Hurricane Odile Update – October 1, 2014

Is your Glass Half Full or Half Empty? Lands End

Well after 2 weeks + of One of the Worst Rollercoaster Rides in my Life there is Lots of Light at the End of the Tunnel.

Many see this devil storm as an opportunity for work, great real estate deals and a great reason to Come to Cabo for Fun in the Sun! I have received several e mails for Los Cabos Real Estate and many for Los Cabos Vacation Rentals as well.

Here is what’s Happening in Los Cabos, Mexico as of October 1, 2014 and many of these things were in place a week ago.

  1. The airport is scheduled to open October 8 and Alaska Airlines should be flying in then
  2. Cruise Ships return October 3
  3. Mega, Walmart, Soriano, City Club Supermarkets Are Open
  4. Electricity Restored in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas in several Areas
  5. Gas Stations Open with little or no lines
  6. Banks Open – Banamex, Ban Norte
  7. Squid Roe, Mango Deck, is Open
  8. Water supply from City is running
  9. Trash Service Restored
  10. Major Clean up with tractors and dump trucks clearing streets
  11. Purified water stores open
  12. Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin Tournament is Scheduled as Planned
  13. How Depot is open 9-26
  14. Mango Deck is Open
  15. Los Cabos Open Golf Tournament is still scheduled for October 16-18 at this time
  16. Come to Cabo for Fun in the Sun!

For more info we will try to keep our Face Book pages updated @

https://www.facebook.com/LosCabosVillas

https://www.facebook.com/michael.aviani

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – October 14-18

The Los Cabos region is famed for its amazing fishing. This is why fishermen and fisherwomen from around the world flock to the area for fishing tournaments all year billfish Tournamentlong. On October 14-18, fishing aficionados will gather for the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.

There is no time like the present to book your Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo vacation rental for this exciting event! The event itself is three days long and the top three teams will ultimately receive a payout. You can also register for optional marlin, tuna, wahoo, and dorado jackpots if you wish. The Billfish Tournament is not one of the cheapest events in Los Cabos, with a base entry fee of $5,000 per team (up to 6 anglers may be on each team), but it is one of the most popular.

If you are on a budget, you may want to consider not paying the tournament’s base entry fee, but paying $1,000 to be in the daily billfish release jackpot or $1,500 to be in the daily tuna, wahoo, dorado jackpot. One of the best things about the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is that there is a competition option for everyone, regardless of financial restraints or skill level. http://www.marlinmag.com/los-cabos-billfish-tournament/los-cabos-billfish-tournament-rules-2014

The Billfish Tournament officially begins at 6:15 on the morning of October 15. The kick-off party and Captain’s Meeting, though, will be held the evening before at the Playa Grande Resort Beachside Terrace. Thus, it is important to schedule your trip so you arrive in Los Cabos early in the day on October 14! The final event of the long weekend is the competition’s awards ceremony on October 18. You won’t have a dull moment during your trip; many anglers even decide to extend their vacations so they can continue to explore the Los Cabos area after the Billfish Tournament concludes.

If you think that this tournament sounds like fun, start planning your trip as soon as possible! A Los Cabos Vacation Rentals villa reservations specialist will be happy to help you prepare for your fishing holiday. Just go to www.LosCabosVillas.com .
You can download a registration form for the 2014 Billfish Tournament online (http://www.marlinmag.com/los-cabos-billfish-tournament/register). The coordinators have tried to make it as easy as possible for anglers to sign-up early for this year’s event. We hope to see you in Los Cabos in the fall!

Cabo Fishing Report

March 2, 2014 216_Gregcatch

Spring break seems to have started early this year, as increasing crowds of tourists were arriving to take advantage of the ideal weather conditions and the many outdoor activities available. With the month of February now over, we can say that it has lived up to its reputation, being a bit crazy and unpredictable. We witnessed some chilly mornings, with windy days and then just like that there were very pleasant calm and almost summerlike conditions. Still many whales in the area, but with warming days, we will see these mammals heading back towards their northern feeding grounds soon.

On the Pacific side, the Golden Gate Bank has been the hot spot to find wide open action for striped marlin, with marlin also being found in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, but more spread out, as there have not been the same concentrations of baitfish to find the billfish schooling up, as on the Pacific. Even a few sailfish were found in the mix this past week, a bit strange for this time of year. Ocean water temperatures ranged from 70 degrees on the Pacific, to an average of
74 degrees off of San Jose del Cabo and north to Los Frailes. The more consistent all around fishing action is being found in the direction of the warmer waters.

