Family Friendly Fishing Destinations?

[DanBlueMarlin]

Hi

It's that time of year again where I'm looking at booking a holiday.

Does anyone know of a good place that I can take my family (2 children under 6) that also has either good beach spinning or small boat hire available to get onto a reef and fish?

I went to Mauritius last year and ended up Big Game fishing and really do not want to do that again.

Caribbean, Bahamas or anywhere else, any suggestion welcome!

Thanks
Dan

[TomBettle]

Antigua, Barbados etc. Any of the all inclusive resorts will have family fun and some level of fishing too.

Alternatively do the very best and simplest and go to the canaries.
Fishing at Caleta with Aram's guys would be first class (better than almost anywhere) from both the shore or boat.

[PanamaJack]

Hi

It's that time of year again where I'm looking at booking a holiday.

Does anyone know of a good place that I can take my family (2 children under 6) that also has either good beach spinning or small boat hire available to get onto a reef and fish?

I went to Mauritius last year and ended up Big Game fishing and really do not want to do that again.

Caribbean, Bahamas or anywhere else, any suggestion welcome!

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dan
I assume with two small children you're going to be restricted to school holidays. Are you looking for two weeks during the summer, or at some other time of year? It's just that August is peak hurricane saeson in the Caribbean.

[DanBlueMarlin]

I'm thinking of going Feb or March time. I have been to Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica before and haven't had any joy with shore fishing from any of these venues. Obviously it depends on which resort you stay at so if any one has experience of a particular resort with great shore fishing that would be good.
With regards to the canaries can you shore fish easily and if so what can you expect to catch?
Thanks

[TomBettle]

Dan

Seriously, contact Aram.
The Canaries doesn't always come top of the list when it comes to luxury holidays, but I am sure Aram could steer your family to some creature comforts.
Aram runs the tackle shop, "Gone Fishin" in Caleta de Fuste on the Eastern side of Fuerteventura.

He's running a couple of threads on both shore fishing and boat fishng there if you look in the European section.
I hope to be there in February (depending on funds) and will hope to have a bash from the shore for the mini species from small Bream, Grunts and Mullet through to a possible Barracuda, Garpike (Huge Garfish), Bluefish and even small Tuna.
I'll also be grabbing a trip out on the local charter boat that has had some tremendous success over the season. Amberjack to 100lb, loads of Wahoo and smaller blue water species, plus a good run of Marlin up until last week.
If I go in February, Aram assures me there should be some good Tuna fishing from the boats and, fingers crossed, I'll be going on a private boat too for a day inshore fishing for reef species (or anything at all, just love being afloat).
PM Aram, he's very approachable (normally, just bewary of him, you'll see when you check out his avatar. Lot's of decent advice and some very hands on advice if you actually visit his shop.

Tom

[marktheshark]

Ullo matey
Cayo Guillermo in Cuba does it for me. Excellent shore fishing, with the chance of catching some real monsters - one guy took a 150lb tarpon from the shore there last year. Plenty of snapper, barracuda, jacks, kingfish, bonefish, tarpon and amberjack in the 5-30lb class if that scares you! Spinning, bait and fly all work and you can charter boats or Hobiecats for offshore work.
Hols there are very resort-based, as there's little to do and no shopping or infrastructure locally, but the resorts are family friendly and have plenty of ways of keeping the little monsters hyperactive. Nice beaches, lovely people, and relatively cheap. Two hotels I'd recommend are Melia Guillermo (4*) and Iberostar Daiquiri (3*). Fishing is best April-June. First Choice and T Cook fly direct to the resort (9.5hr plus 40min coach transfer).
Check out the fishing forum in Cubamania.com/cuba for more info on the fishing.

[Spitfire66]

Bermuda? - bit expensive but safe clean & beautiful with good fishing

[Roger Bayzand]

Regarding fishing in Fuerteventura, I got this from Pete Stotesbury who has fished there for several years.

"Contact Boat called SINA MARIA III Runs from Corralejo North of Fuerteventura. Skipper Marcelino Figueroa 0034617494484
E Mail bigamefishing@yahoo.es There may be a web site. Do not expect Game Fishing as such and i recommend taking your travel gear if you want. Nearly all the fishing is done at anchor very little tide. You can catch King Fish, Barracuda, small Tunas, Bream, Snapper, Rays, Trigger and Parrot fish. Nice day out including drinks and a light lunch last time i was there 65 euros for 0730 to 13/1400 ish. He will go Game fishing etc but you would need to charter the boat and pay the price i have only gone as an individual while on holidays."

Cuba can be very good but most of the resorts have holiday style charters. We had first class fishing on Las Jardinas de la Reina but there are no nice hotels out there. On the mainland the bonefishing is prolific at La Salinas, there are hotels nearby and tarpon in the river.

Sounds like Cayo Guillermo has it all, thanks Mark, I will give it a try sometime. Cuba is well worth a visit just for the friendliness of the people.

Regards Roger

[TomBettle]

Yes I agree.

Definately Cuba, at least, if not further to Mexico. I don't think 10 hours on a plane is friendly enough for two kids under 6.

You definately don't want Fuerteventura, it's too short a flight at under 4 hrs & the kids will be bored on the beaches or one day at the zoo, another day on the sand dunes, another in the aquatic centre, etc. The wife would really hate browsing the shopping centres & the markets. The people are so unfriendly & it's very unsafe. There have been no reports of any crime in the last 3 years because everyone is on guard with machetes, so no one dares to attack the other. Oh and it's really dirty, especially in Caleta de Fuste, & we still don't understand why they built three 5 star hotels here and 2 full size golf courses, stupid place to bulid them.

