  Her sister boat the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO tallied 1 Marlin, 15 Dorado and 1 Wahoo on 2 days of fishing.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The water temperatures have really stabilized between the Pacific and the inside. The Pacific side sea temps have cooled a bit and are currently running in the 77-79 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is a bit warmer with temps in the 78-79 degree range.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this past week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with lots of close in multiple fish action from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos and Pozo Cota. The San Jamie and Golden Gate banks produced some nice marlin catches along with some quality Yellowfin action.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and also at the San Jamie and Golden Gate Banks. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some large Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action was reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The west side corridor from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos, Gaspareno and La Ballena were reported as hot spots for the Dorado. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced plenty of schoolie Dorado. Interestingly for late in the year, there were numerous reports of Sailfish from Palmilla east to the Inner Gordos. Los Arcos to the Lighthouse and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures with green, blue & white and green & yellow the favorites. Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers and also live or dead fly lined baits once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan reported much the same weather as Cabo and reported some solid fishing results!  As the water cools a bit, the Striped Marlin are again showing up in larger numbers to mix with the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for.  The billfish counts were solid with a higher mix of Striped Marlin as the water cools. Their inshore fishing produced excellent results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers.  They reported 15 Sailfish, 12 Striped Marlin, and 14 Dorado and 10 Yellowfin Tuna on 31 offshore trips and 312 Snappers, 78 Queen Triggerfish and 34 Jacks and 10 Pompanos on 17 inshore trips. (Reporting on 10 days fishing)

Mazatlan Climate: Mid December showed a normal late fall pattern with a couple of scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into early January is for afternoons in the mid to upper 70’s daytime and high 50’s to low 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid January is for mostly partly cloudy skies with a 30%-40% chance of morning showers or scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day around New Years and again in the period from the 8^th-10th. Winds are forecast in the 5-9 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW into mid January.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 60’s to low 70’s into the middle of January.  

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 78 degree range to the north and 78-79 degrees to the south. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 5-6 mph range and some afternoon swells with 7-9 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Christmas vacation weather and the fishing in Zihuatanejo has been outstanding!  The independent fleet reported an average of 3 or more Sailfish hookups per day less than 10-12 miles out!  Some larger Blue Marlin are showing up a bit farther offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found farther out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   The inshore fishing for Roosters, Chulas and Jacks continued to be very productive for the large number of fly fishermen and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to the south and aggressively hitting poppers especially if they could find some off colored water. Quality Jacks were found around the rocks both to the north and the south. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season.

The offshore action for Sailfish and Dorado this past week moved out to the 10-12 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks and Chulas were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported.  

IZ Climate: They are now entering their dry season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with very occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by sunny to partly cloudy skies the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook into mid January is for warm temps with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies with precipitation in the 10% or under range. Daily temps are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 60’s to low 70’s into mid January. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 3-7 mph range primarily from the SW shifting to the West by mid January.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved almost to the shoreline with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was in the 83-84 degree range and very clear. Finding some spots of off colored water near shore is perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed increased tourist activity for the Christmas holiday season along with decent weather and solid results. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opt for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. Everyone is waiting for the seasonal appearance of the Sailfish in January.

The billfish are not yet in their early year migration pattern but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 3 Sailfish, 33 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 18 King Mackerel, 14 Mahi-Mahi, 4 Blackfin Tuna, 44 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 83 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 24 Mutton Snappers,  16 Black Grouper,  43 Queen Triggerfish and 4 Jacks.  A total of 117 offshore fish and 170 inshore fish for a total of 287 fish for an average of almost 7 fish per trip on a total of 42 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early winter weather pattern typically has very warm days with some early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into mid January is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low to mid 80’s with evenings in the low 70’s.  The forecast is for a 10-20% chance of daily precipitation early in the month trending toward 30-40% daily toward the 10^th. Humidity is expected to be in the low to mid 70’s. Winds are expected to be in the 7-11 mph range primarily out of the East.  

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are currently running in the 82-83 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy in the afternoons depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are predicted to be out of the East. Anticipate some modest afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 12/20/19

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

As the weather changes to the winter pattern, the Cabo fleet still reported an overall success rate at over 90%! The Striped Marlin seemed to spread out and although the overall success rate remained high, the number of multiple Marlin report were down but again offset by many limits of Dorado and some great targeted Yellowfin Tuna fishing. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 150 lb range. The Dorado counts were down a bit with overall size modest with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies but some larger fish into the 30-40 lb range. The Wahoo counts were up with most in the 20-30 lb range with a biggie of 70 lbs reported and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing billfish with the bonus of Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity was on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Cabo Falso and the Lighthouse on up to Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots.  The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with very good action off the San Jamie and Golden Gate banks.  Action on the inside was limited other than some large Yellowfin to 75 lbs reported off the Gordos and some modest action off the 1150. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range with some larger fish in the 30-40 lb range and still plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  While overall Marlin fishing remained strong there were far fewer Blues and Sails reported this past week as the water begins to cool.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters were slower but showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 20-25 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Cabo Climate:  Early December was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into late December and first of the year is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the low 80’s and upper 70’s and evenings in the mid 60’s trending toward the lower 60’s by New Years. The 2 week forecast is mostly clear with no major weather conditions predicted into late December. There is a 10-20% chance of scattered T-storms in a 3 day period around Christmas. Winds are expected to be in the 7-11 mph range out of the WNW shifting to the NW in late December. Humidity is expected to run in the mid 50’s to lower 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps have cooled a bit and are currently running in the 77-78 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 78-80 degree range off Palmilla to low 80’s around the Gordos and with upper 70’s south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this past week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with lots of close in multiple fish action from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos and Pozo Cota. The San Jamie and Golden Gate banks produced some nice marlin catches along with some quality Yellowfin action.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and also at the San Jamie and golden Gate Banks. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some large Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action was reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced plenty of schoolie Dorado. Also lots of Dorado action close in off the west coast.  Los Arcos to the Lighthouse and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures with green, blue & white and green & yellow the favorites. Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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.

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

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

Our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan reported much the same weather as Cabo and reported some solid fishing results!  As the water cools a bit, the Striped Marlin are again showing up in larger numbers to mix with the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for.  The billfish counts were solid with a higher mix of Striped Marlin as the water cools. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers and Pompanos.  They reported 14 Sailfish, 12 Striped Marlin, and 12 Dorado and 8 Yellowfin Tuna on 30 offshore trips and 288 Snappers, 84 Queen Triggerfish and 36 Jacks and 18 Pompanos on 18 inshore trips. (Reporting on 10 days fishing)

Mazatlan Climate: Early December showed a normal late fall pattern with a couple of scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into late December is improved with afternoons in the low to mid 80’s daytime and mid to upper 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into late December is for mostly partly sunny to partly cloudy skies with only a 10%-20% chance of morning showers or scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day around the Christmas holiday. Winds are forecast in the 4-10 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the NW into late December.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 60’s to low 70’s into New Years.  

