Burgess guide to sport fishing.

How can you indulge your love of sport fishing, while exploring incredible destinations across the world - and all in absolute luxury? With a Burgess sport fishing charter!

Fishing fans picture the scene… Out on the water skimming across the crystal-clear waves, just one cast away from a trophy catch. Whether it’s the thrill of the chase, the irresistible battle of man against beast, or the mental and physical challenge of the fight, big game battles on the high seas with a tropical paradise as your backdrop has to be one of the most exhilarating charter experiences available.

At the end of the day, when you have won and lost, you and your friends return to the seven-star comfort of a Burgess yacht. The yacht provides your luxury vacation, as well as your sport fishing needs. So you can relax in the pool or at the bar, telling tales of your exploits, before falling into bed - to do it all again tomorrow.

Tackle the basics... What exactly is a fishing charter?

Sport fishing has grown into a huge industry, with accompanying arsenal of high-tech equipment, including rods, reels, lines and electronics - mounted on sophisticated sport fishing yachts from the likes of Hatteras and Bertram. We have several yachts equipped with customised tenders, so you can easily combine a Burgess yacht charter with sport fishing.

Try 39.2m (128.6ft) THE BEAST, which even has freezer rooms and live bait tanks for the serious big game fisher, or the 44.2m (145ft) HEMISPHERE, with 16.4m sport fishing tender, and tournament-standard fishing equipment. Your crew's local knowledge of the waters will provide you the best spots to do battle with marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi and wahoo, to name just a few.

Once you're hooked... Deep sea charters

When you are looking for your record trophy catch, a deep sea sport fishing charter is spectacular in every way. Out at sea with expanses of endless blue water, deep sea sport fishing is the pinnacle in recreational fishing. Talk to your Burgess broker about chartering a yacht equipped specifically for sport fishing, with all the specialist gear and a full selection of rods, reels, and tackle. Add to this an experienced crew to drive the tender and help you to read the sea conditions, and you are all set for the fishing excursion of a lifetime.

Cast your line... Best sport fishing destinations

Sport fishers, and other superyachts kitted out for sport fishing, can be seen darting across the horizon all over the world, but it is the Bahamas, Australia and Costa Rica where sport fishing really takes centre stage. Here we look at what these waters have to offer those considering venturing on a sport fishing charter.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas is rightly regarded as the sport fishing capital of the world, and a rite of passage. The deep-water canyons that are scattered all around The Bahamas islands attract just about every fish you can think of, but it is the fertile waters near Bimini that provide some of the best spots. They were the favoured hunting grounds for Ernest Hemingway, an avid sport fisher from the 1930s onwards. While fishing off Bimini, Hemingway caught the first big tuna in these waters, using a technique that landed the fish aboard before it tired. The technique has since become a verb, as in ‘to Hemingway’ a fish on board your boat.

Today, The Bahamas are still the ideal fishing grounds to test your skill, strength and patience, with plenty of different styles of fishing available. Try your hand at reef fishing, fly fishing for bonefish in the shallow sandy flats, or brave the deep on a sport fishing boat for a big game adventure. If you prefer to be in the water rather than on it, then try your hand at spearfishing, but keep in mind that there are rules to follow. In Bahamas you can only spearfish by freediving (no scuba gear allowed).

There is no season as such, The Bahamas being a year-round cruising ground, but mid-spring sees the arrival of white marlin, which are then followed by the blue marlin in June. Renowned as being the ultimate trophy, the Blues are ferocious fighters and are an enviable and unforgettable catch. Spring and summer are also the best season for tuna, and coral reef fish including snapper and grouper. If you are more of a flats fisher then go in October to May, when the waters are cooler and the weather dry, as these are the best months for bonefishing, or for inshore game fish like tarpon.

The top fishing spots in the Bahamas

• Bimini

• Exuma Trough

• The Tongue of the ocean

• Andros Barrier Reef

• Treasure Cay

Australia

With thousands of miles of fish-rich coastline (over 30,000), Australia is legendary for the fantastic quantity of its fishing. The waters around the Great Barrier Reef also host an incredibly diverse game and deep-sea fishing bounty. From seasonal giant black marlin to year-round sailfish, wahoo, tuna, mahi-mahi and barracuda, the game fishing here is excellent. The marlin season runs from September through to late December, while the tropical waters remain incredibly rich in other species throughout the year. The reef is also popular for flats fishing and beach fishing - and with all manner of tasty reef dwellers such as snapper, grouper and emperor, there is plenty to catch regardless of your level of ability.

For those looking to venture up to Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin is the place to head to catch barramundi, while the cooler waters of Southern Australia are known for predictable currents that bring tuna, kingfish, billfish and other heavyweights to feast offshore. Prime-time season is during the southern hemisphere's late summer and autumn, when tuna swarm the fertile fishing grounds, while late spring and summer sees kingfish swimming these waters.

The top fishing spots in Australia 

• Cairns & the Great Barrier Reef

• Noosa & Hervey Bay, Queensland

• Port Stephens, New South Wales

• Port Lincoln, Boston Bay, South Australia

• Darwin, Northern Territory

Costa Rica

Having only opened up its territorial waters to foreign flagged vessels in 2021, Costa Rica has fast become a favourite cruising ground for superyachts. The clear waters are home to some of the best sport fishing in the world, with giant tuna, marlin, sailfish and numerous other species a common sight. Both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts offer seasonal sport fishing, with the Pacific side primarily attracting deep sea, game fishing and flats fishing, and the east coast offering stunning inshore and fly fishing.

Costa Rica’s North or Central Pacific coasts offer endless deep-sea action for the country’s famed pelagic series, with just about every species found in the rich biodiversity waters year-round.

Washed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica’s eastern coast has some of the best tarpon fishing in the world. The best time to cast your line is between February and May, and during the months of September and October.

The top fishing spots in Costa Rica

• Los Suenos, Pacific

• Quepos, Pacific

• Tortuguero, Caribbean Coast

To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter, please contact a Burgess broker. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore or all other locations.

- Yachts, prices and availability are correct at the time of publication.