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Popper & Jig Fishing Maldives A True Bucket List Destination

Indian Ocean Predators: Multi-Species Popper & Jig Fishing, Laamu Atoll, Maldives

Laamu Atoll, on the southern edge of the Maldives, is one of the most consistent popper and jig fishing destinations in the Indian Ocean. Clear blue water, coral reef drop-offs, and untouched beaches set the scene for a saltwater fishery loaded with variety and power.

These waters hold over a thousand species. One cast might bring a hard-hitting Giant Trevally, the next a Dogtooth or Yellowfin ripping line into the depths. Billfish, Barracuda, Snapper, Grouper, and Skipjack are all in the mix, making every strike unpredictable and every fight different.

Guided by the expert Mac Strike team, with more than 15 years of specialist experience, each day is built around the tides and the bite. From jigging deep channels to working poppers across reef edges, you will rotate zones and techniques to stay on the fish. High-end rods, reels, and lures are available to hire, ensuring every angler is fully equipped for the challenge.

Off the water, Reveries Hotel provides a private beachfront base just steps from the boats. With rooftop views, a spa, international dining, and options such as diving, surfing, kayaking, and beach BBQs, it balances fishing intensity with tropical holiday comfort. A destination where anglers can chase giants while partners enjoy the best of the Maldives.

If you like the idea of year-round variety, serious topwater action, and a holiday that blends world-class fishing with island hospitality, Laamu Atoll delivers it all.

FISHING Seasons

The season runs from All Year .

Giant Trevally

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

Dogtooth Tuna

Season: All Year Round
Peak: All Year Round
Weight: 30lb to 200lb
Average Weight: 60lb

Yellowfin Tuna

Season: All Year Round
Peak: All Year Round
Weight: 20lb to 100lb
Average Weight: 30lb

Sailfish

Season: December to May
Peak: December to May
Weight: 40lb to 150lb
Average Weight: 65lb

Snapper

Season: All Year Round
Peak: All Year Round
Weight: 5lb to 50lb
Average Weight: 15lb

Grouper

Season: All Year Round
Peak: All Year Round
Weight: 5lb to 50lb
Average Weight: 15lb

Barracuda

Season: All Year Round
Peak: All Year Round
Weight: 5lb to 50lb
Average Weight: 10lb

Package Details

Tour code MAL003

Included

  • Airport transfers
  • Fishing as per itinerary
  • Fishing licence
  • Full board
  • Fully guided
  • Internal flights
  • International flights
  • Lodge transfers
  • Lunch on the boat
  • Main accommodation
  • Taxes
  • Twin room

Excluded

  • All fishing tackle
  • Native fee / park fee
  • Personal holiday insurance
  • Rod & reel
  • Tips
  • Visa (If required)

Optional extras

  • Airport parking
  • Flight upgrades
  • Extra bags
  • Additional nights
  • Single rooms
  • Additional fishing days
  • Rod & reel hire (Subject to availability)
  • Additional activities
  • Add-on tours

Itinerary

Day 1

Any international airport - Kadhdhoo

Depart Any international airport - Arrive Male Depart Any international airport - Arrive Male
 

Depart: TBA

Arrive: Velana International Airport

General Note General Note
 

Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.

Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.

Depart Male - Arrive Kadhdhoo Depart Male - Arrive Kadhdhoo
 

Depart: Velana International Airport

Arrive: Kadhdhoo Airport

Transfer from Kadhdhoo Airport to the Reveries hotel Transfer from Kadhdhoo Airport to the Reveries hotel
 

Once you have arrived in Kadhdhoo and collected your bags, a representative from our partners will greet you and transfer you to the Reveries Hotel. The transfer time is approximately 15 minutes.

Once you arrive at the resort and unpack the rest of the day is free for your to relax or explore the local surroundings.

Reveries Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Reveries Hotel in a Twin Room on a Full board basis

Days 2-3

Kadhdhoo (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On your first two fishing days, you’ll experience the fantastic mixed fishing available in the Maldives. The rich and varied waters of the Indian Ocean, where these coral islands sit, are home to over 1,100 fish species, including some of the world’s most prestigious species like Marlin, Tuna, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Giant Trevally, to name just a few. All of which grow to truly epic proportions.

Reveries Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Reveries Hotel in a Twin Room on a Full board basis

Days 4-5

Kadhdhoo (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On fishing days three and four and throughout your fishing week, you’ll depart with your guides to wet a line around the famous Laamu Atolls, where there are fewer boats and better fishing; the Atoll is also the perfect size, providing you with plenty of water during your week. Popper and jig fishing are the favoured methods for targeting the array of species on offer.

