Dont fish with these guys in Cabo

[kinniro]

Avoid "Mucho Loco - Rafaels Fleet" when sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas! We did get a good deal compared to others, but you get what you pay for. Guy we talked to at marina was great talker, and reeled me in. Showed up morning of the trip and it just happened his credit card machine didnt work, needed cash. Must needed the cash for gas as we had to fill up before we headed out, instead of being ready for us. Paid extra for live bait and never used it, so we fed the pelicans and seals when we got back!
The crew spoke poor english even though the marina guy said they spoke better than him when I asked. They had personality of a stick and stayed up top and talked to each other for the whole time . Boat and tackle were good, we caught 2 Ahi in the first 30 minutes and nothing for next 7 hours.
Used AO for info on charters before we left, should have listened to you guys....

[Ken07AOVette]

I have a similar thread running, sorry you got cheated, and thanks for posting, info like this is invaluable!

[surhuntsalot]

Ahhh... Good Ol Cabo... That definately can happen down there.

I'll start by saying I'm of limmited means, so fishing on the 40' Bertram Sportfishers at $800 +/day is something I only get to read about in Marlin Magazine. On the other hand, by the end of June I'll have spent 1 month out of 14 down there doin quite a bit of fishing (can actually be cheaper than living here in Alberta)...

The first time down (April '11),I had done a little research before I left. I knew from researching reports on the web that the marlin bite was slow, and you had to head out 12 miles plus to get into the warmer water to even have a chance at Marlin. Inshore was where the most action was. The first day inshore they tried hard and we caught good Yellowtail, some Seirra, lost a couple Roosters, so we decided to try a day offshore for Marlin. After a couple hours it became clear that there was no intent to troll far enough out to where the Marlin were(I assume to save gas and pocket the difference since we said it would be our last time out). I called the captain on it and was told that he heard the Marlin were being spotted back toward the Arch.... My reply was that if that were true, the Big sportfishers would be headed back instead of further out. I then said "I'm not here for a boat ride. We're not far enough out for Marlin, We're too far out for Rooster's" and that if he wasw not going to go further out, to head back and We'd finnish the day trolling for Roosters....

Since then I have learned alot more about the fish, the area, and charters to some extent... The "Pimp's" in and around town will sell you a trip on a 28' cruiser for say $350, but they only pay the captain of the boat $250 and pocket the other $100. Once you get to know th captain, if he likes you, you can often bypass the pimps and get the boat for alot less... (Buying the bait is a standard $20 reguardless of where you fish).

There are 3 areas to charter boats from around Cabo. The first is the Cabo Marina (tends to be more commercial, fewer deals, more dishonest experiences on average on cheaper boats), but still can be decent with the right outfit.

The second place is called Palmilla, located about half way between Cabo, and San Jose, it's home to a small "Panga" fleet. This is the cheapest area and 22' and 23' super panga's can be had for about $100 to $150/day. The quality of gear is alot lower, and they dont tend to stray too far out, but I've had some great day's fishing with these guys. I don't worry about the quality of gear now that I take my own down. (Bait still cost's $20)...

The third one is "La Playita", the San Jose marina. Good captains, and acess to some great fishing grounds like the Gordo Bank, and Iman Bank... They have a nice well maintained fleet. Prices are good, but you still have to know what boats are worth... Beautiful marina, and great fish cleaning facilities. If you are staying in a resort near San Jose, Cab fare to this marina is about $12 instead of $30 to San Lucas.... Yup.... Bait's still only $20...

There are several online fishing reports for the Baja area that one can follow to see a trend on what's biting and where (pacific or cortez side)... Gordo Banks Pangas is a charter outfit out of San Jose that puts up a great weekly report and nice website...

If you ever get down there again, I hope some of this helps...