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
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
It was a fantastic trip. There ended up being 5 families and 19 people in our party by the end of the trip (10 parents, 9 kids) so it was a lot of fun.
We used the all-inclusive extensively (more for breakfast, which was excellent, and lunch/drinks for us during the day) and even though we joined the group for dinner most nights in Cabo the all-inclusive rate you gave us seemed to be a good deal. We would recommend it for families we even attended the Fiesta night which was a lot of fun and included in the package. Our room was great (we've stayed at Villa group twice in Puerto Vallarta), the transportation to/from the airport was perfect, and all in all a very smooth trip.
We met many people who had moved from Palmar over to Arco due to the college kids noise all night long so we were glad our party was at the Arco which was much quieter. Going over there seemed like a constant frat party (not something we wanted our teenagers exposed to) and the staff were obviously not happy serving these kids.
Thanks for the opportunity to give feedback.
Ian Maguire, Vancouver
If anyone ever wants to visit paradise at Cabo with the guidance of someone who knows the how, what and where of Cabo, we would direct them to you, Bob. Many thanks for guiding us through the planning, the enjoyment and the beauty of our Cabo Vacation. This was our first time in Mexico, and we felt very at home, and welcomed. Pre-planning with you about how our family would like to live, and play during the precious vacation time made it possible to create wonder each day meeting everyone's preferences. Being within walking distance of downtown yet a bit away from the mellow Cabo hubbub was perfect.
Thank you for using your contacts to assure breath taking accommodations, and fun safe activities. The people in Cabo were gracious, fun and ever dependable. Knowing you were an e-mail away with a prompt response if ever needed showed us how flawlessly you deliver top quality in your vacation services. Lucas, Jose, Julio all kindly shared the Cabo humor and excellent care taking in our transportation, whale watching, and snorkeling. Thank you to them as well. Ready to return asap. Gracias!
Sandra & Ernest & Family
Sandra D., Vancouver BC
It was a wonderful trip Bob, made better by the quality of the resort and all aspects of the service from booking the trip through to landing back home.
We won't hesitate to turn to you again in the future.
A few things I thought worthy of comment:
-The vendors on the beach were as pervasive as ants at a picnic, but without exception were polite and deferred to a restated no, thank you.
-Service everywhere, on property and off, was excellent, with the occasional slowness I hope people would expect of a vacation destination.
-The food at La Perla and poolside was very good.
-The food at the Italian restaurant at La Palmar was okay, but not worth the walk from VDA.
-I wish the resort had informed us that the Japanese restaurant was closed on Thursday.
-People should be encouraged to take the drive to Todos Los Santos, if they have a car. The drive is desert pretty, but very much under construction. The town, once you get there, is beautiful and worth the investment of the drive. Early evening dinner in the courtyard at the Hotel California was fabulous.
-The Office restaurant is a must do. Much better in the evening, but good for lunch too.
-Really enjoyed the food at Pancho's. Didn't need any of the 575 tequilas, but loved the frozen coconut ice cream dessert.
-Costco is, down to every detail, a pure execution of an American Costco store.
-Walmart is a true Mexican adaption based of the Walmart theme.
-For good tennis (courts, pros and staff), you can't beat Palmilla Tennis. Its a hike from VDA, but if you have competitive players with you who need the workout, it's a good place to go.
-One thing I noticed, maybe due to my lack of Spanish language skills, was that I had a very hard time determining addresses for things. Asking Google Maps for directions without them, is hard.
Again, we loved it and we'll keep going back. Thanks for your help Bob.
Marty, Washington
I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how much we enjoyed our recent Cabo vacation. The Villa del Arco was just a fantastic place to get away and enjoy the awesome weather that is Cabo San Lucas. More importantly, I would like to thank you for the professional way in which you handled all of the details of this trip to make it as hassle-free as possible. Having been in the vacation reservation industry for several years, I can appreciate how many details need to be addressed to make a trip and stay a great experience. All of the information and coordination you provided was excellent. I especially appreciated the recommendations of several outstanding restaurants that turned out to be the best finds of the trip.
This also applies to the trip my son made to Cabo a few weeks before. He had never been to Cabo and absolutely loved everything about it. For a relatively inexperienced traveler, you made his trip one that he will remember for a lifetime.
Again, thank you for doing an outstanding job and providing a service that is second to none. I will certainly be a repeat customer.
Sincerely,
Wayne Hoover
Lexington, KY
Wayne Hoover, Lexington, KY
I travel a lot, but had never been to Mexico before. I found Villa del Palmar on the website and contacted Bob Easton. All arrangements and questions were handled quickly and honestly! I truly believe that we stayed in the best room Villa del Palmar had to offer! Everything about the experience was literally perfect! You need to stay here!
And, as far as I am concerned, Bob Easton went above and beyond the call of duty!
Service:10 - best
Value:10 - best
Attractiveness:10 - best
Overall Rating:10 - best
Lisa Palmer, Seattle Washington
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
We had a lovely time at the property. The location was great and it was so quiet. The security of the property was wonderful as well. I would tell anyone traveling with family that Villa la Estancia is an excellent choice
Kellye J
Hi Bob! We had a fantastic trip to Cabo. We have traveled to Cabo several times but I feel like we enjoyed this trip a lot more simply because we saved SO much money on our accommodations. The resort was wonderful. Very nice-and very clean. We enjoyed every aspect of Villa Del Arco. Thank you so much for your services!!!!
Kim B., LA
This was a great trip. I got the opportunity to see so many of the things that I have only seen on TV. The fishing was a blast and I know that we will talk about it for a long time. Thanks so much for making all of this happen for us. We will be back some day. How much more enjoyable could anyone stand! Great time, good people, sights and fishing. Certainly we will be enjoying the area again. Thanks so much to our hosts!