As for the catches in both of these threads:
http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113652
http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114443

They are all bought from the fishmongers, just for the sake of the photos.

Aram (www.gonefishing.tv)
PS Marcelino (smashing guy, for what it's worth, I've fished with him many times) does not do Game Fishing. He is in Corralejo & the channel between Lanzarote & Fuerteventura is not renowned for having any 'Game Fish', no Marlin, big Tuna, Wahoo, Dorado or even Amberjacks, that's why he tends to concentrate on bottom fishing or a spot of live baiting for the odd European Cuda or Blue Fish (not King Fish) and he is very good at that! If you charter his boat for a day chances are he will bring you down to our eastern deeper channel, but then the journey down & back up would be best part of your day.

Calm down Aram!!!!:hammer:

Roger was just offering advice based on his own visits.
Personally, I do lik the sound of Caleta as it is very central to everything. I can't wait to come over and if I have a good time with "errr indoors", I'll hopefully return with Natasha, my 6 year old (6 and 7/8 so she tells me).

[PanamaJack]

Hi Dan
Certainly Cuba was one of the places I would have suggested.

But it would be interesting as well to see Mark's thoughts on the Pacific coast of Mexico. I know parts of Cabo san Lucas are tacky but I suspect there are some excellent hotels slightly 'out of town'. And how about East Cape, or further round into the Sea of Cortez?

The Pacific coast of Costa Rica - somewhere like the Guanacaste province - also might fit your criteria. Although charter companies like First Choice don't arrange holidays there during the dry (prime) season and you'd need to self-organise.

Then, with two young children, how about a two centre holiday in Florida - combining 4 or 5 days in Orlando with somewhere like a destination on the mid-Keys or Gulf coast? Alternatively you could combine Orlando with just day trips - by hire car - to the Cape Canaveral, IC Waterway or Mosquito Lagoon areas. If you're into freshwater fishing there're also some great spots for Largemouth Bass in the Orlando area.

I guess what came over in your initial post was an 'aversion', based on your Mauritian experience, to what I suspect was trolling lures or livebaits. Um .. not everyone's 'cup of tea' I'd have to admit. But some of those places would certainly give you a different insight to offshore fishing. Sight casting to Sailfish with spin gear is something I particularly enjoy. And inshore, on the Pacific, from pangas as well as the Jacks and other light tackle species you've got Roosterfish. Now they're something else!

As to self-hire boats you'll find those at a number of locations on the 'Keys. Although it's likely to be more problematic on the Pacific and there some of those big swells can appear out of nothing.

[marktheshark]

Hi Dave
I didn't mention Baja because it is such a problem getting there from the UK - and the sea can be rough too - which makes it a bit tough on kids. Oh, and the dollar rate won't work in your favour at the moment. Guillermo is a long flight away (not as long as Mauritiius though) but it's direct and once you get there it's a simple coach journey to the hotels. A lot of families with young kids do brave the obstacles mentioned by Aram and a few even make it, bless their pioneering cotton socks!

[ianp37]

Ullo matey
Cayo Guillermo in Cuba does it for me. Excellent shore fishing, with the chance of catching some real monsters - one guy took a 150lb tarpon from the shore there last year. Plenty of snapper, barracuda, jacks, kingfish, bonefish, tarpon and amberjack in the 5-30lb class if that scares you! Spinning, bait and fly all work and you can charter boats or Hobiecats for offshore work.
Hols there are very resort-based, as there's little to do and no shopping or infrastructure locally, but the resorts are family friendly and have plenty of ways of keeping the little monsters hyperactive. Nice beaches, lovely people, and relatively cheap. Two hotels I'd recommend are Melia Guillermo (4*) and Iberostar Daiquiri (3*). Fishing is best April-June. First Choice and T Cook fly direct to the resort (9.5hr plus 40min coach transfer).
Check out the fishing forum in Cubamania.com/cuba for more info on the fishing.

Hi Dan

Word of warning on Cuba have a look at this first, then make up your mind.
http://www.cubamania.com/cuba/showthread.php?t=22541
there are other resorts where this is starting to be introduced as they have sussed there is money to be made you will find that out just getting a bob cat or pedlo to take you out they try to charge .and it is part of the all inclusive to use these free of charge.I did not bother with the boat fishing trip as everyone I have heard that went out said the were just intrested in the money and not fishing and never heard of anyone catching anything at all.
your choice.

[marktheshark]

Hi matey
The reason I recommended Guillermo is that it is not subject to any fishing restrictions. The proposed ban on Cayo Coco, the island next door to Guillermo, and parts of the adjacent cays, Romano and Paredon, is nothing to do with money and tourists either; it is the result of a government report gazetting areas of ecological and scientific interest. Guillermo is NOT listed (except for some inland sand dunes) in that report and the sign pictured in the link is from Cayo Largo, on the other side of the Cuba.
The other reason I recommended Guillermo is for the DIY opportunities it offers. The charter boats are, as you say, hit-and-miss and I give them a miss. But that's not what the island's about. What it is about is the chance of catching huge fish, on fly, popper or bait, from the shore or off the back of a Hobiecat. Coco, ban or no ban, does not offer the same opportunities.
I set aside a week of holiday to travel solo anywhere I want to fish myself stupid 24 hrs a day if I want, and Guillermo has been my destination of choice for the past three years. Next year, too.

[JayP]

Hi Dan

Word of warning on Cuba have a look at this first, then make up your mind.
http://www.cubamania.com/cuba/showthread.php?t=22541


Prices in Cuba will skyrocket next year when the 'Trading With the Enemy Act' is lifted by Obama!