The waters surrounding the Cayman Islands are teeming with spectacular marine life,

and opportunities to get out on the sea for a day of fishing exist in abundance.

Fishing

Shore Fishing

Shore fishing is a great way to get your fix if you don't want to spend the money on chartering a boat for the day. Just grab a fishing pole, some bait, and head to the nearest beach (while making sure to avoid protected marine areas). Permits for shore fishing are not required if you plan to catch and release, however, if you'd like to keep some to cook for your next meal, you will need to procure a fishing license. Popular catches near the shore include bonefish, tarpon, permit, pompano, and barracuda.

Light Tackle and Fly Fishing

The shallow flats of the Cayman Islands offer anglers numerous locations to choose from for their light tackle and fly fishing exploits. North Sound, South Sound, and Frank Sound are just a few places to visit to pursue this sport. In these locations you can charter boats made especially for sailing the flats, or you can pull on same waders and avoid the extra cost. Bonefish, tarpon, and permit swim through these waters.

Coming across the proper fly fishing equipment in the Cayman Islands if you aren't utilizing a charter company's services can be difficult. If you plan to do some fly fishing on your own, bringing your own gear is advisable.

Charters in the Cayman Islands that offer light tackle and fly fishing tours include Bayside Watersports, Blue Water Excursions, Captain Ronald Ebanks, Emerald Water Anglers, Ezonas Aquatics, Jet Ski Fishing and Safaris, Fish Bones, Little Cayman Sport Fishing, and See and Sea Tours.

Bottom and Reef Fishing

 

Reefs in the Cayman Island are managed under marine conservation laws, limited to low-volume recreational and sustenance fishing. It is important that the fish caught in the reefs be released unless they will be eaten, because over-fishing has caused near depletion of conch and lobster. Still, the Cayman Islands are surrounded by hundreds of miles of reef that can be fished. Yellowtail, porgy, almaco jack, snapper, grouper, blue runner, bar jack, and jack crevalle are commonly caught on reef fishing trips. Bayside Watersports, Black Princess Charters, Ezonas Aquatics, Just Fish'n, and Oh Boy Fishing Charters provide these type of tours.

Deep Sea Fishing

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Grand Cayman Deep Sea Fishing

 

The Cayman Islands are great for deep sea fishing because the waters grow very deep very quickly. In fact, just a few hundred yards off the coast of Grand Cayman, the reefs go as deep as 800 feet, and the Cayman Trench reaches a dramatic depth of 20,000 feet. Sports fishermen on the hunt for big game fish should come prepared to pull in blue marlin, wahoo, mahi-mahi, tuna, and barracuda.

It is highly advisable that you charter with a knowledgeable fishing company when you go deep sea fishing in the Cayman Islands. Consider the following: Bayside Watersports, Black Princess Charters, Blue Water Excursions, Captain Ronald Ebanks, Condor Watersports, Ezonas Aquatics, Jet Ski Fishing and Safaris, Just Fish'n, Oh Boy Fishing Charters, Sea Star Charters, See and Sea Tours, and Slack-Em Charters.

Conservation Efforts

Anglers are encouraged to release all catches that are not to be eaten, unless they are record setting, or caught during a tournament.

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment lists catch limits for various types of fish on their official Web page. The following chart lists a few that you should be aware of, but these limits may change at any given time. Always check with the Department of Environment before you head out on your fishing trip.

Cayman Island Fishing Limits

Fish	Limit	Size	Closed Season	Other Limitations
Conch	3 per person or 6 per boat	N/A	May 1 through November 30	No one may purchase more than 5 conch per day
Echinoderms	May not be taken from Cayman waters at any time	N/A	Always	N/A
Lobster	3 per person or 6 per boat	Tail no longer than 6 inches	May 1 through November 30	No spiny lobster
Nassau Groupers	N/A	12 inch minimum	N/A	The removal of Nassau Grouper from Designated Span Areas is not permitted
Other Fish	N/A	8 inch minimum except goggle eyes, anchovies, herrings, and silversides	N/A	Removal of jewfish, tiefish, filefish, angelfish, grey French, queen angels is not permitted at any time
Turtles	May not be taken from Cayman waters at any time without a license	N/A	April 1 through November 30	Turtle eggs may not be disturbed
Whelks	2 1/2 gallons in the shell or 2 1/2 pounds processed	N/A	May 1 through October 1	The removal of chitons, periwinkles, and bleeding teeth from Cayman waters is not premited

 

Deep Sea Fishing in the Cayman

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Grand Cayman Deep Sea Fishing

Chartering

Charters in the Cayman Islands

Company Click on to view web site	Rates	Location	Contact
Bayside Watersports	Deep Sea Fishing Half Day: $600 to $1,100(USD) Full Day: $1,100 to $2,100(USD) Reef and Bone Fishing Half Day: $500(USD) Full Day: $900(USD)	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-949-3200 E-mail: bayside@candw.ky
Blue Water Excursions	Deep Sea Fishing Half Day: $600(USD) Full Day: $1,000(USD) Light Tackle Fishing Half Day: $500(USD) Full Day: $800(USD)	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-925-8738 E-mail: info@bluewaterexcursions.com
Captain Ronald Ebanks	Contact for pricing	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-947-3146 E-mail: flyfish@candw.ky
Emerald Water Anglers	Half Day: $300(USD) Full Day: $400(USD)	Grand Cayman	Phone: 206-545-2197 E-mail: info@emeraldwateranglers.com
Fish Bones	Half Day: $250(USD) Full Day: $400(USD)	N/A	E-mail: davin@fish-bones.com
Just Fish'n Charters	Contact for pricing	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-916-0113 E-mail:justfish@candw.ky
Oh Boy Fishing Charters	Reef Fishing Half Day: $500 to $800(USD) Full Day: $1,000 to $1,500(USD) Deep Sea Fishing Half Day: $650 to $1,000(USD) Full Day: $1,800(USD)	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-949-6341 345-926-0898 E-mail: ohboycharters@candw.ky
See and Sea Tours	Contact for pricing	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-526-TOUR Toll Free Phone: 866-978-7144 E-mail: info@caymaninanutshell.com
Slack-em Charters	Contact for Pricing	Grand Cayman	Phone: 345-322-1565 345-925-3440 International Phone: 954-957-4581 E-mail:captainojn@slackemcharters.co

The waters off the coast of the Cayman Islands are seemingly bottomless. Whether you're a regular fisher or want to try something new on your island vacation, exploring these depths with a line in hand can be exciting. No matter if you reel in a record setting fish or something a little smaller, the time spent out on the water will only prove to enhance your vacation.