by Tony Peña
Just before dawn a well-practiced
metamorphosis takes place at La Playita beach a few miles east of San José del
Cabo. Sentinels of pangas are lined
up high on the beach as if part of the permanent scenery.
The rhythmic, booming shorebreak is the only disturbance to this solace
that describes Baja. Boat crews
arrive seemingly out of nowhere, followed by eager anglers anxious to get on the
fishing grounds. A sense of urgency
and hectic activity transforms the beach into the liveliest spot in town within
mere moments. Eric Brictson, owner
of Gordo Banks Pangas, greets all anglers and freely dispenses his advice for
the day including what to fish for and where to go.
Brictson has been on the scene since 1985 and knows how to respond to
changing sea conditions, bait supply and other variables in order to give his
clients the best fishing opportunity.
One by one, the pangas are pushed,
pulled and shoved into the sea, carefully timed between breaking swells, by a
host of pangeros and anglers-alike. Not
to be outdone, Brictson always seems to be standing in the deepest water giving
the last push as he whishes his anglers’ good fortune.
On this morning in May, we headed
east toward prominent Punta Gorda after taking on a supply of live mullet and
sardinas from a commercial bait panga waiting just offshore.
The type of bait that is available can influence what an angler pursues.
For example, mackerel is considered a good offshore bait while mullet is
preferred inshore. Except for mullet
and small sardinas, which are netted, anglers can opt to jig up their own bait
but this effort will use up valuable fishing time.
Since we wanted to try our luck with roosterfish using the mullet,
Brictson suggested we move further into the
As the sun peaked over Punta Gorda
the choppy water worked up by a persistent nighttime land breeze soon flattened
into a smooth surface. Perfect for a
panga. As we sped along the coast
all seemed quiet until we reached the Rancho San Luis area.
Diving pelicans signaled that baitfish, most likely sardinas, were
schooled up and possibly attracting some gamefish along with the birds.
Slow trolling live mullet while tossing out handfuls of sardinas near a
mix of rocky outcroppings and sand, a surface disturbance caught our attention.
Dozens of slashing dorsal “combs” created a frothy foam as
roosterfish charged the panicking baitfish.
With a double hook-up on smallish roosters going on the stern I moved to
the bow hoping that bigger fish would show themselves.
Almost on cue a large silversided adult separated from the pack and I
cast a mullet in its path. Unfortunately,
a more aggressive rooster of about 20 pounds grabbed the morsel which kept me
occupied for several moments of powerful surface runs followed by deep fighting
tactics, typical of these Baja roosterfish.
By the time Sabrina Williams and I released our fish all was quiet again.
Roosterfish are not known as the “ghosts of Baja” for nothing due to
their mysterious appearances and fast departures.
The radio carried animated talk of
dorado action offshore and we were mildly tempted to join the fleet.
I don’t like to leave fish to find fish.
Since there were good “signs of life” around us we opted to work our
area longer. As we continued to
troll, a shimmering flash of white punctuated the blue-green horizon a few
hundred yards offshore. I focused on
the spot to confirm what I thought I saw and, yes, there was a repeat display.
We sped to the area and found two large schools of lisón (a species of
large mullet) above pods of green jack in about 40-feet of water.
Our first bait was taken by a deep
diver and turned out to be a husky barred pargo or greenbar snapper.
Chumming with sardinas brought a surprise showing of dorado and we hooked
two immediately. Fighting these
20-pound slivers of gold within sight of the white sand beach and in such
shallow water emphasized the long-held impression that almost anything can
happen in Baja. Working these bait
schools produced two more dorado, a roosterfish and black skipjack to round out
an unusual mix of “inshore” gamefish.
Unless you’re chasing roosterfish
or elusive pelagics, most anglers stay close to the Gorda Banks themselves for
wahoo, pargo, amberjack, yellowtail, grouper, as well as dorado, yellowfin tuna,
marlin and sailfish. May to October
is usually a peak fishing period but the availability of certain gamefish can
vary greatly depending on currents, forage and so on.
“Wahoo always seem to surprise us,” says Brictson.
“We had an early run in April and we’re still getting big fish of
over 60 pounds and it’s not even June yet.
I’m sure the deep blue, warm water and plenty of mackerel has a lot to
do with it,” added Brictson.
Wahoo anglers have a big edge when
fishing with the Gordo Bank Pangas. The
sunrise departures allow anglers to be on the fishing grounds for the
early-morning bite which wahoo are noted for.
By
The Gorda Banks are almost
synonymous with the yo-yo or deep jigging style of fishing.
Outer Gorda, in particular, is very productive due to its extensive
network of caves and rocky bottom habitat. Dog
(cubera) snapper, cabrilla, leopard grouper, broomtail grouper and some huge
amberjack exceeding 100-pounds live here. That’s
the good news. Unfortunately it is
very challenging to avoid cutoffs and many big fish are lost to the sharp bottom
structure. Top yo-yo jigs include
the Ironman 5, Tady A-1 or 9, Salas 6X and 6X Junior, Braid Slammers, Kicker,
Action Lures, Sumo and the Yo-Zuri Hydro Metals.
