You need less than you think. On a Mauritius fishing charter the boat supplies the rods, reels, terminal tackle, bait and lures, the fishing licence, an ice box for the catch, and on most boats soft drinks and snacks. What you bring yourself fits in one small bag: sun protection that stays on when wet, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat with a cord, polarised sunglasses, any seasickness tablet you plan to use, a towel, and your own lunch if the listing does not say lunch is included.
The short answer
Pack for a six-hour day in tropical sun on a moving boat, and read the listing for the one thing that varies: food. Everything that touches a fish is the captain’s job. Everything that touches your skin is yours.
The reason this question gets asked at all is that the answers online are written for Florida or the Gulf of Mexico. Mauritius is different in three ways that change the packing list: departures are before sunrise, the sun from October to April is as strong as anywhere on earth, and the trip usually ends by midday, so you are back at the hotel for lunch and do not need a day’s worth of food.
What the boat provides, boat by boat
The charter boats on Reelzy list what they include, and the differences are the ones that decide what you pack. These are taken from the captains’ own listings as of October 2026; the listing is the current word.
| Boat and port | Departs | Included on the listing |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing on Ivan, Trou-aux-Biches | 05:30 | all rods, reels and terminal tackle; snacks, drinks and lunch; toilet, ice box, fighting chair, flybridge; children welcome |
| Pyramide, Trou-aux-Biches | 04:00 | all fishing equipment and licences; soft drinks and snacks; outriggers, fighting chair, live bait pump, built-in ice box; kids welcome |
| Baywatch, Trou-aux-Biches | 06:00, back around 12:00 | snacks and drinks; toilet; ice box; catch cleaning and filleting |
| Last Cast, Grand Baie | 05:00 | trolling, jigging and popping gear; refreshments and snacks; fishing licence; ice box; catch cleaning; catch and cook or island barbecue on request |
| Full Day Trip, Big Game Fishing, Grand Baie | 06:00, nine hours | Tiagra 30 and 50 tackle, custom fighting chair; snacks and drinks; licence; ice box; catch cleaning |
| Flying Kiss, Pointe aux Piments | 05:30, back at 12:00 | snacks and drinks; toilet and shower; catch cleaning; room for a large group |
| Giant Trevally Popping, Mahebourg | 06:00, six hours | gear and poppers; drinks. Bring your own snacks or lunch; own rods and reels welcome |
Two things stand out. Lunch is the exception, not the rule: Fishing on Ivan stocks it, the Mahebourg popping trip says plainly to bring your own, and most of the others list snacks and drinks and stop there. And the start times are early, with two boats leaving Trou-aux-Biches at four in the morning for the long run to the marlin grounds. You want your bag packed the night before.
The packing list
Sun
The sun is the thing that ruins a Mauritius charter, far more often than seasickness. The boat is white, the water reflects, and there is little shade on a sportfisher once the lines are out. Bring:
- Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF 50, applied before you board and again at the halfway mark. A stick for the face does not run into your eyes with sweat.
- A long-sleeved fishing shirt in a light colour. Cooler than bare arms by ten in the morning, and the only way to stop the backs of your hands and forearms burning while you hold a rod.
- A cap with a cord or a buff. Hats go overboard on the run out, and a boat trolling with four lines out does not turn around for one.
- Polarised sunglasses. Not optional. They cut the glare off the water, and they let you see the fish come up behind the lures, which is half the point of trolling.
- Lip balm with SPF and, for a full-day trip, a light pair of long trousers for the afternoon.
Seasickness
The north and north-west coast, where the Trou-aux-Biches boats and the Grand Baie boats sail from, is the sheltered side of the island. The south-east trade winds blow across the island and the lee is calm most mornings, which is one reason the fleet is based there. Outside the reef there is still an ocean swell, and the boat sits and rolls while you fight a fish.
