Finger Bank: Although it is a long haul from the Cabo San Lucas marina, about 50 miles, the Finger Bank is one of the best fishing spots on the pacific side of Baja. It is off the coast of Todos Santos on the pacific and is known to be one of the best striped marlin spots in the World when fishing is good. We have release up to 60 billfish during one good day of fishing at Finger Bank.
On this youtube episode we target striped marlins using different techniques like flies, poppers, live bait and dead bait. focus on filming and having a great time using ways that makes it harder to catch them since we can easily release a bunch of them with live bait.
From July to January it’s always a good for fishing, beginner and pro anglers are both out on the seas catching some of the most exciting species at a rate that no other destination can rival. Visitors usually don’t know the top fishing spot around Los Cabo but our crew knows all the secrets spots and one of these top secrets spots are “The Finger Bank”.
Ready to book your own Cabo fishing trip and go to Finger Bank? Tag Cabo Sportfishing has been providing quality fishing charters in Cabo since the 2008. We’re known for having the best charter fleet around, as well as knowledgeable captains to help you make the most of your time on the water. Don’t risk your vacation or waste your time, give us a call or get in touch today.
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The Wahoo is a global pelagic species found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. They are mainly found offshore from the surface to depths up to 295 m (970 feet) but will approach the shore in pursuit of small baitfish when food is abundant. They reach a maximum of 2.5 m (8 feet 2 inches) in length and 83.5 kg (184 lbs) in weight. As of October 15, 2020, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 83.5 kg (184 lbs) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in July 2005.
Wahoo can be caught all over the world, but in Cabo San Lucas they can be caught on live bait such as mackerel, big eye, ballyhoos, mullet and more. They can also be caught on vertical jigs, and if you find structure floating there is a good chance by dropping a vertical jig down 100 feet or so, the wahoo you are looking for is down there. They are also incidentally caught on a surface-presented kite bait and are a welcomed bycatch while targeting other species such as marlin.
They are a highly targeted gamefish, especially in Mexican waters of the Pacific being prized for their initial burst of epic speed. In Southern Baja, way too much time is spent pursuing Wahoo, primarily for bragging rights, with a very low return on investment.
Watch our videos to get a better Idea of how, when and where wi fish !
Though, wahoo can produce angling adrenaline with their lightning speed, these fish, after a couple of blistering runs, usually come to the boat easily. Unlike with tuna, where the end of the battle is often tougher than the initial strike, wahoo will usually lay up nicely for your gaff. It is important here not to lift the fish’ head out of the water, as the hook may not be implanted properly in the wahoo’s bony mouth, even though you fought the fish all the way to the boat. Though unlikely, I have seen multiple fish simply drop the lure once boat side and swim away unharmed, not having been hooked at all.
Cubera Snapper are the kings of the snapper family. These brutish fish can grow to over 100lbs and prowl their domains at night searching for unsuspecting prey. Cubera Snapper dwell on the deeper reefs, wrecks and rocks (from 25′-250ft) and require heavy tackle to boat. Cubera’s are armed with large thick scales, beefy lips, and large teeth preventing them from being preyed upon, and allowing them to eat any fish or crustacean that fits in their mouths.
Cubera Snapper in Cabo San Lucas
HOW TO CATCH CUBERA SNAPPER
Find rocky structure in 150ft or less of water and look on the fish finder to see if anyone is home. The biggest ones come on live bait so just drop a bait down on a likely spot. Fish right off the bottom. If you are fishing with a lure then set the hook immediately and pull like crazy. If fishing bait you have to let them eat it a little longer. However, if you wait too long they will already be in the rocks.
It is very important to remember that this is not a light tackle fish. When hooked, it is known to speed towards rocks to keep from being hauled into the boat. You need to make sure that you use a braided line as the snapper can weight up to 60-100 pounds, but on average, it weighs around 40 pounds and up to three to four feet in length.
The best time to fish for a Cubera snapper in Cabo San Lucas would be March, April, may, and part of June but the best month would be in April.
Cubera Snapper Reproduction
A female Cubera snapper will release their eggs into the sea where, within a day, they will produce larvae. Unfortunately, these larvae are also a feast for the nearby whale sharks so many do not survive to become baby Cubera snappers. They reach spawning maturity in two to four years. When the sperm and eggs are released in the water, they form a milky-white, dense cloud that reaches 40 feet in diameter. At each site, it is estimated that a half-billion eggs are released each year.