Color doesn’t seem to be critical to success but blue/chrome,
green/yellow, blue/white, all-white and all-chrome are popular.
Try dropping a lure straight to the
bottom and reeling fast back to the boat or stopping it every fifteen or twenty
cranks, dropping the rod tip to make the jig flutter down momentarily before
resuming the retrieve. If you cast
any distance from the bottom the increased line angle will expose you to more
cutoffs and snags. When a fish hits
keep reeling until the fish starts pulling drag to insure a good, solid hookup.
Deep jigging is hard work,
especially under the hot Baja sun. Chumming
or chunking fresh bait is a good technique to bring all types of gamefish,
including bottom feeders closer to the boat where anglers can use a shorter drop
to get action or fly-line live bait. Live
bait is commonly used and at times, is the key to success.
Amberjack are one species that tend to lock-in on one prey, chihuil, and
without this bait you may be wasting your time.
Chihuil (pronounced “chew-willy”) are called “baracuta” on the
Yellowfin tuna are a big draw almost
on a year-round basis. Although most
fall in the ten-to 80-pound range, some cows of over 200 pounds and more have
been taken on these banks. A fairly
recent development has been the use of the chunking technique on both the Inner
and Outer Gordas. This is a fairly
simple method. Pieces of cut bait or
“chunks” are dropped overboard, preferably with a steady trail of ground-up
chum, where they sink as they are carried by the current.
Predatory gamefish, such as tuna, are attracted to this easy meal and
will often follow the food line up to the surface.
Watching large tuna, almost eating out of your hand is quite a show.
Although most chunking experts usually anchor upcurrent of a bank to
allow the chunk trail to drift over the structure, the Gorda pangeros simply
drift repeatedly over the high spots or in productive open water.
Drifting allows anglers to be more selective with pelagics like tuna
whereas anchored boats may be interfered with more by structure-oriented fish
such as pargo and amberjack.
One event that helped put the Gorda
Banks “on the map” of stateside anglers was the 1999 Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot
Tournament held by “Western Outdoor News”.
All of the big, tournament-winning tuna came from the Gordas, including
cows of 202 and 219 pounds. Hundred-pound
tuna didn’t raise an eyebrow after the first day due to the influx of big
fish. The secret bait? Chihuil.
Angler Jack Sowell on the “Tiger Spirit” commented on his
202-pounder: “We caught it at the Gorda Bank on a weird little fish.
We spent two hours trying to catch bait for three of them because our
skipper said that’s what the big tuna are eating on the bank”.
The 219-pounder was caught by
skipper Toño on the panga “Estella del Mar”.
He also had a “small” fish of 122 pounds among others, but these were
not unusual for him. “My family
has been fishing the Gorda Banks for 58 years,” said Toño.
“My father fished the Gordas and his father fished it.
I have been catching big tuna on the Gorda Banks for many years.
Last month I caught a 315-pound tuna”.
The secretive Toño first claimed that his tuna were taken with bulito
(frigate mackerel) but after the tournament confessed they were all caught on
chihuil.
There’s something about landing
billfish from a panga that is intriguing to many anglers.
Maybe it’s the lore that goes with big fish and small boats.
Regardless of the attraction, the Gorda Banks region is a good place to
hookup with a blue, black or striped marlin as well as sailfish.
Brictson’s personal skipper, Marcello Gonzalez, pushed this panga-style
of fishing to the limit when he bridled an eight-pound yellowfin tuna on the
Outer Gorda Bank at high noon during a full moon phase.
The big bait was taken by a black marlin that weighted 993 pounds.
Similar encounters are recorded on an annual basis around here but most
result in lost fish and busted tackle.
Black marlin frequent shallow water
and feed on the productive banks almost year-round.
Spring to fall is prime time. Blue
marlin reach a peak in August and are found in better numbers offshore in deep
blue water. The smaller striped
marlin, averaging 80 to 120 pounds, migrate through the area from April to
December but can be caught all year if the conditions are favorable.
Sailfish are unpredictable but usually start schooling up July through
October. Brictson favors a full moon
for blue and black marlin but striped marlin action usually slows down during
this period. “For most of the
gamefish around here the bite improves leading up to the full moon then usually
falls off for about a week after. Experienced
clients usually book accordingly “, says Brictson.
Roosterfish can show at any time of
the year but their size, numbers and reliability increase from May to August.
If you want to test your skills on this dynamic gamefish the sandy
shallows west of Punta Gorda, red Hill in front of the Westin Hotel, and Rancho
San Luis are good places to start your search.
The larger roosterfish usually prefer a slow trolled live bait such as
mullet, chihuil or caballito (bigeye scad).
