Happy Hooker
Puerto Colón, Tenerife (ES)
One thing you must do is going out fishing in Tenerife. You can either buy a ticket for a half day fishing tour or book a private charter. During the sha...
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One thing you must do is going out fishing in Tenerife. You can either buy a ticket for a half day fishing tour or book a private charter. During the shared trips, normally you do bottom fishing combined with some trolling (if the pelagic fish are around).
The big game fishing season normally starts in February for tuna fishing, being April and February the better months; marlin fishing can be done between May and September, whereas the peak season is June, July & August.
Tenerife is known for the year-round sunshine, the beaches like those from Playa Las Americas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje and its mild temperatures. It's a hotspot for windsurfing, surfing and scuba diving. In the interior you'll find amazing landscapes which are ideal for hiking, cycle touring or rock climbing. And don't miss the Mount Teide National Park with the third highest volcano of the world!
The waters around Tenerife feature a wide variety of game fish: the most common species are the sargo, serranos and sama. and in deeper water you can capture larger predators such as grouper or Atlantic wreckfish.
With light tackle and artificial lures you can enjoy Tenerife fishing catching bonitos or sierra as they use to call them here, barracuda, bluefish and wahoo. In greater depths and with natural bait you can also capture good examples of sama, dentex and amberjack.
Deep sea fishing in Tenerife is most productive during the summer months, when you can catch blue marlin, white marlin and various types of tuna, as well as dolphinfish and wahoo using heavy tackle (50lb and 80lb gear).
Jigging is another interesting technique to go Fishing in Tenerife. On rocky seabeds you can use long blade jigs or inchiku in depths of 70m to 150m to target the great amberjacks, samas, dentex and grouper. With smaller lures, you can also catch snapper, barracuda and sierra, amongst others. There are also very interesting areas in Los Gigantes on the west of the island.
Blue marlin fishing in Tenerife is best by trolling, for which you can use lures such as octopus. These fish are usually found in deeper waters of 500m or more and the best time for fishing blue marlin in Tenerife is from June to October. If you want to go big game fishing, you better book a full day to catch these big fish.
This fish usually moves in small groups of several fish in waters of around 100 meters deep. White marlin eats a wide variety of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. The best time for fishing white marlin in Tenerife is from June to October
From November to January the big amberjacks (30-50 kg) (or medregal, as they call amberjacks in the Canary Islands) become the top fish in the food pyramid. During these months you can fish in optimal conditions with live bait in calm seas, with pleasant temperatures that range between 23 and 25 °C. However, fishing with live bait requires considerable skill and knowledge.
Fishing in Tenerife for big eye tuna and other tunas such as bluefin tuna and albacore is easiest during the months of February, March and April.
The best way to fish for grouper fish in Tenerife is by using natural bait (squid, mackerel, choco), via drifting or trolling. You can also fish by jigging. Once group bite, it’s important to try to "lift" it from the seabed because if it is given the slightest chance it will swim into a hole, where it can be impossible to remove it from.
If you're interested in fishing in Tenerife, you might also be interested in fishing in Barcelona, fishing in Gran Canaria and fishing in Marbella.
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).
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...).
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 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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
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 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 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).
The Crevalle Jack or Jack Crevalle (Caranx hippos) is a very popular sport fish that belongs to the Carangidae fish species. Horse mackerel, amberjack and giant trevally also belong to this family. Jack Crevalle can grow to a length of 120 cm and a weight of 30 kg.
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.
The tope shark or school shark (Galeorhinus galeus) is a type of ground shark found worldwide in temperate seas. Tope can grow up to two meters in length. This shark is a critically endangered species.
This fish is of the Balistidae family. There are about 40 species of triggerfish. The largest trigger triggerfish can grow up to 75 cm (30 inch).
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a migratory, live-bearing shark that feeds mainly on smaller fish and squid. They can be found in all the oceans and sees around the world.
The sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is for many sport fishermen a trophy fish because of the nice fight they offer but also because they're an excellent eating fish. Sea bass, also known as European bass, are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from northern Norway to Senegal, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. They can grow up to 1 metre and weigh up to 12kg.
Spearfish (Tetrapturus) are a generic name for several species such as the shortbill spearfish and longbill spearfish. These billfish are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
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.
At this time of year the best technique for fishing Tenerife is bottom fishing. With natural bait you can fish all kinds of rockfish: snapper, sea bream, jack, scorion fish, skate etc. We recommend to use live bait (mackerel, cuttle fish or squid, for example) to target species like amberjack and sama during your fishing trips.
In winter, blue fin tuna, big eye tuna and albacore can usually be fished. Tenerife fishing of these species is best done by trolling with large lures or natural bait. Tuna can also be fished with natural bait.
Tenerife fishing from spring onwards is abundant. During this time a stream of warm water comes from the south to the Canary Islands. This stream arrives first at La Gomera, before eventually reaching the other islands. This current attracts abundant nutrients for small fish such as mackerel, sardine, menhaden, etc. In turn, this small fish is the favorite food of wahoo, albacore, bonitos, white marlin and, most notable, the blue marlin. Billfishes visit Tenerife from June to October, but the best months for fishing in Tenerife for marlin are the months of July and August.
There’s more than sea fishing in Tenerife; you can also go Cycling, kite surfing, windsurfing, Mountain biking, wine tasting experience, whale watching, snorkeling & diving, sailing, horse riding, hiking and much much more.
Don't miss the volcano Teide, Spain's highest point and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic. The Mount Teide, the third largest volcano in the world, is surrounded by an unearthly landscape of solid lava.
Enjoy the local food in the hundreds of bars & restaurants of the area.
You need a fishing license to fish in fresh water and salt water. The fishing charters in Tenerife normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.