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 78 degree range to the north and 79-80 degrees to the south. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 6-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 8-10 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 weather and the fishing in Zihuatanejo has been outstanding!  The independent fleet reported an average of 3 or more Sailfish hookups per day less than 10-12 miles out!  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up farther offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found farther out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   The inshore fishing for Roosters and Jacks continued to be very productive for the large number of fly fishermen and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to the south and aggressively hitting poppers especially if they could find some off colored water. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season.

The offshore action for Sailfish and Dorado this past week moved out to the 10-12 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks and Chulas were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported.  

IZ Climate: They are now entering their dry season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with very occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by sunny to partly cloudy skies the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook into late December is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with precipitation in the 10% or under range. Daily temps are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid to upper 60’s toward New Years. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 4-7 mph range primarily from the SW shifting to the WSW by New Years.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved almost to the shoreline with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was in the 83-84 degree range and very clear. Finding some spots of off colored water near shore is perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed decent weather and solid results even with the decreased tourist activity prior to their prime season. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opt for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. Everyone is waiting for the seasonal appearance of the Sailfish in early January.

The billfish are not yet in their early year migration pattern but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 1 Sailfish, 32 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 16 King Mackerel, 8 Mahi-Mahi, 2 Blackfin Tuna, 31 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 53 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 19 Mutton Snappers,  6 Black Grouper,  23 Queen Triggerfish and 1 Jack.  A total of 90 offshore fish and 101 inshore fish for a total of 191 fish for an average of almost 6 fish per trip on a total of 32 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan fall and early winter weather pattern typically has very warm days with some early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into late December is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies mid month coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms later in the month (10-20%).  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low to mid 80’s with evenings in the low 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the low to mid 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 4-12 mph range primarily out of the NW trending toward the ENE into New Years.  

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are currently running in the 82-83 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy in the afternoons depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE at 4-12 MPH in the afternoons with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 12/13/19

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

As the weather changes to the winter pattern, the Cabo fleet still featured an overall success rate at over 90%! The Striped Marlin seemed to spread out and although the overall success rate remained high, the number of multiple Marlin report were down but offset by many limits of Dorado and awesome targeted Yellowfin Tuna fishing. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 200 lb range. The Dorado counts were high again with overall size modest with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies but larger fish into the 30-40 lb range. The Wahoo counts were up with most in the 20-30 lb range and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing billfish with the bonus of limits of Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity was on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Cabo Falso and the Lighthouse on up to Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots. Much of the action has moved very close to offshore the Lighthouse the past 2 weeks with many Striped Marlin reported there along with a few multiple hookup reports off Cerritos and Pozo Cota. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with very good action off the San Jamie bank.  Action on inside was limited other than some large Yellowfin cows reported off the Gordos and some action off the 1150. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range with some larger fish in the 30-40 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  While overall Marlin fishing remained strong there were fewer Blues and Sails reported this past week as the water begins to cool a bit.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters were slower but showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 20-25 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Congratulations to 2 of our favorite boats – the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO released 3 Marlin and boated 16 Dorado on 4 days of fishing and the 34’ Owens custom TUNA TIME released 5 Marlin and boated 44 Dorado and 23 Yellowfin Tuna on 6 days of fishing.

Cabo Climate:  Late November was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into late December is for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is mostly clear with no major weather conditions predicted into mid December. There is a 10-20% chance of scattered T-storms in a 3 day period around Christmas. Winds are expected to be in the 7-11 mph range out of the WSW shifting into the WNW in mid December. Humidity is expected to run in the lower to mid 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-81 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 81-83 degree range off Palmilla to lower 80’s around the Gordos and with low 80’south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this past week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with lots of close in multiple fish action from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos and Pozo Cota. The San Jamie banks produced some nice marlin catches along with some quality Yellowfin action.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and also at the San Jamie Bank. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 100-200 lb Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced plenty of schoolie Dorado. Also lots of Dorado action close in off the west coast. Los Arcos to the Lighthouse and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures with green, blue & white and green & yellow the favorites. Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan reported much the same weather as Cabo and reported some solid fishing results!  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up again in great numbers!  The billfish counts were up significantly over last month with a higher mix of the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers and Pompanos.  They reported 22 Sailfish, 9 Striped Marlin, and 10 Dorado and 8 Yellowfin Tuna on 36 offshore trips and 361 Snappers, 64 Queen Triggerfish and 48 Jacks and 33 Pompanos on 21 inshore trips. (Reporting on 10 days fishing)

Mazatlan Climate: Late November showed a normal fall pattern with a couple of scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into mid December is improved with afternoons in the low to mid 80’s daytime and mid to upper 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into late December is for mostly partly sunny to partly cloudy skies with only a 10% -chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day around the Christmas holiday. Winds are forecast in the 6-11 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW into mid December.  Humidity is predicted to be in the low 60’s into mid December.  

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 82-83 degree range to the north and 84 degrees to the south. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 6-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-11 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Sail fishing that Zihuatanejo is known for in the winter months has really turned on!  The independent fleet reported an average of 3 or more hookups per day less than 10-12 miles out!  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up farther offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found farther out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   The inshore fishing for Roosters and Jacks continued to be very productive for the large number of fly fishermen and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season.

The offshore action for Sailfish and Dorado this past week moved out to the 10-12 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported.  

IZ Climate: They are now at the end of their rainy season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with very occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by sunny to partly cloudy skies the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook into late December is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Daily temps are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low to mid 60’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-9 mph range primarily from the West.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved almost to the shoreline with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was in the 83-84 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed improved weather and solid results with increased tourist activity. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opt for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda and Bonito.

The billfish are not yet in their early year migration pattern but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 7 Sailfish, 96 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 12 King Mackerel, 2 Blackfin Tuna, 93 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 166 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 36 Mutton Snappers,  16 Black Grouper,  66 Queen Triggerfish and 1 Jack.  A total of 210 offshore fish and 285 inshore fish for a total of 495 fish for an average of 7 1/2 fish per trip on a total of 66 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan fall and early winter weather pattern typically has very warm days with some early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into late December is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies mid month coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms later in the month (10-40%).  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low to mid 80’s with evenings in the low 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the low 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 4-12 mph range primarily out of the ESE trending toward the ENE and then the ESE into mid December.  

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are currently running in the 82-83 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy in the afternoons depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE and then the ESE at 4-12 MPH in the afternoons with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 11/21/19

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

Even with the 2 day port closure due to tropical storm Raymundo, this was another good November week in Cabo with the overall success rate at over 90%! The Striped Marlin seemed to spread out and although the overall success rate remained high, the number of multiple Marlin report were down but offset by many limits of Dorado. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 200 lb range. The Dorado counts were high again with overall size down a bit with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies. The Wahoo counts were down with most in the 20-30 lb range and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing billfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues) was on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Cabo Falso and the Lighthouse on up to Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots. Much of the action moved very close to offshore the Lighthouse this week with many Striped Marlin reported there along with a few multiple hookup reports off Cerritos. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with good action off the San Jamie bank.  Action on inside was limited other than some large Yellowfin cows reported off the Gordos. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  While overall Marlin fishing remained strong there were fewer Blues and Sails reported this past week as the water begins to cool a bit.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 25-30 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

The Los Cabos Charter Boat Classic was a great success with many first time anglers participating and over $40,000 in cash and other prizes awarded on this no entry fee tournament that continues to grow every year!

