The fishing out of Puerto Los Cabos Marina has hit its peak. The tuna action at the Iman and San Luis banks has increased and is flat out excellent right now, with fish of every size in play: cows over 200 pounds for the anglers hunting a trophy, and huge numbers of 20 to 40 pound tuna that keep everyone on the boat busy all morning. On top of that, the cubera snapper bite has turned on, with quality fish in the 30 to 40 pound class coming off banks like El Cardon and off the inshore points near the spot our local captains call La Casa Rosa. This is one of those weeks where almost everyone goes home happy.
Check the live San José del Cabo weather and sea conditions before your trip so you fish the right window.
Check the Live Weather Report
Daliken Sportfishing Report
Today's Conditions
The conditions right now are exactly what you want. The moon is waxing gibbous and building toward the full moon later this week, which means the tides are climbing back up from the neap range toward spring, and the current is getting stronger by the day. That building current is a major reason the bite has improved: it concentrates the bait on the banks and it turns the fish on. The mornings have been light and comfortable with a southwest breeze around 6 mph, and the wind picks up through the afternoon. We are right at the autumn equinox, so day and night are nearly equal, with sunrise around 6:10 and sunset around 6:15.
Tide, Moon and Currents
With the full moon approaching, the tides build all week and the current gets stronger. That is good news for the bite on the banks, and it also means the cubera fishing on the structure improves as the water moves. We plan the run so the first light window and the morning tide movement line up. For exact times the day of your trip, check the live weather and tide report linked above.
The Two Windows That Matter
The prime window. Sunrise is around 6:10 now, and the first three hours give you the flattest water, the lightest wind and the most willing fish before the sun gets high. This is when the 20 to 40 pound tuna have been feeding hardest and when the cows are most likely to eat a slow-trolled bait.
The second window opens as the heat comes off the water, running to sunset around 6:15. This has been the better window for the cubera snapper on the structure, which feed more aggressively as the light drops. The trade-off is the afternoon breeze, so expect a bumpier ride than the morning.
Tuna Action at Its Peak: Iman and San Luis
The tuna fishing has reached its best point of the season. The activity at the Iman Bank and San Luis Bank has increased noticeably and the fishing is excellent, with tuna of every size in the mix.
For the trophy hunters, the cows over 200 pounds are here. Those come on slow-trolled live bait, worked patiently over the banks with heavy stand-up gear, and they will test you and your tackle to the limit. For everyone else, there are huge numbers of 20 to 40 pound tuna eating live sardines, and that is the kind of fishing where rods stay bent all morning and the whole boat catches. It is rare to have both ends of the scale firing at the same time the way they are now.
Cubera Snapper 30 to 40 Pounds at El Cardon and La Casa Rosa
The cubera snapper bite deserves its own headline this week. We are getting cuberas of all sizes, including quality fish in the 30 to 40 pound class, which is a genuinely impressive snapper anywhere in the world.
They are holding on a few of the banks, with El Cardon producing well, and also on the inshore points close to the coast near the spot the local captains have always called La Casa Rosa, the Pink House. If you have never fought a big cubera, understand what you are in for: they eat, they turn, and they head straight for the rocks with everything they have. You have about two seconds to stop them. Lock the drag, lean on them immediately, and do not give an inch. They are also outstanding on the table, which makes them a favorite for anglers who want to take fish home.
The Captains On the Water This Week
The fish get the headlines, but the captains are the reason our boats find them. Here is who was running our trips this week, and you will see them in the photos below.
Captain Pancho
Our most experienced captain and one of the most respected names on this coast. Pancho has more than 30 years of sportfishing and commercial fishing behind him, and that kind of career means he has seen these waters in every condition and every season there is. When the bite is difficult, experience like that is the difference between a slow day and a great one.
Captain Papayito
Part of our crew and a captain who knows the productive banks and the inshore points intimately. Strong on reading water and putting anglers on fish through the full range of our program, from the offshore tuna grounds to the structure where the cuberas hold.
Captain Riky
One of our captains running trips out of Puerto Los Cabos this week. Solid all around and particularly good at keeping visiting anglers in the action, which is exactly what you want when you are new to this kind of fishing and want a day that delivers.
Captain Charro
Another of the captains on the water with us this week. Like the rest of the crew, he fishes these grounds day in and day out through every season, and that local knowledge is exactly what separates a good charter from an average one.
The Bite Right Now, Species by Species
Yellowfin Tuna, Cows Over 200 lb
The trophy target and they are here. Slow-trolled live bait over the Iman and San Luis banks at 1.5 to 2.5 knots, heavy stand-up gear, and patience. You put the bait out and you commit to the wait. When one of these eats, everything else about the trip becomes a footnote.
