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Los Cabos Fishing Report – January 6, 2019

January 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment

January 6, 2019

The New Year started out with more of the same persistent north winds. Lots of families were in town as the holiday vacation were coming to an end. Cooler days, more cloud cover, some days we barely reached 86 degrees for the high. Ocean conditions were actually improving some, despite the wind, water clarity improved and was not so greenish, water temperatures ranged from 71 to 74 degrees.

Still no sign at all of sardinas, caballito in the marina area were also becoming more scattered, ballyhoo were available, also slabs of squid, though with the tuna action now at a standstill the squid is not really being used much. More reports of sardineta and mackerel schools moving in on the bait grounds off of San Jose del Cabo. It is the time of year we see this bait activity, should be around into February, unless the shrimp trawlers start working these same areas.

The striped marlin action is still going strong on the Pacific grounds, though mid-week there was a flurry of stripers found off of San Jose del Cabo, but this faded out as quickly as it had developed, we should start seeing more of the billfish moving in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, as soon as more of the bait schools shift in this direction.

The yellowfin tuna bite completely faded out at the start of the week, the Eastern Pacific bonito were hitting rapalas, hoochies and yo-yo’s on the Gordo Banks, but these were small fish in the 2 to 8 lb. class.

As the water clarity improved we saw more dorado and even the wahoo made a decent showing. Punta Gorda was one of the areas where some wahoo were accounted for, striking mainly on various baits, ranging in sizes up to 35 lb. As long as water does not become too much cooler and turns over to green again, we should still have chances at wahoo through the month. Dorado were spread out striking best on rigged ballyhoo, no huge numbers, though some charters did land as many as four fish and we even saw a couple of dorado that were actually heavier than 20 lb. Though most of these fish were averaging 10 lb.

Not too many sierra or roosterfish found close to shore, most of the sierra we saw were of smaller than normal size. Bottom fish action was limited to mainly triggerfish and various red snapper and pargo species.

The combined sportfishing fleet out of the panga area from Puerto Los Cabos Marina reported an estimated 64 charters for the week and anglers reported an approximate fish count of: 12 striped marlin, 37 dorado, 6 yellowfin tuna, 16 wahoo, 110 bonito, 5 glass eye snapper, 34 red snapper, 4 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 14 baqueta, 14 yellow snapper, 12 tijareta, 8 flag cabrilla, 45 amberjack, 26 sierra and 90 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

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Los Cabos Fishing Report – December 23, 2018

December 23, 2018 by 1 Comment

December 23, 2018

We have seen lighter than normal crowds arriving for this Christmas Holiday week. Though it is feeling more like winter time now, cooler days, low temperatures of 55 degrees, highs in the mid-70s. Some scattered cloud cover, with mostly sunny skies. North winds continued to blow all week, finally letting up Saturday. This has contributing to pushing in greener ocean currents, of 73 to 74 degrees off of San Jose del Cabo, while off of Cabo San Lucas they reported 78 degree water.

All around fishing action was slower on the grounds from the Gordo Banks to Vinorama. Bait supplies consisted of caballito, slabs of squid and some ballyhoo, still no sign of sardinas showing up along local beach stretches. Wind has been more relentless this season, last year at this time we had good action for wahoo, dorado and tuna, this year is a different story, as green water and cooling currents has turned over conditions.

Very few yellowfin tuna were striking this week, most of the tuna found were between Iman and Vinorama, drift fishing with strips of squid, sizes averaged 15 to 20 lb., on Friday there was an 80 lb. yellowfin landed off of the Gordo Banks. Also we saw one nice 30 lb. yellowtail brought in, as well as a few deeper water grouper in the 25 to 30 lb. class. Of course triggerfish continue to dominate all bottom fishing done closer to shore, a few snapper, amberjack and pargo species in the mix.

Billfish action was very good through the first part of the week on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, off San Jose del Cabo there has been only a scattering of striped marlin seen, one late season black marlin was hooked into off of the Gordo Banks, but this fish eventually broke off.

