Do I need experience to go big game fishing?

Not at all. The crew rigs every bait, sets the spread and coaches you through the fight. Plenty of first-timers land the fish of their life out here.

What can I catch off Bonaire?

Offshore: blue marlin, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi. Closer in: barracuda, amberjack and big jacks. Deep: swordfish, snapper and grouper on the deep-drop. See the full species list for what runs when.

When is the best time for big game fishing in Bonaire?

Year-round. Wahoo and mahi peak Oct-Apr, blue marlin run hardest Mar-Aug, and tuna are around every month.

Can you fish for swordfish in Bonaire?

Yes. Bonaire’s reef wall falls toward roughly 750 m within a mile of the dock, true swordfish country. We deep-drop baits on heavy gear and electric reels, best on our longer charters, deep-dropped during the day. See our swordfish deep-drop tour.

How do you fish. And can I keep my catch?

We fish responsibly. All billfish, blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish, are tagged and released to keep Bonaire’s stocks healthy. Everything else is yours to take home: tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, snapper and more, and we clean, filet and bag your fish so you can enjoy it fresh at your rental or hotel. How we fish depends on the charter you book, trolling, live-baiting, popping, chunking, and deep-dropping bait for bottom species and swordfish. Different targets call for different techniques and bait.

Big Game Fishing Bonaire, Offshore Charters

The Bonaire ledge

More fishing, less driving

Bonaire is a hidden fishing destination in the Caribbean, and it still amazes us.

Blue marlin leaping across deep blue water off Bonaire on a Fishtales big game fishing charter

Getting tight, Bonaire style

Many ways to fish Bonaire

There are plenty of ways to get tight here, trolling for the big bite, live-baiting, chum-and-chunk, popping, or deep-dropping for swordfish and queen snapper. The Fishtales and her crew handle them all.

Big game, offshore

Our bread and butter. The Fishtales is a Bertram 42 on twin Cummins QSC 600 HP engines, the most comfortable, best-equipped charter boat on the island, set up for any kind of big-game and bottom fishing. Get in the fighting chair or strap on the harness and get that fish.

Deep-drop & swordfish

When the trolling slows or the broadbills are on, we send baits hundreds of metres down, heavy gear, electric reels, straight into the dark. It is a different battle: deliberate, deep and powerful, for swordfish, queen snapper, grouper and amberjack. Explore the swordfish deep-drop tour →

The Bonairian way

The next best thing to La Guaira

The southern Caribbean built its sportfishing name on the La Guaira bank north of Venezuela, and Bonaire is the next best thing just west of it. Deep water and every game fish you can dream of, right off the island.

And it’s easy to reach: 2.5 to 5 hours on direct flights from the USA with Delta, American Airlines and United, multiple times a week.

Six anglers and crew stand in the cockpit of the Fish Tales Bonaire sportfisher at the dock holding a wahoo behind the gold transom. — Group with Wahoo at Fishtales Boat, Bonaire Dock

A day on the Fishtales

Dock to dock

01 · Run out

Sip your fresh brewed coffee or a cold beverage while we head out and get the spread set.

02 · Set the spread

Crew set outs the lines and teasers depending on the target species. Sit back and relax and get busy when the reel starts to scream.

03 · The fight

We will coach you through every step to land that fish. To get your picture with it and possibly eat it if it's a legal specimen to keep. Making memories is what we do.

The target list

What you will be hooking

Bonaire’s drop-off and reefs are home to a wide selection of game fish: blue and white marlin, sailfish, mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and barracuda on the troll, swordfish on the deep drop, amberjack, and queen, red and yellow-eye snapper plus several grouper species over the reef. See what’s out there and pick your target, then check out the species list for where they hold, when they run, and how we put you on them.

See all 14 species

Top-down view of an angler holding a vivid green and gold mahi-mahi dorado on the deck of a fishing boat off Bonaire — Mahi-Mahi Dorado Held Onboard Fishtales Bonaire

Everything aboard

You just show up

Penn standup, spinning & jigging tackle · fresh bait
Fighting chair, Cannon downriggers, live well, tuna tubes
Snacks, cold drinks and water
All safety gear
A crew that knows every drop-off on the island

Angler in a fighting chair bends a heavy rod battling a big game fish offshore aboard the Fishtales Bonaire boat. — Angler Fights Fish in the Chair | Fishtales Bonaire

Timing

When to fish Bonaire

Thanks to Bonaire’s location and the deep water right off the coast, there is a year-round fishery. A rough guide to what is running:

Wahoo & yellowfin tuna, year round, peak November to July
Blue marlin, white marlin & sailfish, November to June
Swordfish, year round
Snapper & grouper, year round

Golden sunrise over Bonaire seen past a trolling rod and reel on the deck of the Fishtales big game fishing boat. — Sunrise Trolling on a Fishtales Bonaire Charter

Before you book

Big game fishing FAQ

Do I need experience to go big game fishing?
Not at all. The crew rigs every bait, sets the spread and coaches you through the fight. Plenty of first-timers land the fish of their life out here.
What can I catch off Bonaire?
Offshore: blue marlin, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi. Closer in: barracuda, amberjack and big jacks. Deep: swordfish, snapper and grouper on the deep-drop. See the full species list for what runs when.
When is the best time for big game fishing in Bonaire?
Year-round. Wahoo and mahi peak Oct-Apr, blue marlin run hardest Mar-Aug, and tuna are around every month.
Can you fish for swordfish in Bonaire?
Yes. Bonaire’s reef wall falls toward roughly 750 m within a mile of the dock, true swordfish country. We deep-drop baits on heavy gear and electric reels, best on our longer charters, deep-dropped during the day. See our swordfish deep-drop tour.
How do you fish. And can I keep my catch?
We fish responsibly. All billfish, blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish, are tagged and released to keep Bonaire’s stocks healthy. Everything else is yours to take home: tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, snapper and more, and we clean, filet and bag your fish so you can enjoy it fresh at your rental or hotel. How we fish depends on the charter you book, trolling, live-baiting, popping, chunking, and deep-dropping bait for bottom species and swordfish. Different targets call for different techniques and bait.