Charter fishing in Punta Cana is basically undiscovered territory. The waters offer great deep sea fishing for Marlin,
Tuna, and Dorado; attracting professionals from all over the world for a big tournament every August. They even hosted
ESPN's Billfishing Xtreme tounament last July.
However, there are very few professional crews offering a good service to go charter fishing in Punta Cana. The
experience you'll have fishing is all about who you get to take you out; this is one excursion that you're
definitely better off setting up before you go! Here is what I've learned about deep sea fishing in the Dominican
Republic.
I have had every level of trip imaginable while charter fishing in Punta Cana. My experiences range from being on
professionally crewed boats where we hooked huge yellow fin, Marlin and dorado to being on a tiny boat manned by
yahoos taking us for a ride (literally). Be very careful who you go with, many of the crews in the area are
virtually untrained and are only there to take your money.
While you can luck out on a "bad boat" (even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while), most of the time you'll
come back frustrated. If you research it right and book ahead, you can usually get a very professional crew to take
you out for about the same price as the yahoos.
TIPS for charter fishing in Punta Cana
1. Don't book the guys hanging out at the beach, there's a reason they're not allowed in the hotel!
2. There are a bunch of crews soliciting behind Captain Cook's Restaurant and Malia Caribe. While a few of them are
good, most are not and the crews change around so much that it's hard to know.
3. Don't go on a small boat, the waters here tend to very rough and getting tossed around all day isn't very fun. As
a rule, don't book a boat under 33 feet.
4. Take "Gravol"! I don't care how sturdy your sea legs are, getting sea-sick sucks. I've seen a lot of people throw
their money away because they got sick before they even started fishing. A little bit of prevention goes a long way.
Remember, you haven't been eating, drinking and sleeping the way you do at home; don't take any chances.
5. I've had mixed results booking through the hotels, remember that they're getting a commission off the sale.
6. If you're looking for blue marlin, the high season is in the summer. While chances of catching marlin are slim in
the winter, there are plenty of mahi-mahi, barracuda, and sailfish.
7. Most charters don't supply beer, bring it yourself and they'll keep it cold for you.
8. Tipping is a kind of standard thing in charter fishing. Unless you have an absolutely horrible time, slip them $20
(they don't make very much).
9. Catch and release doesn't exist here. Although the Dominican Republic does have the fastest growing economy in the
Caribbean, people working in this industry still make very little money (around $200 US per month). They can double
that amount by selling "your" catch.
SUGGESTIONS
Here are two professional charter companies I've gone out with and had great experiences with both; Mikes Marina and
Fishing Punta Cana.
Summary of the services they both offer:
1. Fleets ranging from 33 to 42 feet
2. hotel pick-up and return
3. New equipment, fishfinders, radar
4. Professional captain and crew
5. Some English (if you want to be
able to talk to the crew ask for the crew with the most English)
PRICES
Half-day charters generally go for $600 US and a full-day for $1100 US
You can usually get on a shared charter for $90 US per person.
Fill out the forms below, make sure to include relevent information (traveling dates, hotel) and any questions you
may have. They will get back to you shortly. Good luck!