Congratulations to 2 of our favorite boats – the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO released 7 Marlin and boated23 Dorado 4 days of fishing and the 34’ Owens custom TUNA TIME released 5 Marlin and boated 27 Dorado on 3 days of fishing.

Cabo Climate:  Early November was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into late November is for mostly partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the mid 80’s and evenings in the mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for some scattered thunderstorms mid month then trending toward clear through early December. Winds are expected to be in the 8-10 mph range out of the West lowering and shifting into the single range out of the WNW in late November. Humidity is expected to run in the lower 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-82 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 81-84 degree range off Palmilla to lower 80’s around the Gordos and with low 80’south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this past week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with lots of close in multiple fish action from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos and Pozo Cota. The San Jamie banks produced some nice marlin catches along with some quality Yellowfin action.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and also at the San Jamie Bank. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 100-200 lb Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced plenty of schoolie Dorado. Also lots of Dorado action close in off the west coast. Los Arcos to the Lighthouse and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures with green, blue & white and green & yellow the favorites. Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan encountered much the same weather as Cabo and reported some solid fishing results!  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up again in great numbers!  The billfish counts were up significantly over last month with a higher mix of the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers.  They reported 28 Sailfish, 10 Striped Marlin, and 12 Dorado on 26 offshore trips and 112 Snappers, 26 Queen Triggerfish and 3 Jacks on 8 inshore trips.

Mazatlan Climate: Early November showed a normal fall pattern with a couple of scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into late November is improved with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and upper 60’s in the evenings. The forecast into early December is for mostly partly cloudy skies with 10% -40% chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day mid month then clear into early December. Winds are forecast in the 8-13 mph range primarily out of the SW trending toward the WNW into early December.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 60’s into early December.  

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 83 degree range to the north and 84 degrees to the south. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 7-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-10 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Rooster fishing in IZ is exceptional right now along with double digit catches of aggressive large Jacks!   The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity. but exceptional action on Roosters and Jacks.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until the New Year and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season ahead of the peak tourist season starting for the holidays.

The offshore action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth moved out to the 10-12 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported.  Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now at the end of their rainy season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with occasional scattered very early morning and late afternoon and evening scattered thunderstorms but clearing into early December. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low 70’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-7 mph range primarily from the West and shifting to the WSW by late November. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved almost to the shoreline with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was in the 84 degree range and perfect for the big Roosters.  There are pockets of green water along the shoreline off the mouths of the rivers.

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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed improved weather and strong results with modest tourist activity ahead of the start of the prime season beginning around Thanksgiving. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opt for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda and Bonito.

The billfish are not yet in their early year migration pattern but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 5 Sailfish, 71 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 11 King Mackerel, 6 Blackfin Tuna, 1 Mahi-Mahi, 108 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 105 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 27 Mutton Snappers,  3 Black Grouper,  and 36 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 192 offshore fish and 171 inshore fish for a total of 363 fish for an average of 8 fish per trip on a total of 45 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with some early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into early December is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies mid month coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms late in the month.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low to mid 80’s with evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 5-11 mph range primarily out of the East trending toward the ENE into early December.  

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy in the afternoons depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE at 8-10 MPH in the afternoons with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 11/14/19

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

The good news keeps coming in Cabo with the overall success rate at over 90%! The boats were averaging at least 2-3 bites per day and many limits of Dorado. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 200 lb range. The Dorado counts were high again with overall size down a bit with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies. The Wahoo counts were steady with most in the 40-50 lb range and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several billfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues) was on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Cabo Falso on up to Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots. Much of the action moved very close to offshore the Lighthouse this week with many Striped Marlin reported there along with a few double digit reports off Cerritos. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with good action off the San Jamie bank.  Action on inside was limited other than some large Yellowfin cows reported off the Gordos. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  While overall Marlin fishing remained strong there were fewer Blues and Sails reported this past week as the water begins to cool a bit.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 25-30 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

The WON (Western Outdoors News) Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament wrapped up with a 345 lb Super Cow winning. Lots of quality Yellowfin with 30 fish over 100 lbs scaled and 12 over 200 lbs.

The Los Cabos Charter Boat Classic is coming up the 19^th – 22^nd and we have several clients fishing in that one so good luck to our loyal clients!

Congratulations to 2 of our favorite boats – the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO released 24 Marlin and boated 8 Yellowfin Tuna  and 15 Dorado on 5 days of fishing and the 34’ Owens custom TUNA TIME released 3 Marlin and boated 29 Dorado and 1 Wahoo on 3 days of fishing.

Cabo Climate:  Early November was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into late November is for mostly partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the upper 70’s and evenings in the mid 60’s. The 2 week forecast is for some scattered thunderstorms mid month then trending toward clear through early December. Winds are expected to be in the 8-10 mph range out of the West lowering and shifting into the single range out of the WNW in late November. Humidity is expected to run in the lower 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-82 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 81-84 degree range off Palmilla to lower 80’s around the Gordos and with low 80’south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this past week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with lots of close in multiple fish action from the Lighthouse north to Cerritos. The San Jamie banks produced some nice marlin catches along with some quality Yellowfin action.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and also at the San Jamie Bank. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 100-200 lb Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced plenty of schoolie Dorado. Also lots of Dorado action close in off the west coast. Los Arcos to the Lighthouse and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan enjoyed some improved weather and some solid fishing results!  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up again in great numbers!  The billfish counts were up significantly over last month with a higher mix of the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers.  They reported 36 Sailfish, 14 Striped Marlin, and 8 Dorado on 30 offshore trips and 110 Snappers, 36 Queen Triggerfish and 4 Jacks on 8 inshore trips.

Mazatlan Climate: Early November showed a normal fall pattern with a couple of scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into late November is improved with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and mid to low 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into early December is for mostly partly cloudy skies with 10% -40% chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day mid month then clear into early December. Winds are forecast in the 9-10 mph range primarily out of the SW trending toward the WNW into early December.  Humidity is predicted to be in the low 70’s into early December.  

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 83 degree range to the north and 84 degrees to the south. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 7-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-10 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Rooster fishing in IZ is exceptional right now along with double digit catches of aggressive large Jacks!   The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity with modest action on the Sailfish going into the full moon but exceptional action on Roosters and Jacks.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until the New Year and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season ahead of the peak tourist season starting for the holidays.

The offshore action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported.  Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now at the end of their rainy season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with occasional scattered very early morning and late afternoon and evening scattered thunderstorms. Daily temps are predicted in the mid 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low to mid 70’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-6 mph range primarily from the WSW and shifting to the WSW by late November. 

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved almost to the shoreline with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was in the 84 degree range and perfect for the big Roosters.  There are pockets of green water along the shoreline off the mouths of the rivers.

