Types of Fish Caught Sportfishing

Game fish is the ultimate prize for sportfishing. But beyond catching a fish, sportfishing is primarily a recreational activity. The idea of sailing off to the open waters and exploring the depths of the deep is exciting and refreshing. The sights, endless space and roaring sounds of the oceans and seas provide a calming effect with so much thrill and excitement at the same time. Across the world, there are numerous destinations for sportfishing.

Humans spend a lot of time trying to catch legendary fish that have made the great wide ocean their home. Sportfishing enthusiasts are big fish hunters and do not go after the small species found inshore. We’ll look at the different fish caught during sportfishing and why they are such a good catch.

1. Marlin

Marlin is one of the most popular game fishes across the world. Sportfishing lovers travel several miles just to get the bragging rights of catching the biggest Marlin. As a pelagic specie, Marlins are found along underwater channels like those in the Mona Passage, just off the Dominican Republic. The Riviera Maya in Mexico also has a similar underwater channel known as the Yucatan Channel. These, along with underwater rock formations such as those in Sao Vincente, are viable highways for sportfishing. Some of the largest Marlin’s have been caught on fishing charters Kauai.

2. Tuna

Tuna is another very popular specie among sportfishing enthusiasts. In fact, Tuna fishing is often regarded as a science. Knowing what lures, them and where to find them is a lifetime task. But when you do catch a Tuna, the satisfaction can’t be compared to any other feeling. Tuna is often a prized fish. You should get a good catch off the Mississippi by the Gulf of Mexico, the Mid-Atlantic, New Zealand, Panama, and Costa Rica. Tuna can be bluefin or yellowfin.

3. Mahi Mahi

This is also called Dolphin. It is a very beautiful fish for sightseeing as they come in different bright colors such as green, yellow, and blue. An average mahi mahi weighs about 30 pounds and are not just great for sport, but for food as well. From Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Costa Rican Pacific Coast, to the Northern and Southern American West Coast, Florida, West Africa and Tahiti, Mahi Mahi are a group of migratory and schooling fish with many tournaments across the world dedicated to them.

4. Wahoo

If you look through underwater formations and the deep canyons of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, you’re sure to spot the Wahoo and they make such a great catch during sportfishing too. This scombrid fish is also known as Acanthocybium solandri and can be found in many parts of the world’s tropical and subtropical waters. The Wahoo fish can live for up to 6 years and grow fast, sometimes reaching 158 pounds and 8 feet. More than 95% of Wahoo harvested in the U.S. are mostly from the Pacific, especially Hawaii.

5. Amberjack

One amazing fact about the amberjack fish is that they are found in the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean and even the Mediterranean Sea. You’re likely to get good sightings along the Western Atlantic, from Brazil to the Nova Scotia, the Caribbean and even Mexico. Offshore shipwrecks and reefs provide the perfect habitat for this specie. With an average weight of about 40 pounds, they claim the spot as the Jack family’s biggest members

6. Swordfish

The Swordfish is another very popular fish caught sportfishing. They come in a variety of colors including purple, grey, blue, and brown. Known scientifically as Xiphias Gladius, the Swordfish is one of the ocean’s fastest predators, sometimes swimming at 50mph. They are mostly a North Atlantic fish found along the Southern part of the Sargasso sea across the upper Caribbean between December and March and in the U.S. South Coast between April and August.

7. Grouper

If you live in Florida and sportfishing is your thing, you must’ve heard about the Grouper. You’ll often find them around or close to the bottom of reefs. The Grouper comes in grey color with black or brown spots. They are a very tasty fish when blackened or fried and the darker varieties grow heavy up to hundreds of pounds.

8. Cobia

Some people see a Cobia and think it’s a shark because of their similar physical features. A Cobia usually has a white underside, lying below the upper dark gray/brown strip. You can eat them fresh or smoked and they grow big, averaging 100 pounds and if 5 feet. The Cobia fish is often found in depths ranging from 30 feet to 300 feet. Reefs, weed line and floating debris are good spots to find them and they are very popular in the Gulf of Mexico.