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
We had a great time at Villa Del Arco! The resort is beautiful and our room was really nice. We will definitely be back. When we checked in were told we had 2 free buffet breakfasts, that was a nice surprise as we were not expecting it. My husband and I really liked the gym. They had a number of really nice cardio machines and a nice selection of weight machines. The spa is fabulous!
We've also decided that Cabo is only the only place to stay in Mexico. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Thanks for all your help!
Paula
Paula S., Richfield, MN
We had a great trip. Yes, we did the timeshare analysis. We were told it would be 90 minutes. It lasted over 3 hours. Way too strong a sell that really turned us off. They introduced us to 6 separate individuals. Each one with a stronger sell. The last woman basically insulted us by telling us that we must just want to overpay for all future vacations. Once we got out of the timeshare meeting nightmare we had a great time. The resort was beautiful and airport transfers worked out great!
John B., New Jersey
Bob....it was more fabulous than we could have imagined! Your place is amazing and we may have to do this again someday.
I'll be keeping your name! We are hoping that there will be plenty of people left to consume good food and alcohol in our place tomorrow!
Regards....
Donna
We had a wonderful time. Everything was just as you said it would be when we arrived. Thank you
Vickie B.
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.
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
The resort was absolutely spectacular and one of the best vacation spots for this family of 5. Our teenagers, 16,17,20 had a fantastic time with activates, pool, and the beach. The unit we stayed in along with the facilities are 5 star with every amenity you could possible require. I found the staff extremely knowledgeable and attentive to maintaining customer excellence. I recommend working with Bob since he is very accommodating and helped us coordinate our stay. I highly recommend his services.
Jim, North Andover MA
Thank you Bob. Everything worked out perfect. Starting with transportation from the airport, to the amazing 2-bedroom suite with beautiful views, the pool, restaurants, and very friendly service of the staff. The six of us in the suite had all-inclusive, and that is the only way to go. We will be calling you for our next Cabo trip. Hopefully soon!!
Laura A., Hanford, CA
We had a great time. The place was much better than I expected. I don't think the pictures do it justice. The view was unbelievable. We loved it!!! Keep me on your list. The price was great.
Linda L., Roseville, CA
Our family of 6 had a wonderful time at gorgeous Villa Del Arco. I was very impressed by Destination Cabo. In particular, Bob was very informative and patient with all my questions. He secured us a great room at a great price, and he took care of all the details, making the trip planning much easier for me. It's very difficult to find accommodations in which our family can be together without having to book 2 separate rooms, so this hotel is a gem to me. It was a pleasure doing business.
This is the first vacation ever, that I was not ready to end, and I cannot wait to return. Thank you Bob and thank you Villa Del Arco, for an outstanding vacation.
Sincerely,
JoAnn O.
Chicago
JoAnn O., Chicago