February brings the coolest water of the year to Cabo. Striped marlin are on the banks, yellowtail are holding on structure, and humpbacks are breaching on the run out. It is a good month with one real catch: north wind can take a day away from you, so build some flexibility into your dates if you can.
February usually gives us the coolest water of the year. Expect something in the high sixties to low seventies, and do not be surprised by a cold pocket on the Pacific side. The air is dry and pleasant, generally mid seventies through the afternoon, and the mornings are cold enough that everyone aboard wants a jacket for the first hour.
North wind is still the pattern. Some Februaries it blows most of the month and some years it barely shows up. We plan around it rather than fight it. If the Pacific side is stacked up, the Cortez side is usually fishable, and that flexibility is the difference between a day on the water and a day in the marina.
Sea state matters more than air temperature in February. Twenty knots of north wind does not make the day cold so much as it makes it wet, and spray at first light is genuinely uncomfortable. A light waterproof shell is worth more to you than a heavy jacket.
Striped marlin again. February sits in the middle of the strong stretch for them, and the fishing off the banks can be very good when the wind lets us get out. Numbers move with the bait, so some weeks are slow and some are the best week of the winter. Anyone who promises you otherwise is selling something.
Most of the striped marlin fishing this time of year is bait and switch, or casting a live bait to a fish we have raised and can see. It rewards patience, and February is a good month to learn how it works because you often get more than one shot in a day. Fly anglers do well here when the water lies down.
Yellowtail are at or near their best in February. They hold on structure and they pull harder for their size than anything else out there. Sierra are thick inshore. Bonito are everywhere and are good on light tackle as well as useful in the bait tank.
Nothing warm water is in play. No blue marlin, no black marlin, no sailfish, almost no dorado worth planning around, and the wahoo run is done. If those fish are on your list, February is the wrong month and no captain can change that.
Two good options. Offshore for marlin, or a mixed inshore day for yellowtail and sierra. They are genuinely different trips. The offshore day is a long run with fewer bites and bigger fish. The inshore day stays close, works far better with children, and you will probably come home with dinner.
February also sits in the middle of whale season. Humpbacks are active and we see breaching on most trips. If someone in your group is not a fisherman, February is the easiest month to keep them happy on a fishing boat.
Spearfishing in February means cold water and good visibility. Yellowtail on the reefs are the target. Come with the right suit or you will last an hour.
Steady. Busy without being overrun. The marina has people on it all day, restaurants are full at dinner and quiet at lunch, and you can still walk into most places. Travel costs sit in the middle of the year's range, higher than September, well under the last two weeks of December.
Presidents Day week in the United States brings a bump, and it shows up on the water as much as in town. If your dates land there, get the charter locked in early.
February is also a good month for the things that are not fishing. The Pacific side beaches, the hiking, and the drive up to Todos Santos are all better in February than in August. If the wind takes your fishing day, there are worse places to be stuck.
Yes if you want striped marlin, comfortable air temperatures and whales, and you can accept that wind might cost you a day.
No if you are set on warm water species, or if you want water warm enough to swim in off the boat. And think twice if you have exactly one fishable day and no room to move it. February wind does not care about your schedule. Give yourself a spare day.
Every species with this month inside its peak window. Tap one for the full page.
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.