Yellowfin Tuna, 20 to 40 lb
Excellent numbers and the reason this week is so good for everyone. Live sardines drifted over the marks, start up-current, measured chum line. This is the high-action fishing where the whole boat stays busy and everyone goes home with fish. Perfect for first-timers and families.
Cubera Snapper
All sizes with quality fish 30 to 40 lb. Holding at El Cardon and on the inshore points near La Casa Rosa. Bait on the structure, drag locked down, and turn them the instant they eat or you lose them in the rocks. Some of the best eating fish in these waters.
Mixed and Inshore
The heavy bait concentrations on the banks keep a variety of species in the area, so keep a rod rigged for whatever shows. Inshore the shoreline continues to hold fish, and the shorter run is a good option for anglers who want a half day close to the marina.
Fishing Tactics That Are Working
| Technique | Speed / Method | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow-trolled live bait | 1.5 to 2.5 knots | Cow tuna over 200 lb | Just enough speed to keep the bait swimming upright and natural. Too fast kills the bait, too slow and it sinks and fouls the line. |
| Live sardine drift | Drifting | Tuna 20 to 40 lb | Set up up-current of the marks and let the bait work back naturally. Steady, measured chum line. Match your weight to the drift speed. |
| Bait on the structure | Drift or positioned | Cubera snapper | Get the bait down to the rocks at El Cardon or the inshore points. Drag locked, hands ready. The fight is decided in the first two seconds. |
| Trolled lures | 6 to 8 knots | Mixed pelagics | Worth running while moving between banks. Skirted lures at varied distances, lower end of the range in a chop. |
Tackle Recommendations
| Target | Rod | Reel | Line and Leader | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cow tuna 200 lb+ |
Heavy stand-up or bent butt, 80 to 130 lb class | 50W to 80W two-speed, full drag | 100 to 130 lb main, 200 to 300 lb leader | 9/0 to 11/0 circle hook, harness and gimbal belt essential. Do not go light on this program. |
| Tuna 20 to 40 lb |
7 ft medium-heavy, 30 to 50 lb class | 6500 to 8000 spinner or 30 class conventional | 50 to 65 lb braid, 40 to 50 lb fluoro | 2/0 to 4/0 circle, live sardine. Light drag at first, let them run, then come tight. |
| Cubera snapper 30 to 40 lb |
Heavy 6.5 to 7 ft, 60 to 80 lb class | Conventional, strong drag and fast retrieve | 65 to 80 lb braid, 80 to 100 lb fluoro | Drag locked down, turn them immediately. They will break you off on the rocks if you hesitate. |
All of this gear is on board and included on our trips. If you prefer to fish your own rods, this is what matches the conditions right now.
This Is the Week to Fish, So Do Not Waste the Morning
The fishing is at its peak and my advice is simple: get on the water at first light and fish the six to nine thirty window like it is the only one you get, because it is the best water and the most willing fish of the day. If you are after a cow over 200, we run the Iman or San Luis banks, put out a live bait and commit to the wait, and you need to come in understanding that trophy fishing means patience. If you want a day where everybody catches, the 20 to 40 pound tuna on sardines is as good as it has been all season and the whole boat will stay busy. And if you want something different, ask us about the cuberas at El Cardon or the points near La Casa Rosa, because a 30 to 40 pound snapper pulls harder than most people expect and eats better than almost anything out there. With the moon building toward full, the current is strengthening all week, which should keep this going. Book the morning, bring sunscreen and water, and let us handle the rest.
What We Recommend for Visiting Anglers
If this is your first time offshore, or you are traveling with family and want a day everyone enjoys, this is an outstanding week to book. The 20 to 40 pound tuna are exactly the right fish for visiting anglers: big enough to give you a real fight and a photo you will keep, but coming often enough that everyone on the boat gets their turn. You do not need experience and you do not need to bring anything. All the rods, reels, tackle and bait are provided, and your captain and crew will teach you everything on the water.
Our advice: book a morning trip, be at the marina early, and bring sunscreen, a hat, polarized sunglasses and plenty of water. Tell your captain what matters most to you, whether that is catching a lot of fish, taking home fillets, or getting a shot at something big, and we will build the day around it. If you want the fish cleaned and bagged, that is handled at the dock when you return. It really is that simple.