Dorado never left local waters this winter and they normally do, these fish are still being caught daily, from inshore to offshore, fish were striking lures and various baits, rigged ballyhoo and live caballito.
Sizes were ranging from 5 to 25 lb. Still no sardinas being found in local water, basically all season we have not seen these smaller baitfish, larger baits and using lures has been the main deal. Number of dorado were not huge, though some charters were catching up to five or six. Surprisingly there were also wahoo hanging around in certain areas as well, most of these fish were found from Punta Gorda to La Fortuna, and within a mile of shore, again no big numbers, one or two, here or there, sizes in the 15 to 25 lb. Class. The wahoo were striking on trolled baits, rapalas and yo-yo jigs.

Other action now included the Eastern Pacific Bonito, spread throughout the zone, striking on rapalas and jigs, sizes 2 to 10 pounds, fun action on light tackle, also a good eating species. This past week we saw more numbers amberjack being accounted for, hitting off the bottom structure, on yo-yo jigs and caballito. Sizes ranged up to 40 pounds, with some charters catching three or four of these powerful fighting jacks. An occasional cabrilla to 25 pounds was found off the same rock piles. Only a handful of yellowtail so far this season, though these were nicer sized 20 to 30 pound fish, in recent days several big yellowtail were hooked into while trolling very close to shore, where juvenile sized roosterfish and sierra wee being targeted. We must also mention the presence of some hog sized jack crevalle that will test inshore angler’s endurance.

Only a handful of yellowfin tuna were found, most from the La Fortuna to San Luis Banks, drift fishing with fresh dead sardinas is what enticed this action, though with the lack of this bait source and the combination of swift currents, this was a very hit or miss option.
When the tuna did come up to the chummed bait, a few tuna in the 20 pound class were accounted for.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 102 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:
3 sailfish, 5 striped marlin, 13 wahoo, 14 yellowfin tuna, 5 yellowtail, 27 amberjack, 242 bonito, 13 jack crevalle, 34 sierra, 146 dorado, 48 roosterfish, 10 pompano, 18 yellow tail snapper and 9 cabrilla.

Good fishing, Eric


GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson / Operator
619 488-1859619 488-1859
Los Cabos (624) 142-1147
e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com
WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Mexico is One of the Safest Vacation Destinations

