fishing in cabo
Aug 20th, 2007, 07:23 AM
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fishing in cabo
Will be there early Feb. Is that a less than ideal time for fishing? Should we just save our money and go whale watching? None of us are that big on fishing, but thought it might be fun.
Aug 20th, 2007, 09:37 AM
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Pat, Feb is typically a very good month for striped marlin (usually 120-180 lbs), which are fun to catch because they are often seen on the surface and you cast a mackerel to them. I would expect to see 4-5 a day and to catch at least one on a 'normal' trip that time of year, with maybe a dorado (mahi-mahi) or small tuna as a dinner table bonus.
If you're not "that big on fishing" I'd recommend going down to the docks your first afternoon around 2 PM and watching the boats come in for about 2 hours and see what's being caught. About 90% of the marlin are released but you can tell by the release flags boats fly what was taken that day. Different colors for differnt types of fish so ask someone to get that straight. Talk to a few of the anglers getting off the boats and see if they enjoyed it, and if fishing is good and water is calm then you can decide.
<b>Should we just save our money and go whale watching?</b>
Let the guide know you want to see whales too and you can get a two-fer, whale watching with marlin fishing ... seems like we see more whales off Gordo Banks (8 miles off San Jose) than off the banks north of Cabo on the Pacific side so if you let them know they can factor this in when deciding which way to head out in the morning. But sometimes the marlin are only in one area so you may have to decide which is more important.
Cabo in Feb is usually great, with excellent weather and good fishing.
Bill
If you're not "that big on fishing" I'd recommend going down to the docks your first afternoon around 2 PM and watching the boats come in for about 2 hours and see what's being caught. About 90% of the marlin are released but you can tell by the release flags boats fly what was taken that day. Different colors for differnt types of fish so ask someone to get that straight. Talk to a few of the anglers getting off the boats and see if they enjoyed it, and if fishing is good and water is calm then you can decide.
<b>Should we just save our money and go whale watching?</b>
Let the guide know you want to see whales too and you can get a two-fer, whale watching with marlin fishing ... seems like we see more whales off Gordo Banks (8 miles off San Jose) than off the banks north of Cabo on the Pacific side so if you let them know they can factor this in when deciding which way to head out in the morning. But sometimes the marlin are only in one area so you may have to decide which is more important.
Cabo in Feb is usually great, with excellent weather and good fishing.
Bill
Aug 21st, 2007, 07:14 AM
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<b>Do any fishing boats leave from San Jose del Cabo? </b>
There is no marina at San Jose so none of the cruiser sized fishing boats are there. You have to drive into Cabo for those.
There are some small boat operators who have 25 ft open boats ("pangas"
with outboard motors and these launch directly off the beach at a couple of places near San Jose, but this is a bit tougher fishing for a first-timer and there is of course no bathroom on these boats 
We've done this a few times for smaller fish like wahoo and schoolie yellow-fin tuna (and once a blue marlin) and it's great fun but for the larger marlin boats you'll need to drive to Cabo. Here's a link to a San Jose based panga operator with a good reputation ... http://www.gordobanks.com/ ... just glancing at the photos I see a 540 lb black marlin and a 256 lb yellowfin they caught, which are serious fish almost anywhere.
One advantage of these San Jose pangas is that the famous Gordo Banks is only 8 miles directly off-shore from San Jose so if the whales are "in" you could get one of these boats for much less than a larger Cabo marlin cruiser and be in the whales really quick. Then fish for smaller gamefish like wahoo, but since there is no deckhand on these small boats it's tough for someone inexperienced to catch marlin from them.
Bill
There is no marina at San Jose so none of the cruiser sized fishing boats are there. You have to drive into Cabo for those.
There are some small boat operators who have 25 ft open boats ("pangas"
with outboard motors and these launch directly off the beach at a couple of places near San Jose, but this is a bit tougher fishing for a first-timer and there is of course no bathroom on these boats We've done this a few times for smaller fish like wahoo and schoolie yellow-fin tuna (and once a blue marlin) and it's great fun but for the larger marlin boats you'll need to drive to Cabo. Here's a link to a San Jose based panga operator with a good reputation ... http://www.gordobanks.com/ ... just glancing at the photos I see a 540 lb black marlin and a 256 lb yellowfin they caught, which are serious fish almost anywhere.One advantage of these San Jose pangas is that the famous Gordo Banks is only 8 miles directly off-shore from San Jose so if the whales are "in" you could get one of these boats for much less than a larger Cabo marlin cruiser and be in the whales really quick. Then fish for smaller gamefish like wahoo, but since there is no deckhand on these small boats it's tough for someone inexperienced to catch marlin from them.
Bill
Aug 21st, 2007, 07:26 AM
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Pat, while poking around on the panga site I noticed they are booking cruiser sized boats from Palmilla ... this would be more convenient to you if you are staying in San Jose rather than going to Cabo ... these boats are anchored in a cove near the Palmilla (a famous luxury hotel) and maybe 5 miles from San Jose (less if you are west of town like most hotels) ... so maybe worth checking into those and avoiding the morning drive into Cabo.
One possible problem ... if the marlin are thick on the Gordo Banks then this is a great spot to base from but if most are still on the Pacific side at the banks 20-25 miles north of Cabo then you won't be able to access them from Palmilla without a lengthy boat ride.
So back to my first post, try to hit the docks and see what is being caught and plan on going to those places ... if the fish are at Gordo then chartering from Palmilla makes a lot of sense.
Bill
One possible problem ... if the marlin are thick on the Gordo Banks then this is a great spot to base from but if most are still on the Pacific side at the banks 20-25 miles north of Cabo then you won't be able to access them from Palmilla without a lengthy boat ride.
So back to my first post, try to hit the docks and see what is being caught and plan on going to those places ... if the fish are at Gordo then chartering from Palmilla makes a lot of sense.
Bill
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