Fishing in Cuba

When people think of a holiday experience there are some locations that people overlook for a myriad of reasons, despite them being obviously fantastic destinations.

Cuba is most definitely one of those places yet as far as angling is concerned you would be hard-pressed to find a place in the Americas that rivals it for options.

If you travel to Cuba on a fishing holiday you will want to travel widely across the country and have the freedom to jump on four wheels and follow any advice you receive from the knowledgeable locals so it would be of benefit to look at some car hire options if you decide that Cuba is for you.

Robson Green, presenter of the TV Show “Extreme Fishing with Robson Green” dedicated an entire episode of his program to Cuba.

While in Cuba, Robson struggles with the elusive Tarpon, hooking and losing twelve fish before finally landing one.

He also enjoys targeting and landing one of the world’s most famous fighting fish, the super-fast Bonefish before moving on to one of Cuba’s most prolific fishing spots to catch a Barracuda and a delicious Grouper. If you catch this episode you will see for yourself that Cuba is an angling paradise.

Species in Cuba

There are many freshwater and saltwater options in Cuba and as a result, there are many species to target.

In Cuba, there is a “Grand Slam” that anglers challenge themselves to.

In a single day, if you can manage to land the aforementioned Tarpon and Bonefish as well as the even more elusive and fearsome Permit, you have completed the Cuban angling holy grail.

These three fish are all capable of being caught on fly or lure while saltwater flats fishing, which is abundant around Cuba.

The Permit is one of the most prized fish you can catch in Cuban waters and as a flats fish on fly presents an extreme challenge.

Not only are they incredibly hard to locate and spot, but they are also notoriously clever at identifying a fly.

If you do manage to hook one, however, that is only half the battle because they are one of the strongest fighting fish you can hook even as a juvenile and can grow up to a whopping 20 kg.

Unsurprisingly the Permit is from the same family of fish as many other globally renowned fighting fish including the Jack Mackerel, Giant Trevally, Amberjack, Rainbow Runner, Samsonfish and is a member of the family of fish known in some parts of the world as Dart.

Snook

Another fly fish endemic to Cuba is the Snook, which is considered one of the most challenging fish pound for pound in the country.

Found in the same waters as the Tarpon, Permit, and Bonefish this optional fourth species of the Grand Slam is identifiable by a horizontal line running across the flank of the fish from the gill to the tip of the tail.

They are commonly found in the lower reaches of freshwater estuaries and are considered great table fish in addition to their fighting qualities.

Freshwater Angling

In addition to these four incredibly challenging and exciting sport fish targets, Cuba also offers an excellent array of freshwater angling species as well as reef fish.

Some of the world’s most notoriously difficult angling species are also caught in Cuba including many of the trevally as well as snapper and grouper.

The waters of Cuba are some of the more pristine you will find, not only in the Americas but in the world, and as a result, the fish stock of the country is in excellent condition.

Be sure to check out car hire options before you book your Cuban angling expedition to ensure that you have the freedom to follow your nose on an angling adventure you are unlikely to forget.

Further Information

• Cuban Fishing Centers is one very handy resource with some useful information on fishing in Cuba.
• Fishipedia on Cuba – where to fish in the area.