Madeira Sight Casting 

4.9
(69 reviews)
 Marina do Funchal, Funchal, MA 9000, Portugal–

Madeira Sight Casting 

Funchal, MA, Portugal
–
25 ft
3
4.9
(69 reviews)

Madeira Sight Casting Charters is a new fishing concept created to give you a chance to try something different from what is currently available in Madeira. Founded by Captain Ricardo Gavina, this team of sportfishing fanatics will have you fishing for a huge range of species in a wide variety of ways. If it swims and it bites, they can get you on it.

Choose between half and full day charters in the deep waters just a stone's throw from shore. You can focus on jigging, fly fishing, spinning, popping, or bottom fishing. Head out for the whole day, and you can try several styles for the most rounded experience.

Why so many different techniques? Because there are so many different fish! Depending on when you visit, you can target Blue and White Marlin, Shortbill Spearfish, Bluefin and Albacore Tuna, Amberjack, Dentex, and so much more. Whether you want to fly fish for Billfish, jig up Dentex on light tackle, or anything else, you're in the right place.

All trips come with bait, lures, licenses, and a vast array of tournament-grade fishing gear. Shimano Stellas, Spheros, and Tiagras will stop even the toughest fish, as will the boat's Penn Spinfisher spinning reels. Rods from MajorCraft, Daiwa, Hart, and Shimano will let you fish in confidence, however big the monster you're battling.

This is your chance to take on some incredible fish with a team who loves every second of their job. They will always go the extra mile to get you on the fish and will never call time when the bite is hot. Climb aboard as a client, head home as a fellow fishing addict with a colorful bunch of new-found friends. This is what sportfishing is all about.

Madeira Sight Casting Charters is a new fishing concept created to give you a chance to try something different from what is currently available in Madeira. Founded by Captain Ricardo Gavina, this team of sportfishing fanatics will have you fishing for a huge range of species in a wide variety of ways. If it swims and it bites, they can get you on it.

Choose between half and full day charters in the deep waters just a stone's throw from shore. You can focus on jigging, fly fishing, spinning, popping, or bottom fishing. Head out for the whole day, and you can try several styles for the most rounded experience.

Why so many different techniques? Because there are so many different fish! Depending on when you visit, you can target Blue and White Marlin, Shortbill Spearfish, Bluefin and Albacore Tuna, Amberjack, Dentex, and so much more. Whether you want to fly fish for Billfish, jig up Dentex on light tackle, or anything else, you're in the right place.

All trips come with bait, lures, licenses, and a vast array of tournament-grade fishing gear. Shimano Stellas, Spheros, and Tiagras will stop even the toughest fish, as will the boat's Penn Spinfisher spinning reels. Rods from MajorCraft, Daiwa, Hart, and Shimano will let you fish in confidence, however big the monster you're battling.

This is your chance to take on some incredible fish with a team who loves every second of their job. They will always go the extra mile to get you on the fish and will never call time when the bite is hot. Climb aboard as a client, head home as a fellow fishing addict with a colorful bunch of new-found friends. This is what sportfishing is all about.

Ricardo  Gavina
Captain
Ricardo Gavina
responds within an hour

Select date to see availability

Trip date:
Group Size:
November 2026
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
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Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
Change
Half Day Trip AM
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice
4 hour trip starts at 6:00 AM
US $555
Entire boat: up to 3 people
Full day
FREE Cancellation 14 days notice
7 hour trip starts at 6:00 AM
Barracuda (Great)
Amberjack
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Tuna (Skipjack)
+6
US $1,110
Entire boat: up to 3 people

Customer reviews

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Rating

4.9
69 reviews
4.9
Boat & equipment
4.9
Captain & crew
4.8
Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (150)

What anglers say

98%
Great experience
71%
Family friendly
98%
Friendly captain
98%
Good boat
96%
Recommended
93%
Caught fish

Reviews (69)

  • Glenn Stroppolo
    Glenn Stroppolo
    Repeat angler
    lu
    Luxembourg
    Member since 2024
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Holy s***t!!!

