The Baja Easy Button

After arriving in San Jose del Cabo, locating my shuttle to the lodge was quick and easy, and about two hours later I was checking in at Bahía de los Sueños on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. From the hotel pool deck, the serene, nearly empty and ironically named, Bahia de Los Muertos (Bay of the Dead ), stretched out in a perfect crescent below, its calm waters promising enticing action right out front.

Each morning I made the gentle trek down to the water where I would depart for fishing. Even on the few days I was early, my captain was always silently waiting just offshore. I could hear the outboard motor start quietly as the boat was eased onto the beach. The whole approach, and the nearly-whispered “Buenos días” from the captain, perfectly matched the stillness of the morning. Flip-flops came off, rods were stowed, and we headed out on runs that were protected, flat, and often very short.

On my first day, we fished within sight of the hotel the entire time. If that makes it sound like my captain didn’t want to work hard or this was just some kind of boat ride, consider this: that morning we hooked three nice roosterfish, had shots at numerous others (landed one), landed a gorgeous jack crevalle, two dorado, and a variety of other smaller species. Fishing solo, I was often done by early afternoon, beating the heat and enjoying tacos and guacamole by the pool, well-satiated from a highly productive morning. Sometimes life is tough, but life at Bahía de los Sueños is not.

Honestly, everything was so seamless, easy to get to, and consistently productive that the whole trip felt a little like cheating compared to what I normally encounter. Not only was the journey easy and the fishing good, but the weather was almost ideal: highs in the 80's with a light breeze each day. I don’t think it blew harder than 10–15 knots the entire time I was there, and yet every local I mentioned this to seemed unfazed and said the weather was even better in early summer. But I was on a mission: gather a current report from Bahía de los Sueños and return with some images. That’s how I found myself early on at least, fly rod in my right hand at the ready, phone in my left as I filmed packs of roosterfish swarming bait near the boat. If you haven’t seen this for yourself, imagine those famous dorsal fins, long and comb-like, sticking up like tattered flags, bucking and tearing through the surface of the ocean. Roosterfish are charismatic predators with a unique dorsal profile that flares when they’re keyed in on prey, making them unmistakable and mesmerizing to watch.Not being sure whether I should be filming or fishing is both the sign of a good trip and a pretty good “problem” to have. Since trying to film and fish at the same time is a great way to make sure you’re not doing either very well, I decided the best way to get great images of these fish was to put the phone down and catch one or two.

Sometime after the morning frenzy died down, my captain would usually turn to me and ask simply, “Dorado?” Without having to change anything on my rod (though you can get away with a thicker leader for sure), we would make the short run to the buoys anchored a mile or two offshore. There are dozens of these set out by the locals to attract pelagic fish like dorado. These brilliantly colored gamefish are the decathletes of the fishing world, though not necessarily the fastest, strongest, or highest-jumping, but competitive or better in every category, which makes them amazing in my book. The bar at Bahía de los Sueños is where you can order food (included) and drinks throughout your stay. It’s effortlessly cool and a real hub of activity. It’s so well liked that during my stay, visitors arrived by boat from the beach, and several groups staying at nearby all-inclusive resorts stopped by to happily pay out of pocket for drinks and food. Fishing is done from super panga center-console skiffs powered by modern outboards. Typically two anglers share a panga, but unlike many saltwater locations, both anglers will likely be able to fish simultaneously for much of the day. The rotation in this scenario is between the bow casting platform and the stern. The season runs from April to October, with August off. There’s nearly always a prime gamefish to be had during the season and if one species is slow, there’s always another to target. If you’re looking for a perfect saltwater fix, easy and affordable flights, incredible views, and major improvements on your Apple Watch stress scores, look no further than Bahía de los Sueños.