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Guinea Bissau Fishing Adventure Popper & Lure Paradise

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Customer Rating 86%
Tour Code GUI001  

Kasa Africana Lodge Guinea Bissau

Our Guinea Bissau fishing trips offer anglers a lure and popper paradise. With many different areas creating many different fishing scenarios. From reef fishing with baits to surface fishing with poppers. You can even throw a few flies at the Jacks as they bust the surface chasing down bait balls. These fishing grounds are phenomenal, with many different species just waiting for you.

They have superb knowledge of all the species available and all the different fishing styles. As well as the fishing, you will have free access to a 4×4 and mountain bikes so you can journey off into the surrounding areas if you wish to add a little more adventure to your holiday. The Hotel Kasa Afrikana is exclusive to Sportquest Holidays. Therefore, we can completely tailor the holiday to suit you with more or less fishing days and to include as many non-fishing days as you wish.

We also offer many other popper and lure fishing destinations that you may like.

Where is Bubaque Island

Guinea Bissau’s country is on the Western coast of Africa, and the resort located on a populated island called Bubaque. This beautiful island is one of the most popular islands off Guinea Bissau because of its incredible diverse fishing. As soon as you arrive, you will feel like you’ve transported to an angling nirvana. Helping create this feeling is the beautiful owner Gilles, who will make you feel right at home. Palm trees shroud the resort, and with the blazing sun in the African sky, you will most certainly feel like your holiday has started.

Guinea Bissau fishing trips are all done in the nutrient-rich Atlantic Ocean, and these waters hold many different species. The main fishing grounds are around offshore reefs and drop-offs. When the tides are right, they will chase fish around the shallow waters that surround the Islands and channels. When on your Guinea Bissau fishing trips you will be able to fish lots of different fishing styles, from deep watermarks to shallow beaches, and you will even get the opportunity to beach fish some of the deserted islands. Guinea Bissau’s climate is scorching, and you must be wearing the correct clothing. You will find a blog with some beneficial information on protective clothing for fishing in the sun.

How to catch fish in Guinea Bissau

If you are looking for a multi-species destination, Guinea Bissau will offer you this in bucket loads. The species range from 7 different types of Jacks, hard fighting African Red Snapper, Barracudas, Silver Croakers, Snappers, Mackerels, varied Rays, numerous Sharks, Elops, Captains and Permits. All these fish are available in these waters. The fishing styles all depend on the areas you will be targeting. 

The guides will sit down with you to see what you want from your Guinea Bissau fishing trips and work a program out depending on your focus. They will take you further out to deeper waters to target the vast Jacks on offer, and once you find a shoal of these, you will have lots of fun as the fish hunt in huge packs meaning once you have found one, more will for sure be more obliged to take your lure or fly. 

When you are chasing many other species, you will be fishing in and around the many islands from fast-paced narrow stretches between islands where the tide creates turbulent water, making for many species’ perfect habitat. 

A well-presented bait will see you catching all day long. If you fancy trying popper fishing, then the guides will cruise close to the islands, so you get to fish in prime waters where the predators will be waiting to ambush their prey. Head over to our YouTube Channel to watch the action for yourself. In our blog section, you will find that we have some beneficial tip blogs such as top 10 tips for successful popper fishing or top tips on speed jigging, all very useful and well worth a read.

Best Boats available

The fishing in Guinea Bissau is from either boat or shore, depending on what you wish to try. Whether you are thrashing the water from boat or shore, there is always the chance of picking up a monster fish in these beautiful blue waters. How you want to fish is down to you, the guides will make sure you are fishing the right spots according to the technique you wish to use. They will also troll lures so you can take a break from casting, as casting lures all day can be moderately strenuous. The bait fishing is a lot more relaxing until you hook a monster from the deep.

The captain of your boat will guide you through your fishing. They will be on hand to offer advice on how to get the best from your Guinea Bissau fishing trips and will work tirelessly to find you the fish species that you wish to catch. You will have your rod, and there is no rotation meaning that you will always be fishing. The boats you will be using 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 2 anglers.

Guided fishing in Guinea Bissau

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. They mainly speak French, so a little French knowledge would be helpful; however, either take a french dictionary, or there are many different apps you can now get for your smartphones. A great little tip is to get some images saved on your phone of the species you would like to target so that you can make it clear to the guides of the species you wish to target.

