Reef Fishing in Belize

YES. All anglers between the ages of 16-65 need to purchase a fishing license for their Belize Fishing Vacation. These are sold by the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI). A one day license can be bought for $20 BZ ($10 USD), a one week license for $50 BZ ($25 USD). Some of our Belize fishing packages will include that in the price depnding on which lodge you stay at.

All fishing charters booked by Central America Fishing are private, so the boat is 100% yours. We do not set up any shared charters.

A standard tip for a charter fishing crew in Belize is 10%-20% of the cost of the charter. For most flats guides, that works out to be $50-$100 USD per day. For larger boats with a captain and mate for reef and offshore fishing trips, confirm the cost of the charter before you hit the water. Many Belizean fishing guides work as commercial fishermen diving for conch and lobster when they aren’t fishing with clients, so a tip is appreciated. Tipping in USD or Belize dollar (BZ) is fine.

OF COURSE! On reef fishing and offshore fishing fishing trips our private charters provide all the fishing tackle and bait you’ll need, but you are always welcome to bring your own lures, reels, and even rods if you want to catch fish using your own tackle.

Fly anglers are always encouraged to bring their own fly gear so they are familiar with their casts. We will send you a fly fishing checklist after you book your trip with us so you know what size rods, fly patterns, leaders and tippet you’ll need. Some lodges offer loaner rods or full tackle that you can rent by the day.

Belize became the first country in the world to mandate the release of all bonefish, permit, and tarpon in 2008. This was invaluable to protect their highly coveted flats fishery.

Many of the reef and offshore species like tuna, dorado (mahi), wahoo, snappers, groupers, mackerel and even barracuda can be kept and enjoyed for a fresh seafood dinner. In season you may also have the opportunity to dive for fresh lobster.

If you really want to enjoy your catch our best advice is to eat it while it’s fresh here in Belize. Belizeans are foodies and the Afro-Caribbean seasoning down here is phenomenal, so we recommend you enjoy it while you can. We do however understand many of you love the idea of a seafood dinner in the comforts of your own home, so the good news is there is no law against it and people do it all the time. However – we do not have the final say in this so there are some things you need to keep in mind:

1 – In Belize there is no service that will package and ship fish home for you. If you want to bring fish home with you you’ll have to do it yourself in your own luggage. Our best advice is to bring down a soft sided, leak-proof cooler, have your fish frozen completely solid, wrap them in newspaper, and then check your cooler as part of your luggage since it will stay cooler in the cargo hold of the plane versus in the cabin as a carry-on. If you don’t have a cooler or forget to bring one, you can purchase affordable plastic coolers here in local grocery stores.

2 – While Belize does not prohibit you from bringing fish fillets home with you, your international airline might. We strongly recommend you confirm this with your airline (in writing if possible) or you may have the fish confiscated from you at the airport check-in.

3 – Even if your airline lets you fly the fish home, your local customs may have an issue with you bringing in meat products from a foreign country. In our experience most customs agents don’t seem too interested in you bringing back frozen fish fillets from your fishing vacation to Belize, but it can depend on the agent and depend on the day.

This is a question that comes up on all of our Belize fishing packages. Being on the Caribbean, the weather in Belize changes quickly and is much less predictable than the Pacific Coast of Central America. The good news is, when there is a storm or cold front coming through we typically know about it a few days beforehand which can allow us to make some in-country adjustments to try and have you do other activities while the fishing conditions are less-than-ideal.

If your captain/flats guide, the fishing lodge, or government deem the conditions are unsafe the trip will be cancelled. The first course of action is to try and reschedule you, but if that is not possible you will be refunded in full. Keep in mind that rain and dark clouds are not considered bad weather, that can be a daily occurrence in Belize! Rain shower are more common in the Caribbean than the Pacific, but the good news is they typically don’t last long unless there is a storm system moving through.

Every single Belize Fishing Vacation booked with Central America Fishing include the following:

• Free Vacation Planning (no fees + direct rates)
• Meet & Greet upon exiting the BZE Airport
• Private, air-conditioned transfers with English speaking driver.
• All in-country domestic flights
• Luxury accommodations in your choice of all inclusive fishing lodge, luxury beach resort, or a boutique hotel.
• Private fishing charters
• Day tours & excursions
• All Belizean taxes and service fees
• Free quotes on travel insurance
• Pre-arrival assistance with dinner reservations, tee times, pre-stocking your condo or villa, hiring a private chef, and special requests.
• 24/7 support once you are here in country