Sports Fishing In Fiji | The Reel Passion Of Angling

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What are the Different Types of Fishing available in Fiji?

Spearfishing Fiji

Spearfishing is the discipline that allows you to rediscover the way our ancestors used to target fish. Mixed together with modern spearfishing underwater swimming gear and powered spearguns, you are sure to have an adrenaline-filled adventure. Spearfishing can be experienced using free diving, snorkelling, or scuba diving techniques, depending on your skill level.

Fishing Charters

Fiji has to be the best place on earth to explore the sport. Grab a few friends, book the half-day, full-day, or evening charter, and be blown away by the knowledge, fish diversity, and crystal clear seas that Fiji has to offer. On your return home, cook up your catch of the day and eat it with an ice-cold beverage. Simply Perfection…

Handline Fishing

Fishing with a handline enables you to enjoy the sport with the absolute minimum amount of gear, making it a great introduction to the sport for first-timers and the young. You can catch a variety of fish via the shoreline, jetty, or boat. A majority of resorts with fishing packages and charters listed below will provide this activity.

Types of Fish in Fiji

Barracuda	Bohar Snapper	Coral Trout	Mahi Mahi	Jobfish (Green)	Marlin (Black)	Marlin (Blue)	Marlin (Striped)
Rainbow Runner	Sailfish	Spanish Mackerel	Spearfish (Shortbill)	Swordfish	Trevally (Bluefin)	Trevally (Giant)	Tuna (Dogtooth)
Tuna (Skipjack)	Tuna (Yellowfin)	Wahoo	Snapper	Sweet Lip	Coral Trout	Leather Jacket

How To Choose a Fishing Operator?

Choosing the correct Fishing Venue or Specialist Tour Guide can make all the difference between an amazing Fijian adventure in the crystal clear waters that surround the coast and an average day’s excursion that doesn’t meet your expectations. This is especially true for less experienced fishermen who need guidance and an additional helping hand from the crew.

How do you know which is the right one for you? To help you out, here are four steps for doing your homework before your trip:

Consider the Type of fishing.

In Fiji, you will find everything from resort-based guides that lean heavily on beginner-level and localised excursions to specialty Fishing Guides with the gear and experience for professional Sportsmen and Sportswomen. Create a list that best fits your interests and experience level. Some important things to look at are the size and number of their boats, their availability, and the quality of their fishing gear.

Are They Established?

In some parts of the world, you may find Fishing Guides that look respectable online but turn out to be little more than a guy with a tin boat and rod, and these types of operations may not have the training or equipment to cope with unforeseen emergencies. A good rule of thumb is to book through a resort or booking platform online, such as https://fishingbooker.com/, as they have to meet rigorous requirements on service and safety protocols before being allowed to promote their services.

Check out online reviews.

The next step is checking online reviews, keeping in mind that every business will have its share of good and bad reviews. The important thing to look for is multiple reviews describing the same experiences; for example, consistently positive comments about the skill and attentiveness of the staff or a reputation for overcrowded boats or poorly maintained equipment. Also, most review websites allow businesses to respond to reviews. A venue picking a fight with a past customer over a bad review is a red flag, while measured responses that show a willingness to solve the problem are a good sign.

Get in Touch

Once you’ve narrowed your choice to two or three venues, pick up the phone, send an email, or send a Facebook message. There’s no substitute for actually speaking with someone; any reputable operator should be more than happy to tell you all about their boats, safety procedures, regular fishing spots, how they conduct their tours, and any other questions you might have.

Visit in Person

Once you arrive at your destination, visit the fishing venue before your first trip. The afternoon of your arrival day is the perfect time to visit, especially once the boats have returned. Confirm your reservations, and don’t be afraid to chat with a member of the crew. The good guide loves talking about the day’s catch, ocean conditions, and what to expect on the boat.

Professional Fishing Charters in Fiji

International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Fiji World Records

The IGFA is a nonprofit organization committed to conserving game fish and promoting responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule-making, record-keeping, and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling.

Fishing Resorts in Fiji

Table Footnotes

Namotu Island Resort: Fishing around Namotu is great all year long, with many different species on offer. Their fishing boat, named Mai Kana, supplies fish for the resort’s main restaurant, and each week has a resident fisherman who is in charge of ensuring they are fully stocked so guests can enjoy fresh Yellowfin tuna, Spanish Mackerel, sashimi, and many more tasty delights.

