Fishing in Honduras

Located in the heart of Central America, Honduras is not the first country that comes to mind when you say “fishing”, but for many recreational anglers this country is the Caribbean's best kept secret. Of course, Honduras can’t boast of such a developed tourist industry as some other Caribbean nations. Its Pacific coast, the rivers that flow through the jungles of the interior, the lakes and mangroves of the Mosquito coast, remain practically unexplored by the international fishing community. But the Bay Islands, Roatán, Utila and Guanaja, have some second-to-none flats and deep sea fishing, and recreational anglers who visit them won’t be disappointed. The best time to fish in Honduras is the dry season, which runs from October to May. If you’re after flats fishing, the experts recommend October to January, when all the big three flats fishing species, permit, tarpon, and bonefish, are in season. Deep sea fishing enthusiasts flock to Honduras around September 15th, when the island of Roatan hosts the International Fishing Tournament. Fishing in Honduras is regulated by the Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente (SERNA) and the Dirección General de Pesca y Acuicultura (DIGEPESCA), which oversee sustainable fishing practices and the conservation of fish populations. Anglers are encouraged to obtain the necessary permits and follow local guidelines to help preserve Honduras’s rich aquatic ecosystems. Some areas, particularly within marine protected areas and national parks, have specific regulations to protect delicate habitats and fish species. Apart from fishing, Honduras offers ancient Maya sights, historical places connected with Spanish conquest, as well as bird and reptile watching in the national parks. Book your fishing adventure on BaitYourHook.com and explore the untamed fishing in Honduras.

Honduras means “Depths” in Spanish, and offshore, deep-sea adventures are offered by numerous fishing charters. Most of them are based in Roatán, but there are sufficient options available in Utila and Guanaja as well. Located at the southern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the Bay Islands offer outstanding reef fishing, and the flats fishing in Honduras leaves nothing to better known areas such as Belize and the Bahamas. In fact, many anglers who've been there claim Honduras has the best flats fishing in the world: first, because the flats are surrounded by islands with lush vegetation, and more importantly, because they are relatively unexplored and offer wild, untamed experience with numerous catch opportunities.

Honduras’s waters are home to a rich diversity of fish species, starting from one of the biggest game fish species in the world: the blue marlin. The waters around the Bay Islands are believed to be the best nesting grounds for this species, and it’s no wonder that Honduras hosts one of the most prestigious fishing tournaments in the area. Honduras’s Caribbean waters are also home to tuna, wahoo, dorado (mahi-mahi), and barracuda, as well as king mackerel, black grouper, amberjack, red and mutton snappers. But the three species that attract perhaps the most anglers to the Bay Islands are the big three of saltwater fly-fishing - bonefish, permit, and tarpon.

Many local fishermen still fish the inshore waters of Honduras with by handlining out of canoes they build themselves out of tree trunks, like they did since before the Maya built their first pyramid. Modern recreational anglers, of course, use more sophisticated techniques. Trolling with heavy tackle is the way to go after tuna and blue marlin, while light tackle is preferred for smaller fish like king mackerel. If you want to catch a grouper, you’ll have to do some bottom fishing. Spearfishing is gaining popularity, as well as kite fishing from the shores. And of course the flats of Honduras offer the perfect setting to fly fishing enthusiasts to sight a dark fin of the elusive permit, bonefish, or tarpon, cast the fly before the fish, and hope on a strike and ensuing thrilling fight.