Fishing In Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido fishing is renowned for being an awesome activity regardless if you’re looking to fish from the beach or go on a full-day fishing charter.

Within this fishing guide, we will break down the different spots for land-based fish as well as some of the fishing charters we would recommend if you’re looking to chase bigger fish.

Puerto Escondido Fishing – Landbased

There are a number of great little spots where you can fish from the beach and rocks in Puerto Escondido which makes it ideal if you don’t have the budget to fish offshore.

Playa Principal Coast Walk

There is a coastal path that stretches around the headland and takes you almost all of the way from Playa Principal to Playa Manzanillo.

This walk-in itself is something we would highly recommend, however it also makes for great land-based fishing which is evident by how many locals you’ll see fishing here.

From the rocks, you can either use a lure or jig for live bait which you can then throw off the rocks to try and catch a feed. If fishing with the latter method we’d recommend not using a sinker and casting the bait out to let it slowly sink on its own.

Chingabal’e

Chingabal’e is an awesome little rock you can climb that’s located around the La Punta headland. From here you can fish off the rocks as the locals do however it can be a little dangerous depending on what the tide is doing so we’d urge you to take caution if you choose to fish here.

Similar to the coastal path mentioned above you can once again use a lure or bait depending on your mood and what fish are biting.

The best time to fish here is normally around sunset and when you can see balls of bait getting hunted by Pelicans from the La Punta beach

La Barra

La Barra is a really popular fishing spot for the Puerto Escondido locals and you can cast a line straight off the beach. A lot of the locals will use nets to fish here but you’ll see that some of them use handlines or rods as well.

As pictured in the image above, the best spot to fish is where the river’s mouth connects to the ocean.

The mouth will normally shift based on what time of year it is however it is always a good spot as fish in the ocean will be hunting for an easy meal flowing out of the river.

La Barra is renowned for having crocodiles so once again take care if you choose to explore or fish here.

Where to buy fishing gear

There are a number of different fishing tackle shops in Puerto Escondido however we’d highly recommend the Halcón Sport Fishing shop located in central Puerto Escondido located not far off Acapulco – Salina Cruz.

The store has a number of different rods and hand reels depending on what you’re looking for. The prices vary but there is something to fit all budgets.

The staff are really friendly and will tell you all the best spots where the fish are currently biting as well as help you get rigged.

Puerto Escondido Fishing Charters

If you’d prefer to get out on a sport fishing charter and hunt the elusive Marlin as well as other large pelagics such as Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) or Sailfish then you’ll definitely want to get out on a fishing charter.

Half-day and full-day options are depending on your budget and time restrictions and both will take you out further to chase the bigger game and they rarely disappoint.

Half Day Puerto Escondido Fishing Charter

The half-day sport fishing option normally starts at 7 am and finishes at 12 pm and costs around $300 USD for four people.

On a half-day charter, you’ll head out to the blue water where you’ll troll for pelagic fish. It is worth noting that there is no deep-sea fishing scene in Puerto Escondido and you’ll usually always be trolling.

The action only really happens when a fish hooks on and the captain stops the boat to allow you to battle the fish and catch it yourself.

Anything you catch on a charter you get to keep and if you’re really lucky you’ll even get to have some sushimi or ceviche on the boat ride back.

Full-Day Fishing Charter

The full-day fishing charter starts at 7 am and finishes at 3 pm and costs $450 USD for four people. It functions the exact same way as the half-day charter however you just have more fishing time.

It is important to note that these charters will require you to have your own group of people to ensure you get out there for the day as the price is charged to rent the entire vessel.

Fishing in Puerto Escondido Summary

If you’re looking to fish off the beach or get further out to chase bigger game such as the elusive Marlin or Mahi Mahi the Puerto Escondido fishing scene will not disappoint.

If you’ve got the time and money to go on a fishing charter we’d highly recommend going on an organized activity as it’ll be a great morning spent off the Oaxacan coast.