Reveries Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Reveries Hotel in a Twin Room on a Full board basis

Days 6-7

Kadhdhoo (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On your last two fishing days, if there’s a species of fish you haven’t caught that you’d like to, chat with your guides, and they will do their best to make it happen. Their passion is fishing, and they are experts at reading the tides, weather and conditions and know when and where they should be depending on the species you want to catch and the time of year. All the crew are English-speaking and equipped to cater for anglers of all experience levels.

Reveries Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Reveries Hotel in a Twin Room on a Full board basis

Day 8

Kadhdhoo - Any international airport

Transfer from Reveries hotel to Kadhdhoo Airport Transfer from Reveries hotel to Kadhdhoo Airport
 

In the morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred back to Kadhdhoo Airport, ready for your journey home. The transfer time is approximately 15 minutes.

Depart Kadhdhoo - Arrive Male Depart Kadhdhoo - Arrive Male
 

Depart: Kadhdhoo Airport

Arrive: Velana International Airport

Depart Male - Arrive Any international airport Depart Male - Arrive Any international airport
 

Depart: Velana International Airport

Arrive: TBA

General Note General Note
 

Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.

Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.

Dates, Prices & Availability

Prices are shown per person and are based on twin rooms and four anglers per guide and per boat, unless otherwise specified. All prices are accurate at the time of publication but may vary slightly depending on factors such as travel dates, booking time, airline pricing, or fuel surcharges set by the operators.
Flights are always priced at the most competitive rates available at the time of enquiry to ensure you receive the best possible value when booking.
Proudly an ATOL bonded company, our trips are complete packages, including all flights, transfers, accommodation, and fantastic fishing and shooting experiences.

Travel Available Between These Dates Days Price Availability
01/05/2026 30/06/2026 9 £3,763 Enquire
01/07/2026 31/07/2026 9 £3,867 Enquire
01/08/2026 31/08/2026 9 £3,813 Enquire
01/09/2026 30/11/2026 9 £3,763 Enquire
01/12/2026 31/12/2026 9 £4,013 Enquire
01/01/2027 31/01/2027 9 £4,022 Enquire
01/02/2027 28/02/2027 9 £4,122 Enquire
01/03/2027 31/03/2027 9 £4,637 Enquire
01/04/2027 30/04/2027 9 £4,424 Enquire
01/05/2027 30/06/2027 9 £3,872 Enquire
01/07/2027 31/07/2027 9 £3,976 Enquire
01/08/2027 31/08/2027 9 £3,922 Enquire
01/09/2027 30/11/2027 9 £3,872 Enquire
01/12/2027 31/12/2027 9 £4,122 Enquire
01/01/2028 31/01/2028 9 £4,135 Enquire
01/02/2028 29/02/2028 9 £4,239 Enquire
01/03/2028 31/03/2028 9 £4,771 Enquire
01/04/2028 30/04/2028 9 £4,558 Enquire
01/05/2028 30/06/2028 9 £3,985 Enquire
01/07/2028 31/07/2028 9 £4,089 Enquire
01/08/2028 31/08/2028 9 £4,035 Enquire
01/09/2028 30/11/2028 9 £3,985 Enquire
01/12/2028 31/12/2028 9 £4,239 Enquire

If your preferred week or travel dates do not appear in the calendar above, please get in touch. Many lodges release availability in stages, and some dates depend on tides, seasons, guide schedules, or short-notice changes. By speaking with us directly, you will receive the most up to date availability and clear guidance on securing the strongest options before popular weeks fill.
Enquire now and we will check live availability for the dates you are considering.

Book with confidence

Our ATOL protection, means you have financial security on your booking.

All our destinations are thoroughly researched by our team of experts.

We have worked hard to be able to provide you with the best prices possible.

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We offer complete holiday packages, making booking a holiday simple.

Accommodation

The award-winning Reveries Hotel is located in the heart of Laamu Atoll; it’s an untouched paradise and welcomes guests from around the world. It’s just a short two-minute walk from the boats and has a private beach, the perfect place for non-angling companions to soak up the sun or for anglers to relax between fishing days.

For anglers staying at the resort, there are several rooms to choose from, including a deluxe double room, single room and twin room. All feature comfortable beds, wardrobes, a desk, a safe, flat-screen satellite television, telephone, air conditioning, en-suite bathroom, shower, tea/coffee-making facilities and a balcony.

For larger groups of up to six people, the hotel also offers a luxury private residence. This villa is equipped with a private outdoor terrace and garden and even a kitchen, with guests able to request a personal chef to cook for them. It also has direct access to the indoor swimming pool and offers complete privacy.

Like the deluxe rooms, the residence features comfortable beds, wardrobes, a desk, a safe, flat-screen satellite television, telephone, air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms and showers.

