FAQ

We target sailfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, black marlin, yellowfin tuna, and dorado (mahi-mahi) on our offshore deep sea fishing charters. Inshore targets are mostly roosterfish, sierra mackerel, jack crevalle, and red snapper. Some will tell you that we catch wahoo but realistically that is not true. Wahoo are also occasionally caught in the Guatemalan Pacific.

Yes, we love to catch sailfish & marlin on the fly and offer live training using the fly fishing bait and switch technique. We find that anglers who catch their first billfish on the fly are addicted for life. Anglers can use our professional fly-fishing gear or bring their own. We recommend bring some of your own saltwater billfish flies as well.

Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama in general. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. They released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama.. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. The released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama.. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. The released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.

Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama.. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. They released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama.. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. The released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.Yes, we do have better sailfishing than Costa Rica & Panama.. Guatemala is now the number one destination in the world for the most sailfish releases per day per boat. Ron Hamlin and a group of Texas anglers holds the IGFA world record for sailfish releases by a single boat in one day. The released 124 sailfish that spectacular fishing day. Outdoor magazines such as Sport Fishing Magazine, Salt Water Sportsman and National Geographic have written have reported about the incredible billfishing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.

No matter which fishing vacation you choose with Mad Marlin Sport Fishing, the fishing charter portion of your trip is the same. You get the same crews, boats, gear, rods, reels, lures, and time on the water. The difference lies in the accommodations, airport pickup and return, and whether or not you choose an all-inclusive package. We even offer a budget plan where you can even bring your own food and drinks and save money that way if you choose to. However, the fishing experience is exactly the same on all out packages. We take great pride in our fishing success and will never cut corners in that area. In order to have something to offer for anyone's budget we have chosen to offer choices and options not offered by other companies here. A budget-minded client can fish with us much cheaper if they do not have to pay for other services that they neither need or desire.

Absolutely! You can do the hookups. This is YOUR sport fishing vacation and you can participate in as much or as little of the process as you want. Many charter crews forget this and think only about getting a fish to the boat. We always ask our anglers how they prefer the fishing to go and how much they wish to participate in the process.

Our crew will have even novice sailfish anglers trained in the bait and switch technique in no time. Some anglers do absolutely everything including hooking, fighting, billing, unhooking and releasing their sailfish, marlin, or dorado (mahi mahi). The choice of the level of participation is always that of our valued clients

We recommend bringing 6-8 sets of t-shirts and shorts, tennis or deck shoes, fishing hat, sun screen, lip balm, mosquito repellent, Avon skin-so-soft (for mosquitoes), a few changes of underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, a swimming suit, and not much more. We have laundry service so there is no need for many changes of clothes. Most people simply throw their stuff in a backpack or carryon. This approach greatly facilitates clearance at customs and security. Be sure that any liquids such as sun screen meet the airline requirements or they will take them from you at security. Men should not wear shorts that have the inner crotch liner due to inevitable painful chaffing by the end of a fishing day! Of all the things listed, please do not forget the mosquito repellant as the Pacific coast has an inordinant number of mosquitos.

From the time you are met by our staff upon your arrival at the airport in Guatemala City until your depart for home we see that you are always in a secure environment. The drive from the airport is on a major four-lane highway and is very secure. Some sectors of Guatemala city are dangerous very similar to the dangers faced in any major metropolitan city. Our clients will never be exposed to such areas. The fishing lodge is located in an extremely safe, secure, affluent area and has superb 24/7 security and highly-screened entry protocols. Many wealthy Guatemalans have built vacation homes in the same safe neighborhood as our Mad Marlin Fishing Lodge.

We recommend 4 people or less, but can take as many as 6 anglers per boat. This recommendation is not based upon fishing room or maximum capacity but rather on overall customer satisfaction. It is just a matter of simple math-- when too many people are fishing, each person gets less fishing action. We stress safety as well, and it is best to not have many people on deck when we have a very fast and large billfish hooked up.

You will fly in to the La Aurora International airport (Guatemala City International Airport) where you will be met by our chauffeur. Mad Marlin Sport Fishing lodge is approximately 90 miles from the airport. The drive is quite beautiful. Along the 4 lane highway will see 5 volcanoes in the distance and take in and beautiful Guatemala mountain scenery. There are many places to eat along the way to the lodge if you are hungry from your travels and arriving late (after dinner). It is recommended to choose flghts that are not arriving between 4 pm & 7 pm due to significant traffic congestion during those hours.

Yes, all rooms have cold AC and hot water.

Yes, all fish & stay packages include airport pickup and return. Our drivers meet you at the airport in Guatemala City and transport you in an air-conditioned van. From the time you arrive until you depart you are in good hands. If you are hungry when you arrive at the airport just let our driver know and he can stop along the way for some local food and drink.

Yes, we do practice catch and release on sailfish, marlin, and rooster fish. Conservation is very important to us and has contributed greatly to our spectacular Guatemala fishery. Other fish such as dorado, tuna, wahoo, & mackerel that are not protected can be kept by the clients.

The war on oil production has driven fuel prices to untenable levels. The Guatemala fleet has had to make an effort to compensate for this significant added cost of operation. When the marina diesel fuel prices are above $5.00/gallon there is a $150 per fishing day surcharge to help recover a portion of the costs. This is per boat for the day and is not a per person charge.