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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed improved weather and strong results with modest tourist activity ahead of the start of the prime season beginning in mid-November. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opt for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda and Bonito.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 1 Sailfish, 75 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 3 King Mackerel, 5 Blackfin Tuna, 1 Mahi-Mahi, 193 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 61 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 12 Mutton Snappers,  3 Black Grouper,  10 Queen Triggerfish and 9 Jacks.  A total of 277 offshore fish and 95 inshore fish for a total of 372 fish for an average of 9fish per trip on a total of 42 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with some early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into early December is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies mid month coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms late in the month.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the low to mid 80’s with evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 60’s trending toward the 70’s late in the month. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 7-10 mph range primarily out of the East trending toward the ENE into early December.  Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy in the afternoons depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE at 8-10 MPH in the afternoons with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 11/07/19

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

Another solid fall week in Cabo with the overall success rate at over 95%! The boats were averaging at least 2-3 bites per day and many limits of Dorado. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-40 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish scaled in the 100 – 200 lb range. The Dorado counts were again high again with overall size down a bit with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies. The Wahoo counts were steady with most in the 40-50 lb range and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several marlin or sailfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very nice Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues) was on the Pacific side with favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore the Lighthouse, Migrino, Gaspareno, and Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots. Much of the action moved very close to offshore the Lighthouse this week with many Striped Marlin reported there along with a few double digit reports off Cerritos. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with good action off the San Jamie bank.  Some of the larger Yellowfin reported were on the inside from the 1150 over to the Gordos. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  Blue Marlin in the 200-250 lb range are showing in the warm water and there was a steady release of Pacific Sailfish. The Dorado showed up in good numbers on the west side from north around Gaspareno and also closer in from El Arco to off the Lighthouse and out to canyon toward the San Jamie. Large numbers of smaller Dorado were reported on the Cortez side from Palmilla to the east.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along the west side of Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 25-30 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

This week featured the 2^nd Annual Pelagic Rockstar Tuna Tournament (11/1-11/3) with the winning team of Porque No with a 166 Yellowfin and last year’s winners the team Chinito Bonito close behind with a 163 lb cow.

Congratulations to 2 of our favorite boats – the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO released 22 Marlin and boated 18 Yellowfin Tuna  and 9  Dorado on 6 days of fishing and the 34’ Owens custom TUNA TIME released 25 Marlin and boated 8 Dorado and 7 Yellowfin and released 3 Treasure Sharks on 5 days of fishing.

Cabo Climate:  Late October was mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and some occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into mid November is for very comfortable days with mostly sunny and partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the mid 80’s and evenings in the low 70’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny skies and partly cloudy skies with a 10-20% chance of precipitation. Winds are expected to be in the 8-12 mph range out of the WNW lowering and shifting into the single range out of the WSW in mid November. Humidity is expected to run in the lower 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-83 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 81-84 degree range off Palmilla to lower to mid 80’s around the Gordos with low 80’south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with the Lighthouse, Punta Gorda, Migrino,  Gaspareno, Cerritos and the Golden Gate and the San Jamie banks all producing some nice marlin catches.  Blues were reported off the San Jamie and Golden Gate. The Lighthouse and Cerritos seemed to be the hot spots for the multiple billfish hookups.  The big Blacks were being found to the east around the Iman Bank. The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and in the Herradura and also at the San Jamie Bank. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 100-200 lb Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced lots of schoolie Dorado and also off the Lighthouse out toward to the canyon. Lots of Dorado action off the west coast. Palmilla, Los Arcos and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

A very good reporting period for our friends at the El Cid Marina in Mazatlan!  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up again in great numbers!  The billfish counts were up significantly with a higher mix of the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Triggers.  They reported 42 Sailfish, 22 Striped Marlin, and 4 Dorado on 40 offshore trips and 113 Snappers, 30 Queen Triggerfish and 2 Snook on 9 inshore trips.

Mazatlan Climate: Late October showed a normal early fall pattern with some scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook for the fall pattern into mid November is improved with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and mid to low 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid November is for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with 10% -40% chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day. Breezes are forecast in the 8-13 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW into mid November.  Humidity is predicted to be in the low 70’s into mid November.  Overall the forecast is very favorable into mid November.

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 83-84 degree range. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 8-13 mph range and some afternoon swells with 8-13 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Rooster fishing in IZ is exceptional right now!   The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity but some really good results raising 3-5 billfish fish per day as close as 8-10 miles and exceptional action on Roosters and Jacks.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until early to mid December and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to both the north and the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season ahead of the peak tourist season starting in mid November.

The action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported. The Dorado were a bit spotty but available for feathers and small lures on the troll. Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now near the end of their rainy season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with occasional scattered very early morning and late afternoon and evening scattered thunderstorms. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the upper 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low to mid 70’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-7 mph range primarily from the West and shifting to the WSW by mid November.  Keep in mind that when we talk about their rainy season, the thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoons coming off the Pacific with the prevailing breezes out of the west pushing the building clouds into the coastal mountains, rain dumping on the mountains in the late afternoon and evening, and then begin rebuilding the next day.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved as close as 5-6 miles out with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was also in the 84-85 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed improved weather and strong results with modest tourist activity ahead of the start of the prime season beginning in mid-November. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda and Bonito.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 1 Sailfish, 55 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 1 King Mackerel, 5 Blackfin Tuna, 100 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo and 1 Hammerhead from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 53 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 3 Mutton Snappers,  1 Black Grouper,  8 Queen Triggerfish and 1 Jack.  A total of 165 offshore fish and 66inshore fish for a total of 232 fish for an average of 8 fish per trip on a total of only 29trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into mid November is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s with evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid to upper 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 4-7 mph range primarily out of the SSE trending toward the ENE into mid November.  Expect some occasional early morning showers and late afternoon scattered thunderstorms. Daily precipitation forecast is much lower in the 10-20% range almost every day into mid November.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are still in their early fall pattern and are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE at 4-11 MPH in the afternoons with some late afternoon swells and chop expected with the higher winds in the afternoon.

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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 10/31/19

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

Another fabulous week in the peak tournament season with the success rate was still well over 90%! The recreational boats were averaging at least 2-3 bites per day and many limits of Dorado. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-30 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish in the 75 – 200 lb range. The Dorado counts were again high again with overall size down a bit with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies. The Wahoo counts were steady with most in the 40-50 lb range and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several marlin or sailfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very large Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues) was on the Pacific side with very favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore the Lighthouse, Migrino, Gaspareno, and Cerritos also mentioned as hot spots. As the tournament season kicked off, many of the tournament boats headed east to Iman Bank in search of the large Black Marlin. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with good action off the San Jamie bank and some nice schools out at the Golden Gate. Many of the larger Yellowfin were reported on the inside from the 1150 over to the Gordos. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  Blue Marlin in the 200-250 lb range are showing in the warm water and there was a steady release of Pacific Sailfish. The Dorado showed up in good numbers on the west side from Los Arcos north to Gaspareno and also closer in from El Arco to off the Lighthouse. Large numbers of smaller Dorado were reported on the Cortez side from Palmilla to the east.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 30-40 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Red Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

This week features the Pelagic Rockstar Tuna Tournament (11/1-11/3) and the Cabo Tuna Jackpot (11/6-11/9).

