The IGFA's Inaugural Kids Fishing Camp in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

 

Last month, the IGFA journeyed to Baja California Sur, Mexico, to facilitate the first Kids Fishing Camp or Campamento de Pesca Deportiva thanks to the support of the Terry & Linda Smith Legacy Fund. Hosted at Pisces Sportfishing headquarters, a 3-day camp was offered to 27 local youths aged 8-16 years old from April 22-24, 2025. There, they learned the history of Cabo sportfishing and the importance of ethical angling and conservation, practiced basic fishing skills, and explored various career pathways for them to pursue in the fishing and boating community of Cabo San Lucas. Now, you take a journey with us as we recap each day's activities and relive the joy of each child attending this camp.

 

Day 1 – Basic Fundamentals

The first day progressed from an introduction to the sport to getting hands-on with a rod and reel and casting a line. After passing out some swag and gauging their interest and experience in fishing thus far, we started with presentations to ease the kids into the history of the sport, the IGFA, and the importance of research and conservation of some iconic game fish species found in their nearby waters.

Rebecca Ehrenberg, from Pisces Sportfishing, led the camp as the only bilingual instructor and presented the kids with a video of Cabo Sportfishing History featuring her family and their efforts in paving the way for billfish conservation. Next, Nick DeGennaro, IGFA’s Education Coordinator, led a presentation on the IGFA International Angling Rules, highlighting opportunities for the kids attending camp to set world records for various species and line classes. The IGFA introduced Junior Angler Line Class and Tippet World Records in April, giving anglers ages 16 and under even more opportunities to be recognized for their achievements on the water. Lastly, a special guest presentation followed by Dr. Sergio Alejandro Briones Hernández speaking on the Roosterfish Research Program and the trophic ecology of the roosterfish, an iconic game fish in Cabo.

After lunch, the group ventured to Playa la Empacadora, a local swimming beach, to meet FONMAR, the local governing agency for fisheries in Baja California Sur. Several staff and volunteers facilitated a Passports to Fishing event, breaking the kids into groups to go through each educational station: basic tackle, knot tying, conservation, stewardship, and casting. Their passports were stamped to completion, where they received a certificate and medal commemorating their accomplishment. It was an amazing setup, and it was great to see firsthand how FONMAR conducts this program in locations all over Baja California Sur in collaboration with local fishing tournaments, educating thousands of anglers since receiving their Passports to Fishing kit in 2019, when the IGFA Passports to Fishing program began. The IGFA thanks FONMAR and Dr. Sergio Alejandro Briones Hernández for their time and commitment to educating these kids on the fundamentals of recreational fishing and the importance of science and conservation.

 

 

Day 2 – Surf Fishing

The kids woke up very early on the second day to put their newfound skills to the test. At the beach of Mi Griño, the camp met up with IGFA Ambassador and IGFA World Record holder, Wesley Brough, who grew up surf fishing in Cabo. After a safety briefing, which is extremely important when fishing parts of the Pacific Ocean from shore, the kids were split into groups to learn from Wesley and his fellow guides. The guides taught the kids special techniques to cast lures far enough to reach roosterfish, jack crevalle, and sierra mackerel. Unfortunately, it was a little too early in the season for any of these game fish to be caught, but that did not stop some of the kids from casting the surf rods the entire time, or some of the other kids from doing another casting game on the sand with practice rods and plastic fish.

When the camp returned to Pisces’ Sportfishing headquarters, they were treated to a lasagna lunch from Salvatore G's before heading out to tour the town. The first stop was at the iconic tackle shop of IGFA’s longest-standing Representative in Cabo San Lucas, Minerva Smith. Inside Minerva’s Baja Tackle, the staff were ready to greet the kids and reiterate the lessons about how important the sport has been for Cabo and why it is important to keep it going for the community and the fishery. They explained the significance of various catch flags for the different species that can be caught around Cabo, and they also prepared the kids for what to expect on the boats the next day. After receiving a lure key chain as a gift to remember Minerva’s, the camp ventured next to the new Pelagic store. To the kids’ surprise, there was Wesley again! Being a Pelagic Ambassador, he made sure to be present when the kids visited the new store.

 

Day 3 – Deep Sea Adventures

Learning the fundamentals and practicing on the beach prepared these kids for a spectacular day out on the boats. In splitting up into six boats between Pisces Sportfishing and Minerva’s Baja Tackle, it provided an opportunity to work one-on-one with the mates and captains who were more than willing to teach the kids a thing or two. When the bite started, these young anglers capitalized on every opportunity they had to reel in a fish, in which 19 of the 27 anglers caught their very first fish on this day.

