As mentioned above, big game fishing in Cape Verde is renowned for being the best fishing site in the world for the prized Atlantic Blue Marlin. This predator lives here all year round, but the best time of year to fish for them is from mid-March to late June. In summer these pelagic fish migrate north towards the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores for example. There are fewer of them found in September and October but the ones that stay tend to be larger. From September to December, the waters of Cape Verde are extremely interesting for fishing, as they are offering for example Yellowfin tuna up to 150kg.
Trolling you can also catch fish such as Wahoo, Dolphinfish and Barracuda.
The northeast coast of Santo Antão is especially effective for this technique because this is where the greatest concentration of Wahoo can be found. The rocky and volcanic seabed is an ideal habitat for Amberjacks, and here they can reach a weight of 60kg. Jigging is also very popular and this technique can help to catch Blackjack, Barracuda, Grouper and Oilfish.
Around Cape Verde, fishermen practice a lot of deep-sea fishing in depths of 100m and this can bring excellent results from areas that are practically untouched. Cape Verde is also a great place to fish for sharks such as Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, Hammerhead and Manta Grande, which can reach up to 300kg.
Top species in Cape Verde
Atlantic Blue Marlin
Cape Verde is known as the best place in the world for fishing Atlantic Blue Marlin. They live here all year round, but mid-March to late June is the best time to find them.
Without a doubt, the best island for fishing in Cape Verde is São Vicente and dozens of fishing boats depart from its port every day in search of marlin. The islands of Santiago, Santo Antão, Sal and Boa Vista are also great places to catch a marlin. In fact, there are so many fish here that fishermen often complain if they "only" catch two Marlin in one day. Times are tough hey!
White marlin
White Marlin usually move in small groups in waters deeper than 100m, feeding on a variety of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. The best time for fishing white marlin in Cape Verde is between July and November.
Yellowfin tuna
From September to December, the waters of Cape Verde are great for fishing Yellowfin tuna, which can weigh up to 150kg. The Yellowfin tuna is renowned and prized for its speed and strength whilst fighting with fishermen and this fish is very popular for sport fishing in many parts of the area.
Wahoo
Wahoo can be caught at any time of year by trolling with lures. This technique can also help to catch Dolphinfish and Barracuda. The northeast coast of Santo Antão is great for wahoo because there is a large concentration of them.
Amberjack
The best way to fish for Amberjack in Cape Verde tends to be with live bait or trolling, whilst some may use jigging techniques with large, elongated jigs ("blades"). The rocky, volcanic seabed is an ideal habitat for Amberjacks and they can be massive, sometimes impressively exceeding 60kg. Due to the winds and strong currents, it is advisable to fish with heavy jigs (over 300g).
Other fish you can catch jigging are Blackjack, Grouper or Oilfish just to name a few.
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