Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Cabo San Lucas, or more commonly referred to as Cabo in American English, is a city located at Baja California peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Cabo is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Mexico, and popularly known for its beautiful water environments including beaches, scuba diving locations, and of course marine life. In fact, the city is often regarded as “The Marlin Capital of the World” thanks to the abundance of Marlin and other fish of the same classifications.

There are even sportfishing tournament in Cabo San Lucas all year long. Regardless of the month, Cabo San Lucas offers a great number of Marlin. Some tournaments offer very attractive money prize that can exceed a million dollars, and some other tournaments determine the winner based on the size of Marlin that a participant caught; the biggest fish of the day gets the prize. The abundance of Black Marlin, Swordfish, Tuna, Blue Marlin, Yellow Tail, and even Striped Marlin (although not as many as other species), creates equal opportunity for beginners and seasoned anglers to win every tournament. Sportfishing is for everyone, but before you engage yourself in the excitement, here are few tips to get you started:

Charter Boats

it is best to reserve a charter boat far in advance before you arrive in Cabo San Lucas. It is recommended that you make confirmation one week before you arrive at the latest. There are plenty of options from the shared charter that commonly offers low cost, but you have to share the boat with many others to the luxurious super yachts which can accommodate up to 25 people. Sportfishing charters are available almost everywhere in the city, so make sure you do a proper comparison and read advice on sharing a charter boat.

Fishing Cost

It greatly depends on the type of accommodation, provider, number of people who share the boat, etc. However, a small vessel with a maximum capacity of 4 people generally costs about $500 for 8 hours a day. The price does not include taxes, freezing, cleaning, gratuity, etc. If you are with a large group of people, expect to spend at least $1,500 a day.

One Sailfish per Day

Despite the abundance of sailfish, you are only allowed to bring only one fish a day. In most cases, anglers only bring the smaller fish and release everything else they have caught. For a small fee, you can have someone cook your fish back in the resort’s restaurant. Fresh fish that you caught yourself always tastes best.

Bare Essentials

Sometimes, you are overshadowed by the excitement of going fishing and you forget the bare essentials such as a hat, sunscreen, warm clothes, sunglasses, camera, and dimenhydrinate (for sea sickness). You will also need lunch, and probably beer to celebrate your catch.

You may find something unexpected, especially if this is your first time visiting Cabo San Lucas and trying to engage in a fishing activity. You may need to discuss many things with the captain and a tour guide to prepare for everything.