    Half Day Trip AM on August 21, 2026 • 1 adult

    I don’t even know where to start… Summary: this was an amazing fishing trip with the best crew! After browsing through several offers for fishing trips, I decided to go for this crew because of the reviews from other people. And they did not exaggerate. These guys absolutely know their business! We met just before 6 AM at the Funchal marina. I was still pretty sleepy, but the wake-up call came pretty quickly. After a short drive, we stopped and caught roughly 20 mackerel as baitfish. Then a longer ride through the dark, leaving Funchal’s lights behind us. The crew knows their spots, so they quickly found a cloud of baitfish and some promising echoes. And it didn’t take long before I caught 2 beautiful red snappers. Already happy, they told me that this was just a warm-up. And boy, they weren’t kidding! Not long after, I had something really heavy on the hook. What followed was just unreal and not what I had expected. After an absolutely exhausting 20 minutes, I had a roughly 20 kg greater amberjack on my lap. I just couldn’t believe how draining it was to drill such a fish. But thanks to the directions of the crew, I felt confident at every moment of the fight. Still shaky and with adrenaline rushing through my veins, they were already taking the boat to the next spot. And again it didn’t take long before I hooked onto another good fish. This time the fight was shorter, but still amazing, and it took my last energy reserves to get that superb-looking amberjack on board. So if you want to go on a fishing trip with a crew that knows exactly what to do, I highly recommend you do it with these guys. And besides their expertise, they are really funny, and we had a few good laughs. Just don’t be sensitive to Portuguese swear words 😂 Thanks again, guys, these memories will last a lifetime!

  • Simon Clark
    Simon Clark
    Repeat angler
    gb
    United Kingdom
    Member since 2023
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Great day out, highly recommended.

    Full day on June 16, 2026 • 1 adult

    This was a really great trip, you could tell the crew really wanted you to catch and have a good day. After catching some fresh bait, we headed to some spots and started catching straight away, as soon as they felt a spot was not producing, we were off to another. I hadn’t caught Dentex / Red Snapper before, so was pleased to catch these, and also a sea bream, which was a new species for me. Boat is really comfortable to fish from. Also saw whales, not far from the boat and also flying fish. All in all a great day out with friendly, helpful crew, would not hesitate to book with these guy’s again. Thank you Madeira Site Casting.

  • Timm Lehmann
    Timm Lehmann
    Repeat angler
    de
    Germany
    Member since 2026
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    unvergesslicher Trip mit echtem Profi

    Half Day Trip AM on February 18, 2026 • 2 adults

    Wir waren während unseres Aufenthalts mehrere Tage zum Angeln unterwegs und können Ricardo absolut empfehlen. Insgesamt hatten wir zwei Trips einen mit der Native Crew (Pedro), bei denen andere Techniken ausprobiert wurden (Trollling und Dead Squid Angeln) – trotz doppelter Angelzeit hatten wir dort leider nicht den gleichen Erfolg. Bei Ricardo war das komplett anders. Auf unserem 4-Stunden-Trip haben wir zuerst Live Bait gefangen und sind anschließend gezielt auf Amberjack gegangen. Das Ergebnis: über 40 kg Fisch – einfach unglaublich! Auch der Trip ging um 06:00 Uhr los nicht erst um 07:30 Uhr. Das hat einen großen Unterschied gemacht. Ricardo ist ein echter Profi, der genau weiß, was er tut. Er kennt die Spots, erklärt alles ruhig und verständlich und sorgt dafür, dass man wirklich eine faire Chance auf große Fische hat. Boot, Equipment und Organisation waren ebenfalls top. Man merkt sofort, dass hier viel Erfahrung dahintersteckt bei einem Fischer in der dritten Generation. Wenn ihr auf Madeira ernsthaft angeln wollt und nicht nur eine Bootsfahrt machen möchtet, dann bucht bei Ricardo. Wir würden jederzeit wieder mit ihm rausfahren. Vielen Dank für dieses großartige Erlebnis!

  • Patrick Schallmoser
    Patrick Schallmoser
    de
    Fischbachau, Germany
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Top! bester Angeltrip auf Madeira!

    Half Day Trip AM on May 6, 2026 • 2 adults

    Es war ein durchaus gelungener und schöner Ausflug. nach ein pasr bait fischen ging es ins tiefe. es dauerte nicht ksnfe dann biss ein Amberjack. kurz darauf Ein großer Snapper! insgesamt fingen wir 3 Fische. Leider hat dann das Wetter nicht mehr mitgespielt, ansonsten hätten wir vermutlich nich mehr gefangen. Vielen dann für den tollen Ausflug und die super Tipps für die nächsten Tage auf Madeira. Würde ich jederzeit wieder buchen wenn ich nochmal herkomme.

