Blue Marlin World Cup · Madeira Grounds · 1987–2026
Captain's Log · Vol. XII
Madeira Marlin Grounds · Est. 1987
Eight species.Five formats.One IGFA captain.
An independent Madeira sport-fishing guide written by a Funchal-based sea captain and IGFA observer — not a commission-ranked aggregator listing.
By Miguel Pereira. 22 years on the Madeira marlin grounds. IGFA observer, FishingBooker top-rated.
On the Grounds Now
Atlantic Wahoo·Acanthocybium solandri
Big-Eye Tuna·Thunnus obesus
- Species tracked
- 8
- Trip formats compared
- 5
- Captains reviewed
- 8
- Paid placements
- 0
Species tracked
Trip formats
Captains reviewed
Paid placements
Chapter index
Madeira fishing isn't one trip.
It's four different formats.
Pick the format that matches your goal — trophy photo or fish in the cooler — and your willingness to spend a day waiting for a strike that may not come.
01
Trolling for marlin · tuna · wahoo · mahi
Big Game Offshore
Trolling the offshore grounds for blue marlin, white marlin, bigeye/bluefin/yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi. Granders (1,000+lb marlin) are possible May–October. Full-day, €600–1,800 / boat depending on size and crew.
€600–1,800 / boat · full day · variable catch
Honest call
“Marlin or nothing”
Read the chapter02
Drop bait to 50–200m · jigging
Bottom / Inshore
Drop to rocky structures for grouper, dentex, bream, snapper, triggerfish, amberjack. High catch rates, kid-friendly, half-day fits. The honest format if your goal is fish in the cooler — not a 1,000lb photo.
€350–600 / boat · 3–4h · high catch rate
Honest call
“Where you actually catch”
Read the chapter03
4–6 anglers split a boat
Shared Charter
Four to six anglers share a private boat — half-day or full-day. €80–180 per person depending on length. The way to try big-game without committing to a full private charter. Best for solo travellers and budget anglers.
€80–180 / person · half or full · 4–6 anglers
Honest call
“Cheapest big-game”
Read the chapter04
Calmer water · half-day
Family-Friendly Trip
Bottom-fishing and light jigging in calmer water close to shore. Half-day duration, lower swell exposure, kids actively reel in. €200–350 per family. The honest pick if you want everyone to enjoy themselves.
€200–350 / family · half-day · calmer water
Honest call
“Kids stay engaged”
Read the chapter
Why this exists
Most “best Madeira fishing charters” lists rank captains by which one paid the highest FishingBooker commission last quarter. We fish with every captain as a paying client and tell you what we actually saw — boat condition, mate competence, tackle quality, catch logs.
Tool · Catch field log
When the marlin actually run.
Blue marlin peak May–October. Bigeye tuna best Jan–March. Wahoo runs September. The species calendar shows every month at a glance — calibrated from twenty years of Madeira charter logs, not aggregator marketing copy.
Open the species calendarBlue Marlin · catch probability
J
F
M
A
M
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J
A
S
O
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D
Peak · Present
The captains
8 reviewed.
Pick by reviews + boat, not by stars.
Flipper II
29ft Beneteau Antares
Marlin specialist with strongest review density.
4.9/5 (125 reviews) on FishingBooker
Madeira Big Game Fishing (Xareu)
Calheta
Diverse fishing types
Capt David Fishing Madeira
Cabo São João Bertram 31ft
Diverse fishing types
Madeira Fishing Charters – Prime
35ft Cabo Express
4.9/5 (76 reviews)
Native Crew – Fishing & Tours
22ft
4.9/5 (113 reviews)
Katherine B Sport Fishing
—
Big game focus
Full directory → All Madeira sport-fishing captains
Cornerstone guides
Decision trees.
Not listicles.
When granders run
Blue Marlin Season
May–October peak. The honest take on charter pricing, catch rates, and what "grander" actually means in practice.
Read the guide →
The decision tree
Big Game vs Bottom
Trophy photo vs fish in the cooler. Which trip type to actually book based on goal + budget + tolerance for blank days.
Read the guide →
Kid-friendly half-days
Family Fishing
Calmer water, bottom + jigging, kid engagement. Honest age guidance for first-time fishing-with-kids.
Read the guide →
Prevention that works
Seasickness
Atlantic chop reality. Cinnarizine timing, boat-type tradeoffs, when to bail before paying.
Read the guide →
Got a specific charter plan?
Custom group, anniversary trip,
or a serious shot at a marlin.
Message us directly — we route to the right captain and skip the aggregator markup.
WhatsApp +351 925 567 060