Cabo San Lucas is known as “The Marlin Capital of the World” and it is home to some of the best sport fishing in general. Anglers come from around the world to catch the striped, black, and blue marlin and many more of the 5,000 different species living in the Sea of Cortez. Whether you are a rookie angler or a seasoned pro, everyone can have a great time reeling in the biggest catch of their life out on the Los Cabos waters. Sport fishing in Cabo San Lucas has brought in some of the best charter boat companies, tournaments, and anglers from all over. You can charter a smaller 4 man boat or celebrate with all your friends on one of the state-of-the-art all inclusive yachts that can host up to 25 guests. If you are planning a trip to Cabo San Lucas, do not pass up the opportunity to go sport fishing, it is an adventure you will remember forever.
Cabo San Lucas Fishing - General Information
Los Cabos Charter Boats: It is highly recommended that you reserve a charter boat far in advance, and at latest up to one week before you arrive in Cabo San Lucas. You can reserve anything from a shared charter to help lower the costs if you only have one or two people all the way up to 8, 12, and 25 person super yachts. View a list of Cabo San Lucas sport fishing charters or read advice on sharing a fishing charter.
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Costs: A smaller vessel that will fit up to four people will generally cost around $500 for an eight hour day, not including taxes, fees, gratuity, cleaning and freezing, etc. If you have a large group, expect to pay upwards of $1,500 for a whole day on a nicer boat or $2,800+ for a yacht. It is expected that you tip your captain anywhere between 10-20% of the total charter price, which he will share with his deckhand. Tipping should be related to their quality of service, not for the amount of fish you caught on the trip. If you plan on keeping any fish, you will have to pay for the cleaning and freezing once you get back to the docks; price depends on size of fish.
Catch and Release: Although the Los Cabos area is well known for its abundance of large sailfish, you are only legally allowed to bring in one sailfish per day. Most anglers will catch and release all of their sailfish and bring in the smaller game fish that are great for eating like tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, and yellowtail. Bring your fresh fish back to your resort’s restaurant and for a small fee they will cook your fish for dinner that evening… nothing better than fresh fish that you caught with your own hands.
What to Bring: After several margaritas the night before and an early meeting time with your captain, people will often forget the bare essentials. Here are several items that you must remember if you want the fishing trip to be fun for your group: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, warm clothes for the early morning, camera, Dramamine for sea sickness (take one hour prior to setting sail), lunch and beer if you didn’t pay in advance for them to be included, and towel for when you get wet.
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Season: Sport fishing is great year around in Baja, but there are several months where the big prized marlins are biting. If you want to catch a blue or black marlin, your best bet is to head down sometime between June and October. View our entire Cabo San Lucas fishing calendar for a complete breakdown of what fish are biting and when. Read over our insider fishing tips to ensure a successful adventure your next time visiting Baja California.
Complete Cabo San Lucas Fishing Guide
Reviews
My experience travelling as a single person was great with all your help. I have no complaints and everyone was helpful and friendly, and the transportation service was on time and the driver was very personable. Thank you for making my trip a good one!
Sincerely,
Sher C.
Sheri Cohen, La Jolla California
Bob,
Everything went real well. The people at the Palmar were very helpful and courteous. I successfully avoided all the time share creepers. The grounds and pools were beautiful and the rooms were nice. The weather was great. It was obviously spring break time when we were there, but we already expected what comes with that and since we brought 3 teenagers with us we only contributed to the problem.
Thx for everything -
Nat & Tricia
Everything went as planned. The room was spacious and clean. The chips, salsa and margarita upon arrival was a nice touch! Your van transportation was fantastic. We had Roberto. Great guy.
We would book through you again.
Michael C., Irving TX
Our stay at Villa Los Arcos was excellent. The food was exceptional (and even though our package was a special offer that did not include any costs for the inclusive package, I would recommend the inclusive package to anyone planning a vacation there, as it eliminated a lot of headaches such as meal planning, taxi fares and having to watch every nickel). With 3 hungry teenagers along for the trip, this was totally the way to go. The accommodations were outstanding, in excellent repair, and the staff at Los Arcos was friendly and accommodating. Of the three resorts that are all in the same area, I found the staff at Los Arcos to be the friendliest. The staff at the sister neighboring resort (I can't recall the name) were not nearly as outgoing and friendly, possibly because of the genre those resort were more geared to (younger kids and parents).
Thanks for lining us up with this package. It was an outstanding price and a great deal.
John T., Benicia, CA
Bob, Great time. I think Arco has upped their attention to detail....wonderful new SVS(I think thats the service). We felt llike we were at the Taj Mahal and royalty. Very nice touch!! And yes the towel colors are the same tan stripe. Thanks Again...til next visit.
Wende B., Navato, CA
Great job! The accommodations were spectacular and the welcome basket a nice touch. We had special turn down service each night and one night there was a complimentary bubble bath turn down service. Everyone at Los Arcos was wonderful and the entire trip went off without a hitch! Thank you again.
Steve K., Seattle, WA
Thank you! Kate and I had a great trip to Cabo for our 1 year anniversary. We definitely will be returning and wouldn't hesitate to book through DestinationCabo again! Thank you so much for your help, really everything couldn't have been easier for us from the transportation to check-in to check-out. The room was very nice too! One small snafu was just that for most of our first day, the hot water wasn't running, but the hotel had it fixed by that evening so it wasn't a big deal.
Mike Sprouse, LA
Thanks so much for the wonderful vacation. No complaints at all, everything was absolutely fabulous. The room was great and staff was so friendly. Overall everything was amazing and we could not have asked for a better trip!
Melissa Rosen
Bob,
What a terrific place...Luis moved us to Villa Estancia (I'm sure due to your relationship here!!) and it's a gorgeous 2 BR (w/ wonderful views and just perfect)!! All you have suggested has been "spot-on"--and our trip has just begun...now on our way downtown, might get sidetracked by some seaside bars/eateries... Again, many thanx...this is looking like a wonderful choice--and I'm glad to have your help!!
Best,
Michael
Hi Bob! Thank you for your business. We enjoyed stay at Villa del Arco. We refer you for our friends in San Diego, Seattle and Orange County.
Thank you.
Lev.
Lev , San Diego