Do I have to be experienced

When lure fishing on your  Guinea Bissau fishing trips, you must be reasonably fit as the fishing is mainly active. However, there are other ways of fishing that are a lot less strenuous such as bait fishing. General knowledge of lure fishing would be an advantage, not necessarily salt-water experience, but how to cast, work your lure, and set the hooks will help you land more fish. The guides will help you as much as possible to get the most out of lure fishing holiday in Guinea Bissau. You do not have to be physically fit for this holiday, but you need to be able to stand and cast from a boat whilst fishing. Some of the species you will catch are very hard fighting and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes to land, and with high temperatures, this can be somewhat exhausting. Vertical jig fishing can be a complicated method so we have written a blog on the best top tips on speed jigging 

accommodation

Kasa Afrikana is a charming resort that is almost like stepping back in time whilst still living the modern way. Gilles, the owner, has spent many years perfecting this resort’s style and charm whilst still making sure to fit in with the natural environment. The lodge carefully decorated with local art and crafts adds lots of charm and character to this wonderfully peaceful island.

Resort

Six chalets can accommodate two people per room with a charming lounge area, and all come with en-suite bathrooms. Kasa Afrikana is like no other destination in the surrounding area. They have 24hr electricity run by generators, a desalination plant for constant freshwater, air conditioning in each room, and a fridge to keep all your drinks icy cold and a tremendous same-day laundry service.

You will find a communal TV lounge area at the resort that is the perfect place to meet other travellers and share stories. There is a pool room to relax in and share some homemade cocktails with your friends. All of this surrounded by stunning old trees that separate you from the ocean, which a small stone throw away. This beautiful palm tree-fringed hotel will have you relaxing beautifully once back from a long day out at sea doing battle with the big fish that swim these waters.

Food & Drink

The food served at Kasa Afrikana is delicious and prepared by a Senegalese cook who will prepare food each day using local produces. The cook staff are more than use to accommodating lots of different dietary needs from vegetarians to Coeliac. They will accommodate as long as some notice is given. Evening meals are mainly fresh fish caught by local fishermen, and if you catch something you wish to have cooked, please tell your fishing guide and take it to the cook each day.

The onsite bar serves lots of different drinks, from local beers to local spirits and more worldwide recognised top-shelf beverages. The bartenders will make numerous cocktails and if there is something not on the list, then ask, and they will try to create it for you. You can purchase bar snacks during the daytime from the bar.

Other Amenities

Other things to keep you occupied when you are on your Guinea Bissau fishing trips are mountain bikes to hire (free of charge) at this resort that you can cycle around the local roads and beaches that are incredibly safe. There is a 4X4 truck for the guests to use free of charge and is an excellent bonus if you fancy having a look around or go off to spot some wildlife which this part of Guinea Bissau is famous.

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Itinerary

TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS

The below itinerary is flexible should you require additional fishing days or additional free days to explore; we can tailor this itinerary to suit you personally. Feel free to talk to our travel consultants who can explain all options available.

Day 1:

Depart Any international Airport (See Details)

Arrive Casablanca Depart Casablanca

 

Day 2:

Arrive Bissau

Once you have arrived at Guinea Bissau you will need to fill out your entry visa. Once you have done this and been given your stamp make your way to baggage collection area to collect your bags. Please don’t accept any help at the airport otherwise you may have to pay.

Once you have collected your bags, you will be met by a representative from Afrikana Lodge.

Depending on what time your flight arrives (normally early morning) you will either be transferred straight to the lodge via boat crossing or taken to a hotel where you will have the chance to have some breakfast. A time will be mentioned when your transfer will come and pick you up to make the crossing.

The transfer will then take you via boat directly to the resort. Sometimes (whether dependant) this will be a night-time crossing via boat but the skipper of the boat/transfer has been running the transfers for many years. The transfer is roughly 1.5 hrs

Overnight accommodation: Afrikana Lodge (Twin room) F/B

Days 3 to 8: Fishing Days

Over the next 6 days of fishing, you will meet your captain and head out to catch the species of your choice. You will be taken to many different areas during the week fishing lots of different styles and the captains of the boat are very skilled in all techniques. Around lunchtime, after a mornings fishing, you will anchor up on one of the Islands for you to take your lunch breaks each day. Whilst there, you will have the chance to do a little bit of beach fishing where you can catch different types of snappers, Barracudas and if you are really lucky you may even see some Jacks patrolling the shoreline.

