Gordo Banks

Two banks close to San José del Cabo

The Gordo Banks are the easiest offshore structure to reach from the east cape side of Los Cabos. The inner bank tops out about 40 m (130 ft) down and the outer bank about 67 m (220 ft) down, and both rise steeply from much deeper water. That shape forces cold, food-rich water upward, and the bait that gathers above the tops brings in tuna, wahoo and billfish. Bottom fish live on the rocky slopes themselves.

From Puerto Los Cabos, the marina at La Playita, the inner bank is only about 9 nautical miles (16 km) away, a short run in most boats. From Marina Cabo San Lucas it is a much longer trip, about 23 nautical miles (44 km) in a straight line around the tip of the peninsula, an hour and a half or more each way. Boats from Cabo San Lucas therefore tend to fish it on longer days or when reports say the bite is on.

The season turns over through the year. Striped marlin are best from November through March. Wahoo come in two bursts, in late winter and again in autumn. Yellowfin tuna are at their best in May and June, and dorado and blue marlin take over in the warm summer months. Snapper and grouper are caught on the bottom much of the year, with the cooler months the best.

The banks are popular, so on a good day several boats may be working the same spot, and drifting with live bait or slow-trolling over the tops is the usual approach. Ask your captain which bank suits the day and why: the inner is the quicker of the two to reach.