Fishing In Jamaica
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There are numerous, registered charter companies that will pick you up from the beach of your resort and take you out to fish. Fishing in Jamaica is a well organized tourist activity but it isn't cheap!
A half day on a 38 foot boat will likely cost you around $400 US but that could be shared between four people. A larger 55 foot boat charter is going to cost about $650 US a half day but will likely carry 6 people. A full day for 6 people (8 hours) could easily be over $1000 US but will include all the gear, bait and snacks.
[NB: all our prices are approximate and will vary a little between charter companies. We give these numbers purely as a guide, as of January 2008. Check with your Travel agent about the costs before you go and before you book!]
Fishing in Jamaica means going out from shore between 5 and 25 miles if you want to catch the big ones. 400 pound Blue Marlin can be caught during May, June or July but most catches are more modest.
Wahoo is best caught from November to January
Kingfish from February to May
Mahi-Mahi is best in September and October
Yellow Fin and Black Fin Tuna are both best from September to May
Spanish Mackeral from February to May
Bonito, Barracuda and Crevalle Jack are available all year, but a little closer to shore
Evidently Sail Fish and Blue Marlin are caught of the South Coast. The biggest being available from May to July.
Tarpon and Snook are also available all year closer, to Ocho Rios and the River
Fishing In Jamaica
The following article by Matt Helm, gives you a great idea of what to expect if you are planning on fishing the Jamaican waters. Fishing in Jamaica can be an exhilarating experience...and you may even get to cook and eat your catch!
Lured to Sport Fishing?
Jamaica Hooks More Than Your Attention
By Matt Helm
Deep and productive watersonly 15 minutes from shore,well-equipped sport fishingboats and scenic views add upto a quality fishingin Jamaica experience.
Visiting anglershave a chance at landing blueand white marlin, wahoo,tuna and dolphin (dorado) indeep water that drops to thousandsof feet beyond the reefs.
Blue marlin is the most prizedbig game fish andcatching your first marlin inJamaica is well within reach.
The Cayman Trench createsconditions of one to two knotsof consistent current whichhelps clump together seaweedto form “weed lines”- theseare every offshore angler’sdream.
Heavy rainfall alsoerodes riverbanks causingtrees and other debris to driftout to sea. This floating matterattracts baitfish and tripletailsea bass seeking shelterfrom the sun, which in turnattracts bigger fish. Entireecosystems exist under theseweed lines which can spreadout for miles and contain allmanner of sea life, includinglarge numbers of game fish.
During the summer monthswhen the wind is fairly calmand the sea is relatively flatthe weed lines get bigger,which therefore means moremarine activity beneath thesurface.
On the south coast there arequite a number of banks andcays where you can find agreat number of bottom fish,namely snapper and grouper.The largest bank along thesouth coast is the Pedro Bank.This bank is home to a varietyof fish such as yellowtail, muttonand red tail snapper aswell as grouper and shellfish.Fishing for wahoo and kingfishis excellent along thesouth coast due to the presenceof these banks.
The North coast also has quite afew banks and the three mainbanks located off the coast ofPort Antonio are HenryHolmes, Grappler andShipwreck. There is also apopular bank located 15 milesoff the coast of Montego Baycalled the Buckner bank.
Strictly speaking there arecertain periods of the yearwhen different species of fishare more common. The dolphin(dorado) season runsfrom January through April,the black fin and yellow fintuna season run from April toAugust and the core marlinseason runs from August toDecember. Despite this, youwill find that it is quite commonfor any of these species tobe caught in Jamaica’s watersyear-round.
So if you are in Jamaica rightnow, it’s a great time to gofishing. Charter boats can bebooked for full-day or half-daytrips in most resort areas (seelistings in Jam-boree’s golocalpages). Prices vary littlebut be sure to enquire aboutwhether beverages are includedand who keeps the catch.
Mounting of prize fish is availableand some boats willarrange to have a fish cleanedand even cooked to order.A day of fishing in Jamaica isabout more than just lines,bait and fighting marlin. It is aunique opportunity to experiencethe island’s topographicalbeauty and coastline fromoffshore aboard a comfortablesport-fisher with a professionalcrew that will ensure thatwhether you catch the “big one”or not you have a wonderfulexperience.
Listen to some music, enjoy somerefreshments and keep an eyeout for porpoises and sea turtlesthat frequent Jamaica’scoastal waters.
Fly fishing and light tackle fishing
The river estuaries, flats, lagoons inshore sea grass beds andmangrove forests of Jamaica are home to many popular speciesof game fish including tarpon, snook and barracuda.Opportunities abound for exciting fly and light tackle fishingcharters led by experienced guides. Most fish species are availableall year.
Salty Vic provides fishing charters to several areas of the islandincluding river, inshore and deep sea habitats, as well as technicalfly-fishing lessons for adults and children. Contact Salty Vicat (876) 863-1599 for information and bookings.
Cayman Trench
Fishing in Jamaica is world-class due in part to the presence ofthe Cayman Trench that extends from the Windward Passage atthe southeastern tip of Cuba toward Guatemala. At about half amile off the coast of Montego Bay, the drop off begins, startingat about 400 feet and gradually sloping down to 3000 feet furtheroffshore. The relatively narrow trough trends east-northeastto west-southwest and has a maximum depth of 25,216 feet(7,686 m), the deepest point in the Caribbean Sea. This area isteeming with sea life as nutrients are carried up the wall fromthe abyss to make the waters uncommonly rich for tropicalseas.
Fishing Tournaments
Several annual blue marlin tournaments are held in Jamaica,attracting world-wide anglers. The Port Antonio International'Billfish Tournament', usually held in October, is one of the mostcelebrated and prestigious in the Caribbean. Each year thisevent attracts up to 50 boats, including anglers from the U.S.A.and neighboring Caribbean islands. Other tournaments are heldin Montego Bay, Falmouth, Discovery Bay and Treasure Beach.
[http://www.jam-boree.com for more information.Jam-boree, Jamaica's Visitor Newspaper]
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