Getting my fix before heading to Cabo

[Antiochrich]

Semi-new to this forum and wasn't sure where I should post up for tips on Cabo San Lucas. Plan on fishing on Sunday June 8th as my wife's 50th B-day is on the 9th. It's going to be just the two of us and against Alan's recommendation I'm taking her fishing with me
I've never been to Cabo so if anyone has any tips or suggestions besides leaving the wife home I'm all ears. I have a tentative 1/2 day trip with Sport Fishing Fati but since it doesn't appear I can send a deposit I might need a back up plan. I understand it's going to run me about $300 or so and I do want to catch some good eating fish to bring home. However, after some more research I keep seeing "no soft sided coolers allowed on the airplane" to bring my fish home "after" I bought a new Polar Bear Cooler so I'm borrowing a hard side cooler
Anyway, I know this might not be the correct board or forum for the above but here's my pic from yesterday. Caught a nice halibut on the C-Gull 2 out of Emeryville which was nice enough to win the pot


I don't check this board too often but if someone does have a good recommendation or tip for Cabo before I leave at the end of this week I would appreciate an email to richden@sbcglobal.net

Thanks,
Richard

[alantani]

never been, but alot of guys here go on a regular basis. good luck fishing (with the wife)! 

[Bryan Young]

Nice Rich.

My wife loves catching...fishing she is not that fond of. 

[Dominick]

Good luck fishing.  Email sent.  Dominick

[Antiochrich]

Good luck fishing.  Email sent.  Dominick

Thanks Dominick! Sent you an email back too

We're staying at the new Secrets Puerto Los Cabos in La Playita. We're renting a car but it looks like I could almost walk to the marina

I did get an email back from Ricardo of Sporting Fishing Fati saying the bite is good for dorado, marlin and rooster fish. I was hoping to get on some tuna too but then again, haven't caught any of the fore mentioned fish either

[TomT]

Of the 3 varieties that he listed, I would only take home the dorado.  The others are not worth it.

I go to Baja and usually stay at least 3 months at a time.  I have various guests, some who want to take fish home.  I have seen fish taken to the airport in everything from hard-sided ice chests to soft sided ones to cardboard boxes and backpacks.  I have seen all of the above accepted by the airlines on a given day.  The only ones I have seen accepted every time is the hard sided ice chests.  2 pieces of advice:  #1. Ice chests cost approx 50% more in Baja than in the USA.  The pound limit for "luggage", your fish is 50#'s.  The 50#'s includes the ice chest.  So if you bring a cheap, light weight ice chest that weighs 5#'s you can bring home approx 45#'s of fish.  If you bring a Yeti ice chest, you can bring home approx 5#'s of fish without paying for an "overweight" fee--another $50. When flying back to the states, you will probably be home the same day so your fish should still be frozen--just my experience and advice..  I am sure you will have a good time and a good fishing experience.  Just for your info, I stay near La Paz and rarely fish Cabo San Lucas.  But I think for good fishing at any given time in Baja, you probably can't beat Cabo San Lucas.  There is a large SHALLOW bay a few miles n/o Cabo and the tides come and go 2 times a day.  The shallow bay heats up the water and the the outgoing tide takes the warmer water back out into the Pacific.  The natural current flow from there is south to Cabo.  So I think on a daily basis you will find more consistant fishing for pelagic fish near Cabo than other parts of Baja.  On any one given day or week, somewhere in the Sea of Cortez may be better---That is just fishing.

Have a great time and I hope the "fish gods" are with you !!
TomT

[Antiochrich]

Of the 3 varieties that he listed, I would only take home the dorado.  The others are not worth it.

I go to Baja and usually stay at least 3 months at a time.  I have various guests, some who want to take fish home.  I have seen fish taken to the airport in everything from hard-sided ice chests to soft sided ones to cardboard boxes and backpacks.  I have seen all of the above accepted by the airlines on a given day.  The only ones I have seen accepted every time is the hard sided ice chests.  2 pieces of advice:  #1. Ice chests cost approx 50% more in Baja than in the USA.  The pound limit for "luggage", your fish is 50#'s.
TomT

Tom  thanks for the advice! I'm flying Virgin America and they will charge me $25 to bring the hard side ice chest down and another $25 to bring it back so I've decided not to bring one with me. Figure if I do catch fish worth taking back home I can use $25 towards a new ice chest and if I don't I won't be so embarrassed lugging around an empty one

[Antiochrich]

Well my first fishing trip in Mexico was a bust
Took my wife for a slow 4 1/2 hour boat ride with Ricardo Alvarez from Sport Fishing Fati out of San Jose Del Cabo who told me they were catching Dorado, Marlin and rooster fish. Overall very disappointed as they didn't seem to put in much effort to getting us on fish and neither my wife or I even touched a rod or reel the whole time. Ricardo basically had his deckhand Roberto put out a few rods with live bait and a couple with some artificial skirts for the first 1 1/2 hour boat ride out. He then pulled in the skirts and trolled back to the harbor at about 1/2 speed and only changed one of the live baits once. No effort was made to change anything else up. The deckhand said the water was too cold and green and only found out later that they hadn't been out since Thursday. Wished they would of told me that before he took my money and wasted our time. Lesson learned...

[Shark Hunter]

Well that Sucks!
Better Luck Next Time!

[alantani]

..... Ricardo Alvarez from Sport Fishing Fati out of San Jose Del Cabo ...

we'll have to remember this guy........   

[Dominick]

..... Ricardo Alvarez from Sport Fishing Fati out of San Jose Del Cabo ...

we'll have to remember this guy........   

I don't know what to say about Rich's experience.  I'm going down tomorrow.  I have fished with Ricardo and had a great time.  I'll check in with Ricardo and find out his side of the story.  I have never gotten skunked in Baja.  Blue water is only 15 minutes out from the marina.  If he did not hit blue water then the wind was kicking up too much.  Here is a link to the most honest report of the fishing.  Note that the report is dated June 7, 2014.  These were not ideal fishing conditions.  http://gordobanks.com/category/fish-reports/  No captain down there wants to get skunked.  Dominick

[Antiochrich]

..... Ricardo Alvarez from Sport Fishing Fati out of San Jose Del Cabo ...

we'll have to remember this guy........   

I don't know what to say about Rich's experience.  I'm going down tomorrow.  I have fished with Ricardo and had a great time.  I'll check in with Ricardo and find out his side of the story.  I have never gotten skunked in Baja.  Blue water is only 15 minutes out from the marina.  If he did not hit blue water then the wind was kicking up too much.  Here is a link to the most honest report of the fishing.  Note that the report is dated June 7, 2014.  These were not ideal fishing conditions.  http://gordobanks.com/category/fish-reports/  No captain down there wants to get skunked.  Dominick

Yeah, I would like to know his side too as we never hit blue water. I guess the part that made it most disappointing was that my expectations were higher and I paid extra for his bigger and faster boat to go after tuna. In hindsight I should have confirmed everything prior to boarding that morning. First thing off he says no tuna which was still okay as he said Dorado, Marlin and Roosterfish were biting but don't know why we were still taking the bigger boat for more money. Ricardo stayed at the helm the entire trip and his deckhand cousin Roberto wasn't fluent in English at all so I couldn't learn anything from him except that it wasn't a good day to go...

[Antiochrich]

Here's the tailgate shot