If you have ever been seasick, take a tablet the evening before and again on waking, not when you feel ill. Eat a light breakfast; an empty stomach is worse than a full one. Stay on deck, look at the horizon, and tell the captain early. A good skipper will change the heading or move inside the reef for a while, and would rather know.
Food and water
Check the listing. If it says snacks and drinks, expect water, soft drinks and something to nibble, not a meal. For a six-hour trip that leaves at five, most people are fine with a good breakfast and the boat’s snacks, then lunch ashore. For the nine-hour Grand Baie trip or a day on the Mahebourg popping boat, bring a sandwich and fruit in a small cool bag.
Bring a refillable bottle. Boats carry water, but a litre of your own means you drink before you are thirsty, which matters more in the tropics than it does at home. Alcohol waits until you are back on the jetty; the sun and a beer at seven in the morning end the same way every time.
Clothes and footwear
Shorts and a shirt you do not mind getting fish on. Deck shoes or trainers with a light, non-marking sole; a wet deck in flip-flops is how ankles get hurt. A light rain jacket in the cyclone season, from November to mid May on the Mauritius Meteorological Services calendar, when a squall can pass through in twenty minutes. A towel and a dry T-shirt for the ride back, kept in a dry bag with your phone and wallet.
Your own tackle
You do not need any. Every boat here supplies it, and the heavy gear used for trolling for marlin is not something you want to carry on a plane. The one exception is popping for giant trevally: the Mahebourg listing says you are welcome to bring your own rod and reel if you have a set-up you trust, and serious popping anglers usually do. Ask the captain before you pack a rod tube, so you know it will fit on the boat.
For the catch
An ice box is on almost every listing, so you do not need a cooler. What you may want is a plan for the fish. On most Mauritius boats the catch belongs to the boat by local custom, with a portion filleted for your dinner; Pyramide’s listing says each guest and crew member keeps one fish under ten kilograms, and Last Cast offers a catch and cook. The full picture is in who keeps the fish on a Mauritius charter. If you want fillets for the hotel kitchen, bring a zip bag and ask before the lines go in.
Documents and money
Nothing to fish with. On a licensed charter you fish under the boat’s licence, which is why several listings mark the fishing licence as included. Bring a photo of your passport page on your phone, a little cash for a tip to the crew if the day deserves it, and your booking confirmation. Children are welcome on several boats; the listing says so where they are.
Leave behind
A big camera bag, a second pair of shoes, a laptop, anything that cannot get wet and salty. Bring one phone in a waterproof pouch. If you want photos of the fish, the crew will take them; every captain here does it as a matter of course.
What changes by season
From October to April the water is warm, the blue marlin are on the north-west banks, and the sun is at its fiercest. This is when the long-sleeved shirt and the second application of sunscreen stop being advice and become the difference between a good day and two days indoors. From May to September the mornings are cooler and the wind stronger, so add a light fleece for the four o’clock departure and expect the captain to pick the leeward side of the island. The month-by-month picture is in the Mauritius fishing seasons guide.
Before you book
- Read the listing’s included list and decide whether you are bringing lunch.
- Check the departure time and arrange the hotel transfer or taxi the night before; the four o’clock boats will not wait.
- Message the captain about anything the listing does not say: a child’s life jacket in a small size, a dietary need, whether you can bring your own popping rod.
- Take seasickness tablets the evening before if you are prone to it.
- Put sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat with a cord and a long-sleeved shirt in the bag, then stop packing.
Ready to go?
Compare what each boat includes on the fishing charters in Mauritius page, or go straight to the fleet at Trou-aux-Biches, where seven boats leave from one jetty. For a half-day with lunch on board, Fishing on Ivan stocks it. For a small group that wants trolling, jigging and popping on one trip out of Grand Baie, Last Cast carries the gear for all three. And if you are travelling with someone who uses a wheelchair, ti bato at Cap Malheureux lists wheelchair access, which no other Mauritius boat on Reelzy does.
Cover: "Fishing" by jennifrog, CC BY 2.0, edited (colour, retouching).
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