WAHOO

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN JANUARY

Wahoo, also known amongst certain pacific islanders as ono, are exceptionally speedy swimmers that are notorious for not going quietly.

If you’d like to confirm their 60mph bursts, just wait for them to engage your lure in some one-sided conversation.

When this legendary gamefish realizes that the joke is on them, you’ll abruptly find yourself in a battle so vigorous that any disinterested teenagers nearby might even look up from their phones.

Then they will throw their phones into the ocean, and demand new phones that are bigger and louder so that they are never again distracted by a bunch of fishing!

Top five catches in January

STRIPED MARLIN

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN FEBRUARY

Like you and I, the striped marlin loves to make an appearance in Cabo in the winter time. Also like us, they can be found drinking beer and fishing offshore, past Land’s End.

We are both out there, enjoying the water’s surface and sun while searching for a fresh meal.

The striped marlin hunts for sardines, squid, mackerel and other bait fish. We hunt them. Elton John once wrote a song about it.

The striped marlin does not think a striped marlin makes for good sushi. The fact of the matter is, they do.

If you catch one of these beauties, the stripiest of all the marlins, our captains can point you in the right direction for a meal. We will show you where to have your catch prepared, cooked and served.

Your family will thank you, the marlin may not.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN FEBRUARY

Yellow Tail

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN MARCH

Yellowtail amberjacks are ray-finned, and that’s a huge relief. It means that their fins are supported by lots of tiny, bony spines or “rays.” Most importantly, this is a skeletal feature that they share with 27,000 other species of fish.

It’s this very fact that reassures the yellowtail that they are relatively normal, which is something they need to be reminded of often because they have low self-esteem and a fear of being alienated.

Hamachi, as they are referred to on a sushi menu, are famously less intelligent down here than they are in California, making them much easier to catch. Make no mistake however, they’ll consistently provide two things: an energetic contest on the hook, and, afterwards, some delicious pinky fillets for the bbq.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN MARCH

RED SNAPPER

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN APRIL

For anglers who like to zig when everyone zags, April can be a great time to go zigging all the way inshore. A steadfast prize to be found here amongst the varying pargo is what your tastebuds might be familiar with as huachinango, or red snapper.

Without the flashy pomp of posing with a marlin, a photo of you with your red snapper is better for the soul and it will still get you likes on Instagram and the Facebooks!

If you happen to win one on UHF’s Wheel of Fish, history has taught us that you should not be tempted by the contents of mysterious boxes. You should take your red snapper and run.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN APRIL

ROOSTERFISH

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN MAY

Like Travis Barker doing a Jaws impression, it’s common for roosterfish to let their spiky, signature dorsal fin knife along the water’s surface when chasing a meal.

Although they resent the comparison (they’ve never been fans of Blink 182), this aesthetic gives them an exotic edge over other inshore gamefish, which, coupled with their praiseworthy fighting habits, make the rooster fish a popular adversary.

Most often, they are released afterwards due to their less-than-delicious status.

Although they’ll cruise beaches for millet from Peru to California, there are more roosterfish in the waters of Cabo San Lucas than anywhere else in the world. This is especially true in May, when many are returning from their studies abroad.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN MAY

MACKEREL

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN JUNE

When you’re looking to balance your fatty acid ratio (and who isn’t?), the amount of omega-3s found in Sierra mackerel might tempt you to hunt down some of these tasty amigos.

Their conspicuous feeding habits make them easy to spot, and their willingness to dance aggressively at the end of your line upholds their sporty reputation. Heads up though: this is a toothy fish.

Their popularity amongst children at the petting aquarium suffers as a result.

Keep your eyes peeled for Sierra mackerel on a nearby grill, or in any self-respecting ceviche, for further proof of their culinary clout.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN JUNE

Mahi Mahi (Dorado)

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN JULY

This exceedingly beloved gamefish is known in other regions as mahi mahi, which is a Hawaiian’s way of saying “strong” twice in a row. They must really mean it, and if you end up in a tug of war with one of these relentlessly airborne leapers (the dorado, not the Hawaiian), you’ll likely agree.

Dorado have notably square foreheads in order to make room for their massive, super-villainesque brains. They use these brains mostly to determine, with great thoroughness, the nature of any object they find floating at the surface: kelp, soccer balls, rubik’s cubes.

They’ll bring their friends, and they’ll linger for as long as it takes, until they arrive at a collective understanding of the essence that defines those objects, or until you show up and catch them.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN JULY

SNOOK

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN AUGUST

They’re not a regular around here, but snook, or robalo, like to check in for a bit each year to say, “Hola!” and make sure that their tenants aren’t destroying the place. This is an opportunity for the privy angler to land some exceptionally flavourful fish, one of our absolute favourites for the table.

Blackened and pan-seared? Hot damn! The skin is a real deal-breaker though, so make sure you get that out of there.

The US Navy has three submarines named after the snook, which is more than they have named after Bill Murray, and everyone loves Bill Murray.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN AUGUST

BLUE MARLIN

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN SEPTEMBER

A blue marlin is exactly what it sounds like: the bluest of all the marlins.

Their blues come from jealousy, because despite being a massive animal (some grow to 1000 lbs or more!) the blue marlin is only the second largest of the marlin family.

It knows that the black marlin is out there somewhere, cruising around, wearing the heavyweight title without even trying.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

We’ll tell you what though, if you get one of these magnificent billfish on your hook, even one that’s a svelte 200 pounds, you won’t mind that the cobalt shimmer you see, yanking you around the back of a boat, isn’t more of a midnight shade.

At any rate, when you hook one of these, we hope you’ve gotten in your stretches.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN SEPTEMBER

SAILFISH

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN OCTOBER

Sailfish are the Michael Phelps of the sea. The distinction of being the fastest fish in the world has afforded them many benefits, such as being considered attractive by other sailfish, and being a great source of pride for their parents.

Their huge dorsal fin shares a likeness with a certain nautical feature, for which they are named, and also makes them easy to identify when you set your hook and they start launching skyward.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN OCTOBER

YELLOWFIN TUNA

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN NOVEMBER

Yellowfin is a shockingly strong species of tuna, out of proportion to its size and weight. Like a bag of bowling balls with the momentum of a freight train, they are stubborn and difficult to slow down. However, we would never eat a bowling ball raw (always grilled), whereas yellowfin make for excellent sashimi.

They are often seen schooled-up with other swimmers that are similarly sized, if not larger, such as dolphins or even whale sharks. That seems a bit adolescent to us. Are they embarrassed of their slightly smaller amigos? Always looking for the friend-upgrade?

Just be yourselves, yellowfin, we already love you.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN NOVEMBER

CREVALLE JACK

CABO SAN LUCAS FISHING IN DECEMBER

Crevalle Jack are well known for their enthusiastic tussling, which make them a solid contender in the ring. Less solid, is our confidence in recommending them for dinner. While never described as delicious, you do occasionally hear tales out there of someone who had a friend who read a blog, about a guy that ate one, and it was “no repugnante!”

Around here, crevalle jack as a subspecies are nicknamed toro, but we can testify that individually they are never named Ferdinand and they do not like flowers.

TOP FIVE CATCHES IN DECEMBER