Baja, California – Mexico, one of the world’s great travel destinations, is often singled out for violent crime without telling the whole story. While there is Arch Shotsporadic violence along parts of the U.S. border, the majority of Mexico’s key tourism areas are not only safe, but safer than many other popular tourism areas.
While the media often portrays Mexico as the most dangerous place on earth, it is statistically quite safe. According to NationMaster.com which uses U.N.-based data, Mexico doesn’t even make the list of the 36 nations with the highest murder rates. Mild-mannered nations like Sweden and Switzerland top Mexico for murders on NationMaster.com. The assault rate in the U.S. is nearly 5 times greater than that of Mexico in the independent Prominix report adjusted for under-reported crime.
Even when we add on independent estimates for unreported homicides, Mexico ranks 21st behind many popular vacation destinations. Places we think of as idyllic Caribbean retreats have double, triple, even quadruple the murder rates of Mexico. Mexico’s famous vacation areas are even safer than the averaged statistics, and even safer still for tourists.
The Yucatan is as safe as rural U.S. states.
The magnificent beaches and ancient ruins of the Mexican State of Yucatan are among the safest and most spectacular resort beaches in the world. Yucatan’s low homicide rate is slightly lower than the rural U.S. States of Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Maine.
Mexico is safer than many cities in the U.S.
More than 150,000 Americans safely visit Mexico every day. And while the media sensationalizes stories of violence in Mexico, Mexico is safer than many major U.S. cities. Travelers feel relatively safe visiting popular U.S. cities like Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C, or Atlanta. Visitors from around the world enjoy these vibrant cities in relative, reasonable safety. Yet each of these cities is statistically less safe than Mexico.
Mexico and politically charged Media Bias
In the debate on immigration reform in the US, the facts on safety in Mexico have become a casualty of politics. To change public opinion and policy, politicians sometimes throw fuel on the fire. If you make up an exciting story about “severed heads in the desert”, it gets a lot of attention and people believe it. The governor of Arizona admitted this story was baseless, but only after months of damage was successfully inflicted to the image of Mexico. The homicide rates above are facts from the FBI, not political fabrications.
Media Favoritism versus Facts
New Orleans is beloved and its renaissance is showcased in the news. The FBI reports the murder rate of New Orleans is declining, but it is nearly 4 times higher than all of Mexico and over 5 times higher than Mexico City. New Orleans is still an amazing place to visit and the Media is right to champion this inspirational city. But Mexico is at least as remarkable and there is a clear difference in how each of these storied destinations is portrayed in contemporary news.
Every city and country has places that are safe and dangerous. Mexico is no exception. The areas that are dangerous should be avoided. And those that are safe should be enjoyed and celebrated.
Understanding the size and scope of Mexico
Mexico is huge, ranking 14th in the world, and spanning over 2,000 miles from end to end. Mexico is a nation of 31 states as diverse as those in the U.S. and is larger than the states from Texas to Maine. Canceling a vacation to Mexico because of isolated border violence would be like canceling a vacation to Orlando because of the Boston Bombings. People didn’t cancel trips to Dallas or New Orleans in the aftermath of mass shootings in Arizona, Colorado or Connecticut, because they simply aren’t related. Yet Dallas and New Orleans are closer to border violence than many of Mexico’s peaceful tourist areas.
Mexico City is 4 times safer than Washington D.C.
The U.S. State Department in Washington issues warnings about Mexico, yet Washington D.C. is four times more deadly than Mexico City. Washington’s murder rate has been cut almost in half in the last 10 years, but it still averages 24 per 100,000 vs. only 8-9 per 100,000 in Mexico City. How do you suppose the U.S. State department would feel if the Mexican government posted travel warnings for the U.S. capital? Mexico City is a cultural treasure that is larger than New York, London or Paris. In fact, it is about the same size as London and Paris combined.
“Mexico’s violence not as widespread as it seems.”
After months of sensationalized stories about Mexico’s border violence, USA Today published a story about the media hype. While the story itself became an opportunity to re-tell some sensational tales, it did set the record straight by finally comparing U.S. and Mexican homocide figures.
Mexico has very low violent crime rates.
The U.S. Assault rate is 5 times higher than Mexico’s. Mexico’s violent crime rates for Assault, Kidnapping and Rape are substantially lower than Canada’s and yet the U.S. State Department issues no such warnings for Canada. The rate for Rape in the U.S. is more than double the rate in Mexico. The numbers in the charts below have been adjusted for unreported crime from the respected 2012 Prominix report and are the most accurate statistics available on this subject.
Unless you are involved in the drug trade, you are statistically safer in Mexico than anywhere else in North America. Even though the U.S. murder rate of 4 per 100,000 is lower than Mexico’s, tourists and visitors are statistically safer in Mexico and much less likely to be a victim of violent crime than in the U.S., Canada and many other countries regarded as safe.
Asociacion Mexicana de Asistencia en el Retiro (AMAR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and helping people from outside Mexico to retire in this country. Its mission is based on freedom, trust, well-being, and security for retirees making their future home in Mexico. For more information, visit the website.

http://www.amar.org.mx/

Los Cabos Fishing Report

January 26, 2014 821_Brady_Wahoo

Natural instincts are sending people traveling in southern direction during this winter season and in turn bringing many visitors to Los Cabos. Local weather conditions have been great, some scattered cloud cover, burring off normally by mid day and high temperatures reaching into the low 80s. This week we actually felt spring like weather patterns, it was feeling like the days will only become nicer in the coming weeks, though we all know that the month of February can be unpredictable. North winds have been persistent this year, though now seem to have tapered off and not so relentless, perhaps the worst is past and we will now see more stable patterns.

Water temperatures are holding in the 70/74 degree range, fluctuating currents and overall the clarity has improved, with clean water found in close proximity to shore. Baitfish schools continue to be scattered. Anglers found limited options now available, primarily caballito, moonfish, ballyhoo or skipjack. Mackerel and sardinas have not been regularly obtainable.

Sportfishing fleets have spread out in all directions, more concentrations of striped marlin on the Pacific, though we have also seen the billfish shifting in the direction of Sea of Cortez as well, with the baitfish being scattered, so have been the fish. Most of the marlin being seen now have been in the 80 to 120 pound range, striking on deep drifted baits, as well as on the surface lures and rigged ballyhoo.

