SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 – 2 DORADO LANDED ABOARD THE 35′ RIVIERA BLUE WATER
CABO FISHING REPORT – NEW ZEALAND ANGLER LANDS TWO DORADO DURING A FOUR-HOUR CABO CHARTER
September 29, 2023 produced a productive short-format Cabo fishing charter for Brett of New Zealand aboard Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours‘ 35-foot Riviera Blue Water with Captain Oscar.
The charter departed F Dock at IGY Marina in Cabo San Lucas at 6:00 AM and returned at 10:00 AM. With only four hours available from departure to return, this was a very different fishing assignment from an eight- or ten-hour offshore trip.
Captain Oscar needed to make the early morning count.
The result was two dorado landed, giving Brett two quality warm-water game-fish encounters before Blue Water returned to Cabo at 10:00 AM.
CABO FISHING CHARTER STATISTICS – SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
| CHARTER STATISTIC | SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 RESULT |
|---|---|
| Catch | 2 Dorado |
| Total Game Fish | 2 |
| Kept | 2 Dorado |
| Released | 0 |
| Angler | Brett |
| Home Area | New Zealand |
| Boat | 35′ Riviera Blue Water |
| Captain | Oscar |
| Charter Length | 4 Hours |
| Fishing Time | 6:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Trip Type | Private Cabo Fishing Charter |
| Primary Species | Dorado / Mahi-Mahi |
| Air Temperature | Approximately 79°F at departure → 90°F near return |
| Water Temperature | Approximately 85°F |
| Wind | Light to moderate; approximately 6 mph daily average |
| Moon Phase | Full Moon |
| Moon Illumination | Approximately 100% |
| Tide at Departure | Incoming / Rising |
| Morning High Tide | Approximately 9:07 AM |
| Tide Near Return | Beginning to fall / outgoing |
| Swell / Wave Period | Exact offshore observation not reliably verified |
| Sunrise | Approximately 6:10 AM |
| Sunset | Approximately 6:09 PM |
FOUR HOURS CHANGES THE STRATEGY OF A CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING CHARTER
A four-hour charter leaves little room for wasted time.
On a ten-hour fishing day, a captain can make a longer exploratory run, investigate several areas and continue searching well into the afternoon. A four-hour charter demands a much tighter approach.
Blue Water departed at 6:00 AM.
It needed to be back at the marina at 10:00 AM.
That means travel time, searching, setting the fishing spread, fighting fish and returning to Cabo all had to fit inside a compact window.
For Brett, the short charter still produced two dorado.
That result is significant because it illustrates the difference between charter duration and charter success. More time generally provides greater range and flexibility, but a shorter charter can still produce quality fishing when the boat connects with productive water early.
TWO DORADO GIVE ONE ANGLER A BUSY MORNING ABOARD BLUE WATER
With Brett fishing as the single listed angler, two dorado created plenty of personal involvement.
There was no need to divide fishing opportunities among a large group.
When a fish struck, the focus could remain on Brett and the developing fight.
After the first dorado was completed, another opportunity followed.
The final number was two, but each fish represented an entire sequence: finding productive water, generating the strike, completing the hookup, fighting the fish and getting it to Blue Water.
For one angler on a four-hour trip, that created a successful morning.
DORADO ARE ONE OF THE MOST VISUAL GAME FISH FOUND AROUND CABO SAN LUCAS
Dorado are difficult to mistake for anything else.
Also known as mahi-mahi, they are famous for spectacular combinations of green, gold, yellow and blue.
Those colors can become even more dramatic when the fish is excited during a fight.
Their behavior adds another level of entertainment.
Dorado can make quick surface runs, change direction rapidly and leap repeatedly. Unlike species that spend much of the fight deep beneath the boat, mahi-mahi frequently make their presence visible.
That makes a dorado encounter exciting not only for the angler holding the rod but for everyone aboard.
For Brett, the September 29 charter provided that experience twice.
SEPTEMBER’S WARM CABO WATER CREATED THE RIGHT SEASONAL BACKDROP FOR DORADO
Historical sea-temperature data place the water around Cabo San Lucas near 85°F during this late-September period.
That is exceptionally warm water and provides useful context for the species available during this part of the year.
Dorado are warm-water pelagic fish, and late summer into fall can produce opportunities for mahi-mahi around southern Baja.