Dorado and wahoo activity was almost nonexistent, just an occasional fish being found. Early in the week several wahoo were hooked into north near Vinorama, on Friday a 45 lb. wahoo was brought to the tables. We are hoping for nicer calm weather conditions, which would give the water a chance to clear up some, then wahoo and dorado action could rebound, before water becomes too cold and sends these gamefish migrating to warmer southern waters.

Along the shore, especially off of the San Jose del Cabo Hotel zone, there was good action for roosterfish ranging in sizes up to 20 lb. Slow trolling with live caballito was the best technique, some jack crevalle and sierra also in the same inshore area.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 51 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 8 dorado, 2 wahoo, 35 yellowfin tuna, 9 bonito, 7 white skipjack, 10 red snapper, 12 yellow snapper, 2 amberjack, 1 fortune jack, 1 yellowtail, 6 cabrilla (leopard grouper), 6 baqueta grouper, ocean whitefish, 9 flag cabrilla, 11 sierra, 42 roosterfish, 5 jack crevalle and 110 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

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , ,

Los Cabos Fishing Report – December 2, 2018

December 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

December 2, 2018

Well the main busy fall season has now come to an end, as crowds of tourists and visiting anglers have lightened considerably, this is the normal pattern after the Thanksgiving Holiday, as people have other priorities and are now gearing up for Christmas Holiday coming up in several weeks. This is now actually a great time to visit, with the crowds down, this gives the bait supply a chance to replenish, also means less boat pressure on the fishing grounds, typically through the month of December we are still targeting the same gamefish species, such as yellowfin tuna, dorado, wahoo, as well as striped marlin.

Through much of this week we again felt the north winds, not as bad as the previous week, but still gusting and making for rougher conditions. Ocean temperature has been in the 77 to 79 degree range though most of the region. Main live bait being offered is caballito, also ballyhoo and slabs of squid available. Local fleets were mainly fishing the grounds from Red Hill to Gordo Banks, Iman, San Luis and as far north as Vinorama. Overall the action was more sporadic and spread out, really no particular hot spot from day to day, numbers of fish caught were less, but still there were some nice catches accounted for. On these grounds the main species being found are yellowfin tuna, dorado or wahoo. Not much going on off the bottom besides triggerfish and a few early morning snapper and cabrilla.

Every day we hear of one or two larger sized tuna being hooked into, most of these were taken off of the Gordo Banks, in recent days we weighed yellowfin of 145 lb., 220 lb. and a super cow 334 lb. landed late afternoon Friday aboard the center console “Jaqueline”, several other big fish lost after long battles. Slow trolling larger baits or drift fishing with strips of squid produced hook ups. Tuna were found from Iman to Vinorama as well, most of these in the 10 to 70 lb. class, but numbers were few and far between.

Dorado action was very good early in the week, especially off of Red Hill area, but then this action became more spread out, trolling ballyhoo or caballito seemed to be the best bet for finding these schooling dorado. The fish being encountered have ranged up to 20 lb. There are a lot of wahoo in the area, but getting them to bite has been the hard part. Many wahoo are striking while anglers are drifting with squid for tuna, these fish have not been striking trolled lures as well as they do at times. Best chances seem to come now on slow trolled baits, such as caballito or chihuil. Lots of spear fishing pressure now, this is the season the divers come out in force, the deal is that there are now far greater numbers of spear fishermen that are congregating on the same grounds that the rod and reel anglers are and we do notice that this does make the fish that much more spooky and elusive. Inshore areas are fragile and cannot sustain such pressure.

Along the shoreline there have been some roosterfish, jack crevalle, most roosters being smaller fish, but we heard of an occasional much larger specimen caught and released, not the normal deal for this time of year. Billfish bite has mainly been on the Pacific now, good number of striped marlin, though a handful of stripers are being seen around the Iman Banks and the Gordo Banks

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 104 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of: 7 striped marlin, 135 dorado, 36 wahoo, 85 yellowfin tuna, 34 bonito, 14 white skipjack, 8 red snapper, 11 yellow snapper, 4 cabrilla, 5 sierra, 18 roosterfish, 4 jack crevalle and 90 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

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Where Art Matters – Todos Santos’ Collection of Cultural Festivals Headlines the Early 2019 Event Calendar

November 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

When you think about vacations in Los Cabos the first things that inevitably spring to mind are beautiful beaches, big-game sportfishing, and boisterous margarita-fueled nightlife. But for all the gorgeous outdoor scenery and party hearty atmosphere, the Capes Region is also justifiably proud of its arts and culture, which it celebrates on a regular basis.

