The IGFA Returns for the Second Annual Cabo Kids Fishing Camp or Campamento de Pesca Deportiva!

 

Let’s start by saying, “WOW!” With the return of the Cabo Kids Fish Camp, also known as the Campamento de Pesca Deportiva, to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico, the 3-day camp offered to 27 local youth was nothing short of spectacular! From the kids to the community partners to the supporters and to the results and beyond, this camp puts a new meaning to the word “impactful”. 

 

Established in 2025 by the Terry & Linda Smith Legacy Fund, the IGFA Education team of Lisa Morse, Education Director, Nick DeGennaro, Education Manager, and Cristian Gomez, Angling Instructor, traveled to Cabo again to work alongside Pisces Sportfishing, FONMAR, and Minerva’s Baja Tackle with the mission of offering an opportunity for local youth who may not have access to such opportunities without this camp to experience the joys of fishing and to learn what careers are available in the industry and how they can work to become the next generation of ethical and conservation-minded anglers, mates, and captains. It is amazing in just a short amount of time how much their skills improve, their knowledge expands, their confidence builds, and their smiles grow.

It is hard to describe in words the impact and progression of their skills from a basic introduction to the ocean and recreational fishing on the first day to getting the chance to meet the ocean face-to-face and reeling in their first fish, many of which were potential records, just two days later. Let’s take a journey together and recap this experience.

May 28, 2026 – Let’s meet the kids

Before the camp began, the IGFA was honored with an opportunity to visit one of the local kitchen communities that is supported by Feeding Los Cabos Kids, from which half the group for this year’s camp came from Colonia Caribe Alto, America’s Kitchen. From prepping and serving the food to interacting with the kids, the IGFA was able to learn more about the history and the importance of this camp opportunity for the kids and members of the community. Along with kids from America’s Kitchen, kids from the local Casa de Vida church, and from Pisces Sportfishing, parents joined as well, comprising the camp of 27 enthusiastic kids ranging from 7 to 16 years old, in which more than half the group was female.

May 29, 2026 – Day 1 – Basic Fundamentals

Based on survey results from last year, we saw that this camp helped kids overcome their fear of the ocean. Thus, the first day began in FONMAR’s conference room thanks to a generous donation by their team with a presentation led by Cristian Gomez introducing this new group of anglers to the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Cortez, and some of the animals they might see or fish they might catch. Followed by a presentation of the history of Cabo Sportfishing and the importance of conservation and the sportfishing industry to the local economy, Rebecca Ehrenberg, from Pisces Sportfishing, engaged these young anglers in understanding how they too can make a difference and become stewards of conservation themselves and the future of sportfishing.

The kids were then outfitted in new camp shirts donated by Pelagic, sporting a new camp design by artist and Connected by Water podcast host Dennis Friel, before heading to the beach, where instructors from FONMAR, the local governing agency for fisheries in Baja California Sur, were waiting to facilitate an IGFA Passports to Fishing program. Day 1 quickly progressed from an introduction to the ocean and to the sport to getting hands-on with a rod and reel and casting a line. Kids rotated through each educational station: basic tackle, knot tying, conservation, stewardship, and casting. Lic. Martín Inzunza Tamayo, Director of FONMAR, was present, witnessing the transformation of the kids, not knowing much about the basic skills needed to fish, to then being capable of doing it all on their own! Their passports were stamped to completion, in which FONMAR remains committed to strengthening fisheries and environmental education among girls, boys, and young people, promoting respect for marine resources, conservation of species, and responsible sportfishing. FONMAR even presented a special ceviche treat to the kids and instructors, which was a great way to end Day 1.

May 30, 2026 – Day 2 – Industry Tours and Surf Fishing

Day 2 began with a presentation by Cristian and Rebecca on IGFA Rules and Record opportunities. With one approved record from 2025, the IGFA was better equipped with the knowledge and materials needed if the plethora of record opportunities in Cabo San Lucas presented itself again.