Overnight accommodation: Afrikana Lodge (Twin room) F/B

Day 9:

This day is free to relax around the resort and acclimatise. Why not take advantage of the 4X4 truck you have access to and visit some of the local areas. Make sure you take your camera as the wildlife around this area is in abundance and for any keen bird watchers you will enjoy the many different species available.

Overnight accommodation: Afrikana Lodge (Twin room) F/B

Day 10:

Later in the day after you have checked out of the Afrikana Lodge, you will be transferred back to Guinea Bissau by boat to catch your flight back to the UK

Depart Bissau

Arrive Casablanca Depart Casablanca

Arrive Home

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Satisfaction Score 86%

View all reviews

FISHING Seasons

The season runs from All Year.

Jack

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 1lb to 50lb
Average Weight: 20lb

Barracuda

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 5lb to 75lb
Average Weight: 30lb

Snapper

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 5lb to 77lb
Average Weight: 25lb

African Pompano

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 2lb to 35lb
Average Weight: 15lb

Cobia

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 10lb to 100lb
Average Weight: 40lb

Ladyfish

Season: All Year
Peak: October to April
Weight: 1lb to 12lb
Average Weight: 5lb

Package Details

Prices from
£3,222
per person

Included

  • All international flights
  • Transfers to and from Bissau and resort
  • All accommodation as per itinerary
  • All meals at the resort
  • 6 days fishing via boat
  • Professional fishing guide
  • Fishing rods and reels
  • Packed lunch while fishing

Excluded

  • Personal holiday insurance
  • Personal items
  • Tips for guides and all resort staff
  • End tackle (Lures, poppers and hooks)
  • Visa (This will need to be purchased when you arrive at Guinea Bissau airport)

Optional extras

  • Flight upgrades
  • Single rooms in the resort (subject to availability)
  • Extra days fishing

Price Supplements

If your group size is bigger or smaller than the standard two people then please contact a member of the Sportquest Holidays team who will help you.

View Latest Availability

Dates, Prices & Availability

Remember that Sportquest Holidays' services are completely FREE! When you book a trip with Sportquest Holidays, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge and flights independently.

From To Duration Price Availability
01/09/2024 30/09/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/10/2024 10/10/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
£150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling £150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling
11/10/2024 31/10/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/11/2024 09/11/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
10/11/2024 19/11/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
£150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling £150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling
20/11/2024 30/11/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/12/2024 31/12/2024 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/01/2025 31/01/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/02/2025 28/02/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/03/2025 31/03/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
04/04/2025 13/04/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
£150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling £150 OFF Per Person Based on Two Travelling
14/04/2025 30/04/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/05/2025 31/05/2025 10 £3,222 Enquire Now
01/09/2025 30/09/2025 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/10/2025 31/10/2025 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/11/2025 30/11/2025 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/12/2025 31/12/2025 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/01/2026 31/01/2026 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/02/2026 28/02/2026 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/03/2026 31/03/2026 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/04/2026 30/04/2026 10 £3,299 Enquire Now
01/05/2026 31/05/2026 10 £3,299 Enquire Now

Price Notes

Prices are based on two adults sharing transfers, fishing and a twin room for accommodation (unless otherwise stated) and are correct at the time of going to press. Subject to time of year or date and currency fluctuations, these prices may fluctuate slightly due to flight price increases or fuel surcharge.

Make an Enquiry

To speak to an expert or receive more information about when is the best time to travel? What can you expect from your holiday? Who are the tour guides? Will someone be there to meet me? Plus, many more questions. Either call our offices, e-mail us or fill in the form, and we will get back to you asap.
+44 (0)1603 407596
sales@sportquestholidays.com
16 Alston Road
Hellesdon Park
Norwich
Norfolk
NR6 5DS

Reviews

Eugene

I have fished all around the world and in some right strange places, but I just wanted to drop you all a line to say a huge thank you for making such a place that you can not only have fishing that’s out of this world, but accommodation, hospitality and organisation that takes care of you from the second we arrived until we departed…with a small tear in your eyes. Well-done Sportquest Holidays.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

It was our pleasure to organise this trip for you. And thank you so much for all your pictures which with your help we put together for a great blog

Regards

Peter

Fishing
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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Kevin

Very enjoyable, all as expected. Accommodation and fishing all first class. My only issue is with the lodge being french speaking. Only the two of us speaking English. Owner who speaks little English only spoke to us with couple of words in the morning + evening. He spent most of his time sat talking to the french groups. Would be fine if group of a group of 4

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Kevin, thanks for your feedback. We do get a few people mention about the french speaking but by the sounds of things you managed to get by. We did get an English speaking guide employed at the resort but guess he isn't there any more! Hopefully you managed to speak a little fishing english!

