Marlin fishing charters in Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas is one of the best places in the world to catch a marlin, and there is a marlin season almost every month. The Vargas family has run private fishing charters from the Cabo San Lucas marina since 2004. This page covers when to come, which boat to book, how long to go out and what it costs.
By Max Vargas, Top Anglers · Last reviewed
When is marlin season in Cabo?
- Striped marlin: peak October–May. Cabo's signature billfish and the one most anglers catch. Most weigh 100 to 200 pounds and they jump a lot.
- Blue marlin: peak July–November, in the warm water of summer and fall. Fewer bites, much bigger fish.
- Black marlin: peak August–September. The rarest of the three.
October is tournament month in Cabo, when blue and striped marlin overlap with tuna, wahoo and dorado. Book early for October. No one can guarantee a marlin on a given day; the season table below shows how the odds change by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Marlin | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Some | Some | Peak | Peak | Peak | Oct–May |
| Blue Marlin | Some | Off | Off | Some | Some | Some | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Some | Jul–Nov |
| Black Marlin | Off | Off | Off | Off | Some | Some | Good | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Some | Aug–Sep |
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Which boat for marlin?
Marlin live offshore, so book a sportfishing boat of 28 feet or more, not a panga. For striped marlin, any of our offshore boats is well set up; the most affordable is the 28' Sportfisher at $865 for a full day. For blue and black marlin we recommend a boat of 35 feet or more: more room and heavier tackle for a fish that can take hours, from $1,288 for a full day on the 35' Bertram.
Prices are per boat, not per person, and include captain and crew, rods and tackle, bait (live when available), ice, bottled water, dock fees, taxes and one fishing license. See every boat and its price.
Half day or full day?
For marlin we recommend a full day (about 8 hours). Marlin are often several miles offshore, and a full day gives the captain time to run to where the fish are and work the area. A half day (about 5 hours) can work in striped marlin season when fish are close; ask us when you book and we'll tell you what the boats are seeing that week.
How marlin are caught in Cabo
Most marlin are caught trolling lures or rigged bait. In striped marlin season, the captain often switches to live bait (caballito or sardines) once a fish is seen, which gives the best chance of a hookup. Our crews use 30- to 50-pound-class gear for striped marlin and heavier gear for blue marlin.
The one-billfish rule and catch and release
Mexican rules allow one billfish per angler per day, but in Cabo we follow a local rule of one billfish per boat per day to protect the species, and we strongly encourage releasing every marlin. Tuna, dorado and wahoo can be kept within the daily limits.
What a marlin charter costs
Everyone aged 12 and older on the boat needs a Mexican sport fishing license, even if they don't fish. One is included; each extra license is $30. License rules and limits.
Example: four anglers, full day on the 35' Bertram: $1,288 for the boat (one license and one set of bait included) + 3 × $30 for the other licenses = $1,378. Tips for the crew are not included; 10–20% of the charter is customary in Cabo.
Who you fish with
Top Anglers is run by the Vargas family. The crew of our 45' CABO Express won a prize at the 2025 Bisbee's Black & Blue, Cabo's big marlin tournament. In August 2025, at the 33rd World Championship in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France, Victor Vargas captained both Mexican teams, and Max Vargas sat on the jury. Our story.
Not sure which boat or which week? Message the family on WhatsApp from any page; we answer every day from 5 AM to 6 PM, Cabo time.