Fishing Tobago

[Dave Honey]

I am planning a return trip to Tobago next year and would appreciate a comment on the best time of the year for the fishing, main reason for going back to tobago. I am interested in all aspects of the sport and have all my own travel tackle for shore, inshore and offshore.

On the previous trip we had a couple of i/2 day trips with Frothy who was absolutely great and so was the fishing.

Any information would be really welcome.

Dave H

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Dave

Welcome aboard!

The first thing I would suggest is that you study our Fishing article at http://www.myTobago.info/fishing.php as this will give you a good overview of sports fishing on Tobago. Our resident fishing guru, Steve Pitts, is sure to spot your post within a few days and I'm sure he will add further comment if he has any additional information about the best time of year.

[Dave Honey]

Thanks Steve

I had previously read your overview and found it very informative and would like to congratulate you on a great Web Site. I found the reviews on the hotels very useful and it decided our location of the Coco Reef.

Thanks again

Dave h

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Dave

Thanks for the kind words.

As you will have seen from the article, the main offshore game fishing season runs from October to June, but peaks around November. Inshore fishing is excellent year-round.

If you've got any more specific questions, just add them to this thread and I'm sure Steve Pitts will be able to answer, but you'll have to be quick because he's off to Tobago for his next fishing trip next Thursday (2nd September) - lucky sod!

[Toine & Lia]

Hi Dave,

Being a fishing adept myself, and after fishing Tobago waters during our previous visits, I have to say that the article on the fishing, in this website, from Steve en Steve, is perfect and will assist you to answer all the questions, except one. That question is, “what do you like to catch?”

Offshore fishing
If you are looking for billfish, the time differs from catching wahoo, tuna or dorado.
Fishing for billfish is fishing for the big one and not for the numbers like when you fishing for wahoo, tuna or dorado.
The best thing to do is look at the websites of the big game boats. Sure Hardplay has a fish calendar.
I know for sure that you find a fish calendar at http://www.blue-magic-charters.com
Last time we were there we fished with Blue Magic out of Scaraborough, very professional, good skipper and fine materials at reasonable prizes. Further down in this forum section you can find some reviews about fishing Tobago, one of them is a review about Blue Magic.

Inshore fishing
Like the offshore fishing the best periods for the most fish you can find in the fish calendars. Again it’s up to what you prefer.
We already tried some of the fisherman that take tourists on fishing trips. We fished with Owen ‘Anaconda’ Cox and with Rusty, both Castara men. Both of them are keen fisherman and know a bit about fishing with rod and reels. Anaconda is a specialist when it come to barracuda, Rusty knows all bout the places to catch big jacks. Meeting them is no problem, just look around at mt Irvine bay.

Shore fishing
That’s where Steve Pitts can fill you in. We did our fishing at Sandy point and Black rock. Be there very early, around sunrise, and the sea will surprise you. We caught different species on Rapala’s wobblers and small fish. Use a heavy spinning rod, fixed spool loaded with 12 – 20 lbs braided.

So I hope this will help you on deciding when to go.
We will be back in March/April to try and catch a billfish in next year ‘s tournament.

Greetings
Toine