All the best

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Would recommend Sportquest

Michael

G.B. is a very good trip. Loads of good quality fishing and the accommodation very good. The night coming to our accommodation was a bit of a surprise! It would help non french speaking customers if you provided a few fishing related phrases for use while trying to communicate with the guides

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Mike, great to hear you loved the place. Gilles sent us some photos and also received the ones from you. Looks like you both caught loads of different species and some big ones along the way. We may have to look in to supplying one of the Collins translation books maybe worth considering.

I will try and catch up with you soon as I believe you would like to return?

All the best

Paul

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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Tom

Very relaxing location and hotel. Excellent staff and outstanding service from you all.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Tom it was a pleasure in dealing with you and your son, we are glad that the total holiday lived up to your expectations. We look forward in dealing with you again. Kind regards Peter

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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

David

This is a superb hotel for a relaxing break, with superb food and exceptionally friendly service from all departments.

Drinks prices are very reasonable with a good wine list on offer (numerous South African wines, understandably) and all sensibly priced. The pool bar has a good lunch menu, with extremely well prepared dishes for those who enjoy lunch. The hotels seem to work well with the local vendors, who have a number of' 'cooperative' style stalls, so great credit to the vendors. it is not just about fishing, though it does have a superb operation. I only fish on holiday and on this trip, I could not have been in better hands.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

David, thanks for an amazing report, we look forward in helping you with all your travels in the future, regards Mel

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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Jane

Perfect combination for us both, we had a trip to remember for along time Thank you so much.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Thank you Jane it was a pleasure for us also. Mel

Fishing
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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Jonathan

Excellent fishing with guides that were totally committed to angling.

The level of expertise, skill and guidance I found to be unparalleled.

A tackle list could be supplied, as follows:
Poppers, up to 200mm.
Surface plugs.
Shallow diving plugs.
Trolling plugs.
Wire trace.
Flouro carbon hook lengths.
Slow jigs, 40-60-80-100g.
Casting jigs, up to 40g.
Heavy duty hooks, trebles, swivels and split rings.
Split ring pliers.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

So glad you guys had a brilliant time and by the looks of the pictures you caught lots of big fish. Thank you also for the list of recommended tackle to take, I am sure it will help many people.

Look forward to assisting you in the future

All the best

Paul

Response from Resort Manager

"It's always a pleasure to see a review like this one!

We are working hard in order to satisfy our guests and these feedback are our award!

Thanks for the guides, it's a difficult job but they always do their best!

I just would like to make some smalls corrections about the materials:

-poppers from 120 to 180mm are working really well.
-leader: 50lbs and 80 lbs are perfect in our destination.(if you need more informations just contact us).

Best regards from the entire team of Kasa Afrikana....and see you soon!"
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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Stephen

Superb fishing, and totally excellent accommodation.

The highlight of the week for me was a 26lb Jack Crevalle caught from the beach, it took line so fast I had to run 200 yards to keep up.

Overall superb, but a couple of points of constructive criticism:

It was sometimes difficult to communicate well with the boat guide, it's a mainly French speaking operation, this could have cut out some styles of fishing I didn't particularly enjoy. Also, got a large bill at the end of the trip for tackle used and/or lost, including lost by the guide, charged at high local prices, if I'd known exactly what was involved I could have taken a lot more of my own tackle. Nothing specialised was needed, just larger pike/bass lures & light jigs. A good option to point out to future customers would be to just use the operation's rods, take everything else yourself.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Really glad you guys had a brilliant time. The fishing over there is awesome especially the shore fishing. Awesome picture of your huge Jack and a massive congratulations on such a big fish.

