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
Showing:
1 - 30 of 74 answers
1 - 30 of 74 answers
Anthony Loftus
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!!
Douglas Thiem
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.
Justin Fletcher
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.
Justin Longfellow
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.
Larry Martin
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.
Peter Bryant
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.
Kimberly Cole
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.
Kenneth Goodall
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!
Patrick Burns
Fort Myers, FL
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!
Peter Foote
West Roxbury, MA
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
Kyle Kerestes
I would not - beginner fishers would expect to nail fish every second. If experienced and have patience this would be a good trip. Caring captain & exciting fighting.
Don Pinette
Hard to say. Been fishing many years. I recommend knowing that it’s fishing. You never know how it can go. Appreciate your guide
Gerard Van Der Kuilen
We were first time fishers. Captain Louis is a very good teacher, explained exactly wat to do when a fish bites. We got 3 out of 3 catches
Steve LaVallie
Go with Luis let him show you all fishing in Puerto Rico has to offer. He’s the only guy we will use from now on!!
Elise Wilson
We fished in the afternoon. Sunscreen was needed, but not bug spray. Fish were biting. It was great.
William Lennon
Practice casting a 10 weight fly rod with a bigger fly. Need to cast app 40 ft for best results. This is if you want to fly fish only.
Tanner Pierskalla
They’re always biting if you’re fishing for the right species at the right time and right place.
Nicholas Hoffman
I would still recommend fishing here, my trip was just a slow time fishing and that's nobody's fault
Joe Lehner
This was first time tarpon fishing so it's hard to say what great fishing is with no comparison
Brady Gregor
Give yourself a long enough trip to hook up multiple time. Tarpon are very allusive.
Nate Reiman
I would definitely book at least 4 hours as the captain sometimes needs time to find the fish.
Eric Springman
Follow instructions to meeting location carefully. Uber and maps don't always recognize the dock location.
Pat Hylton
Captain Cleary with backwaters tarpon adventures. A1 operation. I’m a licensed fishing guide in the Northwest and will vouch and recommend Captain Cleary.
David Jorgensen
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t land a lot of fish. Enjoy the hook ups as much as possible. Hard fish to get landed.
Raul Ventura
6 hour or more trip. This allows for a great time with zero rush. The Captain really utilized the time to search for the right spots and delivered!
Calvin Di Nicolo
I have no experience to compare October to other months of the year, but the Tarpon were biting in the lagoons just East of San Juan.
Sean Overbey
Those tarpon are really hard to land, don't be discouraged we lost at least 5 or 6 fish near the boat, they spit hooks really easy or dive and run under the boat and snap lines a lot lol!!
Gilberto Gonzalez
Fort Worth, TX
Book a morning trip if possible, afternoons can be brutal with the humidity. Otherwise, definitely recommended
Kevin Streander
June is more focused on heavy tackle which means fewer bites, but bigger fights. I would probably leave the kids at home on big fish days and bring them out for light tackle days.
Jason McCoy
Atwood, TN
It's all about the Captain. Find a good one, trust he or she, and don't look at your watch. Just fish!