  • Erkand Nini
    Erkand Nini
    us
    New Jersey, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Fishing with Ricardo

    Half Day Trip AM on July 1, 2026 • 2 adults
  • Christopher Durukal
    Christopher Durukal
    at
    Austria
    Member since 2025
    5.0
    Verified

    Why you should book with Sight Casting Madeira

    Half Day Trip AM on September 30, 2025 • 2 adults

    Me and my girlfriend had the best time fishing with the guys from Sight Casting Madeira. Sergio and Ricardo are great fishermen, very knowledgeable, and work hard to put you on as many fish as possible. From the first drop at the break of down till it was time to go the action was pretty much non stop. Besides that we felt very welcome and super well taken care of in any aspect. I consider myself a fishing freak and sometimes it's hard to find charter crews around the world that match my "fish or die" - mindset. With these guys I would fish every day! Muito Obrigado🩵🎣

  • Ida Johnsen Ingebrigtsen
    Ida Johnsen Ingebrigtsen
    no
    Norway
    Member since 2024
    5.0
    Verified

    Great trip

    Special 4 hour trip for Ida Johnsen Ingebrigtsen on September 4, 2024 • 2 adults

    I booked this as a surprise for my partner that loves fishing. I am not so fond of being in a bout in open ocean, so I was a bit tense in the beginning. We arrived two minutes before the agreed time and Ricardo and Sergio were ready to go out on the water. We started when it was still dark and it was magical with the stars, the sea and the sunrise coming gradually up as we were fishing. We caught three relatively large fish. Both Sergio and Ricardo taught us about the different fish and also got some good tips for our time in Madeira. They kept the boat clean, were thorough about safety and the equipment was good. I would bring a jacket for the first hour. It can get cold. We had a great time and will do it again if we return to the island. Good way to start our day and worth the money!

  • Edwin Carter
    Edwin Carter
    Repeat angler
    gb
    Stirling, United Kingdom
    Member since 2019
    6 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Half Day Trip AM on October 22, 2024 • 2 adults

    I would strongly recommend fishing with these guys, very knowledgeable skilled passionate guys who do there upmost to put you on and keep you on the fish, they also put a lot of extra effort to ensure you recieve good quality photos of your catch. Fishing with my teenage son we caught 2 Amberjacks, 2 Albacore Tuna to 55lbs and a Snapper in the 4 hours we fished, we had an absolutely wonderful time and wished we had booked a second trip!! VERY HIGHLY recommended!!

  • Steven Ryan
    Steven Ryan
    Repeat angler
    gb
    United Kingdom
    Member since 2025
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Amazing time with a great crew!

    Half Day Trip AM on September 23, 2025 • 2 adults

    My Son and I had an absolutely wonderful time from start to finish. We caught lots of fish and were looked after so well by Ricardo and Sergio. They did all they could to make the trip memerable and I highly recommend them. Thank you for a great trip - we can't wait to come back!

  • Joe Stoffel
    Joe Stoffel
    Repeat angler
    us
    North Carolina, US
    Member since 2023
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Great trip, great crew. They put us on nice fish.

    Half Day Trip AM on May 21, 2025 • 2 adults

    My girlfriend and I (especially me) had a blast going out with these guys. They were friendly, funny and very knowledable. We caught two nice amberjack and a snapper in a short time. Would highly recommend them. I will book them again if (when) i return to Madeira.

FAQs about Madeira Sight Casting

Madeira Sight Casting offers the following trips to customers:
  • €500 per group - Half Day Trip AM (4 hours)
  • €1,000 per group - Full day (7 hours)
When you book a trip with Madeira Sight Casting, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder Simrad Evo 3
  • Live bait well
  • Ice box
Trips booked with Madeira Sight Casting include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle (Shimano, Penn, Hart, Daiwa, MajorCraft)
  • Live bait
  • Lures
  • Drinks (Water, beer, sodas)
  • First mate
  • Fishing license
Madeira Sight Casting offers the following types of fishing:
  • River fishing
  • Lake fishing
  • Inshore fishing
  • Nearshore fishing
  • Reef fishing
  • Wreck fishing
Madeira Sight Casting offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light tackle
  • Bottom fishing
  • Jigging
  • Drift fishing
  • Deep sea fishing
Top targeted fish species with Madeira Sight Casting include:
  • Amberjack
  • Barracuda (Great)
  • Bluefish (Tailor)
  • Dentex
  • Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
  • Grouper (Dusky)
  • Jack (Almaco)
  • Tuna (Albacore)
  • Tuna (Skipjack)
  • Wahoo

Your captain

Ricardo  Gavina
Ricardo Gavina
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
69 Customer reviews
Typical response within an hour
Member since September 2016
Captains Ricardo Gavina and Sérgio André are the owners and operators of Madeira Sight Casting. Their grandparents and fathers were anglers before them and now they carrie on the family tradition by introducing other people to the fantastic fishing Madeira has to offer. The entire crew loves fishing so much that they often stay out past the end of shorter trips because they want to keep fishing. If you're looking for a fun, dedicated team of true fishing enthusiasts, you've come to the right place.
Ricardo  Gavina
Ricardo Gavina
69
reviews
2016
member since
~1h
response
Captains Ricardo Gavina and Sérgio André are the owners and operators of Madeira Sight Casting. Their grandparents and fathers were anglers before them and now they carrie on the family tradition by introducing other people to the fantastic fishing Madeira has to offer. The entire crew loves fishing so much that they often stay out past the end of shorter trips because they want to keep fishing. If you're looking for a fun, dedicated team of true fishing enthusiasts, you've come to the right place.

