Baja California Sur is an incredible place on Mexico’s Pacific coast with a stunning setting combining desert, mountains and oceans. It’s also one of the best places in the world to fish, with an abundance of different species and numerous tournaments throughout the year. The waters off the Los Cabos region were was once rated as “The World’s Aquarium” by famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. This is one of the reasons that Cabo sport fishing is famous around the globe.
The waters around Cabo are nutrient rich and warm; it is where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet. They combine excellent quality fishing with impressive quantity. Featuring numerous seamounts and deep waters just miles off shore, the region is a haven for professional and budding fishers.
Cabo Sport Fishing Calendar
A number of the top fishing tournaments on the planet take place in Cabo. There are different tournaments throughout the year, but they really heat up in Summer. In June there’s the Cabo Summer Slam, also known as the Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing, with more than $200,000 on the line for the 2018 edition. The Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore is held in late July, early August, with big prizes for billfish, tuna, and dorado. All lead to the flagship Cabo fishing tournament, the Bisbee’s Black & Blue. This competition has the record for the largest payout in sport fishing history, at more than $4 million. It is one of the longest-running and most anticipated events of the sport fishing calendar.
The fishing here can be experienced by participating in one of the many tournaments held here every year, or by hiring a charter. The charters here will take you and the rest of your group where the action is, so you can test your wits against the marine life. If you pick the BJC Sportfishing Cabo San Lucas tour, for example, you’ll be able to use world-class equipment. You’ll also be able to pick the size of the boat according to the number of people in your party.
Some of the most popular places in Cabo for deep sea fishing include the Golden Gate Bank, the area south of the Lighthouse, Gordo Banks, and Finger Bank. All except Finger Bank (50 miles) are less than 25 miles from Cabo.
Cabo Fish Species
Thanks to its incredible location, the marlin fishing at Cabo San Lucas is excellent all year round. The quantity of fish doesn’t tend to vary much, it’s just the species that differ throughout the year. You’ll get striped marlin in the colder winter months, while blue and black marlin appear as the temperature rises once more.
The species of fish you can catch are impressive in their variety. Here you can reel in anything from a 5-pound mackerel to a bulky 1,000-pound blue marlin. The region is most famous for its billfish, which include speedsters like sailfish and black marlin. Marlin season is mainly from September through to mid-March, and they can weigh up to 1,400 pounds, depending on the species.
From March to July you’ll find lots of grouper and snappers, as well as amberjacks and jack cravelle. Earlier on in the year, from February to April, you’ll find mahi-mahi (dorado), which can weigh up to 70 pounds, in their tens of thousands. From July to December, you can find yellowfin tuna, one of the toughest fish pound for pound in the world. If you go fishing from December to April you can also see several species of sharks, including hammerheads.
One of the most iconic species to catch in Los Cabos is the wahoo. This species is most commonly found between July and January. Along with sailfish and black marlin, the wahoo is one of the fastest fish on the planet. It can reach almost 50 mph, and feels even faster when you’re hooked to one!
Come Try Cabo Sport Fishing on your Next Vacation!
In conclusion, Cabo sport fishing is excellent for professionals and budding amateurs alike. With warm, nutrient-rich waters, there is an incredibly diverse array of species for you to chase. Catch your next meal when you pick a private charter, or participate in one of the region’s incredible tournaments. Home to some of the fastest fish on the planet, sport fishing in Cabo is a battle of wits, making for an entertaining day out on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