Thanks for the comments about tackle always good to hear peoples thoughts. I don't think they over charged you for the tackle as it is very hard for them to get hold of gear having to order things from miles away and really having only one option of places to buy tackle.

Any way, I have passed your comments on to the owner. Once again thank you for taking the time to fill out your customer feed back

All the best

Paul

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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Ned

Dear Paul
We had a fantastic trip. Everything went to plan, thanks to your and Giles careful planning.
After the painful flight we were met at 3am and contrary to our info were taken to a hotel in Bissau for the first night ( fairly grim but served a purpose).
The next morning we were taken to the port to meet one of Giles’s boats for the transfer ( by the way this is 2 hours not 45 mins!)

At lunchtime we arrived at Bubaque and were met on the beach by Giles and his team. With the challenges of living on an island in the middle of nowhere Giles really has created a piscatorial nirvana over the last 21 years .

Our room was spacious, clean, and amazingly had functioning ac, refrigeration and mosquito screens, as well as big comfortable beds, and a big well-appointed bathroom.
We were introduced to our guide for the week, the ever cheerful Ronaldo, Giles’s protégée of 15 years who apparently can smell out fish! Certainly speaking to others there, the one to aim for if there is a choice.

If you are planning a trip here then always ask for Ronaldo he gets our FULL TOP marks

He inspected our tackle and started to kit up our various rods for the week, and suggested an afternoons warm up session. Within minutes our spinners had a decent permit, a couple of bonito and a nice carpe rouge.

Every day a new area ( amazing just how vast the archipelago actually is ), a new fishing challenge, and fish firsts.

The highlights were chasing a shoal of feeding permit, all casting poppers and all being hit at once with some force, the large barracuda hooked on a Rapala that leapt clear of the water to evade capture, and the landing of a challenging Cobea after losing two others.
A couple of things that may help others, It would be helpful if rank amateurs could pay for a full tackle pack, Giles has a room full, and it would prevent the wasteful purchase of a lot of the wrong size tackle that was not used.

The other thing to bear in mind that all communication with guides is in French which may be a challenge for any non-French speakers. That being said it was a fantastic trip, I read somewhere that the islands of Guinea Bissau were a fisherman’s paradise, I would probably re phrase that as a paradise with fantastic fishing!

Thanks again

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi, thanks for such a detailed feed back. like I said when I called you, these feedback forms are a valuable form for future travellers. All the advice in just the one feed back will and can help others.

As I mentioned, normally we would transfer you by boat as soon as you arrive but I guess the weather was against us so I guess that was the reason for the night in the hotel in Bissau.

The tackle information we spoke about I will for sure pass on to others and will be of great help

Once again, thank you for taking the time to fill this out and for choosing Sportquest to organise your holiday.

Speak to you Soon

Paul

Response from Resort Manager

Hello Paul

We are happy to have made a success for the stay of these customers

It is our way of life, we love to share our pleasure to live and fish in this ( our ) paradise

Best regards
Fishing
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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Stephen

The flights are quite long and would prefer going more direct.

As a tip I would also recommend customers to take light fly fishing tackle as great fun to be had on light tackle for jacks etc.

We both enjoyed the trip as the fishing and guides was all excellent.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Stephen

So glad to hear that you both had a great time. I will look at the alternative flights. They are available but are quite a bit more money, but it does save on travelling time. I have also made a note about the hotel in Bissau.

I am looking forward to all the pictures of your fish Regards

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Would recommend Sportquest

Stephen

Best way to spend Christmas and New Years yet!

Should have thought of this before.

Relaxed, great climate and plenty of fish!

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Stephen, so glad you guys had yet another great trip to Guinea Bissau and it was good to talk to you on your return. What an amazing place to spend Christmas and the new year! and it sounds like Gilles looked after you.

Thank you so much for the pictures, that Barracuda is huge..... and love the video of you playing that fish on your fly rod. It looked like it hurt.....

All the best

Paul

PS I really hope they can sort out a slightly better flight route in the future because I know how much you hate it!

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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

David

Our trip in February was also;cutely fabulous. The Fishing Lodge - Kasa Afrikana on the Island of Bubaque was an ideal base for our 10 hour daily expeditions over our 6 days fishing. The Host, Gilles, was over accommodating, nothing was too much trouble. Any gear that we had forgotten or lost and needed replacing was easily replaced in Gilles "Aladdin's Cave", he had everything and more. Poppers and lures of every colour of the rainbow, hooks, line, reels and rods to borrow - unbelievable!!

