Summer 2026 is off to a roaring start with a five-day jaunt to Loreto, Mexico, courtesy of Visit Baja California Sur. I was a part of a small group of food and travel writers (Hi, Lisa and Sam!) invited to experience the region’s gastronomic delights and cultural attractions, which included a sampling of Loreto’s restaurants, sailing aboard a catamaran on the Sea of Cortez, milking goats at a traditional ranch, and so much more.
One of the trip’s highlights was participating in a real-deal team fishing tournament on my first morning in town.
Fishermen start their days bright and early, even faux ones cosplaying for the day. Seeing the sun rise over the Pacific was worth the early call time.
The tourism board knew better than to send two writers and a publicist (Hi, Dianna!) out to sea on our own, so they commissioned the experts at Monzon Sportfishing to do what they do best: Take enthusiastic but inexperienced tourists on the ultimate fishing adventure. Captain Antonio was the day’s MVP, for real.
Say hello to the team: ¿Dónde Está Victor?. Our affable, nature-loving, multi-tasking tourism board representative, Victor, inspired the quirky moniker. He was our good luck charm.
As soon as the official gun shot off, the speed boat high-tailed it to an area about 30 or so minutes from the marina that Captain Antonio sensed would be ripe for yellowtail. After hooking a live mackerel to the fishing pole as bait, we slowly cruised around to see if any fish would bite. A trigger fish was caught and thrown back into the sea before Victor reeled in a big boy yellowtail at around 8:15 a.m.
The fish put up quite a fight, but in the end, Victor reeled it in, and Captain Antonio gaffed it out of the water. We fished for a few hours more, but didn’t manage to catch any others. Victor reminded us that all we need is one big fish to win the $5,000 USD grand prize.
Our lone yellowtail was carted away to be weighed upon returning to the marina.
After our fish was weighed by the tournament’s officials — 21.5 pounds! — we were free to do whatever we wished with our bounty.
We wished to eat it.
Victor brought the fish to a nearby fileteadera located about 200 meters from the marina to break it down into neat filets.
José Castro is a real pro, breaking down the yellowtail in under 10 minutes.
If you’re ever in Loreto and need a pro filetador, you know who to visit.
The fresh and supple filets were ready to be transformed into local-style sashimi in no time.
José placed the kanpachi filets in a plastic bag, and we brought them to Bajamar Restaurant, located a short walk away. Ivette, another representative from the tourism board who seemed to know everyone in town, asked the restaurant’s chef to prepare the freshly caught and filleted fish for lunch. He obliged our request.
Bajamar’s chef prepared the yellowtail into Loreto-style sashimi, a coastal Baja California Sur specialty blending Japanese flavors with local ingredients. The first preparation consisted of thick slices of yellowtail served in a citrus-soy sauce with a touch of chile oil. Fresh avocado, Serrano chilies, red onions, and cilantro were carefully laid atop the fish.
The second preparation had the yellowtail rolled into tidy rosettes resting in a spicy green chile and lime dressing with the same garnishes as the first. Both dishes were wonderfully balanced, highlighting the fish’s flavor and texture. This core food memory will stay with me for the long haul.
After lunch, we learned that our team won third place in the tournament, taking home 10,800 Mexican Pesos. We divided the winnings by six. My windfall was spent on tipping staff throughout the trip and a Lyft from LAX to home — perfecto.
The cost for one hell of a tale: Priceless.
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Adventures in Baja:
- 72 Hours in Baja: Rosarito & Valle de Guadelupe
- 80 Hours in Baja: Puerto Nuevo, Valle de Guadelupe and Ensenada
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Adventures in Mexico City:
- Sud 777 – Mexico City
- El Borrego Viudo – Mexico City
- Mexico City Street Food Tour | Club Tengo Hambre
- La Churrería El Moro – Mexico City
- Pujol – Mexico City
- {swoon} Tuna Tostada at Contramar
- La Esquina del Chilaquil – Mexico City
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Adventures in Tijuana: