The Sailfish is a member of the Istiophoridae family of Billfish, and there are populations throughout the warm and temperate parts of the world’s oceans. Predominantly brilliant blues and greys in colour, they have a characteristic dorsal fin known as a sail, which often stretches the entire length of their back and gives them their name. Another notable characteristic is the elongated bill, resembling that of the Swordfish and other Marlins.
Sailfish start as tiny larvae, no more than a few millimetres in length, but grow rapidly during their first year. When they reach adulthood, they can weigh upwards of 200lb; in fact, the official IGFA record is a Pacific Ocean Sailfish of over 220lb; however, the average size is around 65lb. As adults, they feed on reasonably sizeable bony fish, crustaceans and squid. They’re unique hunters, feeding in groups and using their dorsal fins to create a barrier around their prey before using their bills to slash through the dense school of baitfish, stunning and injuring them before returning to eat their wounded victims.
Sailfish are the fastest fish in the ocean and marine environment; they have been clocked at more than sixty-eight miles per hour. Their tough bills can be frustratingly hard to hook; they’re super powerful and acrobatic and provide the angler with a real challenge. Big game trolling is the most popular method of catching them, but fly fishing for them is one of the most exciting forms of fishing you can ever experience.
Below are the top destinations in the world for Sailfish Fishing.
Pomene Reserve is self-proclaimed as the Giant Trevally capital of Mozambique, offering some unrivalled sport from both the boat and shore. Based on just four anglers per week, this wild and remote destination is one of the most secluded and beautiful spots in the country, offering an intimate and extraordinary experience in a pristine setting.
Due to the amazing fishing at Rodrigues Island, Sportquest Holidays decided to put on their very own hosted Jig fishing trip to the fish packed waters that surround Rodrigues Island in Mauritius. This trip is for the anglers out there who seek adventure and excitement with some pretty extreme fishing for fish that absolutely pull your arms off.
Palma de Cortez resort in Mexico is the ideal big game fishing destination. Not only is the resort located next to all the prime fishing grounds but all tackle is included too. On top of this, we now offer light tackle packages on all Panga boats for bait fishing which include all hooks, weights and leaders free for you to use.
Bluewater Fishing Panama offers travelling anglers the chance to enjoy a fantastic week of mixed fishing for an array of hard-fighting species. Fishing the rich waters of the Gulf of Chiriquí, an area responsible for over 50 IGFA World Records, you'll wet a line in some of the most famous fishing marks on the planet.
Astove Atoll gives six lucky anglers each week the exclusivity of one of the wildest, most rugged atolls on the globe for a wide range of saltwater flats species. This is a wild, secluded and remarkably remote small-scale destination for anglers seeking adventure and a unique fishing experience not to be missed.
The Maldives is one of the top five names that appear on anglers' bucket lists worldwide. Home to over 1,100 fish species, from small reef dwellers to giant pelagics, it offers travelling rods the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest bluewater popper and jig fishing found anywhere on the planet.
This exciting new hosted popper and jig fishing trip is hosted by our guide Ross Johnson and will give you the opportunity to fish the rich waters off the coastline of Madagascar and Nosy Be, for a vast array of blue water species including Giant Trevally, huge Dogtooth Tuna, Grouper, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Black Marlin, and Sailfish, to mention just a few.
The Zancudo Lodge, where over 70 IGFA records have been set, is world-renowned for its lure and fly fishing inshore and offshore and its finest service. You will receive access to all the required fishing tackle from ultra-light to heavy fly fishing tackle with all poppers, lures, jigs and small flies will also be included.
Fly fishing Oman's vast coastline allows anglers to catch many different species that inhabit the Arabian sea and for many years it has been making fly anglers dreams come true. Our guides have a huge amount of knowledge regarding fly fishing for the different species and have played a huge part in pioneering some of these.
The Maldives Liveaboard trip allows travelling rods to experience some of the most exciting and explosive bluewater fishing in the world, casting poppers and jigs to some of the most remote areas of the Laamu Atoll. Situated in the rich waters of the Indian Ocean, it's home to over 1,100 fish species, from small reef dwellers to giant pelagics.
Alphonse Island needs to be experienced to be believed. It's famed for its world-class saltwater fly fishing for numerous flats species, quiet picnics on secluded beaches, sunset cruises with loved ones, mesmerising encounters with marine life and blissful pampering treatments all set within some of the most picture-perfect surroundings on earth.
The world-class resort in Costa Rica called Crocodile Bay has won so many awards on Trip Adviser that we class it as a must go for any big game angler. It is also the perfect destination to take your non-angling family, as the eco tours onsite are unbelievable and if you were to stay there for a whole month, you would never get through them.
Looking for your next extreme fishing adventure? Well, we are extremely pleased to be able to offer the very best popper and jig fishing Madagascar has to offer. Utilising our live aboard Catamaran and top of the range sport boats, you will be fishing a huge diverse range of unspoilt and un-fished areas.
Our famous hosted trips to Christmas island have become legendary; they offer you the best saltwater fly fishing along with world-class popper jig fishing. Combine this with light offshore trolling provides one of the most diverse fisheries in the world. A fishing adventure that should not miss at any cost.
At Kwanza Lodge the fishing is varied with the opportunity to one day, fish the freshwaters of the river Cuanza for super huge Tarpon and then the next to be some nautical miles offshore fishing for huge Marlin. The guides will make sure that all your requirements are catered for, so if you wish to troll all day or even popper fish then this will be tailored into your itinerary.
Tropical Flats Fishing Lodge on Christmas Island is a unique and natural operation that magically combines all the elements critical to fly fishing success. Endless hard sand flats, remarkable numbers of cruising fish, the best guides on the island and consistent year-round weather is what awaits all who visit this unique atoll.