Our French Guide for our trips was Djibril (Jibby or Jib), so knowledgeable, took us to all the best fishing spots, told us which colour lures and poppers to use or just set up our rods ready for us to fish. We got over our language barrier with Google translate and also sometimes charade type impressions worked as well. A great time had by all!

Every lunchtime we would go to a deserted strip of beautiful golden sand and our guide would prepare ceviche for us using one of the fish we had caught that morning. Truly a fresh lunch!! - just another thing we won't forget, all washed down with a cold beer before heading back out into the 30 degrees plus sunshine - wonderful.

We caught many different varieties of fish - Spanish Mackerel, GT's, Barracuda, Silver Crockers and many others. The Barracuda / and GT's put up the best fights and there were many that got away, obviously huge specimens.

But Tony and I both agreed that our best day was on a Sand Bar running up and down the beach chasing after the bait fish when GT's turned up and chased them. You couldn't fail to not catch one and boy, did they give you a run for your month in 18 inches of water. That was an amazing 3hours!! Absolutely brilliant.

Whilst we were there, Tony and I celebrated our birthdays on the 24th Feb and we dropped this into the conversation with our guide one day. He told us it was Gilles's birthday too. So, at the bar on the 24th, we went to buy Gilles a drink and he cracked open the champagne and we celebrated in style and enjoyed a cake baked by the staff from the kitchen. All the staff proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday" to us. Fabulous, all the staff were so friendly and helpful.

I think your itinerary needs updating, because on arrival in Guinea at 05:30 in the morning, the boat took us straight out to the island with no stop at the Hotel - which was much better as we just wanted to get to the Island and relax after a long days/nights travelling. The same occurred on the way back, no Hotel stay. We left the Island of Bubaque at 22:00 for our 04:00 flight back the following morning. This seemed much better to us, as our first day and last day at the Lodge was really relaxing after 6 hard days fishing.

I haven't stopped talking about our exploits with anyone who asked about it and even people who just commented on the tan, has had to listen to my stories.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello David, what an awesome review thank you so much for taking the time to write this. It will help future anglers as there are some very good tips in this.

Where to next David? I will try an dcatch up with you very soon
All the best

Paul

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Would recommend Sportquest

Mark

The guide couldn't speak English. The food was good but if you don't like fish you could have a problem.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Mark, Thanks for your feed back. The person who wons our hotel in Guinea Bissau hired a fully english speaking guide especially for our anglers, I wonder what has happened to him? I will find out. It was great to catch up with you when you got back and by the sounds of it you both caught lots of fish.

All the best

Fishing
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Would use Sportquest again
Would recommend Sportquest

Andrew

Kasa Africaana lodge is a well run fishing lodge providing good clean simple accommodation.

Food is good and reasonably varied.

The biggest disappointment is the arrival and departure at the airport and the transfer to the boat at the port.

We were needlessly harassed for tips for putting a bag on or off the very old and rickety people carrier.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Andrew

Thank you for the great customer feedback.

Hopefully we will get to chat to you soon and organise your next holiday.

Matt

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Would recommend Sportquest

Richard

Excellent organisation from Sportquest. Everything works perfectly - Many thanks

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Richard, many thanks for taking the time to fill out your feed back form. So pleased you enjoyed your time in Guinea Bissau it is an amazing place with so many different species on offer. Hopefully we will catch up soon

Tight lines

Paul

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Would recommend Sportquest

Tony

The whole experience was brilliant only thing worth mentioning was the transfer from the airport in Guinea Bissau to the island was pitch black - took 3 hours and no light on the boat to see where we were going. Would recommend daylight transfers

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Tony, so glad you guys caught some lovely fish Gilles was keeping us informed of how you were getting on. The transfer is a hard one to deal with as they have very different health and safety rules over there compared to us, we use to always put people up in a hotel in Guinea Bissau when you arrived as there is no choice on what time we can get you there. I know its no consolation but these skippers have done this crossing thousands of times. I will mention to them about your concerns and hopefully they may fit the boat with a search light or something similar.

