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As some of you may already know, I’ve had some fantastic fishing experiences in Mexico with Christoph Hottgenroth. The combination of roosterfish and dorado fishing around Palapas Ventana, along with marlin fishing in Magdalena Bay, was perfect and truly special. It is precisely this mix that makes it the perfect reason for me to return to Mexico with exactly the same setup.
It pays to be quick – there are still a few places left for both dates.
We started our adventure at Palapas Ventana in Baja, Mexico, where we caught roosterfish, dorados, and skipjacks. It was the perfect warm-up, and for Christoph and me, dorados were a completely new experience. They are an amazing species to target on the fly. We caught plenty of roosterfish, though mostly smaller ones, as the prime season for big roosters is in May and June—when the larger fish enter the bay.
After that, we moved to the Marlin Camp. We didn’t fish on the travel day, as the journey took several hours by car, including a stop in La Paz to shop at Walmart.
The accommodation consists of simple concrete huts in a small fishing village on an island - very basic, but with everything you need. The food is also simple, so not a luxury, but perfectly adequate. What was really great was that our camp was located directly on an island in front of the fishing grounds, so we had a very short way from the lodge to the fishing spots.
The fishing was absolutely spectacular. Over three and a half days, we landed 15 marlins between the two of us—including two double hookups. We even had a double hookup on poppers! And all of this was sight fishing. There was never a dull moment—just non-stop excitement from one action-packed moment to the next.
Arrival at Las Palapas: November 13 (Arrival in Cabo San Lucas at 18:20), followed by transfer to Las Palapas Ventana
This year, Condor offered direct flights from Frankfurt to Cabo San Lucas at very competitive rates. Flights for 2025 are not yet listed online, but the plan is to book the Condor flight from Frankfurt to Cabo. This way, we can avoid a domestic flight, as the drive from Cabo to Palapas Ventana is only 3–4 hours by minivan.
Here you will find an overview of the most important travel information:
Accommodation in double or triple occupancy rooms
Full board (Alternatively, à la carte dining is available at Palapas Ventana at your own expense)
A bait boat to supply sardines, keeping dorados and roosterfish around the boat for longer
Land and boat transfers
International flights
Beverages (some at your own expense)
Tips for staff and boat crew
The essential equipment for this fishing trip.
It is very important that reels used for marlin fishing are fitted with a good drag system and have sufficient backing (50–80 lbs) (at least 250 metres).
Reels in the 9–10 class should also have a good drag system with sufficient backing.
It is important that the fly lines are suitable for tropical conditions.
Cortland or Rio offer suitable lines.
Bring at least 2 spare lines.
Marlin and Dorado:
For roosterfish and other predators:
Leader material:
Marlin:
Rooster und andere Räuber:
Marlin in Mag Bay:
It is very important that the flies used for marlin are tied on strong hooks. I recommend Gamakatsu SL 12 S in size 6/0, or even better in size 8/0
For roosterfish and other predators, you’ll also need smaller flies in Palapas Ventana and inshore in Mag Bay. We use small baitfish flies (9–12 cm) tied on hook sizes 2/0 to 4/0, as well as larger baitfish flies (13–17 cm) tied on 6/0 hooks.
