Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book a reservation?

First call or email (office@vagabondsportfishing.com) our office to check if a spot is available on the trip you’ve chosen. We request a 50% deposit to confirm the reservation. Once we receive the deposit we’ll mail you a receipt. You may make payments in the form of personal checks, money orders, or cash to receive the cash-discounted trip prices listed on our schedule; we accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) at a 3% higher price.

To speed the check-in process, the balance of your trip should be paid one week prior to departure.

Mailing Address:

Vagabond Sportfishing
1403 Scott Street
San Diego, CA  92106

Please put the trip # on the memo line of your check. Make sure you include all names, addresses w/ phone #, birthdates, passport # and expiration date of ALL passengers in your party.

What is the cancellation policy?

If we receive your cancellation at least 180 days prior to departure, we will refund your deposit. After that, your deposit is non-refundable because we have lost other possible bookings for that spot in that period.

Do I need a passport?

As of June 2011, valid passports are required on all trips to Guadalupe Isle. If you are booked on a trip of 5 or 6 days that are listed as a Baja Islands trip you will be required to provide us with full name (as on the passport), passport number, passport expiration, and your date of birth. You can fill out our passport form or just email the info to our office. We must have the information at least 3 weeks prior to your trip.

Trips of  3 days or less do not require a passport at this time. However, that could change at any time so it is best to always have a valid passport.

All trips over 3 days will require a passport.

What is the Mexican fishing permit fee? If I already have a Mexican fishing license can I use that?

The Mexican fishing permit fee is applied to all sportfishing boats that fish Mexican waters. We must purchase a permit for each passenger for each day of fishing on the boat (to be filled in with the passenger’s name and city). The permit price varies according to the Mexican officials but it is included on the balance on your receipt.

The Mexican fishing licenses that you can purchase at Fisherman’s Landing for $53.00 is only applicable on trips of less than 3 days. Those are mainly for private boats.

What gear do I bring?

Please see our comprehensive Suggested Tackle Recommendations on the website. You must bring a photo I.D. to board the boat and it will be verified. Trips of 5 days or longer require a passport. You must provide your passport number and expiration date prior to departure.

What if I don’t have rods or reels?

The Vagabond loans, free of charge, excellent quality rod and reel setups. Please let us know upon check-in that you would like some put on the boat for you.

What else do I need to bring on the boat?

All meals and snacks are included in your trip cost. Additional beverages are available and not included in the trip cost. Our staterooms are comfortably equipped with sheets, pillow, and blanket and most have a sink and a vanity. Please bring your own toiletries and towels. Cash for tips for the crew are traditionally given to the captain on the way back into the dock and generally run approximately 15% of the trip price.

I’m at the dock, now what do I do?

Parking is available at the Point Loma Sportfishing Landing at a cost of $7.00 per day. However, parking can be full and the lot attendant can direct you to alternate lots.

When you arrive please check in at the Vagabond office upstairs at the middle landing, Point Loma Sportfishing. At this time you’ll receive your stateroom assignment and your tag number. The tags with your number at applied to your fish and the number is also your rod rack assignment. Each passenger has 3 rod rack spots and add’l rods may be placed toward the bow of the boat. Please let us know if you need loaner rods at this time.

Once the boat has been cleared for boarding, you may load your rods into the assigned racks and place your tackle boxes on the tackle box racks on either side of the galley doors. Your staterooms are also available at this time.

What can I do with all the fish I catch?

Your catch will arrive back at the dock, whole and frozen, however, we do feature RSW and are able to provide you with some fresh fish. Various excellent fish processors will be there to meet the boat. Please check their websites for pricing. Five-Star Processing, Sportsmen’s Seafood (Mario),  Fisherman’s Processing,www.fishermanscanning.com.

If I need to find lodging near the boat, where do I go?

Lodging close by the Vagabond

Comfort Inn at the Harbor 5102 N. Harbor Dr. San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 223-8171

Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside 4875 North Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 224-3621

Vagabond Inn San Diego- Point Loma 1325 Scott Street San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 224-3371

Ramada Inn Limited 1403 Rosecrans St. San Diego, CA, 92106 (619) 225-9461

Best Western 5005 N Harbor Drive San Diego, California, 92106-2307 (619) 224-3254