Only 15 fishing captains in Mexico received the Angler’s Choice 2026 award this year, a recognition given by the booking platform FishingBooker to those who offer excellent service and safe conditions to their clients.
According to the company’s announcement, this group is part of the 8.3% of its partners worldwide who met all of its quality requirements.
To award this distinction, the platform evaluated more than 9,400 service providers in different countries. In the case of the 15 Mexican winners, the recognition was given for maintaining a track record of reliability throughout 2025: they operated 98% of their scheduled trips, had almost no cancellations, and responded quickly to customer inquiries.
In addition to punctuality and attentiveness, the award-winning captains maintain an average rating of 4.8 stars, based directly on reviews from tourists who used the service and shared their real-life experiences on the booking site.
Most of this year’s award recipients are based in tourist destinations across the country, particularly in the Northwest and the Caribbean. Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo lead the list with five captains each.
In Baja California Sur, the award-winning services are primarily located in the southern part of the peninsula:
Cabo San Lucas: Black Marlin Sportfishing, Picudo Sportfishing, Salvador’s Sportfishing, and the Cabo Sportfishing Crew.
San José del Cabo: Captain Carlos Cota Lucero, head of Sufishiente Sportfishing.
In Quintana Roo, excellence was distributed among the most important locations along the Riviera Maya and its islands:
Playa del Carmen: The Boat Sport Fishing and Fish This!
Cancun: Fishing Cancun Charters
Isla Mujeres: Captain Rogelio Magaña with his vessel Chili’s Sportfishing
Cozumel: Captain Mario Emilio of Abrimar Fishing
The remaining awards were distributed across the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez:
In Jalisco, Mario Castillón Santana (Burton III) and Jorge Gamiño Álvarez (Valeria I) were recognized.
In Sonora, Captains Jefe Cruz (El Jefe) and Martín Tavarez Valenzuela (Margarita Fishing) were included.
In Nayarit, Juan Luis Ortega Jiménez, of Chawin Fishing Sayulita, was also recognized.
FishingBooker CEO Vukan Simic explained that this award is not based on popularity, but rather on the captains’ consistent performance throughout the year.
To be considered, captains must have high customer ratings, with a score above 4.8 stars and at least 10 verified reviews per year.
Their responsiveness to customers and the frequency of trip cancellations are also taken into account. Furthermore, they must have all their legal and safety documentation in order to operate.
For captains, appearing on this list gives them an advantage, since many travelers prefer to hire services with good reviews and support.
Source: oem