Water temperature alone does not tell Captain Oscar where the fish will be.
It simply describes part of the environment.
The crew still needs to find the productive water within that larger warm-water system.
CAPTAIN OSCAR HAS TO READ MORE THAN A GPS SCREEN WHEN SEARCHING FOR CABO DORADO
Offshore fishing is not simply a matter of navigating to a fixed location where dorado wait every morning.
Conditions move.
Currents shift.
Bait relocates.
Floating structure drifts.
A productive area yesterday may be quiet today.
Captain Oscar therefore has to evaluate what is happening during the actual charter.
Birds may deserve attention.
A concentration of bait can matter.
A current boundary may create an interesting fishing zone.
Changes in water color can provide another clue.
Floating weeds or debris may be particularly interesting when searching for dorado.
These pieces of information help determine where the crew spends its limited fishing time.
FLOATING STRUCTURE CAN CREATE SMALL OFFSHORE ECOSYSTEMS THAT ATTRACT DORADO
One of the fascinating aspects of dorado fishing is the importance of seemingly insignificant objects.
A floating branch in the Pacific might look meaningless from a distance.
Underneath it can be an entirely different story.
Small fish may use floating structure as shelter. Additional marine life can accumulate. Predatory fish investigate these concentrations because they represent feeding opportunities.
Dorado are particularly well known for associating with floating habitat.
This means a crew searching offshore is constantly interpreting what it sees.
A weed line is not merely vegetation.
A piece of debris is not automatically ignored.
Each may be worth investigating.
On a four-hour charter, efficiently identifying the right feature can make an enormous difference.
BLUE WATER’S EARLY 6:00 AM DEPARTURE PUT BRETT ON THE OCEAN AROUND SUNRISE
Blue Water departed at approximately the same time as sunrise.
That gave Brett the full early-morning portion of the charter.
The air temperature was approximately 79°F at departure, climbing toward roughly 90°F by the scheduled 10:00 AM return.
This temperature progression demonstrates one advantage of a short early charter during late September.
The trip begins during the comparatively cooler part of the day.
The anglers fish through the morning.
The boat returns before the strongest afternoon heat.
For a visitor from New Zealand experiencing Cabo’s September climate, that schedule can make the fishing day considerably more comfortable.
FULL-MOON CONDITIONS PROVIDED ANOTHER PIECE OF THE SEPTEMBER 29 ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD
September 29 coincided with the full moon, with illumination essentially at 100%.
Moon phase is frequently discussed among offshore anglers, but it should not be presented as a guarantee of fishing success.
Fish behavior depends on numerous interacting variables.
The value of including moon data in this fishing report is historical.
It allows a future reader to see the broader environmental picture surrounding Brett’s two-dorado catch.
The fish were caught during a late-September morning characterized by very warm water, a full moon and a significant morning tide change.
BLUE WATER FISHED THROUGH THE FINAL PORTION OF AN INCOMING TIDE
Regional tide records indicate the water was rising when Blue Water departed.
The morning high occurred at approximately 9:07 AM.
Because Brett’s charter ran until 10:00 AM, nearly the entire fishing trip took place during the incoming portion of the tide.
The charter then crossed the morning high shortly before the return trip.
By 10:00 AM, the tide had begun transitioning into the outgoing cycle.
This creates an unusually tidy environmental timeline for the four-hour charter:
6:00 AM – Departure on incoming water.
9:07 AM – Approximate morning high tide.
10:00 AM – Return as the tide begins falling.
Again, the tide does not explain the catch by itself.
It documents what was happening while the catch occurred.
THE 35′ RIVIERA BLUE WATER PROVIDES MORE THAN FISHING SPACE ON A PRIVATE CABO CHARTER
Boat choice influences the entire charter experience.
The 35-foot Riviera Blue Water gives anglers a dedicated sportfishing platform while providing additional space and comfort compared with a smaller open fishing boat.
For Brett as the sole listed angler, there was ample room.
A private charter also meant the fishing program did not have to accommodate unrelated passengers.
Captain Oscar and the crew could focus exclusively on Brett’s morning.
That can be particularly valuable on a short charter because there is no need to rotate opportunities among several independent groups.
A FOUR-HOUR CABO CHARTER IS NOT THE SAME PRODUCT AS AN EIGHT-HOUR FISHING DAY
It is important to set realistic expectations when comparing charter lengths.