Hopefully we will catch up soon

All the best Paul

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Daron

Fantastic place. Great fishing experience

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Daron, thanks for your feedback. This place is truly amazing and so many people love it, the fishing is so varied. Glad you had a great experience

Speak soon

Paul

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Would recommend Sportquest

Gary

Holiday overall was excellent except the flight transfer time needs to be longer at least 2/3 hours between flights to allow for take off and landings and delays.

The transfer from mainland to resort should not be done at night time, I strongly recommend this.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Gary

After speaking to you regarding the transfers and flights we have looked into this and there should be no issues in the future.

Im glad you had such a great time in guinea Bissau you sounded like you really enjoyed it and hopefully we will get you aback there next year.

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Alastair

The fishing was outstanding. 15 species caught- guitarfish to about 150lb, shark, stingray, loads of jack, cassava and pompano. Barracuda, snapper and more. Not deep, no real current, lovely and warm. Highlight of the trip was me playing a hammerhead of about 100lbs, with jack boiling all around the boat and the guide screaming at me to get it in, he and my partner then both hooked into large jack whilst I was still fighting the damn shark. Lines everywhere! Hotel was nice, more of a fishing club, very friendly, kit was included in the price and was good quality.
Prepare for a long journey- about 20 hours with airport layovers, and Bissau airport is very basic. Gilles provides a fixer to get you through the airport, which saved us loads of hassle and time. The archipelago is stunning- classic tropical islands. I’d highly recommend this is you are looking for something off the beaten track and a bit different.
Couple of tips
Don’t load yourself down with kit. I bought loads of cheap ebay poppers and stickbaits which were too flimsy. I had 4 decent poppers and used those exclusively and didn’t lose one.
Also it’s very French, and they are as bad as us at languages. We got by with my O level standard, but it’s worth gaining a few fishing related terms before you go
Great trip

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Alastair, thanks for your very detailed comprehensive feedback. These are so helpful for future travellers.

Really glad you loved the fishing and hopefully you managed to get your hammerhead to the boat.

Would love to see some pictures if you get any spare time.

All the best Paul

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Graeme

Guinea Bissau took us about 24hrs travel from Edinburgh to Heathrow then Lisbon onto Bissau.
On arrival at a chaotic Bissau airport we were met by out guide to the transfer who guided us through the airport.
If you have never entered an African airport it is definitely an experience no one spoke English and the visa application forms were in Portuguese if traveling it would be wise to consider contacting the Guinea Bissau consulate in Paris to be furnished the correct visa forms.
We travelled through Bissau then a three hour boat trip out to the Archipelago which is an area of immense natural beauty although there was an enormous amount of plastic in the sea and washed up on beaches,
The accommodation was first class the food excellent but mostly fish dished but first class the accommodation was good and the rooms air conditioned .
the boats were excellent with Yamaha 75 engines and the guides were excellent really looking after you.
It would have been nice to have had more info on end tackle especially as we did a lot of live baiting
The fishing was first class with out two boats catching Jack Cobia Otlie Barracuda Capo Rouge as well as some sharks which were released at the side of the boat ,
The tackle provided was of the highest quality well suited to the job and the resort has a well stocked tackle shop with prices equivalent to the UK market.
All in all a really good venue the local people are really friendly the guides really look after you and the weather was calm the whole time we were there.
If you are considering visiting we found the Reimans factor 50 was really good as well as a decent sun hat glasses and gloves it was about 36 degrees around noon however each person is supplies with about 4 litres of water kept in ice so no dehydration worries.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Greame, it certainly is a long way from Edinburgh and these type of destinations are never straight forward.

Glad you eventually got there and by the sounds of your great feedback the fishing didn't let you down and lived up to your expectations.

Great tip about the fishing equipment and I am sure people will benefit from this.

All the best, Paul

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Graeme

This is the second time i have visited Guinea Bissau.
The accommodation food and service at the lodge was excellent as was the fishing which was excellent every day.
The venue is well worth a visit and as we were the only UK anglers in the lodge the entire week i feel some people are missing out on a fantastic holiday experience.
I would like to make a few suggestions for Sports quest firstly the information sheet has not changed since my last visit in 2019 and still speaks of arriving at night when the flights have changed to a daytime arrival.
Most importantly the information sheet says to bring End Tackle.
What exactly is end tackle?
It would be a great help if sportsquest could ask the owner Gilles to make up a sheet of what to bring for example circle hooks what size of poppers split rings jigs etc The waters in the Bijagos are shallow and the tackle is relatively small a detailed what to bring list would make life easier for first time visitors and the guides who often find people have brought the wrong gear
Overall this is an excellent venue and i would highly recommend a visit.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Graeme, thank you so much for taking the time to send us a very detailed feedback form. So glad you had yet another amazing trip to Guinea Bissau, it is extremely popular destination for us.

