Thoughts on fishing in Cabo San Lucas

[Pewdo]

I'm heading to cabo july 1-8. I want to get out on a charter boat at least one day. I was thinking about just heading down to the marina when i get there to find a boat instead of booking in advance. Whats your thoughts? Are ther enough good captains to do it that way?

[tom s]

I would not.Give the ones that have been there the longest a shot.I have fished there for close the 40 years and there like anywhere are good and very good.You will be getting close to the blue marlin season.My choice would be Pimi(spelling) with Minervas sportfishing.Tom

[Team Karma]

There are plenty of good captains that can be found by simply wandering down to the marina. However, there are also some great captains to choose from that you should book in advance. Fihsing should be great. Big tuna, tons of striped marlin, some blues and dorado are all being caught.

I am guessing that it will just be you and maybe 1 other person based on your post. Dreamweaver sportfishing (info at dreamweaversportfishing.com) has a beautifully restored 32 blackfin that is owned by Ramon (the captain). He is one of the best fisherman in Cabo, as he runs a privately owned 53' for its owner and charters his boat when he is available. He is affordable and will put you on fish.

If Dream Weaver is booked, go with Picante Sportfishing and specifically requests to fish with the boat "Salsa" which is a 35 cabo express. The captain is a great friend of mine and is also an excellent fisherman. Make sure to tell the Picante office that you want "Brincos" running the boat even if he is scheduled for a day off. Picante runs a top notch program and Brincos works his tail off to make sure he catches you whatever species you are targeting.

If you need any more general info about Cabo, feel free to post any questions you have. If not, good luck fishing and let us know how you do.

[FAT CAT MX]

It sounds like your making your first trip to Cabo and it would be sad if you ended up having a bad experience because you didn't book your fishing before heading down. While it's certainly possible to get a good boat/crew by touring the docks and talking to the hawkers, your more likely to get stung and end up with a bad experience.

Cabo has some of the best fishing crews in the world, but they are not all that way. I would certainly second the recommendations already made here and add Renegade Mike to the list.

[Captain Fred Archer]

Roger with the other guys...don't walk the docks down in Cabo trying to pick the winners out of the fleet of two hundred charterboats. The smoothest talkers and friendliest of those who book tourists on the docks can really take you to the cleaners. Make advance reservations with a top crew as soon as you can (there are only so many of them). No doubt Dream Weaver would be a wonderful choice, especially considering that you will be going during the big fish time of year and you want the best crew, gear, and big fish knowledge you can get...and that crew has won a big number of the biggest tournaments down there. And they are among the nicest and finest people you will ever meet. You will never forget a day on the water with them.

[Snapp]

dream weaver. Great boat and crew. Capt. Ramon will put you on fish.

[OCcaptain]

dream weaver. Great boat and crew. Capt. Ramon will put you on fish.

I fished with Ramon on the Dream Weaver last November and it was first class all the way. If you can't get him I would recomend Renagade Mike.

[Wasabi]

Of all the ways to pick a boat, the best is probably a referral from a friend you can trust.

Walking the docks in the morning is almost useless. You're left with the "seeds & stems". The best ones will already be taken. If you are going to "walk the dock" do it in the afternoon when the boats come in. Look to see who caught fish and how happy the customers were. Course you are liable to find that the best are already booked.

Using your hotel for a referral is useless. They usually recommend charters based on how much kickback they get. Same goes for almost anyone you are likely to meet (not another tourist).

It's pretty competitive for that tourist dollar, spend it as wisely as you can.