We rented the 42 ft Fortuna privately, for just the two of us, to fulfill one of our Honeymoon dreams........... He always wanted to go Fishing for Mahi-Mahi and Marlin, and I always wanted to go snorkeling on a reef *without* 100 other people snorkeling around me. The Unique thing about Big Marlin Charters is that they offer a special "add on" to the end of your Fishing trip.......... for an extra $50 (per boat, not per person) they will bring you to a quiet reef to snorkel....... which gives you the best of both worlds! Now for the full review......... Alex (AKA the best First Mate EVER) picked us up right on time in a very new and very air conditioned cozy van and whisked us off to the boat dock, giving us the scoop on fishing conditions the entire way. For the record, I was very quiet the entire first part of the trip because I was continuously praying to the Sea Gods to keep me from getting sea-sick while I was out there........ I did not want to ruin my Husband's dream fishing trip by being sick the entire time! Get to the dock, meet the awesome Captain, jump in a skiff, and off we go onto the Fortuna.........gorgeous boat, couches, shower, bathroom, bar (the things I noticed) and the BIG CHAIR for reeling in the fish (the thing my Husband noticed) The seas were relatively calm... 4-6 ft waves....... and my prayers seemed to work as I found I was NOT getting sea-sick (thankyouthankyouthankyou) We were told in advance that even though it was peak Marlin season, it was also a full moon so they were mostly feeding at late afternoon and night, not in the morning, but the morning was the only time we had to go fishing, so we set our sights on Mahi-Mahi. Alex was able to spot some in the water, I kid you not, and within minutes my Husband landed a gorgeous Mahi-Mahi.........so bright and colorful (and a fighter!) Alex was always busy, changing bait, cleaning up the deck, pointing out flying fish around us and giving us a generally great education on the Dominican and Fishing......... cannot say enough good things about him. At the end of the fishing trip we went to a quiet reef for snorkeling and found a conch shell that was easily 2 feet long, bright and beautiful, but alas, would never fit in my luggage, so we left it to decorate the sea bed. :) We spent an additional hour more (thank you!) just relaxing on the bow of the ship, drinking some fabulous rum concoctions, looking out over the teal blue water before heading back to the dock. Once at the doc, Alex brought us to a little outdoor restaurant where the chef cooked our Mahi-Mahi for us and added in rice, beans and sauce, fries and plantains.... it was honestly the BEST meal we had while we were in Punta Cana. If you do this option, choose grilled, not fried, you will not be disappointed. Alex waited for us to finish our meal and, when were we ready, brought us back to the hotel...... the entire way filled with insights into the Dominican Culture, Fishing, underwater photography and more. This would be a great trip for families, and for a boys trip too, but If more couples knew how amazing and yes, romantic, this trip can be as a couple, with both fishing and snorkeling and your own private yacht swaying in the teal blue water....... it is an easy win for Honeymooners! My Husband has been on a lot of fishing charters and says this was the best, and most knowledgeable that he has been on. We could not have asked for a better day, and when we go back, we know EXACTLY which charter we are taking again! Thank you Big Marlin Charters!

Hi Everyone I wanted to take a moment and tell you about our recent fishing charter in Punta Cana. The deep-sea fishing that we do with Big Marlin Charters is not hard at all. It is easy, fun and spectacularly beautiful. It is very safe & female friendly. So, if you have any concerns as a woman that you could not handle what is needed to enjoy this super fun excursion, I want to assure that you can. I have a very experienced deck hands that will be right by your side to make sure that you get and have as much fun as it is possible. If we get lucky and we find lots of fish the trip can be really exciting and if you want a more relaxed time you can lie in the sun with a cold drink and some tasty sandwiches. I recently booked a charter with 2 clients, both women, Joanna and Cathy. It is unusual to have an offshore deep sea fishing charter with just women. But I want to assure you that it is perfectly normal. I wish we had more, it is so much fun, easy and safe to do. Let me tell you how it went. We all got on board and I gave them my routine safety speech and short tour of the boat. We had only a little chop, maybe 3 feet+/-. It was a beautiful sunny calm day. I know a spot that always has good Mahi Mahi fishing in Punta Cana. Those fishing spots are all marked on our boats navigation systems. I like 740 Garmin. So, I always know exactly where we are. These fish are also known as Dorado. They are truly beautiful and interesting, they are very athletic with long thin body. Mahi Mahi almost look like they are fluorescent, unreal, out of this world. You can watch them coming up toward the yacht and they look like a blue-green light bulb. Really pretty, almost hypnotic to watch. Not to mention how tasty they are, cooked Dominican style in a local on the shore restaurant on the beach. One of the ladies was ready to go, she was excited and couldn’t wait to