In Cabo San Lucas we deep drop for different species like groupers, snappers, yellowtails and striped marlin.
When we deep drop fish for striped marlins in Cabo San Lucas we usually start by locating the bait on our SIMRAD equipment. While not 100% necessary, the 3 KW elliptical AIRMAR transducer and SIMRAD NSS EVO3 made finding the fish in 150 to 300 feet deep a whole lot easier.
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Striped Marlins.
This beautiful species of Marlin grow very large and strong which makes it highly popular as a game fish. They are in cabo San Lucas all year around and we usually fish for them trolling or live bait pitching but here and there the bait is at our local fishing banks like the Golden gate or the lighthouse at 150 to 300 feet deep.
When that happens we look for the bait on our SIMRAD like on the picture below.
Once we locate the bait fish usually mackerel we drop a weight with a sabiki to catch fresh bait since in Cabo San Lucas we always buy live bait from the bait guys in the morning but usually they catch it the night before and it does not look as good as the fresh one.
As soon as we catch fresh live bait we put it back into the water of course with a hook on it and the bait starts running straight down to were the rest of the bait is and usually right behind them are striped marlins feeding.
We like to use Shimano talicas 25s or 16s with 100lb test braid and 80lb test fluorocarbon leader with size 9 circle hook when targeting striped marlins since them reels are super light and strong to fight one of them acrobatic marlins.
Circle hooks – benefits and tips
Circle hooks have been shown to increase the survival of angler released fish. With their success already proven for many game fish species, these hooks are now used increasingly for many other common recreational species including bream, flathead and kingfish.
Many studies have shown that one of the most influential factors affecting the survival of fish released by anglers relates to where the fish was hooked. Specifically, survival has been shown to be greatly reduced for fish that are deeply hooked in the throat or beyond.
Benefits of circle hooks
Reduced deep hooking – improved survival of released fish and decreased loss of fishing tackle.
Improved hook-up and landing rates for many species.
The strike time is not as crucial for hook-up of fish.
Lighter leaders/traces can be used as the line is generally away from abrasive mouth surfaces.
Circle hooks bring about many benefits for anglers, but they do require a few minor changes to your normal fishing techniques.
Once you have drop the bait to the bottom were the rest of the bait is and you feel the line just taking off like crazy !
Give it about 10 seconds with a circular hook for the marlin to eat the bait than start putting drag on it slowly until the drag gets to strike position on your Shimano Talica and usually you will see a big striped marlin jumping out of the water and by them you will know that the fight its ON!
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Fish the surface any way you want, but always drop a jig down, whether you have marks on the fish finder or not. It takes extra time and patience, especially when fish aren’t visible, but it adds an important dimension by working the water column for fish that may be surface-shy due to fishing pressure or other reasons in our sometimes crowded spots during the peak summer months. In March 2021, deep jigging produced nearly as many yellowfin tuna as popping. Deep jigging on the tuna grounds makes sense. According to Shimano, the Butterfly Jigging System was developed in Japan in the early 1990s to catch bluefin tuna in depths of up to 500 feet.
These “slim” jigs have a unique action due to their slightly non symmetrical shape and thin profile. They sink like a rocket. The fast sink is a key element in performance since it allows the angler to retrieve it in fast, short intervals. If you had to wait for the jig to flutter down, it would slow the pump technique and destroy the violent action that gets reactive strikes. When retrieved in short strokes, they angle off in horizontal slices rather than vertically. This movement is fooling the bigger, more mature fish that previously would take only a well-presented live bait, in some cases. For the longer jig styles, the presentation differs slightly. Once you hit bottom, or the desired depth, make a long lift, lower the rod to create a slack line on the drop, and then retrieve.
The jigs are designed to work best with a fast-retrieve reel, heavy-duty parabolic rod and Spectra superbraid line. The outfit I use is a Stella 1400 or Shimano Talica 25 with 65- to 80-pound PowerPro Spectra tied to six feet of 100-pound P-Line leader and a Trevala TVC 66H rod when fishing 6- to 9-ounce jigs. Of course, lighter tackle can be used when appropriate. Other reels include Jigging Master, Avet HXJ, Accurate 500N, Saltiga 30T, Penn TRQ25N and the Fathom series. For spinning, the Shimano Stella series, Trevala, Black Hole Cape Cod Special and Fathom Blade rods are a good combination.
