Instant bookingFull Day Fishing Trips in MaldivesFree cancellation up to 5 days beforeFrom $1,500
Guided Fishing Trips Full refund if weather cancelsFrom €900
Rusty jobfish, also called smalltooth jobfish, live deeper than most reef fish, along the steep outer slopes and rocky ground well below the coral. The body is long and slender with a forked tail, a rusty red back fading to silver, and a wide mouth for small fish and squid taken above the bottom. Living that deep, they mostly fall to anglers who send a jig or bait a long way down. The flesh is white and good to eat.
In the Maldives, Tide Explorer leaves Malé at 06:30 on 4 or 8 hour trips for up to 6, with bottom and deep sea gear as well as trolling rods. A rusty jobfish is the sort of fish that comes up when the crew drops over the deep edge of an atoll, mixed in with snappers and groupers.
In Seychelles, the guided trips from Victoria lean hard on high speed jigging, the most direct way to reach this fish, on 5 or 8 hour days from 06:00 for up to 4. Deep jigging is hard work: a heavy jig, a long drop, a fast retrieve, and again. If you have not done it before, tell the crew so they can pace the day.
Questions and answers
Short answers to what people ask before they book. Anything else, ask the captain in chat.
How deep do you fish for rusty jobfish?
Deeper than for most reef fish, since they live on the outer reef slopes well below the coral. Expect long drops. The Malé and Victoria crews choose the ground on the day, so ask how deep they plan to fish and how heavy the jigs will be.
Which boat is better for rusty jobfish, Malé or Victoria?
Both fish deep water. The Victoria crew focuses on high speed jigging and topwater, which suits active anglers, up to 4 on board. Tide Explorer in Malé takes up to 6 and mixes bottom fishing with trolling, which suits a mixed group.