get some on the line. The other seemed to be more interested in getting some sun than getting some fish. It’s all good, It’s lazy Dominican Time. Do what you want. On our fishing boat Fortuna 42’ there’s place for both. The fishing is always better when we have a little chop, waves of 4-5 ft. are just perfect. The bait always behaves more like a live fish, breaking the water, jumping and splashing. This attracts more fish. It is always beautiful to be on the ocean, but it is much more exciting when we can hook some fish. This day was a quiet day, the ocean was taking a rest. It was quiet for a couple of hours, no Mahi Mahi, lots of sun, but no fish. Magic spells Fishy Fishy Fishy not work today) As we were chatting about something we suddenly heard the left side reel began bussing loudly. That meant we got a fish. I love that sound, it is always so exciting to hear. The best symphony from Peen Reel 80 ! I got to the reel quickly and let the fish run without about 2 yards of line, then I stopped it suddenly which really sets the hook. Then we know that we really have hooked the fish. Then I let the fish run again. If you have a short line a serious fish will break it easily. The fish took about half reel the line in less than 5 seconds. This is very fast. This was a big fish. I wanted to make sure we had the hook set deeply, so I stopped the line suddenly and pulled the rod at the same moment. Immediately I was pulled to the boat rail. This was a big strong fish. It is a great feeling when you hook a fish like that, the rod is bent, the line is taut, no slack, no give at all. The line looks like it will break if you touch it. Joanna and Cathy were both really interested and excited, but they were not sure what to do and so we were there to assist them. I had to really work this fish, he was really strong. With a lot of effort and all my strength I finally got the rod back into the fishing chair and rod holder. My 1 st mate, Vladimir was a big help. We knew with a fish this strong it had to be a Blue Marlin. We realized that neither Joanne nor Cathy would be able to bring this fish into the boat by themselves. Vladimir and I would have to help. So, Joanne got in the chair and Vladimir and I helped her with the rod. Joanne worked the reel by herself. You have to pull the rod back and then release some of the tension to reel some of the line in. Slowly but surely you bring the fish in closer to the boat that way. Joanne did a great job and had a great time. We were all very excited and yelling. After about 20 minutes the fish gets tired. It just cannot keep this type of effort up for long. We saw his fin break the surface first. I grabbed the gaff, which is a big hook on a pole. I hooked him with that and Vladimir and I pulled him abroad. Really a great catch, one of my best ever. Big strong Blue Marlin and a very exciting time for everyone. Really fun! Joanna and Cathy were so happy with the entire trip. They promised they would do fishing again in Punta Cana Friendly. Cap. Yustas Fortuna

Hi to everybody from Boca Chica! For those who don't know what it is - its a small tourist town on the Caribbean sea between Santo Domingo and Juan Dolio. On the map of the Dominican Republic you can find it exactly in the South. There aren't as many attractions as in Punta Cana, except maybe for many "chicas" walking the streets in the evening )) But Caribbean sea can't exist without fishing. Our fisherman's boat Ocean Super Sport 42' as well as our team loves fishing and we do it often. Yesterday we hosted two American guys from Santo Domingo who work there in some company with a contract, they arrived themselves from the capital. I have also brought a happy just married Polish couple from Juan Dolio who are here for their honeymoon. I don't remember exactly which resort they have been staying at exactly, by they haven't been fed up with each other yet and looked pretty happy. We had on board also my sister with my nephew, 6 y.o. We all were in great mood with one mutual desire for successful fishing! We left the Marina at 7:30am and set course south with a speed of 20 knots to arrive to the fishing location as early as possible. After 12 miles we checked with our Garmin and realized we have arrived so we began trolling. In 5 minutes, after all the rods have been set up and outriggers opened wide the fishing began. First Mahi Mahi was 16 pounds. It was brought to the boat easily. Our Captain caught the current with the Sargasso seaweed and started to take the boat more south. Next Mahi Mahi about 20 pounds fought unsuccessfully with our Penn 50 reels and were easily brought on board. It was becoming hot and we all were having fun! The anglers running from one singing line to another, speaking different languages still perfectly understood by emotions. As a result our catch was 9 Mahi Mahi and 1 Tuna, caught by the youngest angler of our team. Back in the Marina we shared the catch, part of it was cooked for us right there at the Marine restaurant and honestly to say there's nothing more delicious than fresh fish, just caught and cooked by a good chef. This was one of our shared charters. Tomorrow we are headed for a Private charter full day, because like I said before our boat and our crew we all love fishing! If you appear to be in the Dominican close to Santo Domingo or Juan Dolio - come with us! Its great fun, its not expensive and its very safe.