Chartering a Yacht for Big Game Fishing

Sport Fishing Yacht Charter Overview and Destinations

About Sport Fishing | Big Game Fishing | Sport Fishing Locations | Deep Water Fishing Techniques | Our Charter Fishing Boats

About Sport Fishing

You've all seen video of epic battles between man and fish - the thrill of sport fishing is unrivaled. Boatbookings.com can find you the perfect boat and crew to make this happen for you.

To get the most out of a sport fishing charter, you generally need a specially equiped boat that will allow you to get to your spot quickly, find the schools of fish, and have the right equipment on board (rods, reels, line, lures, bait, etc) to reel them in! The boat should be of sufficient capacity, seaworthiness, speed, stability and range to transport a crew out to sea some distance, carry the large amount of equipment required, remain stable when fighting fish which, (hopefully!) can weigh hundreds of pounds. Boats are often 30 to 50 feet long, with some approaching superyacht status.

The types of fish to be caught varies dramatically depending on location - it's best to talk to the crew prior to booking the charter to understand exactly the types of fish you'd expect to catch. But reeling in ANY fish provides a great adrenaline rush, even if it needs to be thrown back!

Big Game Fishing

If you really want to experience the top thrill of fishing, we can arrange a Big Game or Deep Water Fishing Charter. The targets here are the largest, most aggressive fish in the world, in the billfish (broadbill swordfish, marlin and sailfish), tuna (bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye) and sharks (mako, great white, tiger, hammerhead and other large species) and tarpon species.

These fish can be huge, and require special equipment and expertise to reel them in. The fish are often heaver than the breaking pressure of the fishing line you'll use, which means that the fishing skill of letting them run, tiring them out, and then slowly reeling them in needs to be mastered. You also need to net them, clean them and transport them, which again requires the proper crew and boat!

Sport Fishing Locations

Sport fishing used to be confined to a few ports where schools of game fish were relatively near show, but with the advent of bigger and faster fishing boats that range 70 miles and more from port, you can find deep water fishing from most any resort port.

The entire East Coast of the United States, due to the warm currents of the Gulf Stream, offers excellent deep water fishing. There are large numbers of fishing boats available for charter in Florida, the Bahamas, the Gulf Coast, and all the way through New England. Dophinfish and sailfish are favorite targets in Florida and the Keys, Bluefin Tuna are good targets from Massachusetts and Maine. The US west coast lacks the warm water, but there is excellent fishing for Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish and Striped Marlin from Southern California and Baha in Mexico.

In Latin America, Billfish and Tuna are the main targets with many excellent fishing areas. Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Guatemala all have abundant fish and a developed charter fishing industry.

Deep Water Fishing Techniques

A common food of Game Fish is squid, so appropriately many fishing lures are designed to resemble a squid, or often hooks baited with squid are used. The long poles you often see on fishing boats (called outriggers) allow you to troll multiple lines away from each other, increasing the probability of being seen by a fish. Your captain may use advanced technology, such as forward-scanning sonar, water temperature measurements, and even satellite-provided sea temperature charts, to assist the process of locating your fish.

Once a fish is hooked on a line, the true sport comes in. It is often a tricky task to land the fish, because it involves tiring the fish, reeling it in, and making sure that the line doesn't get tangled with the other lines or propeller.

fishing rods Fishing line used for sport fishing often has a breaking strain less than the maximum force the fish can apply when pulling as hard as possible away from the boat. The fishing reels therefore have sophisticated drag mechanisms which allow the line to escape if the fish pulls on it, but keep the specified tension on the line.

When hooked, most fish will run away from the boat, and when they are not pulling away from the boat the fisherman can reel in some of the line. When the fish tires it can be reeled in; however, the challenge does not end there. Hauling a heavy, powerful, flappin fish on board the boat represents a considerable challenge, unless the fish is tagged and released. Your crew may try gaffing, pulling it in with their hands, or netting (if it is a smaller fish).

Our Charter Fishing Boats

Because the cost of a fully equiped sport fishing boat is considerable, most people elect to charter a yacht, as opposed to buying a boat that will only be used a few days per year. Boatbookings.com has many high quality charter fishing boats available to meet your specific needs throughout the world. We know the regions, crews and boats, and can find you the ideal charter yacht. Click here to see our Charter Fishing Boats or simply contact us and we'll recommend the best boat for you.