Cabo San Lucas, for example, is home to acclaimed film and food festivals, and sister city San Jose del Cabo famously hosts a weekly Art Walk, welcoming locals and visitors alike into the galleries of its Distrito del Arte for wine, cheese and looks at the latest works from respected regional artists.

But no regional community offers as many outstanding cultural festivals and fiestas as Todos Santos, which showcases a succession of events annually celebrating music, literature, art, film and gastronomy…all within the space a few short months.

The peninsula’s first pueblo magico, or “magical town”–a designation given to Mexican communities rich in history and culture–is only an hour by car from Cabo San Lucas, and thus is within easy day tripping range for those vacationing in Los Cabos. With that in mind, here’s a preview of the top cultural festivals on tap in Todos Santos during the first few months of 2019.

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series  (Jan. 10 – 20, 2019)

Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck pioneered jam culture in Todos Santos with this annual music festival, which brought in high-profile musicians for performances at the landmark Hotel California, as well as the town’s picturesque main plaza. Buck’s festival went on hiatus after he made some controversial comments about local politics at the 2016 event, but the music lives on. The rebranded Tropic of Cancer Concert Series premiered in 2017, and returns for its 3rd go-round in 2019 with an all-star lineup headlined by Joan Osborne, The Autumn Defense, Cordovas, La Santa Cecilia, Birds of Chicago, Radio Free Honduras, Susto and La Victoria.

Todos Santos Writers Workshop  (Feb. 2 – 9, 2019)

Best known for its painters, Todos Santos has also proved a congenial community for writers. The 6th annual writers’ workshop returns to the atmospheric Casa Dracula–an historic 19th century hacienda–where creative writers are encouraged with seminars and speakers, publishing roundtables, and a variety of craft workshops that focus on fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry and other literary genres. Applicants to the weeklong event are chosen based on writing samples and phone interviews, and in addition to personal mentoring, enjoy courtyard readings from faculty and guest speakers.

Todos Santos Art Festival/Open Studios Tour  (Feb. 9 – 10, 2019)

Ever since painter Charles Stewart and his wife Mary Lou moved to Todos Santos in 1985, the town has been famed for its thriving artists’ colony. The best introduction to the region’s abundance of talented artists is the yearly Open Studios Tour, the 10th edition of which is scheduled for Feb. 9 – 10, 2019. Approximately 40 local artists will participate this year, including painters, sculptors, photographers, muralists, plein air painters, encaustic artists, jewelers, printmakers, collage artists, potters, and wood turners. The Palapa Learning Center will offer a special stop on the tour, and will showcase a sampling of selected tour artists’ work for sale. Additionally, the Palapa Society’s child artists will also be working in their “studio” with work on display.

Todos Santos Film Festival  (March 2019)

This annual showcase for Mexican and Latin American films was originally founded in 1994, and is based each year at the historic Teatro-Cine Manuel Marquez de Leon, a landmark 70+ year old movie theater that overlooks the town square in Todos Santos. The 16th edition of the coastal pueblo magico‘s acclaimed festival de cine is set for its traditional March calendar slot–actual dates have not yet been confirmed–and will include full-length films, as well as shorts, documentaries, and projects from the local Youth in Video program. Additional screenings will take place in nearby Pescadero, and Baja California Sur’s capital city, La Paz.

