Fishing with Kids in Martinique: Your Guide to the Inshore Trip

People sometimes assume sea fishing is only for seasoned anglers. In Martinique, it's the other way around: the calm, sheltered Caribbean coast is the perfect playground for introducing kids to fishing — and parents have just as much fun as they do.

Fishing with kids in Martinique: why the inshore trip is ideal

Our inshore fishing trip in Martinique follows the coastline between Case-Pilote and Saint-Pierre, facing Mount Pelée, the volcano that dominates the north of the island. Close to shore, the Caribbean Sea is calm and sheltered: no big swells, little risk of seasickness (it's the trip we recommend in our guide to avoiding seasickness), and, above all, frequent bites. With kids, that's the whole secret: keep the action coming!

• Ages 5 and up, with gear suited to every age
• Life jackets available on board and a captain who keeps an eye on everyone
• 6 anglers + 4 non-fishing guests: the whole family can come along, even those who don't fish
• Cold drinks, planter's punch for the grown-ups and a snack for everyone

What a family fishing afternoon looks like

The trip runs in the afternoon, 3–8 p.m.: you board at Case-Pilote harbor, cruise gently along the coast, drop the first lines in the water… and hear the first squeals of delight. Toward the end of the trip, as the light fades, the fishing often carries on into nightfall to target certain species — a magical moment for kids, rod in hand under a sky on fire.

Back at the dock, everyone heads home with a share of the catch. And when it's time to cook, our guide on how to cook your catch with Creole recipes shares three crowd-pleasing dishes.

What fish will your kids catch?

There's plenty to catch along the Caribbean coast: hard-fighting jacks, lightning-fast wahoo, little tunny (false albacore) and barracuda caught trolling, plus the “red fish” — snapper, porgy and mutton snapper — a hit with young anglers and big family dinners alike. You'll find every species, with its season and technique, in our guide to Martinique fish species.

Captain Thierry's family fishing tips

• Protect kids from the sun: cap, sunglasses, sunscreen — the Caribbean sun is unforgiving, even late in the afternoon.
• No gear to bring: everything is provided, from rods sized for small hands to the bait.
• No fishing license needed: recreational fishing supervised by a professional is exempt (see our guide to Martinique fishing regulations).
• First time on board? Our first fishing trip checklist covers what to bring, hour by hour.

One last thing: don't forget the camera. A child's grin over their very first jack is not something you want to miss.