Cabo Climate:  Mid October was a mix of warm muggy days with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into early November is for very comfortable days with mostly sunny and partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the mid 80’s and evenings in the low 70’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny skies and partly cloudy skies with zero chance of precipitation. Winds are expected to be a bit lower into mid month in the 8-10 mph range out of the West lowering shifting into the single range out of the WSW in mid November. Humidity is expected to run in the upper 50’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-83 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 82-85 degree range off Palmilla to lower to mid 80’s around the Gordos with low 80’s to mid 80’s south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with the Lighthouse, Punta Gorda, Migrino,  Gaspareno, Cerritos and the Golden Gate and the San Jamie banks all producing some nice marlin catches.  Blues were reported off the San Jamie and Golden Gate. The Lighthouse and Cerritos seemed to be the hot spots for the multiple billfish hookups.  The big Blacks were being found to the east around the Iman Bank. The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and in the Herradura and also at the San Jamie Bank and Golden Gate banks. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 100-200 lb Yellowfin. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats from the San Jamie. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced lots of schoolie Dorado and also off the Lighthouse out toward to the canyon. Lots of Dorado action off the west coast. Palmilla, Los Arcos and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Mazatlan again enjoyed some improved weather but still modest tourist counts.  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up again in good numbers!  The billfish counts were up significantly with a higher mix of the Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Pompanos.  They reported 18 Sailfish, 4 Striped Marlin, 6 Yellowfin Tuna and 2 Dorado on 11 offshore trips and 58 Snappers and 38 Queen Triggerfish on 6 inshore trips.

Mazatlan Climate: Mid October showed a normal early fall pattern with some scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook for the fall pattern into mid November is improved with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and mid to low 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid November is for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with 10% or under chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day. Breezes are forecast in the 9-11 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW later into November.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 60’s into mid November.  Overall the forecast is very favorable into mid November.

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 84-85 degree range. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 4-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-11 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. Longer runs out to 25-30 miles and warmer water are finding the schools of Yellowfin. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 Rooster fishing in IZ is exceptional right now!   The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity but some really good results raising 3-5 billfish fish per day as close as 8-10 miles and exceptional action on Roosters and Jacks.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until early to mid December and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to both the north and the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season ahead of the peak tourist season starting in mid November.

The action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50—100+ lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported. The Dorado were a bit spotty but available for feathers and small lures on the troll. Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now near the end of their rainy season with a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy days with occasional late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with occasional scattered very early morning and late afternoon and evening scattered thunderstorms. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the upper 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low to mid 70’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-7 mph range primarily from the West and shifting to the WSW by mid November.  Keep in mind that when we talk about their rainy season, the thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoons coming off the Pacific with the prevailing breezes out of the west pushing the building clouds into the coastal mountains, rain dumping on the mountains in the late afternoon and evening, and then begin rebuilding the next day.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved as close as 5-6 miles out with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was also in the 84-85 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed improved weather and strong results with modest tourist activity ahead of the start of the prime season beginning in mid-November. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda and Bonito.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 3 Sailfish, 57 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 5 King Mackerel, 4 Blackfin Tuna, 131 Bonito, and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 80 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 10 Mutton Snappers,  4 Black Grouper,  and 20 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 206 offshore fish and 114 inshore fish for a total of 320 fish for an average of almost 9 fish per trip on a total of only 36 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into early November is for a mix of mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s with evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid to upper 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 6-10 mph range primarily out of the SSE trending toward the ENE into November.  Expect some occasional early morning showers and late afternoon scattered thunderstorms. Daily precipitation forecast is much lower in the 10-40% range almost every day into mid November.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are still in their early fall pattern and are predicted to be out of the East trending toward the ENE at 8-11 MPH in the afternoons 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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 10/24/19

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

An interesting week going into the start of the tournament season – an unexpected storm moved in over the weekend causing a port closure on Sunday and the extension of the Los Cabos Billfish Classic. However, despite a little weather setback the success rate was still well over 90%! The recreational boats were averaging at least 2-3 bites per day and many limits of Dorado. The boats targeting the Yellowfin had great success with school fish in the 20-30 lb range. The larger Tuna again showed up with multiple reports of fish in the 80 – 225 lb range with most of the big ones caught while kite fishing. The Dorado counts were again high again but overall size down a bit with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies. The Wahoo counts were steady and again found primarily well offshore out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several marlin or sailfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very large Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues was on the Pacific side with very favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Migrino, Gaspareno, Cerritos, La Ballena, Punta Lobos and Pozo Cota also mentioned as hot spots. As the tournament season kicked off, many of the tournament boats headed east to Iman Bank in search of the large Black Marlin. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with good action off the San Jamie bank and some nice schools out at the Golden Gate. The Gordos reports were very spotty but it does look like the larger tuna are seasonally moving that way with some 100 lb+ fish reported. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-20 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20 lb fish.  Blue Marlin in the 200-250 lb range are showing in the warm water and there was a steady release of Pacific Sailfish. The Dorado showed up in good numbers on the west side from Los Arcos north to Gaspareno and also closer in from El Arco to off the Lighthouse. Large numbers of smaller Dorado were reported on the Cortez side.

One of our favorite boats, the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO tallied 5 Marlin and 3 Dorado fishing in the Los Cabos Billfish Classic.

This past week featured 2 tournaments – the Los Cabos Billfish Classic (51 boats) and the Bisbee’s Offshore (119 boats). Weigh-ins included a 468 lb Black and a 371 lb Black along with a 328 lb Blue. The Grand Daddy of them all - the richest marlin tournament in the world - the Bisbee’s Black & Blue dominates Cabo this week. We will have to wait and see how it affects the recreational fishing in the coming week.

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of Sierras along Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 30-40 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Red Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Cabo Climate:  Mid October was a mix of warm muggy days with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into late October and early November is for very comfortable days with mostly sunny skies with average daytime temps in the mid 80’s and evenings in the low 70’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny skies with minimal chance of occasional scattered thunderstorms showing up early mornings and late afternoons with the precipitation forecast running 10% daily after the first of the month. Winds are expected to be a bit lower into mid month in the 7-10 mph range out of the WSW lowering shifting into the single range out of the South in early November end. Humidity is expected to run in the mid 50’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-82 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 82-85 degree range off Palmilla to lower to mid 80’s around the Gordos with low 80’s to mid 80’s south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of this week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side with Punta Gorda, Migrino, Punta Lobos, La Ballena, Gaspareno, Cerritos, Pozo Cota and the Golden Gate and the San Jamie banks all producing some nice marlin catches.  Blues were reported off the San Jamie and Golden Gate. Cerritos and Pozo Cota seemed to be the hot spot for the multiple billfish hookups.  The big Blacks were being found to the east around the Iman Bank. The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 25-30 miles out and in the Herradura and also at the San Jamie Bank and Golden Gate banks. The kite action off the San Jamie produced some 80-150 lb Yellowfin with the largest scaled at over 200. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced lots of schoolie Dorado and also off the Lighthouse out toward to the canyon. Lots of Dorado action off the west coast. Palmilla, Los Arcos and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos or Mackerel was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Mazatlan enjoyed some improved weather but modest tourist counts.  The good news is the Sailfish that Mazatlan is historically known for showed up big time!  The billfish counts were up significantly with a higher mix of Sailfish that Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers, Jacks and Pompanos.  They reported 17 Sailfish, 6 Striped Marlin and 2 Dorado on 10 offshore trips and 63 Snappers and 30 Queen Triggerfish on 5 inshore trips.

