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
Hello Bob,
I wanted to get back with you in regards to our family trip July 15-22. We had a wonderful time. I actually called my source who I met when we were there the previous April. Our rooms were the same as before and the views were even better. As always, we had an amazing time. We only left the Villa Del Arco the night before we left to eat at La Golindrina (Spelling). That restaurant was unbelievably excellent!!! I highly recommend it. The food was amazing, the service impeccable and so kid friendly! Thank you for the wonderful rates! If you ever run any specials at any of your locations, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Lauren
All was fantastic! I will definitely be a return customer of yours! Shana
Shana H., Sausalito
We had a great time. We've stayed at Villa Del Arco probably 5 times over the last 7 years and enjoyed the facility and services. Overall, we had a great time there with our daughters and would go back to this resort again. Thanks for the follow up and have a great day!
Lori
Lori W., Springfield MI
Bob our stay way amazing...thanks again. You are a class act and this was a great gesture. The service was great to use on the way back. We will for sure use them again on our next trip.
Michael B., CA
Thank you so much for all your help organizing our trip to Cabo. We had a FABULOUS time. This is a part of Mexico we had not been to before and we are now captivated by its beauty and culture! La Estancia was a perfect place for us. We loved having the opportunity to cook for ourselves in the condo paired with the option to enjoy the culinary flavors of the local favorites. The condo was huge and the balcony views were magnificent. The condo was very clean and we were amazed that we didn't see any bugs the entire week! The consierge staff were superb. They were helpful, friendly and resourceful. We enjoyed the 20-30 minute walk to town and felt safe walking at anytime of day or night. The beach was magnificent and we loved the cool ocean water and the waves!! Loved seeing the humpback whales as well. Can't wait until next time!
Judy Tobias, Eden Prairie Minnesota
We had an amazing time, AGAIN! The villa was very clean when we arrived and besides the phone issue...trust me, I did not want to make any calls, everything worked great and was in tip top condition. The kitchen is very well stocked with everything you would need to make a gourmet meal. Everyone is extremely friendly there at Estancia and even remembered my name down by the pool. Looking forward to Thanksgiving next year!
Todd P., Seattle
What a great trip! We absolutely loved Cabo. It was our first trip to Mexico and we weren't sure what to expect. Thankfully you had sent Destination Vacations Welcomes You To Cabo download. It was amazingly helpful to us in planning transportation, shopping and activities. Our transportation through Transpacifico was seamless including a planned stop at Costco! Our room at Villa Estancia was gorgeous and spacious. Our three daughters 18,15 and 10 had plenty of space to change their bathing suits hundreds of times without running into each other. We loved the pool, swim up bar and beautiful beach. The water was cooler than we had expected but it didn't stop our girls from playing and swimming in the waves. We loved the Villa Del Palmar Fiesta with the dancing and Mexican buffet. With so many activities to choose from, we have to plan another vacation back to Cabo. Maybe next time without the kids!
Thanks again for your prompt response and helpful information,
Lynne
Lynne K., Chanhassen, MN
Yes, we had a great time. Villa del Arco and Cabo itself are just beautiful!
No, we did not buy a timeshare or take any tours. I have to say if we did though, it would have to be like the villa we rented, we are spoiled now :) We definitely want to go back, we are thinking about booking next year too.
As far as the resort, stellar. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating, the service was top notch. Never had to wait long for a drink or someone to help, it was great. The resort was clean, the room was clean, all was great.
You gave us great service as well, I would definitely book through you again. You answered all of our questions in a timely matter and were very, very helpful, thank you! We felt we saved money, too. All was great!
Thanks again! Angela M.
Angela, Colorado Springs
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
My experience travelling as a single person was great with all your help. I have no complaints and everyone was helpful and friendly, and the transportation service was on time and the driver was very personable. Thank you for making my trip a good one!
Sincerely,
Sher C.
Sheri Cohen, La Jolla California