Majorca fishing guide

Majorca is a Spanish island that is visited by millions of tourists all through the year. Among the Balearic islands Majorca is the largest and the most popular. It is replete with beautiful beaches all along its coast and picturesque locations that will keep you mesmerised all through your journey through this scenic Spanish Island. The Mediterranean climate with hot and bright summers and mild winter with storms here and there is one of the most attractive aspects of this island. This facet of Majorca keeps bringing its visitors back every year.

If you are one of those who loves the nature, then Majorca is the place for you. The white beaches, lush green landscapes, the Tramuntana Mountains, limestone caves will just enchant you. It is said that you should take the Soller Railway for a trip around the island through the Tramuntana Mountains so that you get a glimpse of the best of Majorca.

The island has a lot of options to indulge in like cycling and hiking trails for the adventurous, huge and magnificent limestone cliffs that plummet towards the turquoise waters. And for the sea loving lot, you have the sand, sea and sun all around the island. With fishing charters and yachts that can take you out on adventurous fishing trips or for a relaxing cruise through beautiful sapphire hued waters of the Mediterranean.

You can get to Majorca by air and land at the Palma de Mallorca Airport that is located 8 km east of Palma, the capital of Majorca. Within in the island you can use the well connected rail, metro or the bus services.

Weather in Majorca:

Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, the island of Majorca is pleasant to travel to all through the year and this is the reason why tourists keep coming back frequently. The summer months begin from May and extends till October with maximum temperatures in August that does not exceed 31 degree Celsius. In the winter months the temperature does not fall below the 8 degree Celsius.

Fishing in Majorca:

Majorca is a great place for sportfishing. With a coastline that spreads all across the island you can technically go fishing from anywhere. The rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean sea around the Balearic islands create the perfect habitat for a wide variety of big game fish species. Though fishing is fruitful all through the year the big game fishing season in Majorca is marked by the month of May and extends till the end of the year. This is the time you will be able to reel in the giants like the Bluefin tuna, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, Spearfish and others. However, all through the year you can fish for Groupers, Congers, Scorpion fish and the like.

What needs to be told about this big brother of the tuna family. Clad in strength, stamina and a fiery attitude, this fish is a sea monster. Some of the big game fishing anglers refer to the Bluefin tuna as the raging rams of the seas. Their fierce fights at the end of the line does prove this adjective as well. Reeling in a Bluefin weighing around 450 kg and moving at a speed of 64 kph is going to be very exciting and tiring for sure. Experienced tuna fishermen advise that when fishing for a Bluefin you should be prefered to end up with sore muscles and aching backs.

These giant fish are characterised by a dark blue color on their backs and a grey hue on their belly. The Bluefin can grow heavy enough to weigh over 650 kg and can be over 3.7 m in length. Anglers from all over the globe go in search of suitable destinations to fish for these legendary tunas and considered landing one of these fish as one of the greatest achievements in sportfishing.

When and where to fish for Bluefin in Majorca:

The Bluefin tuna move into the Mediterranean sea through the Gulf of Valencia with the beginning of the month of May and this is the time when the Bluefin season starts in Majorca. Though the fishing season starts in May the best period for Bluefin is during the August and September.

How to catch a Bluefin Tuna in Majorca:

The best method to catch a Bluefin that is adopted all through the world is trolling. A Bluefin tuna’s appetite includes mackerels, squids, mullets and other small fish. Using any of these as dead or live bait will be successful in luring the fish to the line. Along with trolling the other favorite is chumming, anglers here say that chumming is the best way to bring the tuna to the surface.

Though trolling is the best technique used some adventurous folk even use the handline to land a Bluefin tuna. But let me warn you this method can be a lot more exhausting than trolling with a rod.

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The Swordfish is a legendary fish, sportfishing anglers all over the world consider it as the holy grail of the sport. These fish are sought after for their elusiveness, speed and strength. The Swordfish do not swim in schools and stay in deep waters during the days making Swordfishing even more challenging.

