World-class accommodations, a terrific climate, and still an amazing blue-water fishing resource!

Dec, 2022: In my early years working full-time at Frontiers, I handled our blue-water fishing programs in Central America and Australia.  I made a number of trips to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula from the late 80’s through the 90’s, and absolutely fell in love with the Los Cabos area.  The off-shore fishing was amazing with multiple daily shots at billfish and other species.  Inshore, we chased roosterfish, snapper and other gamefish.  Blue-water fly fishing was a passion of mine, but it was difficult to find a fly fishing knowledgeable Captain in those early days.

Los Cabos is at the tip of the Baja Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific.  There are two towns — San Joe del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas – about 20 miles apart.  The climate may be just about the world’s best from November through April.  It’s a desert and hilly environment with very low humidity, sun filled days and little chance of precipitation.  Typical highs at that time of the year are in the low 80’s with low temps in the upper 60’s.  The international airport is easy to access with direct flights from several US gateways on American, United, Delta, Southwest, Alaska and others.

Our Team has customized fishing itineraries on the Baja for over three decades and a lot has changed in the Los Cabos region since my early trips.  As time flies by as we get older, I realized that it had been over 20 years since I had personally been to Cabo San Lucas.  Since that time, a number of new hotels, golf courses and internationally acclaimed restaurants have opened.   Even though some of my Team Members have been down more recently, it was time to return!  Kristene and I just got back last week from an amazing trip!

There are a handful of 5-star properties that we frequently book for our clients in Los Cabos.  We stayed at Auberge Esperanza, which is just up the coast from Cabo San Lucas – about a 15-minute drive from the marina.  We absolutely loved the experience.  The resort is very private, immaculately landscaped and it boasts one of the only private beaches in the region.  There are casitas, suites, oceanfront villas and haciendas for families or larger groups.  All accommodations have a very nice hot tub.  Five pools, three great restaurants, and a full-service spa are all complemented with a staff that has an unwavering commitment to the highest level of customer service.  Cocina del Mar is perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea – a truly unforgettable dining experience!  The whales start to show up about the first of December and it was wonderful watching them breach right off the coast from the dining locations and our hotel room.

We have booked most of our fishing charters through Pisces Sportfishing who started with three 28’ boats over forty years ago.  Today, they have an impressive fleet with 6 Bertram’s from 30-35’, which we feel are the very best options for our clients based on quality, value and size.  The Pisces crews are second to none!  With thirty boats in their fleet today, larger options are certainly available from 35’ to 80’.  We fished the “BBII,” a 37’ Viking with a “Seakeeper,” which offsets the swells and can reduce the chances of any seasickness.  Our Captain and two mates were fabulous and it was awesome to learn that many crews now have extensive fly fishing knowledge, which was also the case aboard the BBII.  We released four striped marlin on conventional tackle and I had five other fish take my fly after being teased into casting range.  Pink is my favorite billfish popper color and they crashed it!  Unfortunately, I could not keep them hooked!  Some friends were down and fished with Pisces on one of the 31’ Betram’s two days after our trip, and they released two marlin and caught six dorado on a half day charter!  It’s a wonderful time of the year to visit the Baja!

The fishing is great year-round in Los Cabos.  Summer months though can be warm.  I usually suggest that our clients stay in or near Cabo San Lucas.  From the main marina, you have the option of fishing on the inside in the Sea of Cortez or out into the Pacific on the west side of the peninsula.  Striped marlin is the main target and it’s a reliable resource every month of the year.  Blue and black marlin are also available, as are sails.  Wahoo, yellowfin tuna, dorado (mahi mahi), and a number of inshore species are also prevalent.  There is an excellent diversity of species and I was most impressed with how well the resource has held up since my prior visits.

Los Cabos is a wonderful vacation option for avid blue-water fishing enthusiasts, couples, families and golfers – with over a dozen outstanding courses.  It was just great to be back down in that region of Mexico as the snow was flying in western Pennsylvania.  The town was a lot bigger and there was more traffic than my last trip many years ago; but we would go back tomorrow and are already planning a return trip with our family.  The hotels there today are among the top in the world and there are tons of activities other than fishing if some members of the party do not want to fish all day, every day.  Call us today to talk about the Baja.  We’d be happy to send you a proposal!

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