After the presentation, the camp walked to the new location of the iconic tackle shop founded by the IGFA’s longest-standing representative in Cabo San Lucas, Minerva Smith. Inside Minerva’s Baja Tackle, the staff was 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 for the fishery. They prepared the kids on what to expect on the boats for the next day, answered numerous questions about tackle and fish, educated them on the difference between J hooks and circle hooks when it comes to conservation, and presented them with a special treat to commemorate their visit. It was great visiting Minerva’s Baja Tackle again this year, and we cannot thank the staff and captains enough for their time.

After visiting Minerva’s, the group was split into three to then venture back to the marina for the rare opportunity of touring three sport fishers built by Viking Yachts. One group toured Anaya, a 90’ Viking owned by Kay and Mike Lester and captained by Guillermo Bojorquez, another toured Friday Bank, a 66’ Viking owned by Guy and Malia Evans and captained by Alex Collins, and the third group went on Retriever, another 66’ Viking owned by Martha McNab and captained by Tony Araiza, grandson of IGFA 2022 Tommy Gifford Award Recipient, Captain Jesus Araiza. Each group was treated to an in-depth tour of the cabin, engine rooms, and fishing equipment on board and learned from the captains and crew what it takes to work toward a career in the fishing and boating industry. Thank you to all the boat owners for allowing the kids to come aboard, as well as to the captains and crew for their hospitality!

After touring the boats, the kids set up rods and reels with casting plugs before heading to Dreams Beach to do some surf fishing. Waiting for us at the beach were captains and mates from Pisces Sportfishing and FONMAR, who worked with the kids on their cast and retrieval techniques with surf rods donated by Daiwa in hopes of hooking up on a roosterfish, sierra mackerel, and other popular game fish caught near the shores of the Sea of Cortez side. Unfortunately, the surf fishing was unsuccessful because no fish were caught. However, if you took that as the only measurement of success for the evening, you would be wrong. Even if there were no bites, that did not stop these kids from casting one after another, even after the sun had set. And if they weren’t casting the surf rods, they were casting smaller spinning rods with casting plugs in a game of trying to reel in a plastic fish to practice their fish identification. The evening experience proved very fruitful with a few surprises. One being a coincidental hatchling sea turtle release in which both Cristian and Rebecca’s presentations the day prior mentioned sea turtles as other inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez. Another surprise was the beautiful sunset with cameos from rainbows and a full moon rising above the water. “What I liked most was when they took us to learn how to fish with a beautiful sunset,” said Yunue, age 13 years.

May 31, 2026 – Day 3 – Deep Sea Adventures

Learning the fundamentals on the first day and practicing on the beach the second day prepared these kids for another spectacular day out on the boats. 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 heavily involved with each group of kids in the process of tying on the hooks, rigging the baits, and setting out the lines. It didn’t take long for the bite to start, and these kids were ready! Every boat caught fish, in which 19 of the 27 anglers caught their very first fish on this day! We would like to thank Oscar Gallegos from Pisces, who captured some amazing drone footage of these catches.

 

Roosterfish, jack crevalle, black skipjack, dolphinfish (dorado), wahoo, needlefish, and more were typical catches on the Minerva II and Minerva III from the Minerva’s Baja Tackle fleet and on Tiburon, Ruthless, Tracy Ann, and Rebecca from the Pisces’ Fleet. The catches that were even more of a treat were the tagged and released sailfish caught on the Tracy Ann, the rare bluefin trevally caught on the Minerva III, and the striped marlin that were caught and released on the Minerva III and Tiburon, which Tiburon actually had a double hook up on striped marlin! What is even more exciting, eight of these catches on this day are pending junior line class records! 

All in all, it was a fantastic day on the water and even though the seas were a little rough, and many of the kids succumbed to the sometimes-inevitable experience of sea sickness, every boat brought back a plethora of stories to share and enough fish to go around for all to take home. And more importantly, they got to experience the ocean first-hand, in which we found out later from their post-camp surveys that this camp, yet again, helped many of them overcome their fear of the ocean. 

