Yes. November is when the marlin season in Mauritius opens. Our own seasons guide puts the marlin months at November to April, with the best of it usually from December to March, so a trip in November falls in the first weeks of the season: the fish are arriving, the boats have started trolling for them again, and the island is quieter than it will be over Christmas. You are not guaranteed a marlin in November any more than in January, but you are fishing in the right half of the year.
This post is about November specifically. If your dates are in late December, read our Christmas and New Year fishing trip guide instead, and for the full year species by species there is the Mauritius fishing seasons guide.
What is biting in November
Marlin get the attention, but a November day offshore is rarely about one fish. Blue marlin are the headline: our seasons guide calls November the start of the window, as water temperatures rise and bait gathers offshore, and black marlin turn up in the same months. Most boats troll lures over deep water for them, which means hours of watching the spread with a bite that can come at any moment or not at all.
While you troll for marlin, the same spread takes other fish. Dorado (mahi mahi), wahoo, bonito and yellowfin tuna all hit trolled lures, and on a slow marlin day they are what fills the fish box. Yellowfin are around all year, though their most reliable months in our guide are March to July, so in November treat a tuna as a bonus rather than the plan.
Giant trevally are the other November story. The GT season runs from September to April, with the peak from October to March, so November sits right inside it. A popping trip is a different day from a marlin trip: casting big poppers at reef edges instead of sitting behind a trolling spread. If a GT is what you want, book it as its own trip. The Giant Trevally Popping trip out of Mahebourg is six hours of casting with Olivier Julien, and the listing suggests you bring your own rods and reels if you have them.
The weather in November
November is the start of the Mauritian summer, which runs roughly from November to April: warmer, more humid, with the heaviest rain usually later, in February and March. For anglers the practical change is that the strong south-east trade winds of the winter months, which make June to August choppy on the exposed coasts, have usually eased by now. Calmer mornings are common, though not promised.
November is also when the cyclone season begins. In Mauritius the official cyclone watch period runs from mid-November to mid-May, and most cyclones in this part of the Indian Ocean come between January and March. A cyclone in November is not impossible, but the risk is lower than later in the summer. If one does come, the harbour closes and nobody goes out. Check the bulletins of the Mauritius Meteorological Services in the days before your trip, and read our guide to what happens when a fishing trip is cancelled for bad weather in Mauritius.
On the boat itself, November means strong sun from early morning. Bring a hat, long sleeves and high-factor sun cream, and if you are prone to seasickness, take something the night before, not on the jetty.
Which boats fish for marlin in November
Five of our live Mauritius boats name marlin in their own listings. None of them publishes a month by month calendar, so the months above come from our seasons guide, not from the captains. Ask the skipper directly which weeks the boat has raised fish this season before you fix a date.
In the north, out of Trou-aux-Biches, Fishing on Ivan runs trips of four to nine hours for up to five guests. Captain Sebastian builds the day around the fish you want, and the listing names mahi mahi, marlin, wahoo, bonito, tuna and trevally “depending on the time of year”. Tell him you want to troll for marlin in November and let him tell you how long the trip needs to be. From the same stretch of coast, Pyramide is run by skipper Mike Seblin and his brother Hansley, a fishing family who work both nearshore and offshore. Both listings tick “Pickup and Drop-off Included” in their trip policy, which helps if you are staying on the north-west coast. Check the pickup area with the captain before you book.
From Grand Baie, Last Cast is a Baymaster 215 with a captain and first mate, offering half-day, full-day and sunset trips with trolling, jigging and popping gear on board.
On the west coast, Flying Kiss leaves Pointe aux Piments at 05:30 and is back by 12:00, which is a good shape for November: you are out in the cooler first hours and back before the midday heat. The crew name dorado, tuna and marlin as their fish. Further south, Big Game Fishing in Rivière Noire takes up to four guests with two specialised skippers, and lists blue marlin, black marlin and sailfish alongside bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna.
You can see every boat on the north-west coast on the Trou-aux-Biches charters page, and the boats that list the species on the blue marlin in Mauritius page.
Half day or full day for a November marlin
Marlin fishing is a numbers game: the more hours your lures are in deep water, the better your chance. A half-day trip spends a good part of its time running out and back, so if a marlin is the point of the trip, a full day or a long morning is the honest choice. A half day still makes sense if you want a taste of offshore fishing, have a family that will not enjoy eight hours at sea, or would be just as happy with a dorado or a wahoo. We compare the two in more detail in half day or full day fishing trip in Mauritius.
What to ask the skipper before a November trip
A short message in the listing chat saves a disappointing morning. Ask which weeks the boat has seen marlin so far this season, and whether this November looks early or late. Ask how long they recommend for a marlin day and what they troll for if the marlin do not show. Ask what happens to a marlin if you catch one: some skippers release them, and what happens to the rest of the catch is a separate question, which we cover in who keeps the fish on a Mauritius charter. And ask what time they leave and where you meet, because a 05:30 start from Pointe aux Piments and a mid-morning start from Grand Baie are very different days.
Why November is a good month to book
There are two practical reasons beyond the fish. November comes before the Christmas and New Year weeks, when the island fills up and the good boats are booked well ahead. And it comes before the part of the cyclone season with the most storms, so the risk of losing your fishing day to weather is lower than in February. If your holiday dates are flexible and a marlin is on your list, the second half of November is a sensible compromise: the season has started, the crowds have not.
If you want to see what is free, open the boats above, pick a date in the calendar and send the captain a message with the fish you are after. They answer in the chat on Reelzy, and you can settle the length of the trip and the meeting point before you pay.
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