Why Cabo Offers the Best Fishing in the World
There are many places on our lovely planet where a person can go to
wet a line. The Kona Coast of Hawaii, for example, is known
for big Black marlin catches. The Florida Keys and islands of the
Caribbean are famous for bone fishing in the flats. Alaska for its
salmon and big halibut. Belize for the tarpon. So why Los Cabos and where do we fit in the spectrum of world class fisheries?
Our
peninsula of Baja California extends for 1000 miles north to south and
is blessed with the warm fertile waters of the Sea of Cortez to the
east, and the cold nutrient rich Pacific Ocean to the west. Those 2
distinctly different seas meet and mingle here off our coastline in Los
Cabos. This mingling provides abundant food source to a huge variety of
sea life and birds. The food chain here is brimming with life and feeds
everything from the smallest krill to the sardines, mackerel etc. and
even several species of whales. The abundance of the favorite baitfish
(think the size of your hand) attracts the highly prized gamefish such
as marlin, dorado, wahoo and Yellowfin tuna. The end result is large
bait schools close to shore with lots of large predators feeding on
them. Factoring in our benign weather and gentle prevailing sea
conditions, you have a perfect recipe for great fishing action close to
shore in a warm comfortable environment.
In addition to the
aforementioned species, the bottom fishing here is very good. Many
varieties of snapper, pargo and grouper can be found around rocky
bottoms. A good captain will have his secret spots or “honey holes” and
on the right day you can have the fight of your life. The big grouper
and yellowtail love to grab a bait and head straight back into a cave.
Good luck getting them out as they usually cut the line off on the
jagged rocks.
The real surprise and allure to fishing here is
the year round consistency. Many places have a good day or week or month
but the southern Baja region is just always producing fish. It doesn’t
seem to matter when you come, there is always some action. Our fishing
season peaks in the fall. The months of October and November are
highlighted by the “World’s Richest Fishing Tournament” the Bisbee’s Black and Blue
The biggest of the marlin, which are the black and the blue marlin, are
found in big numbers here then and our town fills up with hardcore
anglers hoping to win the over 1 million dollars 1st prize. There are many other smaller tournaments including the Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot where
hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake. Sometimes it seems there
is a tournament every weekend that time of year from the big money to
the lower cost events for the everyday fisherman.
Many visitors
to southern Baja love to fish or are anxious to try it but prefer to
stay on dry land. The beach fishing here and really throughout the Baja
is usually good but can get really good. There are many beach fishing
experts that dedicate their efforts to searching out the perfect place,
at the perfect tide in the perfect season to capture that perfect
experience.
I recently had the chance to speak with my good
friend and longtime Baja fisherman, Clay S. about what he thinks makes
the Baja such a perfect fishing destination. He has spent his life
traveling throughout Baja California and is a property owner and
frequent Los Cabos visitor. “Oh that’s an easy one,” he said. “It’s a
short flight, beautiful weather, great people, culture and food, and a
huge variety of fishing experiences usually close to the beach. I can’t
think of anywhere else, really, where all that comes together in the
same special way as it does here.”
So the bottom line is for a
great chance to tackle a lifelong prize fish or just enjoy some quality
time in a beautiful natural environment, you can find it here almost
any time of year. We are a short flight from most US or Canadian
cities, offer all levels of lodging, great dining, short boat ride or easy beach access and abundant fish resources. Mix in great weather and friendly people and you have a world class fishing destination - Los Cabos
By Bob Lewis