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival  (May 17 – 19, 2019)

Attention gourmands and oenophiles: outside perhaps the annual Sabor a Cabo shindig in Los Cabos, Gastrovino is the best food and wine festival in Baja California Sur. Gastrovino is organized by the owners of a local wine and olive oil shop called La Bodega de Todos Santos, and features a weekend chockablock with tantalizing tasting opportunities. The pairing dinner at legendary Hotel California is one of many recurring highlights, but the “Big Cheese,” so to speak, is the Sunday main event on the town square. There, dozens of wineries from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe share their palate-pleasing wares, as do many of the region’s best restaurants. Live music is also a staple, as is a silent auction to benefit local programs for children.

 For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

 Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications. 

Photo credit:  Tropic of Cancer Concert Series.

Upcoming Event Calendar

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4

Cruising for the Critters (Humane Society Fundraiser) – Nov. 3

IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4

Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11

WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 7 – 11

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22

 December

Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27

Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2019

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20

Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

March

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27

Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5

May

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival in Todos Santos – May 17 – 19

 

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – November 4, 2018

November 4, 2018 by Leave a Comment

November 4, 2018

Very busy times continue and will not tapper off until after Thanksgiving. Weather patterns were now more typical for the fall season, low temperatures about 70 degrees and highs near 85 degrees. North winds have become more prevalent, picking up early in the week, lightening a bit over the weekend. Ocean swells were moderate and water temperatures varied from 79 to 82 degrees. Reports of north winds stirring up currents and pushing in off colored waters.

There were various bait options now available, caballito, slabs of squid, ballyhoo, chihuil, small skipjack and miniature size sardinas being found in limited quantities near Chileno. Very heavy pressure on all bait resources this time of year, always the same situation during this time frame.

Local San Jose del Cabo fleets are fishing mainly in the vicinity of Iman and San Luis Banks.The action for yellowfin tuna was much tougher this week, through much of the week the winds created very fast drifts and made that form of drift and chum fishing that much harder. There were limited yellowfin tuna in the 40 to 90 lb. accounted for, some days they found better number of football sized tuna, white skipjack and bonito, but even the smaller grade of fish became elusive. Most days the best chances for tuna was early in the day, then very sporadic.

We did see an increase of dorado that ranged to over 20 lb. still just one or two here or there, but at least were seeing some decent respectable sized fish. Wahoo were hard to predict, as they normally can be, but these fish are definitely in the area, mainly on the grounds from Punta Gorda to Vinorama. These fish do become increasingly finicky at times of heavy concentrations of boats. Anglers were taking wahoo strikes incidentally while drift fishing for tuna, as well as on various rapalas, skirted jet heads, trap hooked chihuil, caballito and ballyhoo also were working. No wide open action, but charters were accounting for one or two of these fish when targeting these specifically. Sizes ranging from 10 to 40 lb. Local wahoo tournament is next Sunday, so we will see how that turns out, most likely a fish in the 40 to 50 lb. range will have good chance of taking home prize money.

Getting late in the season now, but some sailfish were still being hooked into, as well as some smaller sized striped marlin, heard of a 300 lb. black marlin off of Cabo San Lucas. This is now kind of in between seasons for local billfish action.

Bottom action was limited, though some anglers did catch some quality fish, amberjack, dogtooth snapper, cabrilla were the highlight, early in the day on inshore grounds further north was best chance, going after this directly and not trying to do too much in one morning. Hard to target tuna, wahoo and bottom all in the same trip.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 235 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of:  9 striped marlin, 8 sailfish, 58 dorado, 41 wahoo, 155 yellowfin tuna, 145 bonito, 190 white skipjack, 18 red snapper, 14 amberjack, 13 barred pargo,16 yellow snapper, 12 dogtooth snapper, 18 cabrilla, 12 sierra, 12 roosterfish, 10 jack crevalle, 4 mullet snapper and 180 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

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Fishing Capital of the World – Tournament Season in Cabo San Lucas

October 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It’s the biggest day of the year in a place built on big-game sportfishing. It’s the day of the famous shotgun start, when boats speed out of the Cabo San Lucas Marina before dispersing in whichever direction the captain thinks the fish might be biting, anglers strapped into fighting chairs hoping to pull in the qualifying black or blue marlin that will earn their team a check in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It, of course, is the opening of Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament, AKA “The Super Bowl of Sportfishing” and “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament.”

