Guatemala is the most populated country in Central America and has the 11th largest national population in the Americas; it shares it’s land borders with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador, and ocean borders with the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
It has 14 different ecoregions ranging from mangrove forests to both ocean littorals. It also has 252 listed wetlands, including lakes,
lagoons, rivers, and four swamps. However, it’s the 400km of coastline bordering the Pacific ocean’s rich waters, which attracts big game anglers from around the world.
Over the years, Guatemala has built a reputation for its insane billfish fishing, often referred to at the world’s Sailfish capital. With a vast list of IGFA records as long as your arm, it has become the go-to place for any serious specimen angler in search of dream fishing.
With perfect conditions to attract vast numbers of billfish throughout the year, laws making Sailfish possession illegal and coupled with solid conservation, the fishery continues to flourish, and fleets average between 15 and 20 Sailfish a day throughout the season.
As well as the fantastic Sailfish sport, it’s also an excellent destination for all manner of other bluewater species, including Marlin, Tuna, Dorado and Roosterfish. All of which can be caught on traditional big game fishing methods, but also on the fly. In-fact saltwater fly fishing in Guatemala is famous, and you can expect some explosive action
Guatemala is the most prolific and talked about Sailfish destination in the world. Home to so many world records it really is classed as the number one place in the world. Our boats get really good numbers of fish during peak times and you will soon find your self realising that this part of the world is a must visit Sailfish destination.
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The waters of the Pacific, off the coast of Guatemala, provide a unique marine environment and a sensational offshore fishery due to many different factors.
Strong west-to-east currents from Mexico hit east-to-west currents moving up from El Salvador, resulting in a giant natural eddy. This natural eddy is full of nutrients, baitfish, pelagic species and, of course, vast numbers of Sailfish.
Twelve miles from the marina, there’s also a fishing mark known as the ‘pocket’; this is a vast underwater canyon, with depths of 3-4,000ft. It creates a strong current that allows baitfish to gather in abundance, drawing in the Billfish in large numbers.
Because the fishing is so good, with an average day seeing more than twenty Billfish raised to the boat’s stern, it’s an ideal destination to try and catch one on the fly. Unquestionably fly fishing for them is one of the most challenging forms of fly fishing, but it offers the most incredible sense of achievement and will get the adrenaline racing like no other angling activity.
An example of how good bluewater fly fishing is in Guatemala is that it holds the current world record for the most Sailfish landed on the fly in any one day.
There is nothing quite like catching a 100lb-plus Sailfish on the fly, and as they say, once you’ve landed one, there’s no going back.
The primary big game fishing season in Guatemala is from October to May, with January to March being the peak time for the Sailfish. On average, you can experience 15 to 20 bites a day, and during the peak season, 40 or more bites a day is not uncommon. The top boats release over 2,000 sailfish a year.
The inshore fishing for Roosterfish, Tuna and many different Snapper species are pretty consistent all year round.
One of the great things about Guatemala is that fishing can be tailored to suit you and is suitable for anglers of all abilities. If you choose to troll with conventional big game tackle, the fishing is more relaxed and the Billfish’s battles shorter. However, if you wish to target the fish on a fly, this can be pretty strenuous as most of the time, you will have to stand up and fight, and battles can last a lot longer.
As the fish are so abundant, it’s an excellent destination for novice fly anglers to learn their trade. As it’s possible to raise lots of fish in a day, you get many chances and potential hookups.
Guatemala is, however, suited to the active angler and those looking for high numbers of fish, as the more effort you put in, the more action you will get.
If you want to try fly fishing in Guatemala, then read our blog on the Top Tips To Help You Catch Billfish On The Fly.
If you choose to fish traditional big game fishing methods, then all the tackle is supplied and is of a very high standard. If you’d like to fly fish, then the boats do provide top quality fly fishing tackle, but there is a charge to hire this equipment. However, if you’d like to take your own, we can provide a fly fishing tackle list of everything you’ll need.
In Guatemala, the climate is tropical and hot all year round in the lowlands, only becoming cooler in the mountainous area with the increasing altitude. Overall it’s very comfortable all year round, with an average temperature of 22 degrees. There is a dry season from late November to mid-April when the northeast trade winds blow, and a rainy season from May to October when the winds predominately come from the southwest.