The tackle list we have got is from Gilles the owner of the lodge and I fully take on board what you have mentioned. I will get him to send us a brand new list and next time you travel it will be fully updated.

All the best Paul

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Tim

Fishing was outstanding on long days with excellent guides. Accommodations were superb and the food was excellent. The host and staff were friendly and couldn’t do enough for you.
This was a two stop flight rather than the one stop journey we were led to believe.
Transfers interesting!
Type of fishing was 80% live baiting, not mentioned beforehand. Would have revised tackle choices, if known.
All in all a great adventure…


Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Tim, thank you so much for your feedback. It is very important for future travellers. Sorry about the extra stop, it was not clear when we booked the flights that they make a fuel stop in Cape Verde. Well noted about the live baiting, I will make sure our future travellers are aware of this.

All the best

Paul

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Reuben

First trip since 2018 and a great trip to. Traveling was tiring 24 hours door to door nonstop and it isn’t that far compared to other destinations I have visited. The return journey seemed a lot easier with a short 6 hour stay in a Bissau Hotel off sorts, before our journey home and not having to stop at Cape Verde as on our way out which put another 3 hours on the flight.
Slow jigging was all new to us and we relied on our guide to where and when we jigged and it was all down to the tides and wind and the mornings weren’t very productive. Come the late afternoon and that was a different story hook ups to lovely Jacks seemed to be every drop down. The problem was that after three days of jigging for maybe two hours a day we were running out of the right weight jigs as the Barracuda kept eating them and not giving them back.
Due to the tides and wind 80g jigs were the smallest you could get away with and l only had a few 100g jigs with me but could have done with 130-150g at times. Silver and orange jigs were the colours.
Popper fishing apparently was only any good when the water was super clear and the sun was shining, we tried around reefs a few times during the day with only a few small barracuda.
During the times when you couldn’t jig or fish poppers you would catch small bait fish which could take 2-3 hours and then fish live baits on 5/0 circle hooks which was good fun to start and you can catch lots of different species fishing this method, but it’s not for me, as I like a little more challenge, it is something that they seem to like doing a lot as it gets lots of fish. Take plenty of 5/0 circle hooks with you as lots will be eaten by Barry.
We lost three mornings due to high winds, but the afternoons the wind would drop away and we had our best fishing. On day 4 we went out late the sea was flat calm and bait fish were everywhere,after fishing live baits for a few hours and catching our first pompano and cobia the guide said to reel in and we were going popper fishing as the water was clear and tides were good. That evening was fantastic with some of the biggest jacks of the trip hitting poppers in the 150mm range and seeing them hitting bait fish on the surface was great.
The next evening was the same and we were hopping for our final day to be the same as the winds had dropped and we could get out early. We started jigging with the last of our jigs which was hard due to the tide but we managed quite a few jacks. Then we left and we thought we were going to look for bait as we were heading for a large flock of gulls, the guide passed us our popper rods and as we got closer you could see jacks hitting bait fish. We managed one cast each, one hookup and a hit before they were gone.
We then thought we were going to try and find bait but were taken back to the lodge early as we were leaving 5pm that afternoon, so our last day was cut short and fishing was all over.
Lots learnt, now have a better idea of what tackle to take and planning a return trip, not sure when as I have a few other destinations to try first.
Thanks to all the Sportquest team for their organising of the trip.
Looking forward to speaking to Peter about Arapaima in the Amazon.
Thanks again
Reuben

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Reuben, thank you so much for your very detailed feedback. This type of information is vital for future travellers and can make a huge difference so thank you for all the tackle advice.

All the best

Paul Stevens

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Would recommend Sportquest

Edwin

Excellent fishing and accommodations. Very friendly staff and very knowledgeable guides. I can recommend this Tripp to everybody.

Response from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Edwin, thanks for your feedback and so glad you enjoyed your holiday. Where next then?

Hopefully we can catch up soon, All the best

Paul

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Would recommend Sportquest

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