Fishing in La Paz

La Paz is known as a fishing hot spot. Each year tournaments are held with significant cash prizes.  That is no coincidence, with locations like Tecolote Beach, Espirito Island, Cerralvo Island, Los Cerritos Beach, and many others, there is absolutely no shortage of opportunity or variety of species to pursue here.

Fish species in La Paz

There are as many as 900 fish species in the Sea of Cortez including the most prized gamefish in the world like Marlin and Rooster Fish all potential catches. Most of the summer and early fall seasons are prime time for both fishing success and to take a relaxing beach vacation outdoors. These are the most popular species in La Paz:

Rooster Fish

With it’s distinctive dorsal fin and striped scale pattern, the Rooster Fish is a true stand out.  Like many fish species, big roosters take big baits and live bait generally produces more sizeable catches. However if you seek the challenge of enticing your catch, poppers and swimbaits can absolutely produce as well.  Especially if you’re seeking some entertainment value, their topwater strikes are quite the spectacle to be seen. Early morning and late afternoons from May through August are the best times to boost your probability of success catching them.

Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi are known for a variety of attributes among saltwater species but when it comes to table fare, the Mahi Mahi is hard to beat. Renown for their flaky white tender meat, the Mahi Mahi is highly desirable. They also happen to be a blast to catch! Summer and well into fall are great times to catch Mahi Mahi. Espirito Santo Island is known as an area to produce solid catches.

Yellowfin Tuna

Tuna are also one of the most desired edible gamefish of the seas, be it saltwater or freshwater. Yellow Fin Tuna will challenge your tackle with long runs and powerful fighting prowess that is more than a match for most any angler.  They do not have great vision so the lower visibility hours of the day and using bait can prove successful. Los Cerritos Beach is one location known to produce good Yellow Fin Tuna action and the winter season is known to be a great time for them.

Marlin

There are few images more iconic to an angler than the outline of a Marlin leaping from the ocean over the backdrop of the summer sunset. Marlin are famous for a variety of reasons including their acrobatics, enormous size, distinctive bill, and are sought after trophies given their gorgeous beauty. The peak of summer is prime time for Marlin beginning in June and a great location to give a try is Tecolote Beach for near shore angling.

La Paz Fishing Seasons

La Paz offers a great summer through fall getaway for anglers.  It’s a perfect escape destination after a long winter stuck indoors for many of the tourists that come to town. May through September is considered peak season for fishing while well into the fall can also be a great time for fishing inshore.

Fishing Calendar

Fishing in La Paz is good year-round, but there are distinct times of the year when you should come if you want to catch certain species. Here are some favorites:

Roosterfish: March - June

Striped Marlin: June – October

Blue Marlin: June – October

Sailfish: June – September

Wahoo: June – November

Dorado: May – November

How to fish in La Paz?

While true of many fishing endeavors, you will want to try the early morning hours or later evening hours to improve your chances of angling success in La Paz.  The most desirable gamefish species are on the move during these hours when limited daylight means less visibility for prey, setting the scene for some of their best hunting and therefore your best catching.

Shore Fishing

Slack tide is the preferred time to fish from shore in La Paz.  These run the 2 hours before and 2 hours after a high and low tide. The quieter beaches away from the city center are preferred and you will need to stay 820 feet at a minimum from anyone in the water.

La Paz Fishing Charters

La Paz offers a variety of highly reputable and reviewed charters to choose from.  There’s real value in hiring a professional for a lot of things you want to accomplish in life.  Especially with a limited window of time available on vacation in a world class location like La Paz, invest in a great experience by hiring a guided charter trip.

La Paz is an ideal getaway for the angler looking for not only fishing adventure but also alluring natural beauty. Some creature comforts of home like fine dining await you with a climate conducive to a variety of outdoor activities. Balandra beach is one of the best in Mexico with amazing sunsets. You can even swim with sea lions and whale sharks once you’ve had your fill of catching fish.

Visit Isla Espiritu Santo, a Unesco World Heritage site which includes 244 islands in the Sea of Cortez. Isla Espiritu Santo is surrounded by azure waters and secluded inlets. An easy day trip, you can rent a kayak and go snorkeling while you bask in the fullness of nature’s beauty.

Go for a walk on the Malecón, La Paz's waterfront, with its wide sidewalk, beaches, pier, sculptures by local artists and unimpeded views of the sunset. It is 3.5 miles long, (5.5km), from the Marina de la Paz in the south to Playa Coromuel in the north.

Learn about gray whales at Museo de la Ballena (Museum of the Whale). Audiovisual displays explain the lifestyle and migrations of gray whales that live and breed in the local waters. The museum's foundation promotes the study and conservation of whales, and as you walk through a soundtrack of whales in the wild might make you want to go on a whale-watching tour, there are several in Baja California Sur.

Go Whale Watching!  Through the months of January and April the Sea of Cortez is home to migrating whales that have traveled 20,000 miles from the Bering Sea to reach the warm and calm waters of La Paz.

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.

You can purchase a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly fishing license 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.

Depending on the size of the charter fishing boat and on the duration of your fishing tour, you’ll pay more or less for the tour. The price for a private 8 hour La Paz fishing trip with a panga (this is typical open mexican type of boat) is around $475 to $500. An 8 hour private trip with a 40ft charter will cost you $1200. You can book a magnificent luxury fishing yacht from $4375 for the day.

What does the price include?

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

Make sure you know if bait, the lincenses and the local tax (16%) is included in the price or not as this can make quite a difference in the final 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.