Tackle and Techniques Summary
What We Are Running
- Cow tuna: live bait slow-trolled at 1.5 to 2.5 knots over Iman and San Luis, heavy stand-up gear, patience is the whole game
- School tuna: live sardines drifted over the marks, start up-current, measured chum line, weight matched to drift speed
- Cubera snapper: bait down on the structure at El Cardon and the inshore points near La Casa Rosa, drag locked, turn them the instant they eat
- Timing: 6:00 to 9:30 AM is the prime window, 4:00 to 6:10 PM is the second one and better for cubera
- Bait: live sardines, caballito, small skipjack and chihuil all producing, and live bait is best arranged in advance
- What to bring: sunscreen, hat, polarized sunglasses and plenty of water, the September sun is still strong
The Week Ahead
Conditions this week look warm and humid with highs around 90°F, light southwest winds in the mornings and a chance of showers, which is typical September weather here. The moon builds toward full later in the week, so expect the current to keep strengthening and the bite to stay strong on the banks.
Los Cabos authorities have issued a preventive weather alert. Three low-pressure systems are developing off Mexico's Pacific coast, and one of them carries an 80 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone. Civil Protection has indicated that system could move toward the Los Cabos area around Wednesday, September 23, tracking northwest before potentially turning north, either passing near Cabo San Lucas or moving into the Gulf of California toward Sinaloa.
What that means for anglers: conditions could include heavy rain, lightning, strong wind gusts and elevated surf midweek, and the forecast remains fluid as the system develops. We monitor the Capitanía de Puerto notices every single day and no trip goes out if the port is closed or the conditions are unsafe. If weather affects your booked date, we will keep you informed and work with you to reschedule. This is normal for September in Baja, and the fishing on either side of a system is usually excellent, as we have seen repeatedly this season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biting in Los Cabos right now?
As of September 20 2026, yellowfin tuna are the main event out of Puerto Los Cabos, with excellent action at the Iman and San Luis banks. Cows over 200 pounds are being caught on slow-trolled live bait, and large numbers of 20 to 40 pound tuna are eating live sardines. Cubera snapper up to 30 to 40 pounds are also biting at El Cardon and the inshore points near La Casa Rosa.
What is the best time of day to fish in Los Cabos in September?
The morning window from 6:00 to 9:30 AM is by far the most productive. Sunrise is around 6:10 and the first three hours offer the flattest water, the lightest wind and the most active fish. A second window runs from about 4:00 PM to sunset around 6:15, which has been especially good for cubera snapper on the structure.
Do I need experience to catch tuna in Los Cabos?
No. The 20 to 40 pound tuna biting right now are ideal for first-time and visiting anglers. All rods, reels, tackle and bait are included on our trips, and the captain and crew handle the technical side and teach you on the water. The cow tuna over 200 pounds are a different matter and are better suited to anglers with experience fighting heavy fish.
Where is the best tuna fishing near San José del Cabo?
The San Luis Bank and the Iman Bank have been the most productive tuna grounds this week, both within range of a standard day trip out of Puerto Los Cabos Marina. These banks hold heavy bait concentrations, which is what keeps the tuna in the area and feeding.
Is September a good month to fish in Los Cabos?
Yes, September offers some of the best fishing of the year, with the warmest water and peak tuna activity. The one consideration is that it is also the peak of hurricane season, so conditions can change and port closures are possible. We monitor official notices daily and do not run trips when the port is closed, and we work with guests to reschedule when weather interferes.
What should I bring on a fishing charter in Los Cabos?
Bring sunscreen, a hat, polarized sunglasses and plenty of water. A light long-sleeve sun shirt helps in the September heat. Everything else, including all fishing tackle, bait and licenses arrangements, is handled by us. Fish cleaning and bagging is taken care of at the dock when you return.
Cows over 200, tuna 20 to 40 by the boatload, and cuberas that pull like a freight train. The Iman and San Luis banks are at their peak, and weeks like this are why people plan a year ahead to fish Los Cabos.
From the Day on the Water
Book Your Trip
Our fleet runs daily out of Puerto Los Cabos Marina in San José del Cabo, the quieter side of Los Cabos away from the Cabo San Lucas crowds. The bigger boats have the range and heavy tackle for the cow tuna program at Iman and San Luis, and the pangas are perfect for the sardine bite and the cubera points close to shore. Choose the boat that fits your group:
Fish With Us From the Cabo San Lucas Side
On the Cabo San Lucas side instead? Our California 32ft runs out of Cabo San Lucas with legendary Captain Roberto and quality gear including Shimano Talica reels. Same honest fishing, no need to cross to San José.
Looking for a Bigger Boat?
Larger groups or anglers who want more space, range and heavy tackle for the cow tuna program can see the full lineup on our fleet page.
View the Full FleetBrowse our latest Los Cabos fishing reports for the full week of catches and conditions out of Puerto Los Cabos Marina.
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