The buzz from the water carried into Captain Tony’s where the kids were treated to a well-deserved meal before heading to Pisces for their Angling Achievements ceremony. Each child was recognized and awarded with a certificate, rod and reel, and a tackle box filled with materials to continue practicing their skills and to venture out on the water again for the experience, the wildlife, and the sport.

The Results and Next Steps

A glance at the photos and hearing the recap only tells part of the story. The smiles alone reflect the camp’s success and the impact it had on the children, staff, and community. But a closer look at the survey data, along with the children’s own words, reveals just how meaningful this opportunity truly was to them.

The curriculum was delivered over just three days, taking participants from learning basic skills and practicing with the equipment to becoming comfortable in the ocean and ultimately completing the experience aboard a boat, an entirely new experience for 11 of them who had never been on a boat before. But the overall percent growth of fishing skills improved by 125%, with tying a fishing knot and setting up a fishing rod being the skills that improved the most, and casting a rod and reel a close third! This is exactly what we were hoping to see, as these skills are a necessity for them to continue their angling adventures as self-sufficient anglers. 

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 location. However, that was the issue; most of these kids had never had an opportunity to try fishing before this camp. And remember, that is the mission of this camp, to provide such opportunities.

As seen from last year’s inaugural camp, another 6 kids mentioned that this camp helped them overcome their fears of the water (boys and girls this year), but something surprising in the post-camp survey results was that this camp also helped them become aware that they are strong enough to do this, whereas they did not think so before. As is evident, not only does the camp help improve their skills, but it also helps them build their confidence.

“I felt like I didn't have the strength to fish, but thanks to the camp, I saw that I could.” 

-Camper Ian Omar, age 10 years

So, what’s next?

The IGFA is still combing through all the content from our various partners who helped deliver this camp to 27 eager youth. We are also bringing back to the IGFA Headquarters eight pending junior line class records in the 12 lb., 16 lb., and 20 lb. line classes for five different species: roosterfish, bluefin trevally, wahoo, dolphinfish, and Pacific jack crevalle! 

The IGFA is also working more closely with Casa de Vida church and with FONMAR to ship additional Passports to Fishing kits to help with the mission of keeping kids engaged in recreational fishing throughout the year, and also to expand introductory opportunities to kids across Baja California Sur.

The Support

Pivotal to the success of this camp was the support from the core educational team comprising of the IGFA, Pisces Sportfishing, FONMAR, and Minerva’s Baja Tackle. Product donations and involvement from IGFA corporate partners and members also contributed to the success of this camp. The IGFA would 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, Costa and Pure Fishing for donating sunglasses for kids to wear on the boats, and Pelagic for donating the shirts and hats for protection from the elements. We’re beyond grateful for our international network of supporters to have you as part of the IGFA history and continued mission! 

Last but not least, none of this would have happened without the support of the Terry & Linda Smith Legacy Fund. “This was created in loving memory of Terry Smith, whose deep love for Cabo San Lucas, the ocean, and fishing was matched only by his belief in giving back and creating smiles for others. 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,” describes Linda. Because of the collaborative effort and strong community support that has been built over the last two years, the younger generation of Cabo is in good hands. If you, too, would like to support the Cabo Kids Fish Camp or Campamento de Pesca Deportiva, please visit our website here and donate to the IGFA Education Department. If you would like to help the IGFA bring this fishing camp experience to another location, please contact IGFA Education Director Lisa Morse. The Cabo Kids Fish Camp started with an email two years ago.

We hope you enjoyed following this journey with us. Programs like this are made possible by IGFA’s longstanding network of supporters, generous financial and in-kind contributions, and the strong fishing community in places like Cabo San Lucas. Without that support, launching and sustaining camps like this would be extremely challenging and almost impossible. Most importantly, these experiences are essential for inspiring young people and helping them see that they can overcome their fears and understand their strengths to work on becoming the next generation of mates and captains carrying forward the mission of protecting the fisheries, waters, and heritage of our beloved sport for years to come.