Fishing in Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur has lots of fishing towns, such as world-famous Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, as well as Loreto and La Paz. But, what makes this place so special to anglers is the variety of fishing spots. Major bays include Sebastian Vizcaino, Magdalena, La Paz, Asunción, Ballenas, Concepcion and San Carlos. There are also estuaries and lagoons at Puerto Escondido, Nopoló, Blandra as well as the San José estuary at Cabo Colorado, the San Ignacio Lagoon and the Ojo de Liebre.

Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California)

Fishing the Sea of Cortez from Baja California Sur is an island adventure. Near shore the fishing is rock-oriented. Anglers use heavy tackle (50 lb gear) and the fish average about 20-40 lbs. Fishing from locations such as Isla Espiritu Santo, local anglers use sardinas for bait, but live bait is not critical. The best time to fish is when the seas are flat, and there are plenty of fun species to catch: pargo, yellowtail (amberjack), dorado (mahi mahi), and wahoo are consistent bites.

Striped marlin are plentiful in the late summer months of August and September off of Cabo San Lucas and into the Sea of Cortez, between Loreto and La Paz. This is the perfect opportunity to engage in a Fishing charter in Cabo San Lucas, as the waters are teeming with life. In October, local anglers pitch or drop back baits to swordfish cruising and finning on the surface, their numbers increasing with the full moon. As November arrives, striped marlin makes their runs into the Sea of Cortez, following the annual baitfish migration. According to Saltwater Sportsman, in December and January, “Striped Marlin remain the protagonists in most offshore battles for boats fishing along the coast of Mexico’s Baja California Sur as the marlin follow the annual baitfish migration.” Concurrently, schools of dorado exit the Sea of Cortez seeking warmer waters, and anglers on fishing charters drop lines around weed lines and debris to catch them on their southward journey.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific side of Baja California Sur is home to some of the most remote fishing destinations in the world, such as Bahia Magdalena (aka Mag Bay). This 30 mile long bay is formed by two sandy barrier islands named Isla Magdalena/Isla Margarita and provides incredible inshore and offshore fishing.  Here, the fishing season for marlin is generally from October, when massive schools of baitfish attract hordes of hungry stripes to Bahia Magdalena, through to January.

Summertime is peak striped marlin fishing season on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur. From May to fall, just off the back at Cabo Falso (near Cabo San Lucas) on north to Golden Gate Bank, and west to the San Jaime Bank, dramatic underwater  topography and abundant bait offer prime fishing grounds where catching marlin is routine.

Los Cabos

This area of Baja California Sur is the hottest fishing destination in all of Mexico. The confluence of the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez bring Marlins so close to shore, legend has it that one was caught on a hand line from the docks at Cabo San Lucas in the 1950’s — giving birth to the sportfishing mecca that Cabo San Lucas is today.

According to The Baja Catch, by Neil Kelly and Gene Kira:

"Cabo is in a class by itself when it comes to striped marlin fishing...there are more striped marlin caught within 40 miles of Cabo year-round than any place else. It's no accident. Cabo is the crossroads for most of the marlin that migrate through this part of the Pacific, and it is home base for a large school of resident fish that never leave the area. If you have never wet a line before in your life, and if for some strange reason you absolutely, positively, must catch a striped marlin before next Thursday afternoon, your odds are better in Cabo San Lucas than any place else in the world… When the bite is on in this part of Baja, you could hook a dozen striped marlin a day here...The odds are good that you would also run into tuna and dorado, maybe a blue marlin, and maybe even a wahoo. Cabo San Lucas fairly glitters with glamour fish."

If you come down for a charter, rods, reels and tackle are supplied on the offshore big-game charter boats, but for inshore fishing, it’s always best to bring your own gear so you know what you are working with. Bring offshore lures, leaders and hooks as well, to ensure you have access to tackle in top-of-the-line condition. There are some good bait and tackle shops in Cabo San Lucas.

January:  Sierra, Yellowtail (Amberjack), Dorado (Mahi Mahi), Pargo

February:  Striped Marlin, Dorado, Sierra, Pargo, Yellowtail

March:  Striped Marlin, Dorado, Roosterfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Sierra, Pargo, Yellowtail

April:  Striped Marlin, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Sierra, Pargo, Yellowtail

May:  Striped Marlin, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Pargo, Yellowtail

June:  Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Yellowtail

July:  Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Sailfish

August:  Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish

September:  Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish

October: Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Sierra

November: Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Sierra

December:  Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Sierra, Yellowtail

The village of Todos Santos is home to many artists, boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. You can visit their beautiful beach, Los Cerritos, walk around the lovely town, take a mountain bike tour, and visit the local galleries and soak up Mexican culture.

If your goal is to play golf in every corner of the globe, then Baja California Sur will not disappoint, with plenty of premier courses up and down the coast to choose from.

Cabo San Lucas is a world class resort, with many opportunities to go swimming, snorkeling, diving, parasailing, play a few holes of golf, and indulge in fine dining.

Surf the Earth! Bring your board, or rent one, there are tons of surf spots in Baja California Sur for all skill levels.

Go Whale Watching! There are only three places in the world the gray whale will give birth to their babies, all three are in Baja! Unlike other places father north, whale watching on the Pacific side of Baja is done in pangas. These are locally made 22 foot boats, which are open and can accommodate up to ten people. These boats allow you to get up close and personal with the whales, who seem to enjoy human interaction and in some cases you can even touch them!

If you are fishing from the shore, you will not need a fishing license. However, Mexico has strict fishing regulations for fishing from boats. Essentially, every person aboard a boat that has fishing equipment on board is required to have a license. According to CONAPESCA, Mexico’s National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission, “Sport fishermen in marine waters will be able to use as many rods and reels as they wish. In inland waters only one rod can be used by fishermen at a time. In both cases, established bag limits should be strictly observed. A fishing license allows anglers to capture fin fish only. It does not allow the capture of any crustaceans or mollusks, with the exception of squid, and their capture by anyone is strictly prohibited. To capture bottom fish, up to four hooks on a vertical line may be used. The use of electric reels is restricted to disabled fishermen only, after written authorization for the Ministry before use.”

You can purchase a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly fishing license. Fishing licenses are available for purchase via CONAPESCA.

You can find more information on their website, Conapesca

If you plan on using a fishing charter, most charter boats include fishing licenses in the cost of the charter, but to be sure it is best to ask when booking your trip. A  Mexican fishing license allows a limit of ten (10) fish to be brought onboard. There is no limit to catch and release. The exception to this rule is Marlin, Sailfish and Swordfish and Shark, of which only one (1) of each is allowed, and which counts as five (5) toward the overall ten (10) fish limit.

Additionally Dorado, Roosterfish, Shad, or Tarpon, of which only two (2) of each species are allowed, and which count as five (5) toward the overall 10 fish limit.

Chartering a small boat is cheaper than a larger boat. Also, going out for a full day offshore fishing is more expensive than an inshore half day trip. Fuel prices have an important influence on the final price for your fishing charter in Baja California Sur.

The price for a private 4 hour BCS fishing trip with a smaller boat (panga) is roughly $300 - $350. A half day trip with a 40ft charter costs around $645, while an 8 hour private trip will cost you $1250 tot $1350.

What does the price include?

The price usually includes the captain, fishing tackle, fuel, bait & lures and licenses. On every listing we indicate whether drinks and food are included.

Before you book, don't forget to check whether life bait, the local tax (16%) and food is included in the price.

Once you’ve made a booking, the captain will contact you to arrange the meeting point and the departure time. Also, we recommend you contact the captain a couple of days before the tour to confirm the weather forecast.