The fisherman will usually head out in the morning and afternoon, and guests are more than welcome to jump on board and do some angling. There is no better place to get a taste of fishing than Namotu because it’s so close; most of the time the fishing boat is within sight of the island, so you’re not trapped on lengthy charters and can always head back in for lunch. If you’d like a more customised experience, you are able to book a fishing charter on board one of the many charter boats available.

Oneta Eco Resort: Come fish the Great Astrolabe Reef on a fishing experience you will remember forever. The ocean waters around Oneta hold a huge variety of sporting fish, including Monster Giant and Bluefin Trevally, fierce Dogtooth and Yellowfin Tuna, beautiful Red Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, and many more. You may encounter huge GTs (up to 50kg), and these Trevally are pound-for-pound the heavyweights of the reef. These brutes push anglers’ skills to the limit and require a great crew onboard to land them. Whenever possible and especially for trophy-sized fish, we have a catch-and-release policy (after we take your pictures, of course).

First Landing Beach Resort: When you stay at First Landing Resort, there’s plenty of action and adventure to be enjoyed. You can explore the waters of Fiji with Underwater World Fiji, which offers Diving, Surfing, Fishing, and Island Day Trips. Fish for wahoo, marlin, and mahi-mahi while sightseeing around the small islands that make up this beautiful tropical paradise.

Tides Reach Resort: Guests can choose to experience hand-line fishing, deep-sea fishing in their 28-foot Edgewater, or spearfishing in the crystal clear water around Taveuni. The resort provides all equipment and experienced guides, with the boats leaving directly from the beach, only steps away from your beachside villa.

Maqai Beach Eco Surf Resort: Try your hand at trawling the fertile waters around Qamea Island. Yellowfin tuna, Mahi-mahi, Walu, Wahoo, Dogtooth tuna, snapper, and many other species are abundant in these pristine waters. The resort’s kitchen will be happy to cook your catch to your liking upon your return.

Makaira Resort offers half- and full-day fishing expeditions with Makaira owner and pro fisherman Captain John on their custom-built boat, The Sea Dancer. She is a purpose-built boat designed specifically for Fijian waters and all types of anglers and techniques to pursue the large selection of sport fishing species in the surrounding waters.

Nukubati Island Resort: Charter one of their fully equipped sport fishing boats and go out to the Great Sea Reef for the really big ones! Try saltwater fly fishing. Whether you stand on the beach or take the punt and cast around the mangroves, you are sure to enjoy this increasingly popular style of fishing. Bring your own lures or select from Nukubati’s proven range. With authentic Spear fishing, using a Fijian native spear, not a spear gun, is also available.

Remote Island Resort: Join their team for a shot at the big one. The type of fish in the region is quite seasonal, with the most common catches being Tuna (Yellowfin, Bluefin, and dogtooth), Walu (Spanish mackerel), Wahoo, or Mahi Mahi. The resort offers a fully equipped boat with a fishing chair, outriggers, and rod holders suitable for trawling and casting.

Naqalia Lodge: If you love to fish and you want to enjoy a few hours of pure fun, Naqalia Lodge is the right place. The lodge’s professional guides are Fijian, and they know all the best fishing spots.

Mantaray Island Resort offers two different types of spearfishing: reef or green water spearing and blue water spearing. If you want to try your hand at catching your own dinner, hand-fishing adventures go on most afternoons, weather permitting. Grab a few cold drinks from the bar and head off into the afternoon sun to troll the nearby reefs and try our luck.

Minimum Catch Sizes And Protection Periods

The minimum catch size is the shortest allowed length for a caught fish. Minimum catch sizes are set to ensure the sustainable use of fish stocks and promote the recovery of certain stocks. The Table opposite details the type of fish and minimum size, along with the Fijian Name equivalent. (PART V: SIZE AND LIMITS OF FISH AND PROHIBITIONS)

No person shall kill, take, sell, offer, or expose for sale any fish listed in the Sixth Schedule of less than the lengths therein set out, measured in each case from the point of the snout to the middle of the tailfin when the fish is laid flat:

Provided that this regulation shall not apply to fish caught by children under the age of sixteen years when fishing with hook and line from the shore or wading near the shore and not offered or exposed for sale. (Minimum Size Limits for Fish Table, Government Source)

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time of the year for fishing in Fiji?

The simple answer is from late October to the end of March. If you wish to target a particular fish species, you should read the fishing season section above and shoot a message to one of the passionate professionals; they would be pleased to answer any detailed questions you might have. Facebook Messenger has to be one of the best platforms to use in this regard.