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
I just wanted to say that I had the best time at the Villa del Arco. I took my daughter for a graduation present and loved every second of it. The staff were all very helpful and Esteban at the poolside really helped to make us feel welcome and looked after. See you next year!
Irene
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
Dear Bob and Sue,
Just wanted to thank you for setting up the timeshare rental for us at Villa del Arco....and in particular for all the wonderful (and very useful) information that you sent us on Cabo. We tried several of the restaurants that you suggested and found them all to be pretty good. I think our favorite was the little place on the beach next to the resort - great breakfast, and also a very useful happy hour (7am to 7pm!!) with the best Margaritas on the beach.
The timeshare unit (actually 2 units, 3104A and B I think) was huge, we were very pleased with it. Nice location, right next to the pool at the front, we could almost jump in the pool from our balcony... We did get hassled a little to attend presentations, but we have a fair amount of experience at this (we own a Marriott timeshare in Phuket) so no problems really.
All in all, a great trip - our daughter loved it (the trip was for her 21st birthday), the weather was perfect, and the fishing was good!!
Thanks again - and we will be sure to recommend you to anyone who is thinking of a timeshare or vacation in Cabo
Kind Regards,
Laurence and Te
Greetings!! I must say that I had THE best time in Cabo recently. I booked my stay through this website and everything, and I mean everything, was perfect!! The price was unbeatable, first of all. The transportation that we booked couldn't have worked out better. The driver was right there waiting for us once we got off of the plane. The drive was smooth, the driver was pleasant and very informative. We were lucky and just missed the storm, so the weather was really nice. Humid, but nice.
I have never written a review for anything before. I had to make certain to do that this time. It was our first time staying in Cabo. Check-in went smoothly, and, the best part, our room. It exceeded our expectations. It was just like the pictures. We had the perfect veiw and the accomodations were wonderful. Bob, on behalf of my party of 4, I would like to say Muchisimas Gracias! for helping us have an AWESOME vacation. I have already been spreading the word about this website and the Villa Del Arco to all of my friends and co-workers. The hotel is gorgeous!! We are already planning our next getaway for Cabo. We want the bigger room with the spa on the balcony. That just sounds so relaxing. I can't wait. Thanks again
Jessalyn Starks, Califonis
I just wanted to drop you a quick email to let you know we had a wonderful time in Cabo. Villa Del Arco was beautiful and we could not have asked for a better room or room location. I also wanted to thank you for quickly taking care of the small snag for us at check in so quickly. I was starting to sweat it but it turned out seamless. Our kids want to go again next year, so I am be contacting you sometime in the future.
What we loved:
- Beautiful resort, excellent location, wonderful suite, good price, great amenities
- The food was AMAZING, especially the sushi; seriously, some of the best food I've ever had in my whole life
- Bob, you were a pleasure to work with
Molly B, Redmond, WA
Villa La Estancia - #1303
Just a note to thank you so much for all of your recommendations regarding our trip to Cabo. I can't tell you how happy and impressed we were with our accommodations. What a beautiful place!!! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect vacation - everything about our trip was first class. Your suggestion about taking a private taxi to and from the hotel was very much appreciated. Our day trip on La Gringa was probably the highlight of our trip. We decided to take a private tour with our group of 7 - probably more expensive but worth every dime. Jose Luis did a fantastic job on lunch, and Arturo and Miguel (Captain and First Mate) were the best in seeing that we were well taken care of. Again, thank you for a wonderful vacation. Will definitely keep you in mind for a future trip to Cabo.
Maria Pastor, Baton Rouge LA
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
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
Hi Bob. I have put reviews on trip advisor but wanted to contact you directly too.. The tour on La Gringa was outstanding! The crew was an asset to Jose, the local coordinator & Destination Vacations. By booking through you this has been an affordable holiday for my family. It takes over 24hrs to get to Mexico from Australia so expectations were high, & meet!! Thank you
Shona Fairleigh, Australia
I've stayed at many 5-Star hotels in the past. None have been as informative and conscientious in advance of a stay as you have been. Thank you!