Curiosities About Sport Fishing in Mexico
Go Fishing Cancun • May 28, 2021

If you are a fishing enthusiast or just want to learn more about sport fishing in Mexico, you will surely find this information very interesting and discover something new about the art and tradition of fishing in Cancun

Sportfishing in Mexico

Mexico has become one of the world’s top sportfishing destinations. Mexico hosts an average of 250 sportfishing tournaments every year. This activity results in an estimated $2 million in revenue per year, 50 percent of which is in Cabo San Lucas. Likewise, this activity is important in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, especially in Tampico, Veracruz, and Cancun, where national and international tourists fish for the best specimens of species such as marlin, sailfish, tarpon, dorado, wahoo, tuna, among others.

Without further ado, here are some curiosities about sport fishing in Mexico:

Fishing equipment is as varied as the fish in the sea.

Well, maybe not so much, but there is a tremendous variety of rods, reels, lines, hooks … and that’s just the basics. If you don’t know much about fishing, movies, and TV shows can give you the wrong idea. That’s why many people believe that the only thing that varies is the type of bait. Of course, there are many factors to consider when choosing your equipment. For example, a fishing rod handles 6 specifications: length, rod weight, material, weight range for the bait, weight range you need to use, and action or flexibility;) the fine also handles the level of sensitivity. The gear you choose will depend on the type of fishing you plan to do.

Fishing equipment is as varied as the fish in the sea.

Well, maybe not so much, but there is a tremendous variety of rods, reels, lines, hooks … and that’s just the basics. If you don’t know much about fishing, movies, and TV shows can give you the wrong idea. That’s why many people believe that the only thing that varies is the type of bait. Of course, there are many factors to consider when choosing your equipment. For example, a fishing rod handles 6 specifications: length, rod weight, material, weight range for the bait, weight range you need to use, and action or flexibility;) the fine also handles the level of sensitivity. The gear you choose will depend on the type of fishing you plan to do.

Fishermen are very superstitious.

In the past, seafarers have relied on several superstitions that enabled them to cope with the dangers of the sea. Over time, these traditions and beliefs have been maintained and sport fishermen remain an extremely superstitious community to this day. Some popular beliefs are never to say “good luck” but wish “good fishing”, it is also believed that standing up on the left foot is an omen of bad fishing.

The moon affects fishing.

Given the power the moon has over tides and currents, it is not surprising that its cycle also affects the behavior of animals living in the sea. One of the main attributions of the moon is its influence on fishing. Fishermen say that fishing tends to be more frequent on the nights of the new moon. There are even studies that suggest that fish are extremely active on a full moon and new moon days, so they tend to eat more and consequently improve fishing.

Cancun has a fishing tradition

Few people know that in the late 1960s, before the founding of Cancun, the first coastal settlement was Puerto Juarez, a small political sub-delegation of Isla Mujeres of 117 people. At that time, Cancun had few residents: Emilio Maldonado and his family, Antonio B. Hernández (Cachito), and Gabriel Garrido (Gabuch), caretakers of coconut plantations, separated from the rest of the world and surviving on fishing and harvesting. Today they are officially recognized as the first indigenous people of the city.


This legacy was linked to the growing popularity of sport fishing in the United States after World War II. Boca Paila’s traditional fishermen took advantage of the proximity to the Mexican Caribbean, learned American techniques, and brought them to Cancun when they were founded in 1970 to attract American sportfishing fanatics to the new destination.


If you want to experience real sportfishing in Cancun, we invite you to book with Go Fishing Cancun which has the best fishing tours in the area.

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