Mazatlan Climate: Mid October showed a normal early fall pattern with some scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook for the fall pattern into late October and early November is improved with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and mid to low 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into early November is for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with 10% or under chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day. Breezes are forecast in a modest 4-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW later into November.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 60’s into early November.  Overall the forecast is very favorable into early November.

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 84-85 degree range. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 4-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-12 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. Longer runs out to 25-30 miles and warmer water are finding the schools of Yellowfin. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 rainy season is no longer interrupting the fishing and conditions are very good right now! Heading into their prime Roosterfish season large Roosters are plentiful and easy to find! With the warm water there are Blue Marlin to go along with always plentiful Sailfish. With tourist activity slow, Capt. Temo reports many of the boats are undergoing their annual maintenance period so not all of our boats are currently available. The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity but some really good results raising 3-5 billfish fish per day as close as 8-10 miles.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up offshore in the blue water. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until late November into early December and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches.

Capt Temo reported great success this past week with many Roosters easily found to both the north and the south and aggressively hitting poppers. Many of the fishermen are focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season ahead of the peak tourist season starting in mid November.

The action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50--100 lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported. The Dorado were a bit spotty but available for feathers and small lures on the troll. Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now near the end of their rainy season with a mix of partly cloudy days with almost daily late afternoon and evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly partly cloudy skies with scattered early morning and late afternoon and evening scattered thunderstorms on a regular basis. Daily temps are predicted in the mid 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the mid 70’s. The winds are expected to be very mild in the 3-6 mph range primarily from the WSW and shifting to the West by early November.  Keep in mind that when we talk about their rainy season, the thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoons coming off the Pacific with the prevailing breezes out of the west pushing the building clouds into the coastal mountains, rain dumping on the mountains in the late afternoon and evening, and then begin rebuilding the next day.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved as close as 5-6 miles out with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was also in the 84-85 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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 in Puerto Morelos enjoyed some improved weather but modest tourist activity ahead of the start of the prime season beginning in mid-November. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by lots of Giant Atlantic Barracuda.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 1 Sailfish, 48 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 5 King Mackerel, 5 Blackfin Tuna, 40 Bonito, 1 Hammerhead shark and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 102 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 15 Mutton Snappers,  7 Black Grouper,  and 20 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 100 offshore fish and 144 inshore fish for a total of 244 fish for an average of over 6 1/2 fish per trip on a total of only 37 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into late October and early November is for a mix of mostly partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s with evenings in the mid 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid to upper 70’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 6-10 mph range primarily out of the SSE trending toward the ENE into November.  Expect some occasional early morning showers and late afternoon scattered thunderstorms. Daily precipitation forecast is much lower in the 20-40% range almost every day into early November.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are still in their early fall pattern and are predicted to be out of the SSE trending toward the ENE at 6-10 MPH in the afternoons 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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 10/11/19

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

Wow – what a great week coming off the new moon – success rate was 95% !!  The boats were averaging 2-3 bites per day and we had several reports of a double digit hook ups on the marlin. Earlier in the week with higher winds the boats that targeted the Yellowfin tuna had a rough ride out but had great success with school fish in the 20-30 lb range. The larger Tuna also showed up with multiple reports of fish in the 80 – 225 lb range with most of the big ones caught while kite fishing. The Dorado counts were again high with lots of 10-20 lbs “schoolies “showing up with most boats able to cull to keep limits of 20-30 lb fish. The Wahoo counts were steady and again found primarily out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several marlin or sailfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very large Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues was on the Pacific side with very favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Migrino, Gaspareno, Cerritos, La Ballena, Punta Lobos and Pozo Cota also mentioned as hot spots. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with increased action off the San Jamie bank and some nice schools out at the Golden Gate. The Gordos reports were very spotty but some very large tuna taken off the 1150 kite fishing. Most of the Dorado were running in the 10-30 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20-30 lb fish.  Blue Marlin in the 200-250 lb range are showing in the warmer water and there was increased release of Pacific Sailfish showing up in the warm waters. The Dorado showed up in good numbers on the west side and also closer in from El Arco to off the Lighthouse and on out the San Jamie and also to the east toward Palmilla.

Two of our favorite boats, the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO and the 34’ Owens Sportfisher the TUNA TIME had another big week releasing 18 Marlin and bringing home 30 Dorado and 2 Wahoo on a combined 7 days of fishing

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of large Sierras along Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 30-40 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Red Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Large Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Cabo Climate:  Late September was a mix of hot muggy days with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into mid to late October is for very comfortable days with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the mid 80’s and evenings in the mid 70’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny to partly skies with some occasional scattered thunderstorms showing up early mornings and late afternoons with the precipitation forecast running 10% daily with a couple of days in the 40% range. Winds are expected to be a bit lower into mid month in the 7-13 mph range out of the West/WNW. Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some larger swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-3’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-82 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 82-85 degree range off Palmilla to lower 80’s around the Gordos with low 80’s to mid 80’s south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  All of this week’s hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side this past week with Punta Gorda, Migrino, Punta Lobos, La Ballena, Gaspareno, Cerritos, Pozo Cota and the Golden Gate and the San Jamie banks all producing some nice marlin catches.  The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 24-30 miles out and in the Herradura and also at the San Jamie Bank and Golden Gate banks. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced lots of schoolie Dorado and also off the Lighthouse out toward to the canyon. Palmilla, Los Arcos and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some large fish and large Jacks in the surf from El Arco west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Mazatlan had to again dodge occasional seasonal thunderstorms this past week which affected not only fishing frequency but also limited some of the longer trips to the tuna schools.  When the boats were able to get out the action was pretty decent.  The Yellowfin Tuna schools were large and found to the Southwest when the boats could get out the longer distance (25-30 miles) between the thunderstorms.  The billfish counts were down a bit with a higher mix of Striped Marlin than the Sailfish Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado and Yellowfin Tuna.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers and Queen Triggers.  

Mazatlan Climate: Late September showed a normal late summer pattern with scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into the fall pattern in mid October is similar with afternoons in the mid to upper 80’s daytime and mid 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid October is for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with 10-20% chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day almost daily and breezes in a modest 7-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the WNW later in the month.  Humidity is predicted to be in the low 70’s into late October.  The forecast calls for a 10-20% daily chance of scattered early or late afternoon thunderstorms forecast over the next couple of weeks.