Every sport fisherman has heard of stories of how world-class the fishery is in Panama and it's no wondering when Panama is the home to so many IGFA records of all manner of species and our lodge is right in the thick of it. The Gulf of Chiriquí is a real treasure of Panama and with the likes of world-renowned areas such as Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa being the fishing grounds
Over the last few years, Silver King Lodge in Costa Rica has built a reputation as one of the best Tarpon fishing destinations found anywhere in the world. Located in a lush tropical environment on the banks of the Rio Colorado on the northeast coast of Costa Rica, it's home to abundant numbers of big Tarpon.
El Bahia de Los Suenos, also commonly referred to as the ‘Bay of Dreams’, offers travelling rods mile upon mile of open and accessible coastline, as well as some of the richest offshore waters found anywhere in the world. Here, the Roosterfish is king, and the area is probably the number one destination for both numbers and the large average size of fish.
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.
Average Customer Satisfaction Score 90%
Name: Indo-Pacific Sailfish or Atlantic Sailfish
Also known as: Billfish, Ocean Gar, Ocean Guard.
Scientific Name: Istiophorus platypterus
Sailfish are predominantly blue to grey in colouration and have a characteristically sizeable dorsal fin known as the sail, which often stretches the entire length of their back. This, combined with the elongated rostrum or bill, as it’s more commonly known, makes it one of the most easily recognisable fish in the ocean. Along with the Swordfish and Marlin, Sailfish are called and recognised as Billfish in big game fishing and sportfishing circles.
They start their lives as tiny larvae no bigger than a few millimetres, but their growth rate is immense, reaching 1.2 to 1.5m in length in a single year. When fully grown, they can reach lengths of 3m+ from the upper jaw bill to the tail and upwards of over 200lb. Considered by many scientists as the fastest fish in the ocean, they’re capable of reaching speeds of between 10–15 metres per second or 35–55 kilometres per hour.
They mainly feed on small schooling fish like sardines, using their bills to slash through the shoals, injuring their prey before picking off the weak members of the pack. Their sail is usually folded when swimming and only raised when they attack, as a raised sail has been shown to reduce sideways oscillations of the head, which is likely to make their bill less detectable by prey fish. This strategy allows them to get closer to their prey without being noticed. Some sources indicate that Sailfish can change colours to confuse prey, display emotion, or communicate with other Sailfish.
Fact: Sailfish hold the record for the highest speed of any marine animal.
Sailfish are found in the pelagic zone of the Earth’s oceans, preferring continental coasts, islands, reefs and the tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. They are found predominantly in the upper layers of the water column but are outstanding divers, plunging up to 1,150ft or 350 metres to find food. They will often swim in schools and are always on the move, migrating to different waters at certain times of the year.
Commercial anglers don’t generally target them, and they have little worth, and once they reach adulthood, they have very few predators. These things, combined with their impressive growth rates, make them the most prolific species of Billfish, and as they tend to frequent near-shore waters, they come in contact with high numbers of anglers.
Some of the best locations in the world to target this popular big game fish include the countries in Central America, especially the likes of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.
Our top Five Sailfish fishing tours:
Pacific Sailfish Guatemala
Bluewater Fishing Panama
Zancudo Lodge Costa Rica
Crocodile Bay Costa Rica
Palmas De Cortez Mexico
Lots of these destinations are ideal for anglers new to big game fishing, as they often provide the opportunity to enjoy multiple hookups per day. If you are a big game fishing beginner, you may find our blog useful: Big Game Fishing For Beginners.
Sailfish are fast, powerful and hard to hook, but they are often very generous when eating anglers’ baits, lures and flies. Traditionally, through the years, they have been mainly targeted by trolling. This is where lures, baits or baited lures, are trolled behind the back of the boat in conjunction with an array of teasers (lures without hooks) to entice the fish up in the water column to feed. Plastic lures in purple-red and pink-red-white are popular, and when bait fishing, skirts are used with whole Ballyhoo, Mullet or a belly strip of Bonito Tuna. Trolling allows anglers to cover lots of water in a short period.
Over time, with advances in tackle development and the increase of anglers looking to push the boundaries on the fly, fishing methods for this popular big game fish have changed for anglers looking to target Sailfish on the fly, a tactic known as ‘bait and switch’ is used, which has to be one of the most exciting ways to catch them. First, like with trolling, a hookless teaser is fished behind the back of the boat to raise the fish from the depths and get them excited. Then, once the Sailfish or other pelagics are in the area, the teasers are replaced with baits or flies. This method enables anglers to use lighter tackle and is fished stand-up as opposed to the restraints of a fighting chair.
Tips for catching Sailfishing
1.) Keep an eye out for birds! The frigate bird is an oceanic waterfowl that typically indicates the presence of pelagic fish below. Watch for frigate birds gliding above the water or diving and actively hunting for fish. If you see them diving, it’s a good sign that there are fish below.
2.) If you have hooked a fish, stay there to find more fish. When a sailfish gets hooked, other anglers should be ready for a second bite, as double hookups are common. Sailfish travel in large groups searching for food, so it’s best to set your lines back in the water as quickly as possible after a hookup. This way, you’ll get many more bites than you usually would.
Sailfish can grow between 6ft and 11ft in length and weigh between 60 and 230lb, although, at most destinations worldwide, they average around 80lb.
The Atlantic all-tackle world record Sailfish weighed 141lb and was caught off the coast of Angola in Africa, while the world record Pacific Sailfish was caught off Ecuador and weighed 221lb.
