In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, sportfishing is currently limited to locals for personal consumption, and boat traffic is so light that large game fish are swarming into the marina.
The accompanying footage, captured Saturday by Mario Banaga of Pisces Sportfishing, shows a school of frenzied jack crevalle chasing bait fish in a corner of the marina.
“We’re still not allowed out fishing… so the fish have decided to come to us!” Pisces exclaimed on Facebook.
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Rebecca Ehrenberg, yacht services specialist with Pisces, half-jokingly told For The Win Outdoors: “Hopefully sportfishing will open again here soon – Cabo needs it and the fish are practically begging us to catch them at this point!”
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Before COVID-19 brought tourism to a halt, the Cabo San Lucas marina bustled with activity and larger fish were too spooked to venture into the main harbor areas.
Nowadays, Ehrenberg said, schooling bait fish seeking protection from predators inside the marina are attracting the larger game fish.
Besides jack crevalle, which are prized for their fight on light tackle, dorado (mahi-mahi) have been seen gathering beneath idle sportfishing boats.
In an earlier Facebook post, Pisces reported that some Cabo San Lucas hotels will open as early as May 30, and that hundreds of businesses and individuals have been training (virtually) with state health officials for the eventual re-opening of the iconic tourism destination at Baja California’s tip.