Roosterfish, jack crevalle, sierra mackerel, Colorado snapper, skipjack tuna, and a nice dolphinfish (dorado) became prized catch-and-keep and catch-and-release game fish that kept the kids busy all day and the smiles on their faces growing. Each boat was equipped with materials to weigh and measure the fish in case a junior line class record presented itself, and on the Minerva II, one young angler, Sara, reeled in an 8.1 lb. jack crevalle as a potential pending world record for the 16 lb. line class. After weighing the fish on a certified scale, the fish was released.

The dock was buzzing with stories and more smiles as each boat returned from its day filled with adventures, and not just with the youth. Captains, mates, and locals working the docks were excited and curious to hear what the kids caught. They were the stars, they were the anglers, and they had the stories. This buzz carried over into the angling achievements ceremony, where each child was recognized and awarded with a certificate, rod and reel, and materials to continue practicing their skills for the next day they venture out on the water. The IGFA would like to extend a thank you to Captain Tony’s for providing the food for the awards ceremony.

 

The Results

If you just take a look at the photos, you can tell by all the smiles that the camp was successful and that it meant a lot to the kids, staff, and community. However, if you take a deeper look into the survey data and hear it from the kids themselves, you will truly see how much this opportunity meant to them.

The curriculum only had three days to introduce the basic skills, to have them practice with the equipment, and become familiar with the ocean, to finish the experience out on the water in a boat, which was something very new for most of them. But the overall percent growth of fishing skills improved by 127%, with casting and knot tying improving the most! Additionally, 73% of the campers would like to go fishing more than 10 times in the next year, and 100% want to go at least one more time. As mentioned earlier, 19 kids caught their first fish during this camp, and that is because 20 of them had never gone fishing before, even though Cabo San Lucas is so iconic as a prime sportfishing community with ample opportunities to fish. However, that was the issue; most of these kids had never had an opportunity to try fishing before this camp.

Five of the young females who attended mentioned that the camp helped them overcome their fears. Fears relating to the ocean, which was interesting because the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez surround Cabo San Lucas. However, they may not have had many opportunities to experience the ocean firsthand, so it was not surprising when kids wrote in the section of the survey indicating topics they would to learn more about: how to drive a boat, different creatures of the ocean, and names of the fish as the top three interests listed, all relating to learning more about the ocean. The IGFA is working to provide more opportunities for these kids to learn.  

The Support

Support of this particular camp poured in with donations and involvement from IGFA corporate partners and members of the IGFA’s international network. Pivotal to the success of this camp was Pisces Sportfishing, thanks in large part to Rebecca Ehrenberg. The IGFA would also like to thank FONMAR for their role in delivering an immersive and highly successful Passports to Fishing program that significantly contributed to the growth in the kids’ fishing skills. IGFA Ambassador, Wesley Brough, and his fellow guides were crucial in teaching the kids how to cast from the surf, which is a relatively difficult skill but one the kids worked to master and grew to respect. IGFA Representative Minerva Smith was so helpful in coordinating the camp, and her staff were so welcoming and informative in preparing the kids for the boat day. IGFA Representative Gary Graham, a Representative for more than 30 years, ventured out with us every day snapping photos and documenting the experience, and celebrated his 85^th birthday with the kids singing and enjoying cake at the awards celebration. Thank you all for your various roles in making this inaugural camp come together and become a success. We’re grateful to have you as a supporter of the IGFA!

The IGFA would also like to thank TackleWebs for donating weigh slings to go out on the boats for potential record opportunities, Yamaha Rightwaters for donating reusable water bottles to carry and cut down on single-use plastics, Daiwa for donating the rod and reel combos and lures needed for surf fishing, and Pelagic for donating hats and face shields for protection from the elements.

Last but not least, none of this would have happened without the support of the Terry & Linda Smith Legacy Fund. From Linda’s story,

“Terry and I traveled to Cabo San Lucas for the first time in September 2007. Since that first trip, we haven't missed a single year of traveling to Cabo. In fact, since 2009, we’ve increased our visits from once a year to three or four times annually, usually fishing at least twice during each visit. Sadly, my best friend, fishing partner, and husband, Terry, passed unexpectedly on November 7, 2022. In his honor—and in our shared love for Cabo and fishing—I hope to inspire the younger generation to appreciate and conserve the natural beauty that surrounds them while also promoting the incredible fishing waters of Cabo.”

 

I hope you enjoyed this journey with us. Without the IGFA’s longstanding network of supporters, product and financial assistance, and a strong fishing community as seen in Cabo San Lucas, camps like this would be difficult to facilitate, but they are necessary to spark an interest in these kids and show them that THEY CAN become the next generation of mates and captains preserving the history, the fishery, the waters, and the sport for the future.