Guinea Bissau is a tropical country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres and shares borders with Senegal to the north, Guinea to the south-east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
It’s coastline spans 350km and features numerous estuaries that penetrate inland, low lying coastal plains with swamps of Guinean mangroves before rising to Guinean forest in the east. Off the coast of Guinea Bissau, you will find the Bijagos, an archipelago of 88 islands that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are the largest archipelago in Africa, and the region encompasses 30,000 square kilometres. Geographically, the archipelago does not lend itself to commercial fishing, so these waters are untouched and are a truly protected saltwater wilderness. It’s this area where you’ll find some of the most varied and explosive saltwater fishing on the planet.
Guinea Bissau is a fishing destination for the saltwater angler who has a genuine desire for angling adventure, an anglers paradise, multi-method, and multi-species destination. Fishing is predominantly from boats, with wrecks and reefs holding the majority of the fish. Seven different types of Jacks, hard fighting African Red Snapper, Barracuda, Silver Croaker, Mackerel, various Rays, numerous Sharks, Kob and Grouper, to name a few, are all easily targeted.
Guinea Bissau is a lure and popper anglers paradise. The fishing grounds around the lodge are phenomenal and offer travelling anglers the chance to fish for all manner of different species, on a number of different methods. You will benefit from the expertise of the guides, they have superb knowledge of the species and fishing.
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The fishing resort, located on Bubaque Island, is one of the most populated in the Bijagos archipelago and the Hotel Kasa Afrikana, where you stay, is exclusive to Sportquest Holidays. The four-star resort is tucked away and nestled amongst thick tropical gardens, home to stunning views and fantastic wildlife. It’s a true piece of paradise.
In general, the saltwater fishing is good all year round, but the best time to go will depend on what species of fish you wish to target and the temperature you’re comfortable fishing in.
The climate in Guinea Bissau is tropical and generally hot and humid. It has two main seasons, the dry season and the rainy season. The monsoonal rainy season is between June and November, and the dry season is from December to May; in these months, the country receives very little rainfall.
The primary season runs from October to May, with peak time being October and November, then February to March; this allows you to avoid December and January. These are traditionally the hottest, with no wind.
The boats you will be fishing from are 7.5-metre fibreglass boats with Yamaha Enduro single engines. Meaning you will get out to the fishing grounds swiftly and in complete safety. This style of boat is very stable, especially when standing up to cast lures all day long. These boats are ideally suited for up to 3 anglers.
Each of the boats come with its own guide/captain who will take you out each day to target the many different species found around Guinea Bissau. The guides at Guinea Bissau have been fishing these waters for many years. They are keen fishermen themselves, and we class them as experts of the archipelago.
The guides mainly speak French, so a little knowledge of the French language would be helpful; however, either take a french dictionary, or there are many different apps you can get for your smartphone. A great tip is to get some images saved on your phone of the species you would like to target; that way, you can easily communicate to the guides about what you want to catch.
One of the most popular fish to target is the hard fighting Jack Crevalle.
The resort does supply a selection of basic fishing tackle, but you can take your own if you wish. We recommend at least taking your terminal tackle as every angler has there favourite lure, popper or jig. If you’ve never popper fished before and you’re not sure what to bring, why not read our blog on Top 10 Tips For Successful Popper Fishing.
The island of Bubaque where you stay is small and very easy to get around; it’s home to some stunning scenery and wildlife and is well worth exploring.
While staying at Kasa Afrikana, we provide you with a free 4×4 truck so you can investigate this little piece of paradise. Exploring some of the surrounding villages is popular amongst visitors; the villagers are very welcoming and sometimes even perform some dance ceremonies.
Bikes are also available for hire if you would prefer.
The best route to get to Guinea Bissau is with TAP from the UK via Lisbon. This route gives you the best connecting times, but they are only departing on certain days.
Once you land in Guinea Bissau, there’s around a 1.5-hour transfer by boat from the mainland to the resort on Bubaque Island. If conditions are too rough to travel via boat, we always book our customers a hotel room to stay overnight if necessary, ready to travel the next day.