Oh by the way:  that day is today!

Actually, the tournament started a little early this year, on Monday, when Black & Blue founder Bob Bisbee, Sr. – who started it all back in 1982, and passed away on June 18 – had his ashes scattered by family near Land’s End.

But the shotgun start was this morning at 8 a.m. The Black & Blue is now underway, with fishing on tap today, tomorrow and Friday, before the winners are crowned at an awards celebration on Saturday.

The Black & Blue Marlin Tournament has come a long way in 36 years, from the inaugural event in which six boats competed for $10,000 in prize money, to today’s million dollar plus purses. But the spirit remains the same. It’s a celebration of fishing, and a celebration of Cabo San Lucas, the place that became a world-class tourist destination in only 50 years…starting from the day the town’s 300 or so residents started phasing out the lone industry, the cannery, to save the big catches for visiting fishermen.

Nowadays, it’s not just the Black & Blue that brings anglers. Los Cabos has a full-fledged fishing tournament season, and as of today, fishing season is at its highest pitch.

What might be termed “fishing tournament season” unofficially kicks off in June in Los Cabos, continuing through November. But the season really begins in earnest with the first of Bisbee’s trio of annual tournaments, the East Cape Offshore. This year’s ECO, held in August, broke records for its prize money, which reached an all-time high for the tournament of over $657,000.

The second tournament, Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore–familiarly known as “Little Bisbee’s” to differentiate it from the Black & Blue, or “Big Bisbee’s”–isn’t so little anymore. This year’s LCO, which just finished Sunday, also saw a record prize money payout: $1,165,000. That makes it the 8th fishing tournament in the world to top the million mark.

Over 120 teams competed in the LCO this year – 123 to be exact, comprising 763 anglers – and the tournament continued its commitment to charity, donating over a ton of fish caught during the four-day event, or an estimated 8,607 meals to local families.

The Black & Blue, naturally, leads the list of tournaments with lucrative prize money, and its 2006 payout of over 4.6 million dollars remains the richest of all-time. But although it remains the biggest, the Black & Blue isn’t the last major tournament of the Los Cabos fishing season. That honor belongs to the WON Tuna Jackpot, which takes place Nov. 7 – 10….a mere two weeks from now.

WON, for the uninitiated, is the Western Outdoor News, a California based sportsman’s weekly that has a long history with Los Cabos, dating back to the 1950s, when Baja columnist Ray Cannon’s rave fishing reviews helped put the area on the destination travel map. The WON Tuna Jackpot paid out over $677,000 to winners last year, and this year’s prize money is expected to top $750,000.

The enormous payouts and charity efforts are the reason Cabo San Lucas becomes the fishing capital of the world this time of year, and why fishing season in Los Cabos continues to lure so many anglers.

Where else in the world can you spend your autumn weekends fishing, with a chance to make so much money?

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

  • Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications. 

Photo credit:  Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament.

Keywords:  Bisbee’s Black and Blue, marlin fishing in Cabo, fishing in Cabo, fishing tournaments in Cabo, events in Cabo, October events in Cabo, WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot, Los Cabos Billfish Tournament,

Upcoming Event Calendar

September

Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Sep. 16

October

25th Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Oct. 28 – Nov. 10

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4

Cruising for the Critters (Humane Society Fundraiser) – Nov. 3

IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4

Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11

WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 7 – 11

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22

 December

Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27

Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2019

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20

Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

March

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27

Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5

 

 

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – October 21, 2018

October 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

October 21, 2018

As we progress further into the fall season we are seeing many more anglers arriving and local weather patterns that are rapidly changing. We felt cooler 65 degree low temperatures early in the morning, shifting currents and ocean temperatures cooling off to the low 80s degree range. Daytime highs still are in the mid to upper 80s. We have been watching a series of tropical low pressure areas off of Southern mainland Mexico, very late in the season now for these systems to develop in tropical storms, but you never know these days with global climate changes. We are hoping no storms head our way during this busy time.

