
Yellow Fin 1
Morro Jable, Fuerteventura (ES)
Many people believe that fishing in Fuerteventura is the best in the Canary Islands. There is no need to go very far to find waters of 1.000m in depth...
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Many people believe that fishing in Fuerteventura is the best in the Canary Islands. There is no need to go very far to find waters of 1.000m in depth, and, to the west of the island there are areas with up to 3.700m depth which make it an ideal place to go fishing.
The Fuerteventura fishing trips can be shared or private: you can either share a boat with other anglers to reduce the cost or if you want to book the whole boat for you and your family and friends, a private charter is the best option.
Its geographical location, subtropical climate, ocean current and abundant marine life make Fuerteventura a great spot for fishing. There are a large number of sedentary species that are fished throughout the year such as grouper, bonito, bluefish and amberjack and it is also an area of water that many migrating fish to pass through.
Whether you practice spinning, jigging, coastal trolling, bottom fishing or something more standard, the fishing possibilities in Fuerteventura are immense.
In Fuerteventura, the rocky seabed and sandy areas are a real treat for fans of jigging. Wherever you go there are a number of areas with rocks and wrecks that are an oasis as they attract large numbers of fish, making Fuerteventura a perfect place to practice jigging. Throughout the season, you can practice this vertical fishing and can catch Atlantic bonito, grouper, wahoo, amberjack and barracudas. For the best experience, it’s advised to have a good fishing chart and guide to show you the area. Whilst using the jigging technique in Fuerteventura, it’s important to know the tides and currents, the best place to drop the jig, the best time of day and the best kind of jig to use. If not, the chances of catching something become reduced.
Trolling for fish of 20-30lb can be done with small lures whilst fishing in Fuerteventura. Depending on the season, different species can be caught including Red snapper, wahoo, Atlantic bonito, barracuda, amberjack, bluefish, albacore, tuna, gilthead seabream and bluefish.
Fuerteventura is ideal for fishing at a short distance, as there are significant depths of water very close to the coastline. As you leave the port, you can begin to fish for blue marlin and dolphinfish which visit the waters of Fuerteventura from June to late October. Towards the end of the year, the bluefin tuna come to the waters of Fuerteventura, making the best time to fish for them autumn and winter.
In September, there is an annual international fishing tournament at the port of Gran Tarjal. It’s the biggest tournament held in the Canary Islands and attracts anglers from all over the world. At this time of the year, the waters are filled with a large amount of boats.
Blue marlin are usually found swimming in small groups in waters that are from 500m deep. This does not mean that they don’t come close to the port, as they can often be seen just 70m outside of the harbour. The best time for fishing blue marlin in Fuerteventura is from July to November.
Typically, white marlin move in small groups or as several individuals in waters deeper than 100m. White marlin generally feed on fish such as cephalopods and crustaceans, and the best time for to fish for them is from July to November.
The wahoo can reach speeds of up to 95 km/h and is known as the fastest animal in the sea. The wahoo can be caught mostly by trolling with lures and can be caught all year round.
A born fighter that can endure a strong battle for several hours, the big eye tuna can be found in the Canary Islands and caught mainly by trolling with artificial lures and sometimes with natural bait. The best time to fish in Fuerteventura for this species is during the months of February, March and April.
Similar to the rest of their family, albacore are great fighters that will test your strength. This fish moves with great speed, meaning that the best technique to catch them is trolling. Mounts with feathers and even octopus can work well too. The best time to fish in Fuerteventura for Albacore is during the months of February, March and April, although there are also some catches throughout the year.
The Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) has large eyes and long pectoral fins. This is why this species is also known as longfin tuna. The largest Albacore can reach up to 140 cm (4.6ft) and weigh up to 40 kg (90lb).
The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a rapid fish species known for being great hunters. They have striping on their backs with silver-coloured undersides and they grow up to 30 inches long. They have a hydrodynamic body shape, even more so than larger tuna.
The Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is probably the most wanted fish in the sport fishing world. The magnificent fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. Blue Marlin is mainly caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
The dentex (Dentex dentex) is a common saltwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sometimes they appear in the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal. They have very strong teeth to feed on fish, squid and mollusca. Dentex are a great species for sportfishing and are targetted mainly trolling or jigging. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
The the European barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena) is also known as the Mediterranean barracuda. This predator is common in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They can grow up to 1,65m and weigh over 3,5kg.
The pink dentex (Dentex gibbosus) is a saltwater fish distributed from Portugal to Angola, Canary Islands and the warmer areas of the Mediterranean Sea such as southern Spain and the Gibraltar Strait area, Morocco, southern Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. The larger fish are 1,2 m long and can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb).
The skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) have a strong body with black stripes on the side. The largest skipjack tuna can reach up to 100 cm (40 inch) and weigh up to 10 kg (22 lb). Skipjack are mainly caught trolling lures.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), also known as Ono (meaning “delicious” in Hawaiian), are found in many subtropical and tropical waters. They’re identifiable by their blue-green upper body which shifts into silver towards their belly. They also have blue vertical striping along their sides. These predators are torpedo-shaped and have long and largemouths with teeth.
The White Marlin (Kajikia albida) is a very nice predator which can be caught off shore in warmer waters. This powerful fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. They can be caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
Yellowfin tuna grow fast, up to 400 pounds (180kg) in about a 7-year lifespan, and they range in length from 59 inches to 88 inches long. They’re known for their torpedo shape, with a pointed nose and a sickle-shaped tail, and have dark blue backs with yellow sides (thus their name) with a silver underside.
Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus) belong to the tuna family just like Bluefin Tuna, Albacore or Yellowfin Tuna. They can grow up to 200kg (450lb) and over 2 meters long. These pelagic fish are found in temperate and tropical waters (off shore) and are targetted mainly trolling.
The Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is known by anglers as being a fast, aggressive and strong fish of the ocean. They are fun to target and give a real challenge to anyone who comes across them while fishing. They inhabit temperate and subtropical waters around the world. Bluefish have extremely powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth. They can grow over a meter and weigh over 10kg.
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or simply mackerel have a great back with irregular black bands. They're very common and like the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean. Mackerel are typically between 25-35cm.
The northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a popular fish often caught reef fishing in the Atlantic waters of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and also the Caribbean. This sought-after game fish can reach 1 m and weight up to 50lb.
Redbanded seabream (Pagrus auriga) is a fish of the bream family Sparidae, just like gilt-head bream, red porgy and dentex. Redbanded seabream are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the south western Mediterranean Sea. They mainly feed on shellfish and cephalopods. This wonderful fish species can grow up to 1 meter long and weigh more than 12kg.
The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), often referred to as barracuda, is a long predator that can be found in tropical and subtropical waters where they like to patroll mangroves, reefs and drop-offs. Record barracuda can grow to 1,5m and weigh over 45kg (100lb+).
The Little tunny or False Albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) is easily identified by the dark spots under its pectoral fins. They like warm temperate and tropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The larger Little Tunny weigh up to 35lb and can reach 1,2m.
Grouper is common name for all the bass-looking-fish from the Epinephelinae Family. This family also includes sea bass by the way. Grouper are colorful predators who like to live in rocky areas, reefs, wrecks where they can hide.
The common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) is a type of snapper, common in the Meditarranea Sea, but is also present in the eastern Atlantic coastal areas from Cape Verde to Scandinavia. The biggest pandora can grow up to 50cm (20 inch).
The Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). The biggest Bluefin Tuna ever caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
During autumn and winter, fishing in Fuerteventura is often done whilst anchored or drifting and on the seabed. With natural bait, it’s possible to catch a variety of fish including sierra (Canary Island name for Atlantic tuna, in Latin sarda sarda), and with live bait such as mackerel, cuttlefish or squid, it’s possible to catch medregal (amberjack) and sama.
In winter it is possible to catch bluefin tuna, big eye tuna and albacore and this can be done by trolling, with lures or with large natural bait. You can also fish for tuna by drifting and using natural bait.
Fishing in Fuerteventura changes a little during springtime as there is a stream of warmer water coming from the South to the Canary Islands, attracting an abundance of nutrients for small fish such as mackerel, sardine and alacha (the preferred food of Peto). Albacore, Atlantic bonito, white marlin and especially the blue marlin also benefit. Billfishes visit the island from July to November, but the best months for fishing marlin in Fuerteventura are the months of September and October.
At this time of the year, most boats use the trolling technique. Travelling at a speed of 6-8 knots and dragging all kinds of lures such as octopus and squid, the lures are often skimming across the surface of the water, creating a trail of bubbles that attract even more fish.
Apart from fishing in Fuerteventura you can also go cycling, kite surfing in Jandia at the Sotavento beach (René Egli Windsurfing and Kitesurfing centre), windsurfing in Glass beach in Corralejo, surfing in Cotillo, mountain biking, wine tasting experience, snorkelling & diving, sailing, hiking and much, much more.
Enjoy the local food in the hundreds of bars & restaurants of the area.
You need a fishing license to fish in the Atlantic waters of Fuerteventura. The fishing charters normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.