Fishing in Bermuda

The Basics

Fishing is good in Bermuda, but best during Spring, Summer and Fall. However, anglers enjoy fishing the reef, the flats, and going offshore year-round, and whereever you go, whatever season you fish, you'll have a grand old time testing your skill and luck in the waters that surround Bermuda. Charters can be found in all the major areas of Bermuda, and you can rent poles if you like, too, or even a whole boat, if you want to fish on your own, without a guide. It's all possible, so name your desire, and you can fish just about any way you like here.

Of course everyone has to follow the rules, and Bermuda does have some restrictions. Although no fishing license is required, there are size and quantity limits such as you would find in the USA, and spearguns are prohibited, too. Only Bermdua citizens with a commercial fishing license can keep lobsters. The government has stepped up conservation efforts, puting restrictions on certain reef and shore fish, but these restrictions are aimed at, and mostly affect, the commericial industry, not sportfishing.

Charter guides will set you up with whatever bait and tackle you'll need on the trip, with lines anywhere from 20 to 130 pound-test, depending on whether you're going for the big fish or smaller weaker ones. The charter boats are usually 30 to 35 feet in length, and have GPS, fish finding sonar devices, radar, depth sounders, and anything else modern technology has come up with to make fishing easier. Prices vary, but expect to pay around US$700 for a half-day charter and US$1000 for a full day of charter fishing.

You can also sign up to fish with a group for about US$100 a day, much cheaper but much different experience than hiring your own guide. You'll most likely ship out on a large boat that goes to basically the same spot every day and fishes for whatever happens to show up, whether it be barracuda or grunts. A private guide will cater to everything you want, take the boat where you want to go, fish for whatever you want. The party boats are for a completely different type of fishing experience, perhaps for the fishing novice or the general tourist, and the service is much different than the excellent treatment you'll get from a private guide. You get what you pay for!

You can contact the Bermuda Sport Fishing Association to arrange a charter fishing trip. They're located in Pembroke Parish. You can also call the St. George's Game Fishing & Cruising Association.. And you'll also see dozens and dozens of advertisements, brochures, and websites for independent guides. Just go to Hamilton Harbour or any harbor in Sandys and look on the docks. You'll be sure to find a charter boat captain willing to take you out for a great day of fishing.

Flats Fishing, or Shore Fishing

Come to Bermuda and try your hand at saltwater fly-fishing for bonefish, and guaranteed you'll never forget it. Bonefish hide out in sheltered flat water areas, like coves and harbors, and they're strong-pulling fish if you can land one. Look for large clear expanses of shallow water close to shore, such as West Whale Bay and Spring Benny's Bay, or your charter guide will take you to a secret spot that's good for spotting and hooking these wily elusive fish. Harrington's Sound is another good spot to try flats fishing because it's enclosed...remember that flats fish love the safety these sorts of areas. There are dozens of local tackle shops to help you out with tips and bait. Other good spots are St. George's Harbout, for the same reasons, and the south shore of Bermuda.

For a low-cost alternative, you can fish from shore with rented equipment. People do actually catch fish from shore, such as barracuda, snapper, bonefish and pompano. Rent everything you need fom Windjammer Watersports or Somerset Bridge Water Sports in Sandys Parish.

Reef Fishing

Bermuda has coral reef in its oceans, so fishing is great out there on the reef and just off the reef. There are three major bands of reef, some close to shore and some several miles out. Challenger Bank is twelve miles out and Argus Bank is thirty miles out from shores of Bermuda. Depending on your vessel, the weather, and your ambition, each reef is better than the other two, on any given day. You may want to stick to the close-in reef, which at some points is only half a mile from shore, in the winter time. Winter brings stronger winds and cooler weather, so a treck out to Argus Bank in January might seem more like hard work than a pleasant day of sportfishing, for lots of people. It's good that there are so many fishing spots to choose from when you come to Bermuda.

If you sign up for a day of reef or off-shore charter fishing, you'll more than likely go to the waters southwest and northwest of Bermuda, since the fishing here is excellent. You'll find all sorts of reef fish on the reef out here:

• amberjack
• grouper
• barracuda
• snapper

• wahoo
• tuna
• marlin
• dolphinfish

You're more likeley to see a wahoo than a dolphinfish as you troll the deep waters off Bermuda. If you do go offshore, a full day charter is a better bet than a half-day charter because it takes a bit of time to get out to the deep waters, and of course you want lots of time to actaully fish, to increase your chances of landing the Big One.

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