Heavy pressure has cleaned out the sardinas which had been schooling around the Puerto Los Cabos Marina jetties for several months now, new sources now off of Chileno and surely they will be scouting our areas further north. Squid supplies have maintained, but are likely to become scarce in coming weeks as well. Other options will include ballyhoo, caballito and chihuil

Last Sunday we felt strong south winds, since then the wind has been coming mainly from the north, already fairly strong for this early in the season, hopefully this will calm down, has contributed to the cooling water trend. Sportfishing fleets are fishing in all different directions, since there is no particular hot spot, action has been spread out, variety of fish are in the area, but no large concentrations of any particular species. The yellowfin tuna action slowed down this week, the Iman Bank was still the spot producing the better grade of tuna, yellowfin tuna ranging up to 100 b. were landed, though these fish were few and far between, fortunate to land one, some anglers were getting lucky and landing up to three of the tuna. Off of Cabo San Lucas there was a bite for smaller tuna off of Santa Maria, as well as offshore yellowfin associated with porpoise.

The cooling current seemed to make the wahoo a bit more active, as many more of these fish are being reported, a small percentage landed, quite a few others being lost, not many anglers had been specifically targeting these fish yet, because they just not had been biting much. This will all change soon, with water temperatures now in the ideal range, slow trolling trap hooked live chihuil is always one of the more productive techniques, of course chihuil at times are not a guarantee to come by. Wahoo also hit on Rapalas, Yo-Zuri, skirted lead heads and a few on yo-yo jigs.

Still only a few dorado being seen, but more this week than we have seen for a while now, still no large specimens, but at least we are seeing some of these popular gamefish show up.

Bottom action was limited by strong currents and north winds, some red snapper, barred pargo, cabrilla, bonito and an occasional amberjack or dogtooth snapper.

Billfish action was reported a bit more consistent off the grounds near Cabo San Lucas, though local grounds off of San Jose did produce scattered action for sailfish, black, blue and striped marlin.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 142 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of:  1 black marlin, 4 striped marlin,12 sailfish, 1 blue marlin, 27 dorado, 19 wahoo, 88 yellowfin tuna, 110 bonito, 35 white skipjack, 32 red snapper, 6 amberjack, 18 barred pargo, 1 dogtooth snapper, 14 yellow snapper, 24 cabrilla, 8 sierra, 4 roosterfish and 90 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

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – October 14, 2018

October 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

October 14, 2018

Weather patterns are now feeling like fall, evening and early morning temperatures are cooling off to about the 70 degree range, daytime highs still reaching into the upper 80s. We are seeing greater numbers of anglers now arriving, the next five week period is the busiest season of the year. Hurricane Sergio which had headed far west, nearly half way to Hawaii, pulled a U-turn and came back rapidly to strike the central Baja region as a weakening tropical storm, but still made quite a mess of the areas which it did strike, before continuing on towards mainland Mexico, this all happened on Friday morning. The Los Cabos area did receive some isolated rain showers early Friday, along with increased storm swells, followed by 20 mph wind gusts from the south,

Ocean temperatures were reaching into the upper 80s, we do expect that this has peaked after the long hot summer and now we will see water temperatures begin to cool off in the coming weeks. Schooling sardinas are still being found near the PLC marina channel entrance, heavy charter pressure will soon have the fleet scrambling to maintain sufficient bait supplies.

This week the fleet concentrated most effort on the Iman to San Luis Banks where the yellowfin tuna were the main target species. We saw many more smaller sized yellowfin tuna and white skipjack in recent days, fish ranging from 5 to 15 lb., but the larger tuna up to 70 lb. plus were still on these same grounds, just getting them to bite became more of a challenge. Drift fishing while chumming with sardinas and strips of squid continued to be the most productive option.

Only a few dorado and wahoo being seen, mainly on the same grounds as the tuna were found. No consistent bite for these species at this time. Same for the bottom action, strong currents continued and this made it harder for angles to fish the bottom structure, a mix of snapper, pargo, cabrilla, bonito, pompano and amberjack were accounted for, but there were more triggerfish than anything else.

