If you are staying on the north-west coast of Mauritius and want to go fishing, the two names you will see most are Grand Baie and Trou-aux-Biches. The honest answer is that the base matters less than the boat: both villages sit on the same sheltered stretch of coast, a short drive apart, and the boats from either one fish the same deep water outside the reef. Choose by the trip you want (a short morning, a full big game day, a small private group, a boat with a toilet for the family) and by how far you are willing to drive at dawn, not by the name of the village.
This guide explains what actually differs between the two, which boats leave from each, and how to pick.
The short answer
- Staying in Grand Baie, Pereybère or Cap Malheureux? Start with the Grand Baie boats. You save the early drive and the captain may know your hotel.
- Staying in Trou-aux-Biches, Mont Choisy, Pointe aux Piments or further down the west coast? Start with Trou-aux-Biches, which has more boats to choose from, so you are more likely to find your date free.
- Want a full day of big game fishing with a fighting chair? Both bases have one. Compare the boats, not the beaches.
- Travelling with children or someone who has never fished? Pick the boat with the comfort you need (a toilet, a shorter trip, a captain who welcomes kids), wherever it leaves from.
Same coast, same fishing grounds
Grand Baie and Trou-aux-Biches are neighbours on the north-west coast. Between them lie Pointe aux Canonniers and the long beach at Mont Choisy, and the coast road links them in a matter of minutes outside rush hour. From either village, a charter boat crosses the lagoon, goes out through a pass in the reef and is soon in blue water.
That shared geography is why the choice is less dramatic than it looks on a map:
- Shelter. The south-east trade wind is broken by the island before it reaches this coast, so the north-west is one of the calmest places in Mauritius to fish, especially in the southern winter. Our guide to fishing in Mauritius in winter explains why that matters from June to August.
- Species. Boats from both bases list the same fish: marlin in the warm months, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, bonito and trevally. What you catch depends on the season and the day, not on which jetty you left from. The Mauritius fishing seasons guide has the month by month picture.
- Mornings. On both sides the boats leave early, often around dawn, because the sea is usually calmest before the breeze builds. Our piece on the best time of day for a fishing trip in Mauritius goes into why.
What is actually different
Grand Baie: the busy town with the marina
Grand Baie is the liveliest place in the north, with restaurants, shops, bars and a big sheltered bay full of moored boats. It is where many visitors stay, so a boat that leaves from here is the easy choice if your hotel is in town or further north.
Two boats on Reelzy leave from the Grand Baie side:
- Full Day Trip, Big Game Fishing on Royal Road, Grand Baie, for up to 5 anglers. It is a long day on heavy tackle: the boat fishes Tiagra 30 and 50 reels and you can choose to fight a fish standing up or from a custom wooden fighting chair. This is the trip for someone who wants to give big game fishing a real chance, not a two hour taster.
- Last Cast, a Baymaster 215 based at Mont Choisy, between the two villages, for small groups of 2 to 4. Captain Belon and his first mate Pravin offer half day, full day, sunset and custom trips with trolling, jigging and popping, and they fish tuna schools, marlin grounds and FADs (fish aggregating devices, the anchored buoys that hold pelagic fish). On request they add snorkelling, dolphin watching, an island picnic or a catch and cook barbecue. If half of your group wants to fish and the other half wants a day at sea, this is the one to look at.
Trou-aux-Biches: more boats, a quieter beach
Trou-aux-Biches is calmer than Grand Baie, a long beach with a public stretch and fishing boats moored off the sand. On Reelzy it is the busiest base in Mauritius, with 7 boats, which is the main practical advantage: more choice of boat sizes, crews and departure times, and a better chance of finding your date free in the high season.
A few of them, so you can see the range:
- Fishing on Ivan: Captain Sebastian runs trips of 4 to 9 hours on a 36 foot boat that takes up to 6 anglers and has a toilet, an ice box and a fighting chair. Techniques include trolling, bottom fishing, drifting, jigging, popping and more, and the targets are mahi mahi, marlin, wahoo, bonito, tuna and trevally depending on the season. Snacks, drinks and lunch are on board and children are welcome, so this is the obvious choice for a family or a mixed group.
- Pyramide: Skipper Mike Seblin and his brother Hansley, from a family that has fished for generations, take up to 4 guests on a restored 26 foot Pro 2000 with twin engines, outriggers, a fighting chair and a live bait pump. They fish nearshore and offshore, heavy and light tackle, and the listing states plainly that the guests and the crew each keep one fish under 10 kg. Kids are welcome here too.
- Baywatch: a classic morning trip for up to 5, out at 6 a.m. and back around midday. Good if you want the fishing done by lunch and the afternoon on the beach.
- Yan takes up to 7, the largest group size on this coast on Reelzy, which helps if you are a bigger party who wants to stay on one boat.
Our guide to a fishing trip from Trou-aux-Biches walks through a typical morning from that beach.
How to choose, in four questions
1. Where are you sleeping? Boats leave early. A 20 minute drive at 5:30 is nothing, but a long one across the island is a reason to pick the nearer base. If your hotel is between the two, at Mont Choisy or Pointe aux Canonniers, either works; some captains can arrange a pickup, so ask.
2. How long do you want to be out? If you want a half day, look at the morning trips (Baywatch from Trou-aux-Biches, half day on Last Cast). If you want a proper big game day, look at the Grand Baie full day trip or a long day on Fishing on Ivan. Blue water fish need time; a short trip makes a nice outing but gives you less time to find them.
3. How many of you, and who? Two to four keen anglers fit a small fast boat such as Last Cast or Pyramide. Five to seven, or a family with children, are better served by a larger boat with a toilet and shade, such as Fishing on Ivan or Yan. If anyone is worried about seasickness, read our seasickness guide for Mauritius before you book: a bigger boat and a morning trip help.
4. What happens to the fish? Customs differ from boat to boat. Some crews keep most of the catch and give the guests a fish to take home, some cook part of it for you. Pyramide states its rule on the listing; for the others, ask before you go. Our article on who keeps the fish on a Mauritius charter explains the local custom.
What to ask the captain before you book
Whichever base you choose, send these questions through the listing before the day:
- What time do we leave, and from where exactly: the jetty, the beach or the marina?
- Can you collect us from our hotel, or where should we park?
- What are you catching at the moment, and what would you target for us?
- Is the boat shared or private for our group?
- What is on board: shade, toilet, drinks, lunch?
- What happens if the sea is too rough on our date?
A good captain answers all of these in a couple of lines. The answers tell you more about the day than any photo of the beach.
When to go
The north-west coast is fishable all year. The warm months, roughly November to April, are the blue marlin season. The southern winter brings wahoo and the steadier trade wind, which this coast is sheltered from. Whatever the month, keep a spare day in your holiday: if the morning you booked is too rough, a good captain will offer another date rather than take you out in it.
The bottom line
Grand Baie and Trou-aux-Biches are not competitors so much as two jetties on the same piece of sea. Pick the base nearest your hotel, then choose the boat by group size, trip length and comfort. If you are still unsure, start with the Mauritius charters page, which lists every boat on the island with its port, and message two captains with the questions above. The one who answers clearly and quickly is usually the one to book.
Cover: "Grande Baie" by air babble, CC BY 2.0, edited (colour, retouching).
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