Loreto was a fishing town long before it was anything else, and the reason is simple: five islands, deep channels, rocky points and a current that brings the fish past your door. Here is what we target through the year from Loreto Star, and how many hours each kind of day needs.
December to April: Yellowtail
Winter is yellowtail season. These are strong, stubborn fish that hold on the high spots and rocky points around Isla Coronado and Isla del Carmen, and they pull like nothing else their size. We fish them with live bait or heavy jigs over structure. Four to six hours is a proper yellowtail morning, and because this is also blue whale season, you will often have a whale surface while you are fishing.
May to October: Roosterfish
As the water warms, roosterfish move along the beaches and points in surprisingly shallow water. The comb of a rooster cutting the surface behind a bait is one of the great sights in fishing. We release every one. Roosters suit a shorter, focused session close to shore.
June to October: Dorado
Dorado — mahi-mahi — is Loreto's signature summer fish and the one most of our guests come for. We troll the current lines and floating weed between the islands, and when you find them it is fast: acrobatic, brilliantly coloured and delicious. Six hours gives you time to find the fish and time to enjoy them once you do. Eight lets you fish the morning and finish with a swim and lunch on an island beach.
July to October: Marlin and Sailfish
Billfish run offshore in the warmest months. Reaching them from Loreto means a longer charter — eight hours or more — and a bit of luck, but a striped marlin from a panga is a story for the rest of your life. All billfish are released.
All Year: Cabrilla, Snapper, Grouper, Sierra
The rocks and drop-offs around all three islands hold cabrilla (sea bass), snapper, grouper and sierra twelve months a year. This is the family fishing: steady action, easy technique, close to the islands, and dinner at the end of it. A four-hour morning is plenty.
Licenses, Limits and Your Catch
Everyone who fishes needs a Mexican sport fishing license, bought online by the day; we send you the link when you book. We fish inside the rules of Loreto Bay National Marine Park, release roosterfish and billfish, and keep only what you will eat. Your captain fillets your dorado or yellowtail at the dock, and the restaurants along the malecón will cook it for you that evening.
Fishing by the Hour
There is no fixed package on Loreto Star. Four hours is a solid morning on the near points; six is the sweet spot for dorado or yellowtail; eight or more goes offshore or splits the day between fishing and an island beach. Gear, tackle and bait are on board. See the sport fishing page for everything included, or check availability for your dates.