The fish you can target

Amberjack
Amberjack
Great Barracuda
Great Barracuda
Bluefish (Tailor)
Bluefish (Tailor)
Dentex
Dentex
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dusky Grouper
Dusky Grouper
Almaco Jack
Almaco Jack
Albacore Tuna
Albacore Tuna
Skipjack Tuna
Skipjack Tuna
Wahoo
Wahoo
Amberjack
Amberjack
Great Barracuda
Great Barracuda
Bluefish (Tailor)
Bluefish (Tailor)
Dentex
Dentex
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)

Real catches by this captain

  • Solo angler proudly holding a large amberjack aboard an inflatable fishing boat on open ocean.
    Fish 1
    Yellowtail Amberjack
    Glenn S.
    Glenn S.
    I don’t even know where to start… Summary: this was an amazing fishing trip with the best crew! After browsing through several offers for fishing trips, I decided to go for this crew because of the reviews from other people. And they did not exaggerate. These guys absolutely know their business! We met just before 6 AM at the Funchal marina. I was still pretty sleepy, but the wake-up call came pretty quickly. After a short drive, we stopped and caught roughly 20 mackerel as baitfish. Then a longer ride through the dark, leaving Funchal’s lights behind us. The crew knows their spots, so they quickly found a cloud of baitfish and some promising echoes. And it didn’t take long before I caught 2 beautiful red snappers. Already happy, they told me that this was just a warm-up. And boy, they weren’t kidding! Not long after, I had something really heavy on the hook. What followed was just unreal and not what I had expected. After an absolutely exhausting 20 minutes, I had a roughly 20 kg greater amberjack on my lap. I just couldn’t believe how draining it was to drill such a fish. But thanks to the directions of the crew, I felt confident at every moment of the fight. Still shaky and with adrenaline rushing through my veins, they were already taking the boat to the next spot. And again it didn’t take long before I hooked onto another good fish. This time the fight was shorter, but still amazing, and it took my last energy reserves to get that superb-looking amberjack on board. So if you want to go on a fishing trip with a crew that knows exactly what to do, I highly recommend you do it with these guys. And besides their expertise, they are really funny, and we had a few good laughs. Just don’t be sensitive to Portuguese swear words 😂 Thanks again, guys, these memories will last a lifetime!
  • Two anglers proudly displaying a large Snapper on a fishing trip, showcasing a successful catch in a scenic ocean setting.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Red Snapper
    Erkand N.
    Erkand N.
  • Solo angler proudly holding a large red snapper aboard an inflatable fishing boat offshore.
    Fish 1
    Common Pandora
    Simon C.
    Simon C.
    This was a really great trip, you could tell the crew really wanted you to catch and have a good day. After catching some fresh bait, we headed to some spots and started catching straight away, as soon as they felt a spot was not producing, we were off to another. I hadn’t caught Dentex / Red Snapper before, so was pleased to catch these, and also a sea bream, which was a new species for me. Boat is really comfortable to fish from. Also saw whales, not far from the boat and also flying fish. All in all a great day out with friendly, helpful crew, would not hesitate to book with these guy’s again. Thank you Madeira Site Casting.
  • Anglers aboard a boat proudly displaying a large Snapper caught during a fishing trip.
    Fish 1
    Red Snapper
    Patrick S.
    Patrick S.
    Es war ein durchaus gelungener und schöner Ausflug. nach ein pasr bait fischen ging es ins tiefe. es dauerte nicht ksnfe dann biss ein Amberjack. kurz darauf Ein großer Snapper! insgesamt fingen wir 3 Fische. Leider hat dann das Wetter nicht mehr mitgespielt, ansonsten hätten wir vermutlich nich mehr gefangen. Vielen dann für den tollen Ausflug und die super Tipps für die nächsten Tage auf Madeira. Würde ich jederzeit wieder buchen wenn ich nochmal herkomme.
  • Angler proudly displaying a large Yellowtail on a fishing boat, showcasing a successful day on the water.
    Timm L.
    Timm L.