Quite a few sailfish were found on these same fishing grounds, as these fish do prefer the warmest of currents, a handful of black marlin, striped marlin and blue marlin were also reported, spread out and not in any significant numbers.

Closer to shore a few early seasons sierra were reported, as well as smaller sized roosterfish, again these were in limited numbers.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 84 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of:  2 black marlin, 1 striped marlin, 8 sailfish, 1 blue marlin, 9 dorado, 3 wahoo, 220 yellowfin tuna, 22 bonito, 310 white skipjack, 26 red snapper, 5 amberjack, 10 barred pargo, 4 pompano, 2 surgeon fish, 9 yellow snapper, 13 cabrilla, 5 sierra, 2 roosterfish and 150 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

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Los Cabos Fishing Report – October 7, 2018

October 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

October 7, 2018

We are now seeing the first wave of fall season anglers arriving, the coming weeks will be very busy. Weather patterns are changing, slight chill now early in the morning, still very humid, some intense sunshine, we had no rain this past week, scattered tropical clouds and, increased swells due to distant hurricane, with relatively light winds. Ocean water temperatures were in the 86 degrees range, still very conductive for fueling storms. Last week we saw Hurricane Rosa pass off to the west and end up making landfall in Northern Baja as a tropical storm. This week we are following Hurricane Sergio, which is presently far off to the west, nearly half way to Hawaii. The deal with Sergio is that forecasts predict this system will make a u turn late this weekend and head back northeast towards the Central Baja, almost unprecedented to have a tropical storm be that far west and then move all the way back to the Baja. We will be following this through the week and hope that this storm does not swift to the south.

As angling pressure increases we are going to see how supplies of sardinas hold up, this has been the main baitfish now being used, also the slabs of squid makes a good combination and option to have, if available. As we move into the fall season there will be more opportunities of looking for other larger baits like chihuil, small skipjack, caballito and later on sardineta and mackerel.

This week again the main center of action for local fleets was on the Iman Bank. With yellowfin tuna being the most common gamefish, ranging in sizes from 10 lb. to 70 lb. Mixed in were various skipjack and lots of pesky triggerfish. The bite was tough this week, the tuna would come up, but were very finicky and would strike at sporadic times. Most charters were doing well to land a couple of tuna while on other days anglers landed as many as five or more. Many of the yellowfin landed on these grounds averaged in the 25 to 60 lb. class, quality fish, just not in any significant numbers. These fish have been on these same areas for the entire summer and are becoming wiser to the increased boat traffic. Though we expect action to start spreading out some and hopefully we will see more dorado moving in, so far they have been scarce, an occasional one or two dorado in the 2 to 12 lb. range.

Wahoo action has been limited, though we are seeing a few fish brought in from the areas near Iman to Vinorama, most of these were under 30 lb., striking on lures as well as rigged chihuil. Wahoo do not often seem that active when the ocean temperature is this warm, as we see cooling currents we expect to have much better chances for these popular fish.

We heard of some better blue marlin action off of the fishing grounds closer to Cabo San Lucas, off of San Jose del Cabo a few blues to over 200 lb. were reported, as well as many more sailfish in local waters now, these fish like the warmest of waters, sailfish up to 100 lb. were landed off the same grounds where the yellowfin tuna were schooling.

Not much bottom action now, stronger currents and anglers that did try mainly had a variety of smaller sized pargo, bonito, triggerfish, cabrilla, we did see a few amberjack, one that was over 40 lb. Also one golden leopard grouper was caught.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 69 charters for the week. Anglers reported a fish count of:  1 striped marlin, 11 sailfish, 1 black marlin, 2 blue marlin, 18 dorado, 9 wahoo, 115 yellowfin tuna, 10 bonito, 230 white skipjack, 16 red snapper, 3 amberjack, 12 barred pargo, 6 pompano, 4 surgeon fish, 12 yellow snapper, 16 cabrilla, 1 golden leopard grouper and 140 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

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Celebrations, Concerts & Competitions – October Events in Cabo San Lucas

October 3, 2018 by Leave a Comment

October traditionally marks the start of high tourist season in Los Cabos–and although such calendar distinctions mean less now than they used to, as the cape cities have evolved into year-round travel destinations–the month remains important for signature regional events like Sammy Hagar’s birthday bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina, and Bisbee’s Black & Blue and Los Cabos Offshore marlin fishing tournaments.