Start with an assortment of heavy-tackle plugs festooned with 3X treble hooks. You need to start with a lot of plugs because you’re probably going to lose a few. Jig locally made here in Cabo San Lucas by our amigo Felix lures.
The jigging method is simple and can be learned in minutes, and it is easy enough to work a jig all day without getting worn out. Shimano illustrates this method online at shimano.com, or you can do a Web search for “Shimano Butterfly Jigs.” Just drop the jig to the bottom or desired depth in free-spool (you may get a strike on the fall, so be prepared to engage the drag quickly). As soon as the line goes limp, reel in some line to keep it from snagging on the bottom. Now reel fast for several strokes, stop, swing the rod tip up and then lower as you reel again. Develop a “bouncing rhythm” motion using this fast but short retrieve. The jig will be doing all sorts of sideways and erratic movements that elicit a reactionary strike from a wide variety of game fish.
I call these “upside down” jigs, because the tethered hooks seem to be attached at the wrong end of the lure near the eye with a split ring/solid ring arrangement. One or two hooks may be used. The tethered hooks come with an attached thin cord with a loop on the end that you fasten to the solid ring on the jig.
Tie the leader or main line to the solid ring in between the tethered hooks if you are using two. This takes a little time to get comfortable with, because typically lures are tied on opposite the hook end.
Deep jigging can produce surprising results. For example, after a popping session on our 28ft Hydra Sport center-console from Cabo San Lucas, we decided to jig for grouper in 400 feet of water, only to hook a 130-pound yellowfin tuna instead. When you’re popping and jigging, you’re covering the water column and its myriad of game-fish possibilities.
Pop fishing or “popping” is one of the most exciting ways to fish as you can witness all the action close to the surface of the water. This style of fishing involves dragging a lure known as a popper across the surface of the water with a short sharp retrieving action.
Blue marlin are sought and caught in warm waters around the world. Often, enthusiasts hope for the ultimate catch: a grander (a blue marlin weighing at least 1,000 pounds).As far as the IGFA is concerned, though, the current all tackle record for Black Marlin was recorded in Cabo Blanco, Peru, in 1953. It weighed in at the not-so-impressive (but still pretty large) 1,560 pounds (707.61 kg). The IGFA also states that the biggest recorded Blue Marlin weighed 1,402 pounds (635 kg) and was caught in Vitoria, Brazil in 1992.
Cabo San Lucas is famous all over the world for its epic Marlin fishing, partly thanks to the prestigious Bisbee’s Black and Blue tournament. This is one of the most famous and high-stakes fishing events in the world. Safe to say, Cabo’s the perfect place for it.
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What is the best bait for blue marlin?
Rigged natural baits, such as Mullet, Mackerel, Bonito, Barracuda, extra-large Ballyhoo (“Horse Ballyhoo”). Lures are used most often, because they allow more ocean to be covered. In somewhat limited areas, such as along weedlines or around seamounts and other well-established grounds, live bait is usually preferred.
We at Tag Cabo Sportfishing, just like all serious anglers, dream about catching a “grander,” one of those legendary fish that weights over 1000 lb. The record for the biggest Marlin of all time goes to the enormous 1,805 lb “Choy’s Monster.” This beast of a fish was caught on a charter fishing boat out of Oahu, Hawaii, in 1970 and still stands today as the biggest Marlin caught on rod and reel.
The full story is that Blue Marlin can be found in water as shallow as 250 feet and anywhere deeper than 250. Blue Marlin are almost always caught by sport fishermen while trolling during daylight hours.
Blue Marlin is the most exciting species of fish to catch in Cabo San Lucas. Hands down Blue Marlin is the “boss” fish. Many competitive fishing tournaments are built around Blue Marlin fishing. Big-time Blue Marlin fishing tournaments around Los Cabos include the Los Cabo Billfish Tournament, the Bisbees offshore tournament and Bisbees black and Blue.
These are the tournaments for the “big boys” of competitive saltwater fishing. Fishing for Blue Marlin can also be the most boring and monotonous form of fishing known to man if you don’t know what you’re doing. Often trolling for hours on end without reward. Then boom! Marlin fishing has been described as “hours of boredom interrupted by seconds of sheer terror.”
If your looking forward to go after one of them beast in Cabo San Lucas contact us by clicking on the link Blue marlin in Cabo San Lucas
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