Baja Fishing Guide is a practical, angler-written resource for planning fishing trips to Baja California — from the yellowtail grounds near Ensenada and the Coronado Islands down to the roosterfish beaches of the East Cape and the famous marlin waters off Cabo San Lucas.
Who’s Behind This Site
The site is written and run by me, Kenny. I’ve been fishing SoCal saltwater since the 1997 El Niño — that summer is actually what got me into offshore fishing in the first place, watching everyone on the docks unload tuna I’d never seen in local water before. In the 28 years since, I’ve fished the Coronado Islands countless times from both San Diego landings and my own boat, trolled for tuna south of San Clemente Island with blue whales visible in every direction, caught halibut all over SoCal and the Channel Islands (more than one of them tried to bite me), and made the long summer runs to Santa Barbara Island where the sunrise bite produces some of the best yellowtail and white seabass fishing on the west coast.
On the Baja side, I’ve fished Ensenada pangas for summer yellowfin and albacore, booked Cabo sportfishers that put me on amberjack, roosterfish, and tuna, and made my first long Baja road trip south of Puerto Canoas back in 1987 with a truck full of surfboards and not enough food, but plenty of beer. The Cardón cactus and Boojum tree forests of the Valle de los Cirios are still some of the strangest terrain I’ve ever driven through.
There are Baja destinations I haven’t personally fished yet — Loreto, La Paz, San Quintin, and the East Cape chief among them — and I say so plainly in the articles covering those places. The guidance for those destinations is built from captain reports, experienced angler trip reports, and regional research. What you’re reading is real fishing experience where I have it, and honest disclosure where I don’t. That distinction matters to me.
What We Cover
Baja is one of the most diverse fishing destinations on earth, and planning a trip there involves more than booking a boat. The site aims to answer the questions anglers actually ask:
- Where should I fish — and when?
- Panga or cruiser? What’s included in a charter price?
- Do I need a Mexican fishing license? How do I get one?
- What gear should I bring for dorado? For roosterfish? For wahoo?
- Is it safe to drive to Baja? What do I need for Mexican auto insurance?
- What’s biting right now?
Every destination guide, species article, and gear recommendation on this site is written with a single goal: give you the information you need to have a great trip.
Our Approach
Plain language. Real experience where we have it, honest disclosure where we don’t. Specific gear mentions where the specifics matter — there’s no reason to pretend good products don’t have names.
When we recommend gear, charters, or trip services, many of those links are affiliate links — meaning if you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to products and services we’d actually use or have used ourselves. The commissions keep the site free to read with no pop-up ads, no autoplay videos, and no intrusive sponsorship interruptions. If you find the guides useful, booking through our links is how you can say thanks.
Corrections and better information are actively welcome. If I’ve gotten something wrong, or if you’ve fished a destination I haven’t and can help sharpen the guide, reach out.
Sister Site: fishing-reports.ai
Baja Fishing Guide is the written companion to fishing-reports.ai — a free tool I built for SoCal and Baja anglers. It packages daily NOAA SST maps, chlorophyll maps, fleet tracking, and San Diego landing fish counts into one interface, with 14-day animated playback so you can see how conditions are trending before you go. Both sites are my own projects. If you want to know what’s biting before you head south, start there.
Get in Touch
Questions, trip reports, corrections, or captain recommendations? Reach out via the contact page. If you fish a destination I haven’t covered first-hand, I’d genuinely like to hear from you — some of these guides need your help to get sharper.
Tight lines.
— Kenny