What would you recommend to anglers fishing in San Juan for the first time?

Answers by verified FishingBooker anglers who went fishing in San Juan

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Kevin Behm
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR on May 28, 2025
Super friendly Tarpon fishing. Huge schools of them feeding in the surface make them easy to spot and give you a lot of chances. The snook population is pretty sparse where we fished. The tarpon size was variable with a lot in the 3-10lb range, saw 3-4 around 50lb range but nothing massive. I think they are around but probably not the place to get your 100+ lb trophy. Bays were calm but the wind did picked up through the morning. Once the wind really got going the bite actually picked up on the wind blown shoreline.

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Robert Petrowsky
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Reel Addiction PR on May 2, 2025
The tides dictate what you catch. Don't book this expecting snapper and barracuda unless you can get an incoming tide. If you are looking for tarpon and a personal tour of the lagoons, this is a fantastic trip. The smaller boat gives it a little different feel as well.

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Richard Heigle
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Bay Boat Ranger 23 on April 8, 2025
Fished 2 days in the backwater with a fly The bite was almost nonexistent for all the captains whether they were using flies,lures or bait. We were there during a full moon. Maybe that was the cause??? The fishery does seem to get fished hard every day

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Matt Steele
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on March 8, 2025
All around great trip. Jose and Manny were the best!! Great hospitality, great knowledge, resulting in a great experience. First time deep sea fishing and they set the bar. Will definitely book with them again!!

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Jo Parkinson
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on March 6, 2025
If you have never fished saltwater be ready to work for it. This Expieriance will be mind blowing and it's so exciting. Be sure to wear a lot of clothing as the sun can be very damaging off the water. Get a good night sleep before hand and let your captain help you with the rest. You will not be disappointed.

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Aaron Elswick
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR on February 6, 2025
get ready to have a blast! water is brackish so it isn't a sight fishing trip. Also the tarpon are not as big as those in the states but are the perfect size for a fun fight on light tackle and/or fly rods

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Jennifer Teumer
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Marine Life on January 24, 2025
The weather is unpredictable this time of year. Check the wind before booking or message the captain. If it’s your first time, do not eat breakfast. Stop at the Pueblo and get some motion sickness relief (Dramamine). Bring sunglasses, sunblock, water.

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Austin Adams
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on January 27, 2025
Fishing is day to day. Every avid fisherman knows that you can chase fish all day but you can't make them bite. I'd say that January and February are more up and down than most months. From what the guide and I talked about, March / April are a great time of year.

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Chris Marcks
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Go Tarpon Puerto Rico - 22’ on December 28, 2024
The waters were very calm (in the bay). We had more luck before numerous other charters anchored not far from us. That may have been part of the slowing down for us, but our captain said there are some good days, and some slower days. There’s no rhyme or reason, you just work with what you’ve got, so you just make the most of whatever comes your way.

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Frank Lynn
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR on December 20, 2024
Don't be afraid to get out with Captian Gaby for a great time fishing. Even if you're not successful in getting a fish into the boat, captin Gaby will keep you busy and well entertained. We had a great time!

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Mark Singletary
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR on December 10, 2024
The key to fishing is patience. You are there to share knowledge with captain an crew an enjoy nature. It is an avenue to escape the hustle of everyday life, with time an experience the opportunity to land a massive fish will happen. It is similar to golf in that you may spend an enjoy a lifetime at it but never get a hole in one

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William Markin
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on July 18, 2024
Listening to the captain always giving advice sit back and enjoy . Stay ready bite happens quick we had ten hits got 3 close to the boat are fault for drops then my son hooked a big one with 2 min left in trip landed it 55- 60 pounder tarpon can’t say thanks to Luis enough great family time

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Ray Freire
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Bay Boat Ranger 23 on July 16, 2024
Come to the area using main roads, you may want to book a bigger boat than you need as it will get tight and be clear of what your expecting as inshore is more intercoastal/lagoon than open saltwater but there are still big fish in that area.

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Kevin Davis
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on July 12, 2024
Its called fishing not catching be patient and it will happen just be patient captain will do his best to put you on fish and jose is awsome so is the captain they are a awsome I can't say that enough book your trip with them will have a great time

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Yanelis Martin
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on June 15, 2024
Wow what a day! My family of four joined Captain Pepe and his mate Manny today for a the deep sea fishing adventure of our dreams. They were courteous, prompt, respectful, welcoming and above all KNOWLEDGEABLE! Although there is no guarantee you will catch anything (after all, it is called FISHING, not CATCHING) we were able to reel in a monster Yellowfin Tuna and 25 lb Wahoo thanks to their expertise and patience! They graciously provided us with iced soda cans and bottled water throughout the trip. After our trip was over, Captain Pepe did us the huge favor of filleting the fish!! My family will be talking about this day for years to come. Thank you so much!!

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Jackson Reed
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR on April 7, 2024
We fished today with Cody Johnson and had a fantastic time. Tarpon fishing isn’t easy, but Cody did a grade A job setting us up for success and putting us in front of several massive Tarpon. Couldn’t recommend it more, these fish are no joke and don’t disappoint, they fight hard and put on show. Huge shoutout to Cody, all around great guide and someone I’d love to fish with again someday.

