Navigation

About Salvador’s Sportfishing Charters

Cabo San Lucas Fishing

There is a lot to know when it comes to making your trip to Cabo a great one. Below you will find some helpful hints for your vacation — both on land and out on “El Budster.” We recommend that you read the items below as they will cover our policies, answer some of your questions and get your adventure started on the right track.

El Budster

“El Budster” also offersboat-el-budster-300

  • Knowledgeable & Courteous Service
  • Custom Rods
  • Electronic Fish Finder & Radio
  • GPS System
  • Ice Chests
  • Excellent References

 

Live Bait Supplies

Live bait is normally caught at night by a myriad of individual bait fishermen, all of which are separate from the sport fishing companies, and may not always be available. The typical live bait will be Bigeye Scad, (called Caballitios, pronounced Cav-i-eetos) or Pacific Mackerel. The cost for live bait is set by the Bait Catchers. Please note that the supply & demand for live bait will create an increase in cost. Payment for live bait is made directly to the Bait Catcher’s at time of receipt. We recommend 8-12 baits per day, when fishing for Billfish & 12-20 per day when fishing the inshore Roosterfish, Snapper, Cabrilla, etc. Sportfishers have no facilities for holding excess live bait for the next fishing day.

All About The Fishing

The Fishing Day  

doradoPlease arrive at DOCK # 3 in the Main Cabo Marina at 6:15 A.M. You will need to pay $1.00 access fee to get on the dock. This $1.00 goes to the Mexican Dept. of Fishery.

Once on your charter boat, you will fill out the Mexican Fishing License Form. This is where you will list everyone that is in your party. Children 12 years and under do not need a license. If you are over 12 years of age. You will still need a license even if you are NOT going to fish.

That completed, you will leave the dock and head out into the Cabo Harbor. This is where you will buy your live bait from Juanitas´s Bait Boats Co.

After getting the bait, it’s off for a day of fishing. You will return to the Cabo Marina around 2:30 P.M.

If you would like to hook your own fish, or perhaps target a certain species of fish, please share that information with your dockside contact person at boarding time. It is not practical to target some species of fish during certain periods, when they are not available. Your skipper and dockside representative are very much aware of where the better fishing has been taking place & what is biting best and will make every effort to provide you with a successful fishing day.

Taking Fish Home

If you wish to take filletted fish home with you, be sure to bring an ice chest, such as a Coleman© cooler, 48-55 qt. capacity. (Anything larger may be difficult to carry). Bring zip-lock bags & a roll of duct tape to seal off the lid. At the end of the fishing day & back at the dock, your fish will be expertly filletted by independent fish filleters for a nominal fee, (staring from $3.00 to $10.00, such as Tuna and Dorado, depending on the size of the fish) and will be placed in your zip-lock bags and ice chest. Ice chests can usually be placed into cold storage at your hotel. The filleting of fish aboard the boat is against Mexican law. Almost every hotel in Cabo has freezer capacity and will take good care of your catch. If you would care to have your catch for dinner, most hotels will accommodate you for a nominal charge.

On Board Etiquette

Fish Limits and Catch & Release

tuna3webIn ocean waters and estuaries the limit is a total of ten fish per day, with no more than 5 catches of a single species, except of the species of Marlin, Sailfish and Swordfish and Shark, of which only one specimen  of either is allowed, and which counts a five toward the overall 10 fish limit, or Dorado, Roosterfish, Shad,or Tarpon, of which only two samples of each specie are allowed, and which count a five toward the overall 10 fish limit.

 

 

Charter Inclusions
Standard day sportfishers and all pangas provide boat, crew, fuel, all fishing tackle, dispatch fees, ice & 16% taxes.

Charter Exclusions
Standard day sportfishers & pangas do not provide food, beverages, live bait, fish filleting or Mexican fishing licenses. The cost of a Mexican fishing license is $20.00 per person per day. Crew gratuities are not included and are customary in Mexico for good service, typically at the rate of 15-20% of the charter rate.

Food & Beverages
Food and beverages can be provided on request & placed aboard or ordered from your hotel on the evening prior to each fishing day and brought aboard with your group. Box lunches, beer, bottled water and soft drinks are usually items available for purchase.

Articles Left Aboard
Few things are more difficult than trying to return items left aboard, especially after the customer has left the area. Certain items, such as expensive cameras, etc., can often be held-up in U.S. Customs and take as long as 3 months or more & may necessitate your providing a receipt, proving the item was purchased in the U.S. We can not guarantee the return of any item. PLEASE ensure you have all of your personal belongings with you at the time of disembarkation.

Standard day sportfishers & pangas do not provide food, beverages, live bait, fish filleting or Mexican fishing licenses. The cost of a Mexican fishing license is $20.00 per person per day. Crew gratuities are not included and are customary in Mexico for good service, typically at the rate of 15-20% of the charter rate.

Food & Beverages
Food and beverages can be provided on request & placed aboard or ordered from your hotel on the evening prior to each fishing day and brought aboard with your group. Box lunches, beer, bottled water and soft drinks are usually items available for purchase.

Articles Left Aboard
Few things are more difficult than trying to return items left aboard, especially after the customer has left the area. Certain items, such as expensive cameras, etc., can often be held-up in U.S. Customs and take as long as 3 months or more & may necessitate your providing a receipt, proving the item was purchased in the U.S. We can not guarantee the return of any item. PLEASE ensure you have all of your personal belongings with you at the time of disembarkation.

Back On Solid Ground

Travel Documents
A passport or birth certificate is required for entry into Mexico. If using a copy of a birth certificate, it must be notarized. A tourist entry visa is also required and is issued by the airlines during flights. The tourist entry visa will be officially stamped by Immigration at the Port of Entry and collected upon your departure from Mexico. There is no charge connected with the Tourist Entry Visa.

San Jose del Cabo International Airport
This modern facility is often referred to as the Cabo San Lucas Airport, as all Cabo-bound travelers will arrive here. The entry is easy and basically informal, first passing through Immigration for the stamping of your tourist entry visa, followed by clearance through Mexican Customs. Customs checks are brisk, unless you are “flagged” by their random check system, (a red/green light system, similar to a traffic signal). If you receive a red light, your baggage will be gone through, but even then, the checks are typically just a couple of minutes.

Taxi Service
The airport taxi shuttles are regulated by pre-set fares which are paid in advance at the taxi booths by the main entrance to the airport. They will deliver you to the front-door of your hotel accommodations. Taxi fares in and about Cabo are typically $8.00 to any in-town location. Determine the cost before you get in the cab. Nearly all of the hotels provide a return to the airport shuttle service at a nominal rate, per person.

Links
salsunset
Photos by Pete MacRoberts

Useful Links
  
We are gathering a great collection of links that may make your trip to Cabo even better. Do you have one you wish to suggest? Please feel free to contact us and let us know what you would like to have information on.

As there is a seemingly endless number of links about sportfishing, Cabo San Lucas, or travel in general, we must be selective in what makes our “links list.” As such, you will see updates and additions (maybe even a subtraction or two!) to this list as we see fit. Please check back often!

A final note – while we may refer you to other sites for additional information, it does not mean that Salvador’s Sportfishing Charters endorses any products offered nor does it guarantee the accuracy of any information found on other sites.

NOTE: Links will open in new window. Close the new window to return to site.