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 84-85 degree range bringing in the Yellowfin and Dorado. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 6-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 7-12 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. Longer runs out to 25-30 miles and warmer water are finding the schools of Yellowfin. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 rainy season is no longer interrupting the fishing and conditions are very good right now! Heading into their prime Roosterfish season large Roosters are plentiful and easy to find! With the warm water there are Blue Marlin to go along with always plentiful Sailfish. With tourist activity slow, Capt. Temo reports many of the boats are undergoing their annual maintenance period so not all of our boats are currently available. The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity but some really good results raising 3-5 billfish fish per day as close as 8-10 miles.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up well offshore. The big Yellowfin are available but found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until late November into early December and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches. Capt Temo reported great success this past week with large Roosters up by the Valentine River with many of the fishermen focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season.

The action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin are out 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50--100 lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported. The Dorado were a bit spotty but available for feathers and small lures on the troll. Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now near the end of their rainy season with a mix of partly cloudy days with almost daily late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly partly cloudy skies with scattered late afternoon and evening thunderstorms on a regular basis. Daily temps are predicted in the mid 80’s and night time temps in the mid 70’s with humidity expected to run in the low 80’s trending toward the mid 70’s in late October.  The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-8 mph range primarily from the SE and shifting to the West by end of month.  Keep in mind that when we talk about their rainy season, the thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoons coming off the Pacific with the prevailing breezes out of the west pushing the building clouds into the coastal mountains, rain dumping on the mountains in the late afternoon and evening, and then begin rebuilding the next day.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved as close as 5-6 miles out with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was also in the 84-85 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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

 The late summer/early fall weather pattern of scattered thunderstorms really affected our friends at the El Cid Resort & Marina.  They had to duck multiple thunderstorms so the overall trip counts were down quite a bit. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare. This past week the Mahi seemed to disappear but were replaced by schools of Blackfin tuna.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 2 Sailfish, 17 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 6 King Mackerel, 13 Blackfin Tuna, 13 Bonito, 2 Hammerhead sharks and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 58 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 10 Mutton Snappers,  2 Black Grouper,  and 15 Queen Triggerfish.  A total of 53 offshore fish and 85 inshore fish for a total of 138 fish for an average of over 6 fish per trip on a total of only 22 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into mid to late October is for a mix of mostly partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in the mid to upper 80’s with evenings in the mid to upper 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the mid 70’s. Winds are expected to be modest in the 8-12 mph range primarily out of the SE trending toward the ENE later in the month.  Expect some occasional early morning showers and late afternoon scattered thunderstorms. Daily precipitation forecast is much lower in the 20-40% range almost every day into late October.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 83-84 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are still in their late summer/early fall pattern and are predicted to be out of the SE trending toward the ENE at 8-12 MPH in the afternoons 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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina

Cortez Yacht Charters Weekly Mexico Fishing Report

Week ended 10/04/19

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

A great week of early fall fishing in Cabo!!  The previous report noted Striper action was down a bit but this past week coming of the new moon they returned with a vengeance!  Boats were averaging 2-3 bites per day and we had a report of a double digit day out on the Golden Gate. With the really strong Marlin bite, fewer boats were targeting the Tuna but for those that did, the Yellowfin Tuna counts were up with most fish in the 20-30 lb range. The larger Tuna also showed up with several reports of fish in the 75 – 150 lb range and a 286 cow weighed in on the scales. The Dorado counts were again high with lots of 15-30 lbs “schoolies “showing up and some larger 40-50 lb Bulls reported out on the Marlin grounds. The Wahoo counts were steady and again found primarily out on the Marlin grounds.   Many boats were returning after releasing several marlin or sailfish with the bonus of several Dorado closer in to provide some tasty table fare for their anglers. The inshore fishing was again very productive with some nice counts of Snappers, Groupers, and Sierras as well as some very large Roosterfish in the surf.

The prime Marlin activity (including the Blues) clearly moved to the Pacific side with very favorable reports from the Golden Gate and San Jamie banks on the Pacific side with the waters offshore Migrino, Cerritos and Pozo Cota also mentioned as hot spots. The Yellowfin were found primarily to the south and southwest with increased action off the San Jamie bank and some nice schools out at the Golden Gate. The Gordos reports were very spotty with some larger Yellowfin found off toward the Cabrillo Seamount in warmer waters.  Most of the Tuna are “schoolies” in the 20-30 lb range but some larger fish in the 75-150 lb range were reported out on the prime Tuna grounds. The Dorado were running in the 10-30 lb range and plentiful enough many of the boats were able to cull and release smaller fish and still make their anglers’ limit with the larger 20-30 lb fish.  Blue Marlin in the 200-250 lb range are showing in the warmer water and there was increased release of Pacific Sailfish showing up in the warmer waters. The Dorado showed up in good numbers from El Arco to off the Lighthouse and on out the San Jamie and also to the east toward Palmilla.

Two of our favorite boats, the 43’ Hatteras FISH CABO and the 34’ Owens Sportfisher the TUNA TIME had a big week releasing 18 Marlin and bringing home 22 Dorado on a combined 7 days of fishing

Inshore fishing was again solid with some really nice catches of large Sierras along Migrino. Roosters showed up again in the surf from Solmar to the Lighthouse and off Palmilla with some reported in the 30-40 lb range.  Some very nice catches of Red Snappers and Groupers were also reported fishing close to the rocks around El Arco. Jacks were available off the rocks from Solmar west.

Cabo Climate:  Late September was a mix of hot muggy days with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and occasional scatted late afternoon thunder storms. The future outlook into mid October is for more of the same with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with average daytime temps in the upper 80’s and evenings in the upper 70’s. The 2 week forecast is for mostly sunny to partly skies with some occasional scattered thunderstorms showing up early mornings and late afternoons with the precipitation forecast running 10-40% daily. Winds are expected to be a bit lower early in the month in the 9-13 mph range out of the West/NW shifting to 8-12 mph out of the West/SW toward mid month.  Humidity is expected to run in the mid 60’s.

Sea Conditions:  The seas are expected to be moderate with some large swells and chop showing up in the afternoons as breezes increase.  Morning seas have, however, have been in the 2’-5’ range. The Pacific side sea temps are currently running in the 80-82 degree range with mostly clear water. The inside is warmer with temps in the 82-85 degree range off Palmilla to lower 80’s around the Gordos with low 80’s to mid 80’s south in the Herradura and out near the 1150 and 95 Spots.

Best Fishing Areas:  Most of the hot spots for Marlin action were on the Pacific side this past week with Punta Gorda, Migrino, Cerritos, Pozo Cota and the Golden Gate and the San Jamie banks all producing some nice marlin catches.  The Striped Marlin bite is clearly shifting toward the Pacific side. The Yellowfin were primarily reported off to the SW or the South 24-30 miles out and in the Herradura and also at the San Jamie Bank and Golden Gate banks. Some nice Dorado action reported 4-6 miles off the Lighthouse for the smaller craft and returning boats. The interior corridor from Los Arcos to Palmilla produced lots of schoolie Dorado and also off the Lighthouse out toward to the canyon. Palmilla, Los Arcos and Migrino were the choice for inshore fishing with some really nice catches of Sierras coming off Migrino. Rooster action was solid, with some very large fish although a bit slower, in the surf off Palmilla west past Solmar to the Lighthouse.