The Swordfish is characterised by a brownish white or brown color on their belly and towards the back the color varies from dark brown to bronze, from grayish blue to metallic purple to black. The bill is broader than the bills of other billfish and hence they get the name Broadbill. These bills are considerably longer than that of other fish as well. These bills are used to slash and injure the prey when feeding. The Swordfish is one of the fastest fish in the water as they can reach speeds above 90 kph. These fish are known to plummet in high speeds into the ocean than many a Swordfish have been found with their swords stuck in the ocean bottoms.

When and where to catch a Swordfish from Majorca:

In Majorca the fishing season for the Swords begin with May and during the summer months of August to October  you will get an opportunity to reel in the big boys from the Mediterranean.

How to catch a Swordfish in Majorca:

Drifting in the nights is the most successful fishing technique to reel in a Swordfish, this is because during the day these fish tend to stay in the abyss away from the light. During the night the Swords come to the surface to feed and this is the time to lure and land them. However many anglers try bottom trolling with tuna, bonito, mullet, spanish mackerel and other bait fish where the Swords are found.

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Now, this is a fish that is almost every anglers favorite. These are not giants yet they can grow close to 40 kg. These vibrantly colored fish can reach speeds of 96 kph. The Dorado or Mahi Mahi as they are popularly known are very agile fish and are often fished for their flesh and acrobatic nature in water. When hooked the Dorado often leaps out of the water repeatedly in an attempt to free them from the line. They will also exhibit tailwalking at times when they get hooked to the line. These fish are characterised by their vibrant color and shape. They cannot be mistaken for any other species as they have a prominent coloration that is a mixture of green, blue, yellow and golden. However a special aspect of these fish is that once they die all these colors on their body fade to a muted grey color.

The male Dorado is distinguished with a raised forehead where a female Dorado has a very rounded forehead. The male fish are known to grow larger than the female Dorados.

When and Where to catch a Dorado in Majorca:

The best time to fish for Dorado in Majorca is during the autumn season.

How to catch a Dorado in Majorca:

In Majorca and in most other parts of the world Dorado is caught using trolling with surface baits as these fish are found near floating debris and wrecks. Live baits and artificial lures are used to lure the Dolphinfish to the line.

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The Grouper is recognised as the perfect bottom fish as they are found close to the bottom of the ocean. These fish are very popular and highly rated in terms of food. These fish are distinguished by a snout body and very large mouths. These fish are not fast moving and they do not pursue a prey. They prefer to ambush their prey and hence have a muddy look that camouflages them under the sea. These fish can grow to enormous sizes and can weigh over 100 kg easily.

One of the most notable characteristic of these fish is that they have very powerful mouth and gill. When a Grouper gets hooked they tend to run for shelter and if they find one they will expand their lungs and tighten themselves in that enclosure which often ends in the line breaking. This is the reason why experienced fishermen say that if a Grouper is hooked you should immediately start pulling else you will lose the fish.

When and Where to fish for Grouper in Majorca:

Grouper is found all through the year in Majorca and you can fish for one anytime.

How to catch a Grouper in Majorca:

Bottom fishing is the only technique that is adopted to catch a Grouper. Groupers are attracted to both artificial and natural baits.

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The Shortbill Spearfish is yet another of the sought after fish off the Majorcan coast. These fish are the smallest of the Marlin species. They have an unusual resemblance to the White Marlin but are differentiated by the short bill than the Marlin. The bill of these Spearfish are just slightly longer than their lower jaw. Like all the fish belonging to the Marlin family, the Shortbill Spearfish is also a hard fighter. These fish can reach 2.3 m in length and can weigh over 50 kg.

When and where to fish for Shortbill Spearfish in Majorca:

The Spearfish season in Majorca is marked by the beginning of the month of May. This is the time when techniques like trolling and jigging are practised.

How to fish for Shortbill Spearfish:

Trolling with light tackle is the most common method used to reel in a Shortbill in Majorca.