Sammy Hagar’s 71st Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina (Oct. 9, 11, 13)

Every year since 1990, loyal “Redheads” from around the world have flocked to Cabo San Lucas for Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina. In 2018, the former Van Halen and Montrose celebrates his 71st year on the planet with an all-star cast of visiting musicians, including The Circle members Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, and Vic Johnson. Shows are scheduled for October 9, 11 and 13. General admission tickets are available to winners of a random drawing, but those who aren’t selected will still have an opportunity to attend. Some dinner show tickets will be made available in early October on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament (Oct. 14 – 18)

Just as September is El Mes de la Patria, the “the country’s month,” in México, October is the month of the fishing tournament in Cabo San Lucas. Bisbee’s two cash-rich tournaments–the Los Cabos Offshore and Black & Blue–get most of the publicity, but the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament also sends out a siren call to big-game fishermen eager for big-money prizes and jackpots. The three tournaments combined last year to pay out over $4,735,000 to the winners. The 20th annual LCBT has three entry levels:  a $5,000 base entry for each 6-person team; daily jackpots for the largest tuna, wahoo and dorado; and daily billfish release jackpots. Optional marlin only jackpots are available to teams that paid base entry. Registration and the post-tournament gala awards ceremony will both be hosted by Playa Grande, a Solmar Group resort.

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore (October 18 – 21)

Commonly known as “Little Bisbee’s,” to differentiate it from the “Big Bisbee’s” Black & Blue marlin fishing tournament that also takes place each October in Los Cabos, the Los Cabos Offshore dates back to 2002, and is considered a more laid-back, charity focused endeavor than the Black & Blue. Cash prizes are awarded to the teams with the three biggest qualifying fish in the game and billfish categories at the LCO, and large amounts of money are always donated to local causes. Base entry for teams is $1,500 U.S., with $17,000 necessary for “across the board” entry in all jackpots and challenges.

Bisbee’s Black & Blue (October 23 – 27)

Oft billed as “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament,” thanks to its million dollar payouts, this marlin fishing tournament originally premiered in 1981, and remains to this day the highest profile annual event in Los Cabos. The $4.165 million payout in 2006 was and still is the largest in sportfishing history. Base entry for this millionaire maker is $5,000 U.S. per team, and requires a $71,500 U.S. outlay across all categories, jackpots and challenges. Prizes are awarded for the top five catches of black and blue marlin, assuming they meet the minimum standards (300 lbs.).

Día de Muertos (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2)

México observes many holidays, but none quite so visually distinctive and emotionally resonant as El Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). This holiday to honor deceased family and friends dates back to the time of the Aztecs–who dedicated a festival to Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld, each August–but now takes place contemporaneously with the Catholic observance of Allhallowtide. Traditionally, it is thought that the souls of children return on Nov. 1, and the souls of adults on Nov. 2. Families will often build ofrendas (altars) in their homes, welcoming back the spirits of the departed with some of their favorite food and drinks, as well as special holiday themed items like cempasúchil flowers (Aztec marigolds), calaveras de azúcar (candy skulls), and a sweet bread called pan de muerto.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

 

  • Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications. 

Photo credit: Bisbee’s Black & Blue.

Upcoming Event Calendar

September

Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Sep. 16

October

Sammy Hagar Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina – Oct. 9, 11, 13

San Jose del Cabo Restaurant Week – Oct. 13 – 20

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 14 – 18

Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival) in Cabo San Lucas – TBD

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 18 – 21

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 23 – 27

25th Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Oct. 28 – Nov. 10

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4

Cruising for the Critters (Humane Society Fundraiser) – Nov. 3

IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4

Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11

WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 7 – 11

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22

 December

Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27

Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2019

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20

Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

March

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27

Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5

 

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