Cancun is a well-known hotspot for Atlantic sailfish and is thought to be among the best places to get billfish all year long. Due to the distinctive geology and warmth of our region and because these species often move to warm subtropical oceanic waters, our Caribbean waters’ deep blue darkness provides a perfect field for great big-sized game fish.
Sailfish Season Cancun
There are two varieties of this species, one for the Pacific and the other for the Atlantic, and they can both be found in tropical and subtropical waters practically everywhere. Sailfish fishing in Cancún varies moderately throughout the year, being high season from March to June where you’ll be able to find the biggest sailfish specimens, and the low season from September to November.
They can also be found in waters all the way from the Indo-Pacific Ocean to the Pacific Coast of North America and are classified as tropical and subtropical species, and are most frequently seen in temperatures between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius. They typically fish in blue water because they are considered pelagic, but they may also be found up to 200 meters deep and rather far from the coast.
What Type of Sailfish Can I find In Cancun?
Cancun is an Atlantic Sailfish hot spot and is considered to be one of the best locations to encounter billfish. The Atlantic sailfish is one of the smallest members of the family, growing to a maximum length of 3.0 to 3.4 m (10–11,1 feet) and a maximum weight of 100 kilos, although females tend to be a bit larger
Their second dorsal and anal fins are both concave and short, almost matching each other in size and shape, whereas the first anal fin is positioned further back on the body. They have a bill-shaped upper jaw with a circular cross-section and are roughly twice as long as the lower jaw.
Tips to fish Sailfish in Cancun
Sailfishing is known for its big, hard bills, which may be ridiculously difficult to hook if you are not well-prepared because once hooked, a sailfish puts up a fierce battle. It doesn’t mean that it is impossible to capture a sailfish; in fact, many people have accidentally caught sailfish, you need just to know what works and when to do it, and we actually have a fantastic Cancun deep sea fishing charter where you’ll have great chances of a good catch.
There are various sailfish baits, for example, the little Ballyhoo rig is one of the most used trolling baits. Another is the “Panama strip” (also known as a belly strip), which is produced from bonito tuna’s belly or fake albacore. When sailfishing you should always have a wide range of live baits on hand in case you’re not so lucky with the one you had in mind.
Some other examples of live baits which work splendidly on Sailfish are google-eyes, blue runners, threadfin herring, and speedos. All these baits can be simply lip-hooked with mullet, or nose-hooked in front of the eyes or the dorsal ridge for deeper swimming to allow you to slow-troll them. You can also use dead baits, but make sure to seal their lips so it doesn’t “spin” in the water strangely.
Don’t leave the area if you’ve caught anything since sailfish typically travel in big groups in search of food, so we recommend for other fishermen be prepared with a second bite.
After a hookup, try to get your lines back in the water as soon as you can, and when a sailfish jumps, avoid letting the fly line wrapped around the rod’s tip, instead, dip the tip of the line into the water to tighten it up.
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