Dorado are being found in limited numbers, as this is never the peak season for these gamefish. They have been found throughout the zone, inshore to offshore, the majority have been juvenile sized fish, there were some reports of larger bulls to 25 pounds being accounted for.
Still some late season wahoo hanging around, most of them encountered closer to shore, a handful were landed, striking on various baits, yo-yo’s or trolled lures, ranged in sizes up to 40 pounds.

Yellowfin tuna have been seen in different locations, some traveling with porpoise 20 or more miles offshore of Cabo San Lucas. Though the high spots from La Fortuna, Iman and San Luis Bank also were holding yellowfin, only a few are actually being hooked, some on trolled hoochies or yo-yo jigs, ranging to 20 pounds, without sardinas it is hard to entice these schooling tuna.

Bottom fishing has produced more numbers of bonita than any other species, striking on yo-yo jigs, an occasional pargo, cabrilla or amberjack in the mix. This is now the season when we should start to see a greater variety of fish congregated over the rocky structure.

We are still seeing lots of whale activity, as well as manta rays, sea lions and some turtles for added entertainment.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 74 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 12 striped marlin, 7 wahoo, 16 yellowfin tuna, 165 bonito, 34 sierra, 8 roosterfish, 82 dorado, 4 amberjack,14 pargo and 35 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric


GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson / Operator
619 488-1859
Los Cabos (624) 142-1147
e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com
WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Todos Santos Art Festival

One of the best things about the Los Cabos area is the fact that a variety of wonderful towns are located just a short drive away.
A high percentage of tourists hotel-californiadecide to take short day trips during their Cabo vacations. No matter what you are interested in, you are sure to find something to do within a short distance of your Los Cabos vacation rental. A month from now, for instance, the 17th annual Todos Santos Arts Festival will be taking place. Beginning on February 1 and ending on February 8, this colorful festival is meant to be a celebration of all sorts of Mexican art, including the performing arts and artistic cultural traditions. Todos Santos is located less than an hour from the Los Cabos region, so you should easily be able to take part in the festival if your vacation is coming up soon!

Whether you are interested in seeing traditional Mexican dance performances or in searching for your very own piece of Mexican artwork in a gallery, you will have a wonderful time at this particular arts festival. Many local galleries host special exhibits that coincide with this Los Cabos area event. In fact, you might even see featured work done by some of Mexico’s most famous artisans. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and glass ware are all available; you simply have to figure out which galleries have pieces that fit your style! In addition to shopping for artwork for your personal collection, you can watch performances by Mexican dance troupes and taste all types of foods that are native to the region. You can learn about all of the events that you can enjoy during the Todos Santos Arts Festival at http://www.todossantos.com.

This is just one Cabo event that you can enjoy during your time in this idyllic part of the world. Bookmark this blog and check back often to discover information about more exciting upcoming events in the Los Cabos area.

Cabo Fishing Report

January 19, 2014 822_Greg_Bonita

Visitors to Los Cabos are finding the weather to be warm and very pleasant, while much of the U.S. has been freezing over, locally we have seen high temperatures in the 80s. Crowds of tourists are moderate now, this is common after the holiday season, we should see more snow birds from the north starting to arrive, seeking out warmer surroundings. Winds have been gusting persistently from the north and this has slowed down fishing action in that direction. The warmer and clearer ocean conditions have been found in the direction of Cabo San Lucas, water temperatures are now ranging from 70/74 degrees.

Baitifsh remain scattered, limited supplies of mackerel on the Pacific and out of San Jose del Cabo the fleets are relying on caballito and ballyhoo, early in the week there were minimal supplies of sardinas obtained, but with persistent north winds this option was shut down.
Large concentrations of skipjack, mixed with some bonito were found on the Gordo Banks and other offshore grounds.

There has not been any consistent action being found bottom fishing, most charters are targeting what available action can be found relatively close to the shore, mainly on the surface, while trolling a variety of lures and available bait. Scattered numbers of dorado are being encountered, most of these in small schools, with average sizes of 5 to 15 pounds. No big numbers, with one to three fish per boat being the average. Same areas are holding an occasional wahoo, most of these taken on trolled rapala type lures, these ‘hoo were in the 15 to
25 pound class, about time these fish head south and seek out more temperate zones.

