Sea of Cortez Fishing in Rocky Point: The Angler's Lowdown

You don’t need to be an angler to catch big fish near Rocky Point. In fact, you don’t have to know anything about Sea of Cortez fishing. How can I make such a claim, you ask?

Either spend the next few years learning how to fish like a pro on your own big boat, or quickly discover how to start catching fish like a pro on the Sea of Cortez…right now.

Do you want to experience the poll-bending feel of hooking a big fish on your line? Are you willing to pay for a great Sea of Cortez fishing experience? Then please allow me to show you how to charter a good fishing boat.

What you’ll uncover here…

First, explore how to find the best fishing charters in Rocky Point – big or small, top-dollar or tight-budget. Then, discover how a good charter-boat captain will make your Sea of Cortez fishing experience very simple and fun.

Next, find out what type of fish you can catch near Rocky Point – and get some cool fishing tips too. Finally, you’ll impress your charter-boat captain with your newly acquired “know how.”

Picking the right Sea of Cortez fishing charter

Remember, it’s all about the captain, not the boat. Big boats may provide more accommodations, but a good boat captain will provide your best experience. While floating on the water, learning cool stuff and catching big fish, the type of boat you’re on just doesn’t matter, as long as it floats – well, maybe it matters a little…

Start by checking rocky point fishing charters on Trip Advisor and Yelp. Just click on the two pop-down boxes below, to get the latest info from them – I finished all of the unskilled labor for you already. So, just click and check’m out – feel free to change the search criteria on top, in each box.

Sea of Cortez fishing charter search on Trip Advisor

Sea of Cortez fishing charter search on Yelp

Those pop-down boxes work pretty well, right?

Okay, where was I…

Find a good Sea of Cortez fishing-charter captain

Now you have an idea about the fishing charters in Rocky Point – after looking at them in my little pop-down boxes. And, you know how their clients have rated them.

Next, you need to know what to look for, and what questions to ask your prospective charter captain:

Ask if they allow catch and keep, or just catch and release
- Some boat captains are catch and release only
- Knowing ahead of time will prevent disappointment
Are they licensed and do they provide a fishing license for you?
- Is your fishing license included in their price?
- Mexico has strict boat-captain laws
- If they’re licensed, that’s good assurance
Is being a boat captain their full-time job?
- Many boat owners get their license to subsidize their own boating/fishing
- A full-time captain is out there day in and day out catching fish
Ask the captain about their fishing-tournament accolades
- If they’ve won or placed in second or third, you know they’re good

Being prepared makes all the difference. A little due-diligence on your part goes a long way.

My personal recommendations are…

I’ve lived in Rocky Point for many years and have built some relationships with some very cool business owners in town. Also, I’ve spoken with previous customers, so I have a little insight.

1. Rocky Point Fishing Services

Enjoy a wonderful day, half-day or several-day trip on the gorgeous Sea of Cortez – Rocky Point Fishing Services is here to give you a time to remember! And, you can pick one of several options:

Pick from multiple Sea of Cortez fishing options
Take a sunset cruise
Enjoy whale watching
Jump in for snorkeling or scuba diving
Visit Bird Island for an eco-tour
OR, go overnight for a real Sea of Cortez fishing extravaganza!

Once you decide, the renowned Captain Pepe will ensure you have a great time and catch lots of big fish.

<Click here> to read my article containing great information about Rocky Point Fishing Services, their large boats, and what they offer.

2. Pelican Fishing Charter

Pelican Fishing Charter has three awesome fishing options and one big Bird Island eco-tour option to choose from. And, they’re all designed to make the most of your time fishing on the Sea of Cortez. So, let the highly-experienced Captain Jaimez be your guide on the beautiful Sea of Cortez.

Captain Jaimez has a twin-engine boat that provides comfort, reliability, and safety. Therefore, when you head out on your adventure, you’ll know that your peace-of-mind is Captain Jaimez’ top priority. Then, your total enjoyment comes next – you’ll have a great time Sea of Cortez fishing!