    Wir waren während unseres Aufenthalts mehrere Tage zum Angeln unterwegs und können Ricardo absolut empfehlen. Insgesamt hatten wir zwei Trips einen mit der Native Crew (Pedro), bei denen andere Techniken ausprobiert wurden (Trollling und Dead Squid Angeln) – trotz doppelter Angelzeit hatten wir dort leider nicht den gleichen Erfolg. Bei Ricardo war das komplett anders. Auf unserem 4-Stunden-Trip haben wir zuerst Live Bait gefangen und sind anschließend gezielt auf Amberjack gegangen. Das Ergebnis: über 40 kg Fisch – einfach unglaublich! Auch der Trip ging um 06:00 Uhr los nicht erst um 07:30 Uhr. Das hat einen großen Unterschied gemacht. Ricardo ist ein echter Profi, der genau weiß, was er tut. Er kennt die Spots, erklärt alles ruhig und verständlich und sorgt dafür, dass man wirklich eine faire Chance auf große Fische hat. Boot, Equipment und Organisation waren ebenfalls top. Man merkt sofort, dass hier viel Erfahrung dahintersteckt bei einem Fischer in der dritten Generation. Wenn ihr auf Madeira ernsthaft angeln wollt und nicht nur eine Bootsfahrt machen möchtet, dann bucht bei Ricardo. Wir würden jederzeit wieder mit ihm rausfahren. Vielen Dank für dieses großartige Erlebnis!
  • Adult angler holding a large red snapper aboard a boat, with a mountainous coastal shoreline in the background.
    Christopher D.
    Christopher D.
    Me and my girlfriend had the best time fishing with the guys from Sight Casting Madeira. Sergio and Ricardo are great fishermen, very knowledgeable, and work hard to put you on as many fish as possible. From the first drop at the break of down till it was time to go the action was pretty much non stop. Besides that we felt very welcome and super well taken care of in any aspect. I consider myself a fishing freak and sometimes it's hard to find charter crews around the world that match my "fish or die" - mindset. With these guys I would fish every day! Muito Obrigado🩵🎣
  • A young angler proudly displaying a large Snapper while fishing in a scenic coastal environment.
    Fish 1
    Pink Snapper
    Steven R.
    Steven R.
    My Son and I had an absolutely wonderful time from start to finish. We caught lots of fish and were looked after so well by Ricardo and Sergio. They did all they could to make the trip memerable and I highly recommend them. Thank you for a great trip - we can't wait to come back!
  • Close-up of fishing rods and reels secured in rod holders on a boat, showcasing the gear setup for a fishing trip.
    Fish 1
    Red Snapper
    Ruben A.
    Ruben A.
    These are incredibly handsome guys and excellent fishermen! I highly recommend booking an adventure with them. We caught plenty of snappers and two amberjacks using both live and dead squid — we had an absolute blast!
  • Two anglers proudly displaying a large Yellowtail Amberjack while fishing offshore, showcasing a successful day on the water.
    Fish 1
    Yellowtail Amberjack
    Philippe V.
    Philippe V.
    Everybody was very professionnel and sympathic.
  • Two adult anglers proudly display a large trevally-style fish aboard a boat on open coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Pink Snapper
    Joe S.
    Joe S.
    My girlfriend and I (especially me) had a blast going out with these guys. They were friendly, funny and very knowledable. We caught two nice amberjack and a snapper in a short time. Would highly recommend them. I will book them again if (when) i return to Madeira.

What is the boat like?

Boat image
Boat category
Center console boats
Capacity
3 persons
Boat length
25 ft
Year built
2009
Boat manufacturer
Valiant
Boat type
Center console
Engine model
Yamaha
Powered by
1 x 150HP
Max cruising speed
30 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

River Fishing
Lake Fishing
Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Reef Fishing
Wreck Fishing

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Jigging
Drift Fishing
Deep Sea Fishing

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS
Fishfinder
Simrad Evo 3
Live bait well
Ice box
What's included in the trip price
Rods, reels & tackle
Shimano, Penn, Hart, Daiwa, MajorCraft
Live bait
Lures
Drinks
Water, beer, sodas
First mate
Fishing license

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 14 days prior to trip
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 14 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
More details

What the listing policies are

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child friendly
No min. age, life jackets supplied
Crew keeps catch
The client can take a fish on request.
Catch and release allowed

How you can pay

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
 Cash

What’s biting in Funchal right now

AmberjackAmberjack
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Tuna (Albacore)Tuna (Albacore)
Tuna (Skipjack)Tuna (Skipjack)
WahooWahoo

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