East Cape Fishing Report: October 10, 2026 — Amberjack, a New Moon and Simon's Edge
Weekly Fishing Report · Tight Line Anglers · Los Barriles, Baja California Sur
Fish On! This East Cape fishing report lands on new moon day, and the forecast has flipped since last week. On Thursday the models had seas off Los Barriles building toward 10 ft (3 m) by Monday. This morning's run keeps the East Cape under 2 ft (0.6 m) all week. Hurricane Simon is dangerous, but it's aiming at mainland Mexico, not the Cape.
At a Glance: Los Barriles / East Cape, Oct 10–16
Air temp: Highs 87–90°F (31–32°C), lows 72–80°F (22–27°C)
Water temp: About 89°F (32°C) East Cape; about 88°F (31°C) Cabo; about 86°F (30°C) off Mag Bay
Wind: Light, 5–13 mph (8–21 km/h), north to northeast from Tuesday
Seas: About 1–2 ft (0.3–0.6 m) all week (model)
Moon: New moon today, Sat Oct 10, 8:50 AM (BCS time)
Tides (La Paz): Morning highs 3.8–4.1 ft (1.2 m) around 8 AM; afternoon lows near 0 ft Sun–Tue
Storm status: Hurricane Simon (Category 4) is headed into mainland Mexico. No NHC watches or warnings for Baja California Sur
Overall: Good Sat ✅ · Weather-dependent Sun–Mon ⚠️ · Good Tue–Fri ✅
Storm Watch: Hurricane Simon
As of NHC's 2 AM (BCS time) advisory, Simon was a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph (230 km/h) winds, about 125 miles (205 km) south of Manzanillo and moving north. Hurricane warnings cover the mainland coast from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito. NHC expects Simon near or just inland of west-central Mexico later today or early Sunday, then falling apart over land by late Monday. Tropical Storm Rachel's warnings are for northern Baja, not us.
The catch: Mexico's weather service (SMN) outlook from Friday called for rain, gusty wind and 7–13 ft (2–4 m) surf on the south coast of Baja California Sur Sunday and Monday. Our marine models are far calmer. When they disagree, we side with the officials.
Check the official sources: NHC, SMN/CONAGUA and Protección Civil BCS.
The port captain decides. As of Friday, the La Paz port captain had not closed the port, but that can change overnight.
Booked Sunday or Monday? Contact us about your booking. If we need to move your day, we will.
What We're Seeing on the Water
Structure Fish: Amberjack on the High Spots
Amberjack have been the story on the high spots this week: thick fish that hit hard and head straight for the rocks. Turn one in the first few seconds or you're retying.
They're one of the most underrated fights in the Sea of Cortez, and they don't need a surface bite to eat. Flat water and big new-moon tides should keep the structure bite going all week.
Roosters and Inshore
Roosters are still cruising the beaches early, and glassy mornings mean you can work them before the breeze fills in.
Water & Weather This Week
Water: NOAA's satellite analysis (Oct 8) puts the surface at 88.7°F (31.5°C) off Los Barriles, about a degree warmer than last week, with 87.6°F (30.9°C) off Cabo and 86.0°F (30.0°C) off Mag Bay.
Rain: The models give Sunday a 38% chance and Monday 30%. SMN is much wetter for southern BCS: up to 2–3 in (50–75 mm) Sunday and 3–6 in (75–150 mm) Monday. Pack a rain shell and stay out of running arroyos.
Cabo and Mag Bay: Cabo seas run about 4–7 ft (1.3–2.2 m), easing through the week. Mag Bay sits at 5–10 ft (1.5–3 m), biggest Sunday.
Best Gear & Flies This Week
Amberjack, jigs: 5–9 oz (150–250 g) vertical or knife jigs, 50–65 lb braid, 60–80 lb fluorocarbon leader. Hit bottom and crank fast.
Amberjack, live bait: Live mackerel or sardine on a circle hook and 60–80 lb fluoro, dropped right on the structure. Lock the drag and turn the fish's head fast. If it reaches the rocks, it wins.
Amberjack, fly: Realistic only when fish come up to chase bait or chum. Use a 12–14 wt, 400–600 grain sinking line, 60–80 lb fluoro and big Clousers or baitfish patterns (4/0–6/0). Tough, and that's the fun.
Roosters on glassy mornings: 10–12 wt, clear intermediate line, 30–40 lb fluoro and sardine patterns, or poppers on 20–30 lb braid.
Our full checklist is on the Gear and Prep page.
East Cape Fishing Report: What to Expect This Week
Sat (today): Clear, light wind and flat water on a new moon. Go fish.
Sun–Mon: Weather-dependent. SMN warns of rain and surf even though the models keep our seas small. Check the port status every morning.
Tue–Fri: Light north-northeast breeze, seas under 2 ft. The morning highs peak Wed–Fri at about 4 ft (La Paz), which means good water movement over structure.
Next week: NHC gives a new low south of Guatemala a 70% chance of forming within 7 days. Far too early to say anything about Baja, but we're watching.
Around the East Cape
East Cape Classic New Spin: Oct 14–18, Palmas de Cortez
Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore: Fishing Oct 14–16, Cabo San Lucas
Bisbee's Black & Blue: Fishing Oct 21–23, Cabo San Lucas
Bisbee's Mag Bay Mania: Nov 1–30, a billfish-release format where teams pick three days; registration closes Oct 31
No weather postponements were posted as of this morning, but check with the organizers.
License: Every angler aboard needs a Mexican sportfishing license. Get yours from CONAPESCA before you come.
Book Your Days
Flat water, warm blue water and fish that pull back. Dream big and go big: ask us about your dates for a structure day, a beach morning for roosters or an offshore run. Mag Bay and San Evaristo trips are on our fisheries page. Follow @tlanglersbaja for fresh catches and more getting tight in Baja.
Where lines get tight. See you on the water.
Conditions sourced Oct 10, 2026 from NHC, NOAA, Open-Meteo, USNO and SMN (via local press). Always check official sources before heading out.