Food & Drink

The main Reveries Restaurant offers international all-day dining and features a daily buffet breakfast with live cooking stations while providing a journey of cuisines for lunch and dinner.

The Roof-top Terrace Restaurant is a perfect spot to enjoy the stunning views of the ocean, while the Bar is the ideal place to enjoy a couple of non-alcoholic drinks and chat about the days fishing.

The Garden Café offers a wide selection of refreshments in a relaxed traditional setting, and the new Café 20 is a modern fast-food dining facility located next to the hotel, purposely designed to let guests of Laamu Atoll experience international and local cuisines.

Health & Wellness

The hotel cares heavily about health and wellness and offers a 24-hour gym with the latest state of art equipment alongside the hotel’s panoramic views. There is also a traditional Spa onsite offering a range of treatments from massages to full body scrubs and facials.

Extra Activities

There are so many extra activities for non-angling companions, families and anglers who would like days off between fishing. For those who want to stay active, the destination is perfect for surfing, diving, kayaking and cycling. While for those who like a more relaxing holiday, there are many fantastic excursions available, including an Island Safari, Private Island Excursion and Beach BBQ, to mention just a few.

To learn more about the fishing in the Maldives, visit our YouTube channel.

Indian Ocean Fishing

The Maldives is an archipelagic state in southeast Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It consists of over 1,000 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls stretching across the equator and covering around 90,000 square kilometres. It’s famed as a tourist and honeymoon resort, with a year-round temperature, pearly white beaches and clear blue water, but for many anglers, it’s considered the world’s popper and jig fishing capital.

The rich and varied waters of the Indian Ocean, where these coral islands sit, are home to over 1,100 fish species, from small reef dwellers to giant pelagics. Our partners, Mac Strike, are specialists in navigating and fishing these waters, with over fifteen years of experience. Based on the southern tip of the archipelago in Laamu Atoll, where the best fishing gets found, they allow anglers to experience a fantastic week of mixed bluewater fishing. Popper, jig and big game fishing for some of the world’s most prestigious species like Marlin, Tuna, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Giant Trevally, to name just a few. All of which grow to truly epic proportions.

As a fishing destination, the Maldives is one of the top five names that appear on anglers’ bucket lists worldwide, so if you’re a sport fisherman and looking to experience some of the best fishing on the planet, contact us today to book your trip.

Fish Species Of The Maldives

In the Maldives, the range of species on offer is incredible, allowing travelling anglers to experience specimens of all shapes, sizes and colours. However, the main draw for visitors is the Giant Trevally, Tuna, Billfish, Groupers, Snappers and Barracuda.

Giant Trevally

The Giant Trevally, or the GT as commonly known, is one of the most famous quarries, and as a species, they are at the top of many anglers’ bucket lists, and the Maldives is one of the few places globally where they can get caught all year round. The biggest fish, between 30 to 100lb, congregate on the reefs and are perfect for anglers targeting them on poppers and jigs. They like nothing more than crushing a lure and catching them has to be one of the most exhilarating bluewater fishing experiences you can enjoy.

Tuna

As well as GTs, another popular species is the Tuna, and the Maldives is home to an array of different types, including giant Yellowfins, the ultra-aggressive Dogtooth and smaller Skipjacks. These can be caught using various methods; however, once again, popper and jig fishing are preferred and most effective. Tuna fishing in the country is vital for the local economies, and traditional and sustainable pole and line fishing gets used by commercial fishing vessels.

Sailfish & Marlin

As you’d expect, with a bluewater sportfishing destination, Sailfish and Marlin are both viable fishing targets. Popper and Jig fishing is the preferred method, but traditional ‘big game trolling’ also gets used. Both of these billfish species grow to epic proportions and provide some exciting sport.

Reef Dwellers

Due to the island’s coral makeup, the reef fishing opportunities are unique and virtually endless. All manner of species, like Grouper, Snappers, Jacks, Emperor and Jobfish, to mention just are few are all possible targets. When dropping your lure, live bait or dead bait down to the bottom, you never know what you’ll catch next.

There are two seasons in the Maldives, divided into monsoon seasons: 

The dry monsoon starts from October/November to March/April and usually provides the best weather, with clear skies and calmer seas.

The wet monsoon starts in April/May and goes until September and usually features more rain and the chance of rougher seas.

Mac Strike Fishing Maldives

Our partner, Mac Strike, has over fifteen years of experience in the Maldives and are experts at fishing and navigating these tropical waters. The team, headed by first captain Atthelomeus, are some of the most experienced on the archipelago and will always do their best to ensure you enjoy a holiday experience of a lifetime. Their passion is fishing, and they are experts at reading the tides, weather and conditions and know when and where they should be depending on the species you want to catch and the time of year. All the crew are English-speaking and equipped to cater for anglers of all experience levels, from those enjoying their first popper and jig fishing holiday to those who have visited on numerous occasions.

