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
Wonderful!!! That's what comes to mind when we think about our stay in Cabo. The condo was perfect for our family. With all the amenities it was like being at home and away at the same time. Beautiful decor and everything we needed We truly enjoyed it, Thank you.
Our trip was fantastic. The property was everything that was promised, thank you. We enjoyed many of your restaurant suggestions, went snorkeling and sport fishing. My son caught a 150 pound marlin :)
Staff at the resort are fabulous, very attentive and helpful. The weather was great and the waters calm. It rates among our best family holidays. I look forward to connecting with you in the future.
Todd F., Kamloops, BC
We had a great time! The villa was excellent & the transportation to & from airport was right on time! Perfect- we'd do it again!
Lisa F., Roseville, CA
Fabulous trip!! The Villa Del Arco was great. Our room and view were awesome. We took your advice on transportation and that was flawless as well. Thanks so much for being so professional and so reliable. I really appreciate it.
Carrie
Carrie C., Southlake TX
We had a really great time on our family vacation. The two bedroom suite we had was absolutely beautiful. The view was super. We could see the ocean and the pool. I really liked that the bldg. we were in (3) was shaded in the evening so we could sit on the deck and relax. The Villa del Arco was a really nice choice. The nachos and Guacamole at the pool were very good. The service was great too at the pool. We met some great people. I liked that this resort was not constantly noisy with the music or people. The view out to Lands End was great. We went to town couple times and we had so much fun. Love the culture. Our kids are 18 & 22 and they loved it too. Love the food and the drinks and the shopping.
We definitely will be back.
Thank you Bob for setting us up at a really nice place-we had a super family vacation.
Patty Steinkamp from Iowa
Patty Steinkamp, Iowa
Villa Del Arco was perfect for our anniversary celebration. The grounds were beautiful, the pools were perfect and the view and location cannot be beat. Thanks to DestinationCabo.com for expert assistance in selecting the right resort. Plus they know everything about what to do and where to eat! Totally cool.
Tricia
Hi Bob,
Everything has been going great! What a beautiful room, views & wonderful staff! I've been at the dentist the last couple of days so haven't really been able to see a lot of Cabo yet but tomorrow is a free day and we're going out and about to live it up!
Thanks,
Shaun
I just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed our Mexican vacation and the resort was beautiful.
Michelle N.
Hi Bob,
Just got back from Cabo last night. The villa was more than we expected and the pools, grounds and restaurants were outstanding. We had a great time with our children and grandchildren. The biggest problem we had was no soap in two of the bathrooms. Of course housekeeping took care of it immediately. Life's problems should be fixed so easily.
Fishing was tough but managed to bring home a 50 qt cooler of mahi mahi fillets.
Thanks for arranging the transportation. Transpacifico were both punctual and courteous.
Best,
John
John Giuffre, Montgomery Texas
My wife and I could not have asked for a more beautiful villa to spend our 10 year anniversary at than in Bob and Sue's Villa 1208 at the Villa La Estancia! Every detail about their villa was phenomenal!! We enjoyed cooking meals in the kitchen and eating them outside in the warm August breezes. Their housekeeper, Yvonne, ws very nice and did a great job of cleaning things and keeping everything tidy. We loved hanging out at the pool every day and got to "ride out" our first tropical storm, Julio. I already told my wife that I could see us coming back to Villa 1208 every year!!! Thanks again!
Todd and Nanette Seattle, WA