Golden Gate Bank

The Pacific side's winter ground

The Golden Gate is a broad underwater bank off the Pacific coast of the cape, up the coast from Cabo San Lucas towards Todos Santos. From Marina Cabo San Lucas it is about 21 nautical miles (39 km) in a straight line, so boats reach it in about an hour and a half once they clear the arch and turn north. The Pacific swell can stand up over the shallow top, which is one reason crews keep a close eye on the forecast.

The bank is best known for striped marlin. They are caught there through the year, but the heart of the season runs from November into March, when cooler Pacific water brings large schools of sardines up onto the bank. On a good winter day the bait balls are pushed to the surface and several marlin may be feeding on the same school, which makes for some of the busiest billfishing in the region.

Conditions are the trade-off. The Pacific side is more exposed than the Sea of Cortez, and on windy days the swell on the bank can make for a lively ride. In settled weather, though, the run up the coast is a fine sight in itself, past long empty beaches with the desert mountains behind.

Plan for a long day: four hours leaves little time on the bank after the run, so most boats fish it on six or eight hours. If striped marlin are what you are after in winter, ask whether the reports have the fish on the Golden Gate or closer to the cape that week; captains move with the bait.