In April of 2007 my wife, Tracy, and I got to enjoy a sunny and warm week in Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, Mexico.  This is a great place to spend a week with a spouse and/or family with some pretty respectable fishing to boot.  We had visited before in 2003 and while the town has grown it is still small enough to walk through and enjoy.

  We stayed near the marina at the Finisterra Hotel on the Pacific side of the cape.  It is a nice hotel with a great pool area and decent service.  It also has the advantage of being within a five minute walk of the fishing boats.  This is important since the fishing days start at 6:30 am and the bars don’t close until late.  It is close to a multitude of restaurants that range from decent to exceptional and there is more shopping than almost anyone can tolerate.  The entire downtown felt very safe at all hours and there is nothing like a lazy stroll by the docked boats after a great meal.

  We fished with Baja Anglers (baja-anglers.com) who specialize in fly and light tackle fishing both inshore and bluewater.  As I stated, the fishing day starts at 6:30 where you meet your captain and mate.  Their English varies from decent to poor but they truly do their best to take care of everything once you are on the boat.  The boats are 26 foot long glacier bay catamarans powered by twin outboard engines.  They are quite comfortable to fish from and easily accommodate two anglers.  The shop rents rods and reels (loomis/abel) for $25 per day or you can use your own.  We rented just to avoid carrying any more luggage than necessary.  They also will supply flies although if you have any 1/0 clousers or deceivers I would recommend bringing your own since there is a charge for their flies.  Cold drinks are provided but if you wish to eat during the day you need to buy a box lunch next door.  Tracy and I chose to fish all day and hit the cantinas at 2-3 pm for a light lunch and some cold beer.

  After leaving the dock the first stop is to buy some bait (usually $10-20) which can be used to troll or more often is used to keep hot fish in the immediate area after being drawn in.  Then you head off to your fishing area (your choice) for the day.  We fished one morning in the Sea of Cortez which was calm and had little wind but also few fish.  The Pacific had many more fish but the wind was exceptionally strong (25 mph) the week we were there and the seas correspondingly rough.  We chose the Pacific (inshore) and despite the conditions were able to average 12 to 15 fish per day in the boat.  The species we caught were primarily sierra mackeral and jack crevalles with a few green jacks and pompano thrown in.  We saw some roosterfish chase, as well as some yellowtails but could not hook up with them.

  The method employed by baja anglers is for the mate to throw a hookless popper towards the beach from our position about 75 yards out.  This would draw the fish close enough for flycasting.  At the right moment you would cast toward the popper, start stripping, and if a fish was nearby you would strip set the hook and hang on.  Sierras were by far the most numerous species and these 25-30 inch fish were like rockets in the water.  For us, one of the biggest thrills was just watching the fish chase down the popper.  There really isn’t anything to compare to an aggressive ocean fish.

  After fishing until 2 we were ready to head back and satisfy our thirst at the convenient and nearby bars.  Despite Cabo’s locale I would recommend bringing a warm jacket and raingear as the morning rides could be chilly and wet.  Lots of suntan lotion and polarized glasses are also essentials.  If you go between December and April expect to see lots of gray whales and sea lions are always around.  There’s even a sea lion in the harbor that will take unused baitfish form the captain’s mouth.

  Should you be so afflicted there are many quality golf courses in the immediate area and a multitude of water sports.  ATVs and horses are for rent to explore the surrounding desert.  The beaches on the Sea of Cortez side are quite nice but the Pacific beaches have large waves and a dangerous undertow so swimming is not recommended there.  It is a great vacation spot for couples and families that will allow you to scratch your fishing itch as well. 

Brian Griffith

 

 

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