Photo of Tigerfish from Fisheastafrica.com

When planning a trip to Africa there’s a variety of factors to consider. But one of the most important things to reflect on is the activities you wish to take part in while on your African safari vacation. Most likely, you can find an African safari tour or activity in the region that is related to your favorite past time or interests.

Fishing is one such activity that can be enjoyed throughout many regions and coastlines of Africa. Whether your interest lies in deep sea fishing or freshwater fishing, Africa has it all. But an important question to ask yourself before choosing your fishing excursion is, “What type of experience do I wish to have?” Freshwater fishing is a completely different experience from deep sea fishing as you have the opportunity to observe large land game and other lake dwelling creatures such as a wide variety of birds, hippos, and crocodiles as you enjoy an exciting day of fishing.

Deep sea fishing, on the other hand, typically consists of larger and stronger fish depending on the time of year you choose to go out, and the fishing line also reaches depths of over 1,000 ft.

Below are details and highlights from deep sea fishing and freshwater fishing:

Deep Sea Fishing in Africa

Some of the best African coastlines to go deep sea fishing off of are Kenya, Tanzania, and the Mozambique Channel. Typically, October through March yield the most catch, which often consist of a variety of marlin species, wahoo, kingfish, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish. But often, sailfish are caught the most as they are found in the area year round.

Night fishing tours also yield a wide variety of big game fish. Arguably the greatest fighter and possibly the most popular fish caught during the night is the broadbill swordfish. The broadbill swordfish’s exhilarating fight is often a highlight among participants on a deep sea fishing excursion.

Below is a video from BBC Planet Earth of sailfish as they’re on the hunt:

Freshwater Fishing in Africa

Weighing in at an average of 10 – 25 lbs., the tigerfish is arguably the most popular freshwater fish to catch in the world. For most anglers, the tigerfish is as worthy of an opponent as its name may lead you to believe. With an immediate and aggressive strike, this fish is characterized by its velocity and fight, and takes the chart as the top freshwater sporting fish in Africa. And the tigerfish’s larger cousin, the goliath tigerfish, can reach staggering weights of up to 100 lbs but is much harder to catch.

Some of the best places to fish for tigerfish include Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, and Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River and Mana Pools National Park.

Coming in at twice the weight of the goliath tigerfish is the Nile Perch. This 200 lb. highly-pursued big game fish is usually caught using 40 lb. tests and large crankbaits and is the largest freshwater fish found throughout Africa. These exceptionally large fish can be found Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana, Lake Tanganyika, and Uganda.