Here’s another pop-down box. Open it to see Pelican Fishing Charter’s website.

Sea of Cortez fishing with Captain Jaimez' Pelican Fishing Charter

Big fish – and small ones too

Rocky Point’s location provides Sea of Cortez fishing at it’s best. You’ll find Pacific red snapper, white sea bass, mahi-mahi, and the illusive roosterfish, to name a few. With its reefs and calm waters, the Sea of Cortez is famous for its bottom fishing that produces large grouper and those Pacific red snapper.

Pacific red snapper – “Pargo”

Being bottom fish, they’ll take bait, lure and fly. They’ll escape into the rocks and wait you out if you aren’t diligent.

Pacific red snapper will hit when you’re fishing deep, just above the rocks. They range in size from three to twenty pounds, but can sometimes reach over 50 pounds. And, while they can be caught all-year-round, the best time to catch Pacific red snapper is April through July.

Mahi mahi – “Dorado”

These incredible fish can grow up to 20 pounds within their first year of life!

Mahi mahi are incredibly aggressive and take live bait, trolled lures and flies. Hard fighting and acrobatic, they are the “Fisherman’s’ fish” in the Sea of Cortez.

When casting out, be sure to give the fish time to inhale the bait. Then, wait three seconds before you set the hook. Once you have them, keep tension on the line until the fish is landed securely on your chartered boat.

Mahi mahi is seen as early as May. But, many of the big ones come in and start biting after the sea temperature rises in the summer. So, the best time to catch a larger mahi mahi is from June to October.

Roosterfish – “Pez gallo”

These fish are the lions of the sea, prowling and attacking those happy-go-lucky, wide-eyed fish, like those you see in cartoon movies…yummy – they go for lures, flies and bait too!

Roosterfish are named for their comb-like dorsal fins, which they can raise and lower. They provide anglers quite a challenge, to say the least. Tip…the best way to catch them is to cast live bait over the sandy bottoms in shallow water.

Roosterfish are biting from late May until the end of June.

Grouper – “Cabrilla”

A variety of grouper live in the Sea of Cortez, including the Goliath grouper, Calico sea bass, and 36 other species. Living in deeper water near rocks and reefs, grouper are caught while you’re bottom fishing.

They’re caught by fly-lining a live sardine or mackerel, using a 2 ½ egg sliding sinker. Another method is to use jigs. They don’t go for live bait – just drop the jig to the bottom and reel it back, in a fast and steady motion.

Groupers prefer colder waters. Therefore, they’re caught from February through April.

Triggerfish – “Cochito bota”

Aggressive, but fairly easy to catch, Triggerfish come in a variety of colors. Being coral and rock eaters, they have some serious teeth. So, stay away from the business end of these finger-biting fish.

Triggerfish are caught throughout the year when fishing with live bait.

Rocky Point

After you’ve hooked your last catch of the day, you’ll be happy to discover all of the other attractions Rocky Point has to offer. Renowned for its golf, Rocky Point attracts golfers from all over the world. They’re hosted at The Las Palomas Beach and Golf Resort. Also, there’s plenty of water-sports activities, like parasailing, snorkeling and scuba diving, jet-ski renting, and riding on the long banana boat, just to name a few. And the night-life is awesome too!

If you’re interested in purchasing property in the booming real-estate market of Rocky Point, there are luxury condos and beach homes available to purchase. Susie Flinn, Rocky Point’s premier real-estate broker, is here to serve you. <Click here> to learn more about Susie Flinn and Rocky Point Real Estate By the Sea.

Are you ready?

Your next Sea of Cortez fishing adventure is waiting for you. Book a room or beach house and come down to play. Please leave a comment below or click contact me if you have any questions or thoughts. I can answer any of you questions about Rocky Point, Mexico – I’ll help you make it happen!