Guide to Fishing in the British Virgin islands!
Fishing in the British Virgin Islands
Fishing in the British Virgin Islands takes many forms. Some like to just drop a line in the water from a dock or rocky outcrop while others are way more serious looking to charter large professional game fishing charter boats, most of us however fall somewhere in between.
Fishing aboard a Virgin Islands charter yacht!
To fish in the BVI there are no restrictions if you are fishing standing on the land, however if you are standing on a boat both the boat has to be registered as a fishing boat the department of conservation and fisheries and the individual if 18 years of age or older require to hold a Fishing license. Pretty much all the crewed charter yachts and most bare boats pay for the annual registration to be a fishing vessel. There are a couple of ways to get a temporary pleasure fishing license. You can either get one on island at BVI water toys (bit of a hassle to get there in person ) or you can get one online.
This from Conservation and fisheries.—–06/2017
The cost of a temporary Pleasure Fishing License is $45 per person, for persons aged 18 years and older. Each person has to complete an application form and provide a legible color copy of their identification, either passport or driver’s license. Temporary pleasure fishing licenses are valid for 30 days.
Individuals can complete a credit card authorization form for payment and submit it for processing. We only accept Visa and MasterCard. We can process temporary Pleasure Fishing Licenses and submit them via email. Contact details-
Government of the British Virgin Islands
P.O. Box 3323
Road Town, Tortola
British Virgin Islands, VG1110Tel: (284) 468 2700 or 468 3701 ext 2700
Catch Mahi off your charter yacht!
Fishing in the British Virgin Islands can be very fun if you know how to go about it. The majority of fishing is done by people who are aboard a charter yacht that they have chartered for the week. Some of the charter yachts even specialize in fishing. This is a great bonding time for families.
If you’re looking to crewed charter a boat to fish from, but not an actual game angling boat, be sure to let us know your intentions. Most boats have some gear. Many however would rather that you didn’t catch anything as it makes more work and mess for the crews to deal with. Be assured though, that if we know your serious then who we match you with , they do want to fish and have gear and knowledge to support it.
Fishing off charter yacht
There are many day boats available to charter locally to go fishing in the British Virgin Islands, they go either deep-sea fishing for large game fish or shallow water angling for bonefish or tarpon with fly gear.
The Caribbean islands were formed by tectonic plate movement along the edge of the Caribbean plate, This movement caused volcanic activity and land mass upheavals. Prior to this plate movement the water here would have been thousands of feet deep. The shifting plates pushed up the islands and created shallow water around the islands.
Going just a few miles out and you come to the north and south drops, where the water drops from a couple of hundred feet deep to thousands of feet deep.
These areas have large upwelling currents that bring nutrients to the surface. These nutrients attract large schools of bait fish which in turn attract large pelagic fish, making the north drop one of the premier bill fish areas in the world. Our other links give in depth instructions on how and where to catch and information on the risk of ciguatera poisoning.
Bone fishing at Anegada
Closed seasons. BVI
It is ILLEGAL to catch the following during Closed Seasons:
1st January – 31st March Margate Fish (haemulon album)
1st January – 31st March Red Hind (epinephelus guttatus)
1st March – 31st May Nassau Grouper (epinephelus striatus)
31st July – 31st October Lobsters
15th August – 31st October Queen Conch (strombus gigas)
15th August – 31st October Whelk (cittarium pica)
If you have any interest in either chartering a yacht and doing some fishing or going on a serious fishing charter then please use our experience to your advantage!
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