Favorite Baits: Throwing live Cabilitos was the favorite for the Marlin with increased success from trolled lures (especially for the Blues and Sails). Cedar plugs and feathers were the favorite for the Yellowfin. The Dorado were hitting trolled lures and feathers or floating live Cabilitos once the schools were located.  Hoochies were by far the preferred and most productive lures for the Sierras. Trolled live baits near the surf and large poppers were the most successful bait for Roosters this past week. Dead bait was the ticket for the Snappers and 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-Mireles. 

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

Mazatlan had to dodge occasional seasonal thunderstorms this past week which affected not only fishing frequency but also limited some of the longer trips to the tuna schools.  When the boats were able to get out the action was pretty decent.  The Yellowfin Tuna schools were large and found to the Southwest when the boats could get out the longer distance between the thunderstorms.  The billfish counts were down a bit with a higher mix of Striped Marlin than the Sailfish Mazatlan is known for. Their inshore fishing produced solid results for fishermen on 4 hour or 6 hour trips.

The offshore boats reported a nice mix of Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado and Yellowfin Tuna.  The inshore boats had another solid week and reported good action on Snappers and Queen Triggers.  

Mazatlan Climate: Late September showed a normal late summer pattern with scattered thunderstorms with a bit higher winds than normal. The outlook into mid October is similar with afternoons in the upper 80’s daytime and mid to high 70’s in the evenings. The forecast into mid October is for partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with 10-40% chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in early or toward the end of the day and breezes in a modest 9-12 mph range primarily out of the West trending toward the NW toward mid October.  Humidity is predicted to be in the mid 70’s into mid October.  The forecast calls for a 10-40% chance of scattered early or late afternoon thunderstorms forecast over the next couple of weeks.

Sea Conditions: The water is now in the 84-85 degree range bringing in the Yellowfin and Dorado. The past week Mazatlan had a mix of mostly calm to choppy seas mixed with some strong afternoon swells and chop with winds in the early to mid teens in the afternoons. The future outlook is for relatively calm seas in the mornings with the winds in the 6-8 mph range and some afternoon swells with 9-12 mph winds.

Best Fishing Area: The offshore bite for the billfish is starting as close as 8- 10 miles out with best results to the west and southwest of the Marina El Cid. Longer runs out to 25 miles and warmer water are finding the schools of Yellowfin. The Dorado are being found closer to shore inside the prime bill fishing zone. 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 rainy season is no longer interrupting the fishing and conditions are very good right now! Heading into their prime Roosterfish season large Roosters are plentiful and easy to find! With the unusually warm water there are Blue Marlin to go along with always plentiful Sailfish. The Striped Marlin have mostly moved out with the arrival of the warmer water. The independent fleet reported sparse action due to off season tourist activity but some really good results raising 3-5 billfish fish per day as close as 8-10 miles.  Some larger Blue Marlin showed up well offshore. The big Yellowfin were again found way out beyond the 1000 fathom mark 30-35 to 40 miles out for those very few willing to go the extra distance in the larger boats.   They are in the start of their prime Roosterfish season from now until late November into early December and many large fish are showing up to go with strong catches. Capt Temo reported great success this past week with large Roosters up by the Valentine River with many of the fishermen focused on fly fishing during the prime Rooster season.

The action this past week for the few fishermen that went forth started as close as the 8-10 mile mark.  Large schools of Yellowfin were again found 30+ miles out past the 1000 fathom mark with lots of quality fish in the 50--100 lb range. Blue Marlin were present offshore along with the historic Zihuatanejo Sailfish bite much closer. Inshore large Jacks were very productive and the Roosters were plentiful with some very large fish reported. The Dorado were a bit spotty but available for feathers and small lures on the troll. Capt Temo is having no problem finding large Roosters inshore for the few clients that are there.

IZ Climate: They are now past the halfway mark into their rainy season with a mix of partly cloudy days with almost daily late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms followed by cloudy but clear weather the following morning during the prime fishing time.  The 2 week outlook is for warm temps with mostly partly cloudy skies with scattered late afternoon and evening thunderstorms on a regular basis. Daily temps are predicted in the upper 80’s and night time temps in the mid to high 70’s with humidity expected to run in the upper 70’s through mid October.  The winds are expected to be very mild in the 5-8 mph range primarily from the West and NW shifting to the East/SE mid month.  Keep in mind that when we talk about their rainy season, the thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoons coming off the Pacific with the prevailing breezes out of the west pushing the building clouds into the coastal mountains, rain dumping on the mountains in the late afternoon and evening, and then begin rebuilding the next day.

Sea Conditions: The offshore water temperature is now in the 84-85 degree range from the 100 fathom line at the 5-6 mile mark all the way out to the 1,000 fathom line at 30-32 miles and beyond.  These temps are ideal for the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin in larger numbers. The offshore clear blue water has recently moved as close as 5-6 miles out with some very deep blue water now out beyond the 1000 fathom mark at 32-35 miles out to 50 miles. Inshore, the water was also in the 84-85 degree range and perfect for the 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. 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

 The late summer/early fall weather pattern of scattered thunderstorms really affected our friends at the El Cid Resort & Marina.  They had to duck multiple thunderstorms so the overall trip counts were down quite a bit. With the close-in shallow reef fishing available at Puerto Morelos many clients opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour shallow reef trips with others opting for the 6 hour or 8 hour offshore trips mixed with a few hours on the close in reefs at the end of the day for some fine table fare.

The billfish are winding down for the season but fishermen enjoyed overall great results on the off shore trips.  The fleet reported 2 Sailfish, 6 Giant Atlantic Barracuda, 55 Mahi-Mahi, 2 King Mackerel, 3 Blackfin Tuna, 5 Bonito and 1 Wahoo from targeted offshore fishing.   The close in reef fishing reported 25 Chack-Chi (Caribbean Snappers), 16 Mutton Snappers,  11 Black Grouper,  14 Queen Triggerfish, 8 Yellow Tail Snappers, 2 Cabrillo and 3 Jack Coronado..  A total of 75 offshore fish and 79 inshore fish for a total of 154 fish for an average of over 6 fish per trip on a total of 25 trips!!

PM/Cancun Climate:  The Yucatan early fall weather pattern typically has very warm days with early morning to late afternoon scattered thunderstorms as the clouds build coming off the warm water.  The extended forecast into early to mid October is for a mix of mostly partly cloudy skies coupled with scattered occasional early morning and late afternoon showers or isolated afternoon thunderstorms.  Daytime temperatures are predicted in high 80’s with evenings in the mid to upper 70’s.  Humidity is expected to be in the upper 70’s to low 80’s. Winds are expected to be very modest in the 4-9 mph range primarily out of the East and SE in early October shifting to 6-10 mph our of the East/NE by mid month.  Expect some occasional early morning showers and late afternoon scattered thunderstorms. Daily precipitation forecast is the 50-75% range almost every day into mid October.

Sea Conditions:  Water temperatures in the Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Cozumel area are running in the 84-85 degree range.  Seas are running from calm to a bit choppy depending on the weather conditions.   The prevailing winds are still in their late summer pattern and are predicted to be out of the East and SE at 4-9 MPH in the afternoons 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:  Miss Victoria Garcia at the Hotel El Cid Spa & Beach Resort and Marina