Short answer: For a Cedros Island fishing trip, pack everything into one 35-liter waterproof backpack and keep your total weight (tackle plus clothes) under the 35–40 lb limit the small charter plane allows — most experienced anglers land around 28 lbs. Wear your bulky items (jeans and deck boots) on the plane, bring just two sunshirts plus a layer or two since the resort does your laundry, and pack lightweight waterproof bibs and a jacket for cold Baja mornings. Pack light on purpose: the lighter you fly down, the more vacuum-sealed fish you bring home.

Why packing for Cedros is different from any other fishing trip

Cedros isn't a drive-to-the-launch-ramp trip. You're flying in on a 12-person charter plane out of the CBX crossing in San Diego, fishing out of pangas, and staying at an all-inclusive resort. Every one of those details changes how you pack. The plane has a strict weight allowance. The pangas get wet. The mornings are cold and the afternoons are hot. And the resort washes your clothes daily, which means the angler who over-packs clothing is just leaving fish-weight on the table.

Get the system right and the whole trip gets easier — from the CBX walk-through at 6:00 AM to the moment Toro's crew hands you a cold Pacifico off the plane and loads your gear into the truck for you.

One bag: the 35-liter waterproof backpack

The single best packing decision for Cedros is committing to one 35-liter waterproof backpack as your main bag. Here's why that specific setup wins:

It keeps your hands free. Going through the CBX crossing you've got rods in one hand and your crossing paperwork in the other. A backpack on your back means you can still function — no juggling a duffel while you're trying to manage everything else.

35 liters is the right volume. It's enough to fit your tackle, your clothes, and a Plano box on top for the items you need to keep dry on the panga — hooks, trolling lures, soft plastics. Big enough to hold a full trip, small enough to force the discipline that keeps you under the weight limit.

Waterproof matters because pangas get wet. You're fishing out of open boats and saltwater finds everything. A waterproof main bag protects the gear you're not actively using.

You don't need a specific brand. Plenty of fishing-focused 35L waterproof packs exist from makers like Grundéns and others — the key spec is simply 35 liters and waterproof, not a logo.

The weight limit is the whole game

The charter plane allows roughly 35–40 lbs total between your tackle and your clothes. That sounds like a lot until you add up four rods, reels, a loaded tackle selection, and a week of clothing.

The move experienced Cedros anglers make: weigh your bag the night before and aim to come in under the limit, not at it. A fully dialed kit — tackle and clothes together — can land right around 28 lbs. Every pound you save going down is a pound of fish you can bring home, and you're allowed to come back heavy with vacuum-sealed yellowtail and halibut.

The clothing system: wear the bulk, pack light

Because the resort does your laundry every day, you will always have clean clothes — whether you packed light or heavy. So pack light and let the laundry service do the work.

Wear your bulky items on the plane. Deck boots and jeans are the worst things to pack — bulky, heavy, awkward. Wear them on travel day so they never go in the bag. Pack a pair of sandals for around the resort instead.

A dialed Cedros clothing list looks like this:

That's it. With the clothes on your back plus those few items, the daily laundry keeps you covered all week.

Don't skip the bibs and jacket — Baja mornings are cold

The one piece of advice that surprises first-timers: you need cold-weather layers even in October. Early mornings on the ocean are genuinely nippy, and you want to be comfortable and dry from the first cast, not shivering through the morning bite.

The key is lightweight foul-weather gear — modern bibs and jackets that block wind and water without eating your weight allowance or your bag space. Heavy commercial-grade bibs are overkill here and cost you precious pounds. A light, packable set keeps the early-morning cold and spray off you, then comes off easily as the sun climbs and dries everything out around midday.

Gear up for those mornings before you fly: the Salty Crew bibs and the new AFTCO lightweight pants are exactly the kind of light, dry, wind-blocking layers that make a Cedros morning comfortable — both available in the shop and online. 

Protecting your rods on the plane

Four rods is the right number for Cedros — enough to cover every technique without overpacking. Getting them down safely on a tight 12-person plane takes a little prep:

• Run your line through the guides and bundle the rods together.
• Slip a stick-jacket cover over the bundle. It won't stop a rod from snapping under real force, but it protects your guides and line from getting nicked, and keeps four rods from tangling into one mess. A cover that runs down to about the top of the deckhand section is ideal.
• Add a couple of rod straps to keep the bundle tight, and put reel covers on your reels.
• Loading strategy: rods go down the center aisle and load last, on top of everyone's luggage. With 10–12 bundles on board, yours could end up at the bottom or the top. If you can, be last on and first off so your rods ride on top of the pile.

Once you land, you're done handling gear — Toro's crew meets the plane, takes your rods and bag, and you don't touch them again until you're rigged up at the marina.

Bringing your fish home

This is where packing light pays off twice. Each panga is tagged by color (red, blue, green) so the crew keeps your catch separated; at day's end it goes to the resort's indoor cutting station to be filleted and vacuum-sealed. A light-packing angler can bring home around 35–40 lbs of fish — mostly yellowtail, with the occasional halibut in the mix.

For the trip home, skip the hard cooler. A soft, insulated grocery-style bag or a small kill bag is lighter and easier to pack, and since your fish comes back frozen and vacuum-sealed, it stays cold on the flight without ice. Grab a bag of ice in San Diego for the drive home if it's a hot day, but the fish does most of the work itself.

Frequently asked questions

What's the weight limit for the Cedros Island charter plane?
Roughly 35–40 lbs total between your tackle and your clothing. Aim to come in under it — a dialed kit can land around 28 lbs, and packing light means bringing home more fish.

What kind of bag should I bring to Cedros?
A 35-liter waterproof backpack. It keeps your hands free at the CBX crossing, holds a full trip's tackle and clothes, and protects your gear in the wet pangas. Brand doesn't matter — the 35L waterproof spec does.

Do I need cold-weather gear for Cedros?
Yes. Mornings on the water are cold, even in October. Bring lightweight waterproof bibs and a jacket that block wind and spray without eating your weight allowance, and shed them as it warms up midday.

How many rods should I bring to Cedros Island?
Four covers every technique you'll fish down there. Bundle them with line through the guides, a stick-jacket cover, rod straps, and reel covers for the flight.

How do I get my fish home from Cedros?
The resort fillets and vacuum-seals your catch. Pack a light insulated soft bag or small kill bag — the fish comes back frozen, so it stays cold on the flight without ice.

Planning a Baja trip? Get your foul-weather layers and rod protection dialed before you fly — stop by Tackle Express in Santa Clarita or shop online, and the crew can help you build a Cedros kit that comes in under weight.