“When the mullet schools start arriving on the beaches it’s a sure
bet the roosterfish will be close by. This
usually happens about April or May and the inshore bite starts taking off“,
says Brictson.
One exception to the summer action
is the toothy sierra mackerel, which prefers the cooler water of winter.
Sierra exceeding 15 pounds are like miniature wahoo and can cut even
heavy mono leaders easily with their dense rows of razor sharp teeth.
They are an aggressive gamefish and will hit shiny spoons, swimming
plugs, hoochie skirts and live or strip baits.
Wire leaders are recommended. Sierra
are renown as tablefare and for making the classic “ceviché” dish.
During May and June pargo (cubera
snapper and mullet snapper) move in vast schools to the inshore reefs where the
water will appear red at times as they crowd near the surface.
The Iman Bank, Rancho San Luis, Shipwreck Point, the 25-Fathom Spot and
Distilidera are likely gathering spots. Closer
to the beach the African pompano also forms large schools and can produce
reliable action for weeks. This
tough member of the jack family can exceed 30 pounds and its handsome, broad
profile adds to its status as a trophy gamefish species.
Snook are probably the most elusive
inshore gamefish found in this region. Weighing
from ten to over 50 pounds snook are a prized catch because they are difficult
to figure out. They don’t stay in
stable schools or specific locations for very long.
Whether it’s the Pacific black snook or white snook they are known to
associate with fresh water seepages nearshore, brackish lagoons and groundwater
outlets in deep water. That’s
about the best clue you can get to help locate them.
One such place is the Costa Azul area west of San José del Cabo where a
watershed from the nearby foothills empties near the beach.
Snook of 30 to 50 pounds are sometimes taken here with live bait and
trolling swimming plugs. The estuary
at San José del Cabo, fed by the Rio San José, has been a snook nursery under
good conditions while mature snook may be encountered along the adjacent beach
during heavy rain periods. Last July
a local surf angler landed a 36-pound snook at La Playita using a mullet belly
strip for bait.
The Gorda Bank region is a true gamefish junction. Its diverse habitat attracts a myriad of gamefish while its affordable panga fleets and friendly local people keep stateside anglers coming back year after year.
There are two banks known as Gorda.
Inner and Outer Gorda are four and eight miles, respectively, from the
high, white-cliffed promontory to the east of San José del Cabo called Punta
Gorda. The banks have reported high
spots of 48 and 204 feet. A narrow,
deep trench of 103 fathoms separates the two banks.
Inner Gorda is larger than Outer Gorda and has extensive, broad shallows
punctuated by high, rocky formations. Outer
Gorda, however, is generally favored for fishing because it is more often
covered by the blue water current and attracts a wider variety of gamefish
including billfish.
The most convenient way to get to
the Los Cabos region is by air. The
international airport near San Jose del Cabo is about twenty minutes from the
local hotels and restaurants. As of
this printing, a union-controlled airport taxi system charged a flat rate of $55
US to the relatively close-by town. Shuttle
buses will take you to the largest hotels for $11 US per person.
Once arrivals get beyond the initial sticker shock of airport ground
transportation this overall Baja experience still maintains itself as a bargain.
All of my trip arrangements were made through Cass Tours (800) 593-6510.
I recommend using the services of a professional travel outfitter to
obtain good advice and eliminate the hassles of bookings at no extra cost to the
traveler.
Entering
Eric Brictson’s Gordo Banks Pangas
(800-408-1199; www.gordobanks.com;
email: gordobanks@prodigy.net.mx)
are located at La Playita (beach) a few miles east of San Jose del Cabo.
Just offshore lies the famous Gorda Banks.
One note: maritime charts and historical writings reference these banks
as Gorda, however, Gordo is used interchangeably today.
The congenial Brictson settled in Los Cabos in 1985 and is a wealth of
knowledge. His seven-panga fleet
includes 22-foot standard, stern-controlled pangas at $170 per day and 23-foot
center console super pangas at $200 for the
For the ultimate in convenience when
fishing from La Playita it’s hard to beat the La Playita Resort Hotel and
Restaurant (local phone/fax: 011-52-624-142-4166; www.laplayitahotel.com;
email: laplayitahotel@prodigy.net.mx),
which is a short walk to the waiting fleet of pangas.
Owner George “Doc” Armstrong, whose been flying in Baja since 1954,
built the 27-room hotel in 1995. Amenities
include swimming pool, queen size beds, two large suites, TV, air conditioning
and verandas. Room rates vary from
$55 to $75 US double occupancy depending on the season.
Hotels in San José del Cabo include the Fiesta Inn, Presidente
Inter-Continental, Dorada, Posada Real and Palmilla Resort (west of town).
San José del Cabo, in contrast to
trendy Cabo San Lucas, is a sprawling yet slow-paced town still tied to its
roots as the agricultural center of Baja
PHONE 619-462-7875
FAX 619-435-6009
E-MAIL: tonypena@rovingagnler.com
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