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Nora Rule
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Bayside Fishing Charters on March 24, 2024
If you want dead bait and not catch a single fish…then book this charter. Harmon our captain was nice but I felt ill equipped to take us on the charter we paid for. Also do not believe their advertisement that they will clean and fillet catch…when we walked onto the boat we were informed they do not do that. Great so I told my young kids we will get to eat what we catch. Nope. All we caught were flies that were attracted to the dead fish smell…which apparently was the “best bait” for tarpon. So much for looking for 11 diff species of fish.

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Justin Fletcher
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on January 2, 2024
I just put Okay bc I don’t really know. We didn’t catch anything today bc the fish just weren’t biting. I was told the best for Marlin is August. That not what we (as a family) were hoping for but we only got one barracuda. 1-2 weeks ago they destroyed tuna and the best for Mahi is suppose to be right now. I just think it was an off day. The time on the boat was great. To catch only one fish I can’t believe how good of time I had. Give all that credit to Blue Water fishing charters. What a great crew to spend time with.

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Peter Bryant
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Double Hook Charters on November 21, 2023
Be prepared for issues out of your captain's control, particularly weather. Our first charter canceled because of wave height and our captain (of the charter we did take) said he was going to have to cancel the next day because of projected waves. We had a slow start and finish because of rain (the cloudy skies prevent the bait from shimmering), but the captain found clearer weather and we had a busy few hours. We were the only charter that went out and caught anything, so others had a much different experience.

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Kimberly Cole
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Double Hook Charters on October 22, 2023
According to the professionals, "choppy" water and sizeable swells are to be expected during this time of year. I wasn't aware of that and i definitely had to adjust to the circumstances! All in all, it was tougher than I expected to get the bites, but the captain did a great job finding them for me! The only thing that would stop me from saying it was "great" would be the rough water conditions. It was some fun fishing but more on the extreme side, for me anyway. Definitely not a calm, relaxed, day on the water. Lol.

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Dylan Mays
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Bay Boat Ranger 23 on June 13, 2024
Request Captain Miguel! He knows those waters like the back of his hand. Don’t be scared when the fish start biting. And enjoy your surroundings while you wait for the bites. Time flew by so quickly I wish that we had more time

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Mike Gross
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Backwater Tarpon Bay Boat Ranger 23 on May 31, 2024
Go for the large tarpon… our captain used a big fish head instead of small bait to keep the smaller tarpon from hitting. We landed a 55-60 pounder. Always ask for Captain Alex with Backwater. He’s been fishing these waters since he was 10 years old and he’s the best.

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Jayme Stoneburner
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Bayside Fishing Charters on March 15, 2024
First time Inshore fishing, wasn't sure what to expect but it was great. Relaxing and calm waters. Wish we would have allowed ourselves more time to travel the San Juan traffic to get to the marina (took almost 2 times longer than google maps predicted due to traffic). Make sure you eat something before the trip. Be prepared with sunscreen and make sure you bring sunglasses and a hat.

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Anthony Loftus
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on March 6, 2024
No restroom on board so female passengers should plan ahead for a 4 hour trip. Some bugs at night (mosquitoes) but crew provided bug spray and they only last about 20 mins at dusk. Perfect trip in inland waters with light to calm wave activity (no motion sickness.). Bring a snack and enjoy!!

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Douglas Thiem
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on January 3, 2024
Remember, it’s fishing and no one can control the fish. Show up prepared with suggested items. Be patient and take direction from your captain, they all spend thousands of hours a year on the water and are experts in their craft.

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Justin Longfellow
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with FishNSea Charters—Boston Whaler 22’ on December 31, 2023
This is a great trip for families and those not wanting to go offshore. Very calm waters, very relaxing. However, fish are big, exciting and a lot of fun to catch. Even the most experienced will enjoy this trip. This is a perfect all around trip for everyone.

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Larry Martin
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on December 20, 2023
Make sure your captain knows what they’re doing! My son and I are boaters and good local knowledge of the exit and return from the harbor area is essential. Ours worked it perfectly despite conditions of deep ocean swells between 8-10 feet. During lunch afterwards we saw a boat nearly hit the rocks.

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Kenneth Goodall
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico on October 26, 2023
Rough water with 7' - 10' rollers as the norm. Also....it's called fishing....not catching. We caught fish, I would bet catching odds are higher with Captain Jose than most captains. Out of 3 boats out we were the only boat to catch! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

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Patrick Burns
Fort Myers, FL
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Double Hook Charters on May 3, 2023
Bring sunscreen, fishing/sun shirts, hats and good polarized glasses. If you are not a seasoned or experienced offshore fisher don’t be afraid to take some Dramamine the night before your trip. The seas will get bumpy even on the calmest day. Oh, and be ready to reel hard, fast and often!

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Peter Foote
West Roxbury, MA
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with The Drop Fishing Charters on February 16, 2020
If you are looking for a Captain who's passion is putting his customers on fish than Captain Carlos is your man. My experience with Carlos was the high point of my trip to this beautiful paradise. I look forward to returning next year to put in some more time in fishing these productive waters. Fish on Captain, Fish on. Peace