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
Been running since our return. Had a great time, did not buy a time share. Avoided that scene. Wonderful service from beginning to end. Would definitely use your services again.
Thank you, Tracee
Tracee, Portland, OR
Just wanted to thank you for helping us book the Villa in Cabo. Everything turned out great, and the place was nice.
Hiten
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
Thank you for the great price on our all inclusive stay at Villa Del Arco. We did do a tour and purchased too. We did use your travel guide for advice but didn't eat outside of the resort this time.
Mary W., Surprise, AZ
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
The entire process from start (gathering info) to finish (booking) was easy and painless. I sent Bob several emails with questions and he got back to me quickly and with more details than I had expected. I travel a lot and continue to be impressed with Bob's outstanding professionalism and follow-up. Thanks you for all your efforts and going beyond the call of duty - You are a credit to all you encounter.
Service:10 - best
Value:9 - outstanding
Attractiveness:10 - best
Overall Rating:10 - best
Stacey, Bay Area California
I think you saved our trip! It was our 5 year anniversary and we really wanted to make it special. We had already reserved accomadations years ago at another Cabo resort and were finally cashing it in. To say the least they were below our expectations. To be honest our first few days there we didn't understand why anyone would go to Cabo. It was just our location I think and that we weren't in the type of accomdation we had expected.
Low and behold fate intervened and we toured the Villas Palmar and Villa del Arco and we were impressed. That is what we had expected and once we saw it we couldn't settle. We called you Bob and you made it happen. I cannot believe how excited we were. Even with our other room already paid for we were willing to relocate to have a real vacation. Maid service, a wonderful comfortable bed, windows that kept out noise, and a beautiful view of the ocean.
Thank you for saving our anniversary and our vacation.
The Villas-This is a spectacular resort complex. Yes, Palmar is the oldest and has a bit of a dated feel, but it is still a beautiful resort and location. We loved the Bella California Italian restaurant, Yimmy and Victor really took care of our last night celebration. They even knew it was our anniversary and they brought out a special plate with delicious Tiramisu and written in Chocolate Happy Anniversary. It was very sweet and romantic. They even dimmed the lights when we asked. We felt very well taken care of.
Our room was in the newer hotel Del Arco and it was fabulous. We had a wonderful deck, where we had our breakfasts, thanks to room service. Fresh fruit and the green juice and the sound of the waves. The room was well decorated and spacious. We enjoyed the inroom washer and dryer and will definately make use of that when we come back. We can pack lighter and have more room for souvenirs.
I loved the pools, the cash free aspect of the hotel, the pirate ship and of course the easy ocean access. The view of the rocks of Lands' End and Lovers Beach was worth. We only made it for one sunrise, but we vow to make it a priority next visit. Beautiful all the way around, 5 star service, and relaxing.
You really outdid yourself and we would love to book again next year. Please let me know how early we can book and get the best deals for next summer. We would love to know how we can choose a room at Villa del Arco that has both a sunrise and sunset view and has two rooms. Let me know if you can help us.
Sincerely,
V. Hager
V. Hager, Idaho
Dear Bob, All we can say is THANK YOU sooo much for a wonderful vacation in Cabo!!!!! The penthouse was lovely and very comfortable. The couplke that joined us are already talking about coming back with us next year! They has a great time also. We will definitely use you and your company for any further trips to Cabo and anywhere else you are involved with. We also will never use any other ground transportation other than TransPacifico. They are the BEST!!! Thanks again, Linda & Greg L.
Linda L., Carpinteria, CA
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
We loved Villa Del Arco and definitely plan on going back. Our view was spectacular especially for the New Years Eve fireworks display. The spaciousness of the 2 bdrm/3bath unit was perfect for our family of four. All the employees were very kind and helpful. Thank you again.
Lisa B., Overland Park, KS