With a fantastic crew, it would only be fitting to have a boat to match, and that is what’s on offer in the shape of the Mac Strike III, which is the perfect vessel for fishing in the Maldives and is an ideal blend of speed and size. Being 11 metres long, it can usually fish all year round, only missing the occasional day to extreme weather, and its two 200hp outboard engines make navigating Laamu Atoll easy work. The boat is perfect for popper fishing, with a spacious 3.5m casting deck, but it also features outriggers and a livebait tank to aid with the different fishing styles you may wish to try throughout your holiday. It’s fully equipped with a VHF radio, fish finder, all safety equipment, a toilet, an array of comfortable seats and even a blue tooth radio and freshwater shower.

Catching Fish In The Maldives

All the fishing on the trip is based in the south in and around Laamu Atoll, where there are fewer boats and better fishing; the Atoll is also the perfect size, providing anglers with plenty of water during their week. Over the years of fishing, our partners Mac Strike, have also noticed a larger average size in the GTs in this area. The favoured methods for targeting the array of species on offer are popper and jig fishing. 

POPPER FISHING

For those that don’t know, poppers are designed to simulate a distressed fish or animal struggling on the water’s surface, and in general, a decent-sized lure, fast retrieval rate and a good ‘popping action’ should attract most species. Most poppers work best when fished around rocky outcrops and underwater structures, as this is where many big predators will sit and wait for unsuspecting bait fish.

This style of fishing can be particularly extreme at times, especially if you’re regularly hooking up and battling with big Pelagics. However, if, during the fishing day, you need a rest or want a break, you can relax on the boat and even enjoy a spot of trolling.

JIG FISHING

Jigging is a technique predominately done over deeper water as it covers the entire water column from top to bottom and can be very effective for many predatory fish. There are many different jigging techniques, but all involve dropping different lengths, shapes and colours of lures into the depths and then working them in a particular manner to entice a hungry predator to hit them. Slow, speed and butterfly all prove to be popular methods to fish with, but it all depends on what the fish are feeling on the day. The captain and deckhands will all be able to advise you on particular lures and techniques during different sets of conditions and tides.

If you don’t have the correct fishing tackle, it’s possible to hire it at a small cost – with a range of quality Shimano saltwater fixed spool reels and HOWK rods. 

Videos

Watch the latest videos from this destination.

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FAQ

The trip is based in Laamu Atoll, on the southern tip of the Maldives archipelago, fishing the Indian Ocean’s clear tropical waters for a wide range of species. Guests stay at the award-winning Reveries Hotel, just a short walk from the boats.
Laamu offers access to vast, lightly fished waters rich in marine life. It’s known for producing large Giant Trevally, Dogtooth Tuna, and a mix of reef and pelagic species. With few other boats in the area, anglers enjoy peaceful fishing.
Target species include Giant Trevally, Dogtooth Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish, Marlin, Wahoo, Snapper, Grouper, Barracuda, and many more reef and bluewater predators.
Giant Trevally reach up to 100lb, Dogtooth Tuna up to 200lb, Yellowfin Tuna around 100lb, and Sailfish to 150lb, with large Snappers and Groupers regularly landed across the reefs.
Fishing is possible all year round, with December to May the peak period for Sailfish. The dry monsoon, from October to March, brings calm seas and clear skies, while the wet monsoon, from April to September, can feature rain but still delivers excellent fishing.
Fishing focuses on popping and jigging, with optional trolling for Marlin and Tuna. These techniques allow anglers to cover both reef and open-water species for maximum variety
Fishing is conducted aboard the Mac Strike III, an 11-metre vessel powered by twin 200hp engines, featuring a 3.5m casting deck, outriggers, livebait tank, fish finder, toilet, and freshwater shower. The experienced Mac Strike team, led by Captain Atthelomeus, are English-speaking and experts in local tides and conditions.
The Reveries Hotel offers comfortable deluxe twin, double, and single rooms with air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, and balconies. Larger groups can stay in a private villa with a terrace, garden, and kitchen, just a two-minute walk from the boats.
The trip is full board, with meals served at the Reveries Restaurant and Roof-Top Terrace. Guests can enjoy international cuisine, a private beach, swimming pool, gym, spa, and café. There are also a vast array of extra activities available for non-angling companions.
All the crew are English-speaking and equipped to cater for anglers of all experience levels, from those enjoying their first popper and jig fishing holiday to those who have visited on numerous occasions. Rod and reel hire is available, featuring top-quality Shimano and HOWK equipment.
Enquire