Belize Fishing Charters on Ambergris Caye

Guided fly, reef, and offshore trips from El Pescador

World-Class Guided Fishing in Belize

Welcome to El Pescador – named for “The Fisherman” and welcoming anglers to Ambergris Caye since 1974. Set on the shores of Ambergris Caye, the lodge provides guided access to productive Belize fishing waters, including shallow flats, the Belize Barrier Reef, and deep blue offshore water.

Whether you are a seasoned fly angler chasing the Belize Grand Slam – permit, tarpon, and bonefish in a single day – or planning reef or offshore action for snapper, grouper, wahoo, tuna, and more, our experienced, English-speaking guides shape each day around your goals.

Daily Guided Fishing Rate

Departs El Pescador at 7:00 AM – returns 3:00 PM
Price: US $650 + tax for up to 2 anglers
All-inclusive fishing packages available

Set on the shores of Ambergris Caye, El Pescador provides guided fishing across the shallow flats, Belize Barrier Reef, and deep blue offshore waters. Experienced, English-speaking guides support both fly and spin anglers, with one or two anglers per boat and guide for a focused day on the water.

Guests can pursue the Belize Grand Slam – permit, tarpon, and bonefish – or plan reef and offshore trips for snapper, grouper, wahoo, tuna, and more. All-New Helios™ rods from Orvis are available to enhance the fishing experience.

Explore fly fishing, reef fishing, offshore fishing, or review our rates and packages.

View Our Rates and Packages

Two anglers fishing in serene, clear tropical waters surrounded by palm trees.

The Best Time to Fish in Belize

Belize’s neo-tropical climate keeps fishing productive throughout the year. Temperatures vary by less than 10°F, and the fishery remains diverse across the seasons, with resident bonefish, permit, and tarpon plus a major tarpon migration in late summer.

The monthly guide below gives guests a practical overview of what to expect, while our guides use daily conditions, tides, and local knowledge to put anglers in the best position on the water.

Marine Forecast

January

Tarpon (20–90 lbs) are common, with 50-75 seen on calm days. Bonefish and tarpon fishing are good, reef fishing is good to excellent.

February

Bone, permit, and tarpon fishing are weather-dependent, reef fishing is excellent, with tarpon ranging from 20 – 90 lbs.

March

Bonefishing thrives, while permit are schooled in good numbers, tarpon (20-90 lbs), and reef fishing is consistently good to excellent.

April

Tarpon (40–100 lbs) become more aggressive, with migrating tarpon appearing on reefs. Permit and bonefish are abundant. Reef fishing is excellent.

May

Generally our hottest month, with calm-to-light breezes. Anglers will see huge schools of 200-300 bones and tarpon on both flats and the reef. Reef fishing is good to excellent.

June

Bone fishing is excellent as it always is from April through October. Tarpon on both the flats and reef. Reef fishing good to excellent.

July

Anglers can expect plenty of bonefish and tarpon during this peak fishing month.

August

This is the peak tarpon season, with August and September offering the highest catch rates and largest tarpon. Large permit are also common during this migration.

September

Fish are plentiful, with high catch rates and many fish exceeding 100 lbs.

October

Bigger tarpon and bonefish in abundance, with big schools of jack crevalle on the flats, and it’s a strong month for larger permit. Reef fishing is fair to good, with the possibility of snook.

November

There are plenty of 60-100 pound tarpon on the flats. Jack crevalle and bone fishing are also good. Reef fishing good to excellent.

December

Sunny days bring barracuda, bonefish, and tarpon (40-80 pounds) to the flats, alongside jacks and ladyfish.

Catch and Release

Permit, bonefish, and tarpon are always released; other species like snapper, grouper, and snook may be kept for the table.

Gear To Bring

For Fly Fishing

Fly Rods

Fly rods in the 7-8 wt. range are the ideal size for Belize bonefish. The lighter rods (7 wt) are great when there is little or no wind and an 8-weight rod has more than enough muscle to deliver a fly in even the stiffest of gales. Moreover, the 8-weight rod will double as the ideal rod for permit and light tarpon fishing. Ten to twelve-weight rods are perfect for tarpon fishing.

Fly Reels

Should be anodized, corrosion-resistant saltwater models that will hold a full fly line, plus approximately 200 yards of 20 lb. backing for bonefish and permit, and 250 yards of 30-50 pound backing for tarpon. Reels equipped with high-quality, smooth, drags are essential to prevent break-offs from the blistering runs of a hooked fish.

Fly Lines

A weight forward tropical saltwater taper floating line is ideal for most of the sight fishing you will encounter. There may be a few times when an intermediate sinking line is the answer for tarpon and permit fishing. Anglers should also bring along some sort of line cleaner for the lines as well, since saltwater has a way of making them sticky after a few days use.

Leaders

Tarpon
9 foot straight piece of 40, 60 or 80 lb. Fluorocarbon Tippet Material.

Bonefish
Tapered Leaders 9’-12’ feet long, –ending in 10 or 12 pound.

Permit
Tapered Leaders 9’-14 feet long –ending in 16 to 20 pound.

Angler casting a line on calm waters, enjoying a serene fishing adventure.

Spin Fishing / Conventional

Permit/Snook

Rods: Lite – Med Lite

Length: 6.5 ft – 7.5 ft for ¼ – ½ oz. lure

Line Weight: 8-10 lb. mono

Reel: A quality spinning reel that can handle the rigors of saltwater fishing and hold at least 170 yards of 10-pound line.

Example: Shimano Stradic ST4000FH or equivalent.

Leader: 12-15 lb. mono

Bonefish

Rods: Medium Lite – Medium

Length: 6.5 ft – 7.5 ft for 1/4 –5/8 oz. lures

Line Weight: 12-15lb. mono

Reel: A quality spinning reel that can handle the rigors of saltwater fishing and hold at least 170 yards of 12-15-pound line.

Leader: 15-20 lb.

Small Tarpon

Rods: Medium – Medium

Length: 6.5 ft – 7 ft for 3/8 –1 oz. lures

Line Weight: 15-25lb. mono or braid

Reel: A quality spinning reel that can handle the rigors of saltwater fishing and hold at least 200 yards of 15-25lb. line.

Leader: 60 lb. mono.

Big Tarpon, Grouper etc.

Rods: Medium – Medium/Heavy

Length: 5.5 ft – 7 ft (medium) 5.5. ft – 6.5 ft. (med/heavy)

Line Weight: 50lb. braid

Reel: A quality spinning reel that can handle the rigors of saltwater fishing (BIG FISH) and hold at least 250 yards of 50 lb. braid.

Leader: 80 lb. mono or #50 wire.