Striped marlin were still concentrated on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, most of these fish were striking on bait down deep off of the Old Light House, though this action has tapered down to an average of about one marlin per boat, some marlin are also  being found scattered on the surface, but this was hit or miss, no concentration of baitfish now to create any feeding frenzy. The billfish action has been behind schedule this season, as has about everything else. With the lack of sardinas this has hurt options close to shore for sierra and roosterfish, as well as shallow structure species. Hard to say what has happened to the normal migration of sardinas this year, combination of factors has them off course, though heavy commercial pressure is surely partially responsible.

There are a few reports of yellowfin tuna, some of these have been 20 to 40 offshore traveling with porpoise, other schooling yellowfin were hooked on yo-yo jigs off of San Luis and Iman Banks, but just a couple of fish here or there, though if weather and bait supplies of sardinas improved we could still some late season tuna action. Most of the tuna we have seen in recent days were in the 10 to 15 lb. class. There have been aggressive and very hungry sea lions hanging around all of the normal fishing grounds, apparently having trouble catching their own food and readily attacking any hooked fish they can easily grab off of an angler’s line. This situation compounded with lack of sardinas and gusting winds has made for tough angling all around. This is the time of year, when conditions can determine where you can comfortably fish and bait supplies can limit options as well. Though comparatively the local weather is great for winter time and there is a variety of species being accounted for.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 68 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of:
3 striped marlin, 3 wahoo, 23 yellowfin tuna, 105 bonito, 28 sierra,
14 roosterfish, 76 dorado, 2 mako shark, 3 hammerhead,13 pargo and 22 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric


GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson / Operator
619 488-1859
Los Cabos (624) 142-1147
e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com
WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Los Cabos Vacation Rentals

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Los Cabos Vacation Rentals Video

Happy New Years from Los Cabos, Mexico

Wishing all a Safe and Happy New Year in 2014…OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Cabo Fishing Report

December 22, 2013 826_TunaCatch
Anglers –

Crowds of tourists were light this past week, we do expect to see increased crowds during Christmas week. The weather has settled, winds were light and ocean conditions were great, air temperatures ranged from 60/80 degrees and ocean currents have now varied from 74 to 77 degrees. Clarity of the ocean fluctuated, having become greenish closer to shore, though conditions are still favorable for this late in the year.

Anglers found improved action for dorado in recent days, the majority of these fish have been found within a couple miles of shore, at times they were found in larger sized schools, with fish ranging to over 20 lb. Striking on caballito, ballyhoo and various trolled lures, many charters were rapidly limiting out once they did find where the fish were. Sardinas were not available at this time and caballito also became less plentiful with the passing of the full moon.

Inshore action produced roosterfish, sierra and jack crevalle. Most of the roosterfish are juvenile sized this time of year and should be released with care in order to grow to maturity. Sierra bite would be wide open if sardinas were readily available, though these scrappy fighters are striking on rapalas and hoochies type lures, best action being early in the morning at first light.

Billfish action was once again now centered on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, where good numbers of striped marlin are concentrated off of the old light house and the more distant banks. We should see schools of mackerel and sardinetas soon on local grounds, this is now the season when we start to find these baitfish schooling and attracting more gamefish into the region.

Whale season is now in full swing and these mammals are being sighted throughout the area. Increasing recreational dive tour operations have put additional pressure on the Gordo Banks and it is getting to the point where rod and reel anglers can hardly even have a reasonable chance on these grounds with so many scuba divers in the water at a given time. Additionally these boats are anchored up right near the high spot, this makes it difficult to drift fish in the manner accustomed for productive fishing on these banks. This is definitely a confliction of interests and it appears that this situation will likely become worse before any changes are made.

Many commercial drift netters have been seen in the area lately, it is a shame these boats are even allowed to operate in touristic zones. They are truly destructive, their main catch is dorado and marlin, both of which are supposedly protected sport fish only species, but are blatantly being commercially exploited as a by catch. It is time to seriously put some thought into protecting the future fishery and set priorities straight.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 56 charters for this past week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 5 wahoo, 22 bonito, 11 cabrilla, 6 amberjack, 14 pargo, 23 sierra, 18 roosterfish, 175 dorado, 24 triggerfish and 16 yellowfin tuna.

Good fishing, Eric


GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson / Operator
619 488-1859
Los Cabos (624) 142-1147
e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com
WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM