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
Great place..the ride was there, the place is beautiful and super clean and every thing else is top notch. The girls were impressed and the bed is big and very comfortable..you spoke the truth. And the view from the room is just about the best in the house.Only the penthouse might have been better.
We have been meaning to get back to you regarding our stay. The entire complex including all three resorts was really nice. The beach was great and we had no problems with getting chairs at the beach or near the pool. The unit was very nice and the balcony was beyond our expectations. It was big and the view was magnificent. The whole staff at the complex were extremely helpful, courteous,and quick to help with any issue or things we needed. They could not have been better. We really enjoyed our stay and would come back. We mainly ate at the Bella California and found the food very good. Once we had the breakfast buffet and that too was good. We were in town for all of our dinners, and had some great meals at reasonable prices. The rooms were very nice although we were expecting King size beds in all three rooms and only the master had a King the others were queens but we made it work. All in all the unit and complex was even better than we expected and we want to thank you for all of your help and insight. Hopefully we will work with you on another vacation in the future.
Robert C., Deerfiled, Illinois
Gail and I had a fabulous time. The Villa de Arco was as advertised and our room was exactly as the pictures you sent. As you remember we had scheduled to stay 5 days in 1601, then move to 1501 for the last two nights. The guests coming to stay in 1601 called the hotel and were stuck in the states so we got to spend our whole stay in 1601, a nice treat. We enjoyed the fresh desserts delivered to our door nightly by the head chef and the little touches by the maid staff (towels that looked like swans and a turned down bed designed differently every night). The transportation to and from the airport was timely and efficient. This time of year was a bit muggy and we did get rained on 2 1/2 days, limiting our water activities but so what. It even rained so much one night that our ceiling leaked and the staff offered to move us to another room. Not necessary as it dried up quickly and was no real bother at all. All in all a tremendous stay and well worth it. We look forward to using your services again. Tommy & Gail O'Rourke
Tommy & Gail O'Rourke
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
The trip went very well. Thanks for letting me rent your place at an affordable rate! The resort and your assistance met all of my expectations. Thanks again
G. Ramirez
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
We had a great Spring Break in Cabo!! Thanks for all of your information, it really helped! All 16 of us had a blast!
Jennifer , Hasting, MI
Hi Bob: We loved it and looking to stay again next year, during whale watching season. The villa we had was perfect for our needs and had a stunning view! We were at the "U" like you mentioned on our phone call. Staff at the villa were top notch too. Unfortunately, I was sick the entire week with the flu but what a great place to relax.
The shuttle service was priceless and worth every penny. On time both ways and very accommodating.
I will definitely be doing business with you again! I see why Jim H. referred you! :)
Sandra , California
We enjoyed a marvelous vacation in Cabo. Your condo was gorgeous and the location the best. We will definitely make a return visit. The staff was very friendly, helpful and efficient. The grounds were beautiful. Thanks for sharing your home away from home. I would definitely recommend your property.
Beverly Glovetski, Arlington Heigths
Just wanted to say thanks for all of your help with the April Cabo trip. We made it back to town late Friday night after one of the best weeks our family has ever had. The property at Villa La Estancia is amazing. The room was a perfect size and the balcony had amazing views. We didn't use the kitchen as much as we should have because we were busy working our way through the list of restaurants you recommended. We made it to Villa Serena, Mi Casa, Salvatore's (for lasagna night), La Panga and our favorite - La Golondrina. We ran out of time to get the vouchers you recommended, but will make sure we do that next time. You were also right about the staff - everyone was very friendly. In fact the only issue we had all week was with a taxi driver who was overcharging for a return trip from the city, but the bell man stepped in and solved the matter immediately. We also had maid service every other day which was a great surprise. We were able to make use of the sister properties almost every day, either for tennis, mini golf, the spa or to check out the other restaurants on site. They were very nice as well, but I would have to say they don't compare to VLE. Lastly, the Suburban service you recommended was awesome. Lucas was our driver. Our flight was about 30 minutes late getting in after some mechanical issues in Phoenix, but he was waiting with our sign outside as promised. The cold water and Dos XX were another pleasant surprise. Lucas served as our personal tour guide on the trip in giving us more tips and some great background on the city. Not sure when we'll be able to get back, but I can't imagine doing Cabo without going through you. We've already recommended your service to our friends and will continue to do so. Just make sure to keep a place ready for us. Thanks again.
Dean & Julie