This is our home water. We launch off the beach at Punta Lobos, straight out through the surf, on the 24 foot Punta Lobos panga. The Pacific here is colder, wilder and less forgiving than the gulf side, and the fishing reflects that. Some days it is the best water in Baja. Some days we do not go.
There is no marina here and no dock. The panga sits on the sand at Punta Lobos, you get in on the beach, and the crew runs it out through the breaking surf on a timed gap. It takes maybe twenty seconds. You will hold on, you will probably get wet, and if the swell is up you will get very wet. Coming back in is the same in reverse, with the boat riding a wave onto the sand.
This is normal here and the crew do it constantly, but it is not a dock step and it is worth knowing before you book. It rules out some people. No babies or infants on this boat, and no dogs. If you have mobility limitations, a bad back, a recent surgery or anything that makes a sudden hard landing a problem, this is the wrong boat and we will tell you so rather than take the booking.
The Pacific side is fed by cold upwelling running down the outside of the peninsula. The water is greener, colder and far richer than the gulf, which is why there is so much life out here. It also means it is rarely the postcard blue people picture when they imagine Baja. Bring a windbreaker for the run out, even in summer. People are always surprised by that.
What the cold water buys you is a serious fishery. Yellowtail are the fish this coast is known for, and they are the reason people come back in the cooler months. They fight hard, they are excellent eating, and they hold around structure and the banks where the bottom comes up.
The banks out here are the draw and the commitment. They are underwater high spots well offshore where the bottom rises and the life concentrates, and they are a proper run from the beach in a panga. A bank day is a long day with a lot of open water in it. When it is on, it is the best fishing we do. When the wind gets up while you are out there, the ride home is long and everyone is quiet. We do not go to the banks unless the forecast supports it, and we will downgrade to an inshore day rather than commit to a run we do not like.
We will be honest about this because pretending otherwise wastes your holiday. The Pacific side is far more exposed than the Cortez. Swell arrives here from storms thousands of miles away, so the sea can be big under a blue sky and no local wind at all. The surf at Punta Lobos can shut the launch entirely, and when it does, nobody is going out, us included.
You will hear from us before the trip about what the weather and the sea are doing. If it looks poor we will say so early and we will offer you options, which usually means moving the day or moving you to the gulf side where there is often a fishable morning when there is none here. That is the advantage of not being tied to one coast. What we will not do is take you out through surf we do not like so that nobody has to have an awkward conversation.
Anyone who cannot get wet, cannot hold on hard for twenty seconds, or cannot take a jolt through their back and knees. Babies and infants, and dogs, none of which go on this boat. Bad sailors, because this is the rougher coast and a Pacific swell finds people who have been fine everywhere else. Anyone who needs their booked date to be the day they fish, since this is the water most likely to blow out. And anyone expecting warm blue water, because that is the other side of the peninsula and we would rather you knew that now.
We are based here, so a Todos Santos or El Pescadero day means no long transfer. Take your seasickness medication before you leave your accommodation rather than when you start feeling it, because by then it is too late. Bring a windbreaker, real sun protection, and put anything that must stay dry in a dry bag. Wear shoes you can walk into water in.
Trip lengths and departure times are still being confirmed. We rarely run split charters, so the boat is effectively yours. A 50% deposit is normally required to hold a date, and cancellation, refund and rescheduling terms are still being confirmed, which matters more on this coast than anywhere else we run because the sea cancels days here.
Peak months in lagoon. Billfish are released; most of the rest goes in the box.
The short version of how a trip with Indigo Adventures works. Licences, deposits, boats and what happens to your catch. The full FAQ has the rest.
Read the full FAQ→Indigo Adventures is based in El Pescadero, on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, a few minutes south of Todos Santos. Boats launch from three points: Punta Lobos beach in Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, and the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Which boat runs your trip decides where you meet us.
Custom fishing and spearfishing charters, freediving excursions, whale watching from mid December to April, and kayaking. Every trip is built around your group, your dates and the conditions rather than a fixed timetable, and almost every one goes out private.
Book online on the Book Now page, where availability is live and a 50 percent deposit holds the date. If you would rather we picked the trip, send an enquiry with who is coming, when you are here and what you want out of the day, and we will say which trip fits and which one does not.
No. Everyone fishing in Mexican waters needs a Mexican sportfishing licence, and each angler buys their own. We help you arrange it before the day so nobody is sorting paperwork on the dock. The same licence covers rod and spear.
Rarely. Almost every trip goes out as a private boat for you and your group. If a split makes sense for a small party we will say so when you enquire.
Three on the 24 foot Punta Lobos panga, up to four on La Ruca and La Morita, and up to six on Don Pancho and El Wahoo King. Whale watching numbers run a little higher because nobody is swinging a rod.
Yes. The catch goes home with you. Filleting at the dock, vacuum sealing and freezing are available, and most guests fly home with a cooler. Marlin are mostly released, with judgement on the day.
Yes, on fishing days. The crew rigs and handles the gear and hands you the rod when something eats. Guided spearfishing needs breath-hold experience and runs on a strict buddy system, which is the only legal way to spearfish in Mexico. Water, ice and snacks are normally aboard.
