Fishing Charters in Malta

Where the boats leave from

Malta is small enough that no fishing ground is far away, so pick the boat for the trip it runs rather than for the port. Most of the boats here sit around Valletta's harbours, at Floriana, Ta' Xbiex and Gżira, and run out to the reefs or to deep water off the east and south coasts. One works from St. Paul's Bay in the north, one from Marsascala in the south east, and one from Gozo.

• Hooked Malta is the tuna boat: Capt. Nigel runs a 25 foot Ranieri Evo out of Gżira for up to 5, with outriggers, downriggers and big game tackle for bluefin and little tunny on dead bait. There is a toilet on board, drinks are available, and children are welcome from about 10 years old.
• Fishingmalta fishes all year from Ta' Xbiex on a 33 foot Targa with GPS, a fishfinder, a toilet and an ice box. Skippers Chris and Daryl troll offshore for dorado and albacore, often 10 to 20 miles out, and bottom fish the reefs for table fish. Fuel, permits, tackle, bait and drinks are included.
• Aquaholic is Laguna II in St. Paul's Bay with Captain Paul, a commercial fisherman, for groups of up to 12. Tell him the fish you are after and he will say honestly what is possible and plan the day around it.
• Adele II, an Axopar 37 from Floriana, is the fast and comfortable option for up to 11, with a cabin heated or cooled by air conditioning and a licence to fish out to 12 nautical miles.
• Mister Fish Charters in Marsascala takes up to 4 on trips built around the group, from family outings inshore to serious sport fishing offshore, with the gear supplied.
• Fish in deep waters is a Gozo skipper with 30 years of deep sea fishing behind him, for up to 4 anglers.

What you can catch, and when

Malta fishes all year, but the target changes with the months. Bluefin tuna pass the islands from late spring into July. Lampuki, the Maltese name for mahi mahi, open on 15 August and are best from late August to November, caught trolling offshore around floating cover. Amberjack and dentex hold over wrecks and rocky ground from late spring well into winter and are the usual reason to go jigging. Bonito run from late winter into autumn, and squid are a night trip from about October to March. The month by month detail, with the legal dates, is in our Malta fishing seasons guide.

Before you book

• No licence needed for you. Rod and line fishing in Malta needs no personal licence; the boat holds the permits it needs to take you out.
• Tuna has its own rules. A recreational boat may keep one bluefin a day whatever the number of anglers, at 30 kg or 115 cm minimum, and many tuna trips release most fish. Ask the skipper what happens to a catch before you go: our guide on keeping fish on a Malta charter explains the limits.
• Bringing children? A shorter inshore trip on a calm morning suits them better than a long day offshore. See fishing in Malta with kids for ages and what to ask.
• Watch the wind. When the wind is up the open water gets rough, and skippers move the trip to the sheltered side of the island or to another day, so keep a spare day if the trip matters.
• Dress in layers. Bring non slip shoes, a jacket for the run out, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a cool box in the car if you hope to take fish home.