It there is one species of fish that is synonymous with big game fishing off the Kenyan coast, then it has to be the sail fish, indeed Malindi used to be widely hailed amongst sports fishing circles as being the ?sail fish capital of the world?. It is possible to catch an occasional sail fish at pretty much any time of the season, though generally the best of the action starts in September, peaking before Christmas, but often with good numbers of fish remaining until well into January and beyond.



Game fishing catches of sail fish in Malindi-Kenya

Malindi still is the very best base for these incredibly fast, incredibly beautiful high flying members of the elite billfish family, with fish averaging between 50-70lbs and catches in excess of 10 fish per boat per day being common during peak season.

As many as 24 sail fish have been caught by one boat in a single day's fishing big game off Malindi. Caught on light and sporting tackle, even fly fishing tackle, few fish can rival a hooked sail fish in terms of providing maximum excitement and these days, it is good to be able to report, almost all sail fish are tagged and released.

The blue, black and stripped Marlin fish

Mention big game fishing to anglers and non-anglers alike, and it is likely one word immediately springs to mind: marlin! No less than three of the five marlin species are caught in Kenyan waters, black, blue and striped.

The incredibly powerful black marlin are by far the commonest and these can be caught through out the year, indeed what is generally regarded as being the low season or off season is often the best time of the year for catching black marlin, a species that is commonly caught between 100-300lbs but can exceed 1,000lbs.

The stripped marlin is the next most frequently encountered marlin species in Kenya big game fishing and what this species might lack in size, Kenyan ?stripies? average 100-160lb, they more than make up for in terms of speed and the astonishing display high flying acrobatics these fish can be guaranteed of producing once hooked. January through until March is the optimum time to encounter a striped marlin and either Shimoni or an area off Watamu known as the Rip are two of the most reliable places to hook one.

Facilities and outfits for big game fishing

Kenyan coast is as such a big game sport fishing arena for anglers and big game fishers looking for a chance to spur with the blue, black and striped marlin fish. You can get booked into these highly on demand sport fishing boats through out the year with an exception of the rainy months of April, May and October. There are very professional skippers with experience of more than 5 years each, some even more.

The outfit you choose to handle your big game sport fishing tour is very important and you'd rather pay higher for guaranteed boat's safety and equipment. The rates of an all inclusive sport fishing package ranges from US$ 700-US$ 1,100 to include lunch, safe and insured boat and soft drinks.