More time provides more options.
An eight-hour charter gives the captain a much larger fishing window.
A ten-hour charter can expand that range even further.
Four hours is deliberately compact.
It is designed for guests who want fishing to be part of their Cabo vacation without making it the entire day.
The tradeoff is reduced search time.
The advantage is convenience.
Brett’s September 29 result shows the upside when a short charter finds fish: two dorado were landed and Blue Water was back at the marina by 10:00 AM.
RETURNING AT 10:00 AM LEAVES ALMOST AN ENTIRE CABO VACATION DAY AVAILABLE
For some visitors, this may be one of the strongest reasons to choose a shorter fishing charter.
Brett could fish from sunrise through the early morning and still return to Cabo before many vacationers had finished breakfast.
The rest of the day remained open.
Lunch.
Beach time.
Pool.
Shopping.
Golf.
A tour.
Or simply relaxing at the resort.
Fishing does not have to compete with every other Cabo activity when the charter is structured around a compact morning.
DORADO PROVIDE BOTH SPORT-FISHING EXCITEMENT AND QUALITY TABLE FARE
Dorado also differ from marlin in another important respect.
Blue Sky Cabo releases marlin, while legal dorado can be retained within applicable Mexican fishing regulations.
That means a successful dorado catch can continue beyond the fight itself.
Mahi-mahi is widely valued as table fare, and visitors often enjoy the connection between catching a fish offshore and later having appropriately handled fish prepared for a meal.
That creates another layer to the experience.
The fish provides the strike.
Then the fight.
Then the photograph.
And potentially, later, dinner.
HISTORICAL CABO FISHING REPORTS ARE MOST USEFUL WHEN THEY DOCUMENT REALITY
This report does not claim every September 29 four-hour charter will catch two dorado.
That would not be realistic.
Fishing conditions change from year to year and from day to day.
The value lies in recording what actually happened.
On September 29, 2023:
Brett from New Zealand fished aboard Blue Water.
Captain Oscar ran the charter.
The trip lasted four hours.
Two dorado were landed.
The water was approximately 85°F.
The morning coincided with a full moon.
The tide was rising for most of the charter.
Those are useful historical facts.
THE SAME SEPTEMBER 29 DATE PRODUCED DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE BLUE SKY CABO FLEET
One of the strengths of maintaining detailed fleet fishing reports is seeing how different charters can develop on the same day.
Another Blue Sky Cabo charter on September 29 aboard the 32-foot Blue Star produced a striped marlin release.
Brett’s Blue Water charter produced two dorado.
That contrast is valuable.
The same date.
The same general Cabo fishery.
Different boats.
Different charter lengths.
Different fish.
That is the reality of offshore sport fishing and precisely why individual fishing reports provide more information than a generalized monthly species calendar.
TWO DORADO IN FOUR HOURS CREATED A PRODUCTIVE FISH-PER-HOUR RESULT
Fishing should never be reduced entirely to arithmetic, but the time frame does add perspective.
Brett’s charter lasted four hours from marina departure to return.
Within that period, Blue Water produced two dorado.
For a solo angler, that meant meaningful action during a relatively short fishing window.
The trip did not require an entire day offshore to create a successful result.
It required Captain Oscar and the crew to connect with the right opportunity during the time available.
FINAL CABO FISHING REPORT SUMMARY – 2 DORADO ABOARD BLUE WATER
September 29, 2023 produced a successful early-morning Cabo fishing charter for Brett of New Zealand aboard the 35-foot Riviera Blue Water.
Captain Oscar guided the four-hour trip from 6:00 AM until 10:00 AM.
The final report:
2 total game fish.
2 dorado landed.
1 angler from New Zealand.
4-hour private charter.
Approximately 79°F at departure → 90°F near return.
Approximately 85°F water temperature.
Full moon.
Incoming tide → approximately 9:07 AM high tide → beginning outgoing tide.
For Brett, the attraction of this charter was not complexity.
It was efficiency.
Leave Cabo at sunrise.
Find productive warm water.
Catch two colorful Pacific dorado.
Return to the marina at 10:00 AM.
And still have almost the entire Cabo vacation day ahead.
That combination of successful fishing and a compact schedule made September 29 another productive entry in the Blue Sky Cabo historical Cabo fishing report archive.
Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours
Website: Cabo Fishings
F Dock, IGY Marina, Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
