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FISHING CALENDAR · ECUADOR (SALINAS, MANTA & GALÁPAGOS)
Ecuador (Salinas, Manta & Galápagos) Fishing Calendar
Galápagos charters put the best marlin and sailfish months at December to June, and an Ecuador trip guide says marlin peak October to April, so December to April is when both agree. Dorado is closed every year from 1 July to 7 October. In the Galápagos only local registered fishers may take visitors fishing (pesca vivencial), the catch may not be sold, and charters there release all billfish.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- Ministerio de Producción, Comercio Exterior, Inversiones y Pesca (MPCEIP) — Ecuador's fisheries ministry: closed seasons (vedas) and fishing rules
- Parque Nacional Galápagos — Galápagos Marine Reserve rules and pesca vivencial permits
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore | |||||||||||||
| Black marlin | Galápagos charters say marlin season runs December to June; Fishing World Guide says Ecuador marlin peak October to April. Peak shown is the months both agree on. Billfish are released on Galápagos charters.[1][2][3][4] | ||||||||||||
| Striped marlin | Same December–June Galápagos window as black marlin, and Fishing World Guide's October–April peak. One Galápagos charter reported 35 striped marlin released in May–June 2018 alone.[1][2][3][11] | ||||||||||||
| Blue marlin | Galápagos charters (Bait Your Hook, Tesoro Galápagos Game Fishing) say December to June, when the sea is calmer and warmer. No month calendar was found for the mainland coast.[1][2] | ||||||||||||
| Pacific sailfish (pez vela) | Bait Your Hook gives December to June for marlin and sailfish in the Galápagos. Frommer's says sailfish are plentiful along the mainland coast, especially around Isla de la Plata.[1][10] | ||||||||||||
| Dorado (mahi-mahi) | Closed season (veda) every year from 1 July to 7 October, set in the Ministry of Production's veda calendar. No peak-month calendar was found.[5][6][7] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna (albacora) | A Galápagos heavy-tackle charter says yellowfin can be caught any time of year. No source gave peak months.[4][10] | ||||||||||||
| Wahoo (guajo) | Fishing World Guide and a Galápagos charter both say wahoo are caught year-round. No source gave peak months.[3][4] | ||||||||||||
| Inshore & reef | |||||||||||||
| Roosterfish (pez gallo) | Ecuador charters on FishingBooker list roosterfish as a target, but no source we opened gave a full month calendar.[11] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Whale shark, basking shark, white shark, porbeagle and spiny dogfish must be released at once, alive or dead (Executive Decree 486); in the Galápagos Marine Reserve sharks and mantas may not be taken (Agreement 173).[8][9]
Bait & rig for each fish
Black marlin
Bait: Live skipjack, bonito and small yellowfin tuna.
Lures: Big marlin lures (10–14 in) on 80-lb gear.
Leader: 80–150 lb mono, 15 ft.
Striped marlin
Bait: Live mackerel and caballito (green jack), and live or rigged ballyhoo.
Lures: Small to medium marlin lures (6–10 in) trolled at 7–9 knots.
Leader: 80–150 lb mono, 15 ft.
Blue marlin
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo, mackerel and live tunas.
Lures: Large skirted trolling lures.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Pacific sailfish (pez vela)
Bait: Live goggle-eyes, pilchards, threadfin herring and ballyhoo.
Lures: Small trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Dorado (mahi-mahi)
Bait: Ballyhoo, flying fish, squid and cut bait to keep a school near the boat.
Lures: Skirted trolling lures, small feathers and bucktail jigs.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 30–60 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common mahi start; increase for abrasion or mixed wahoo water.
Yellowfin tuna (albacora)
Bait: Live baits (blue runners, bonito) and chunks.
Lures: Spreader bars, skirted lures, poppers and stick baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Wahoo (guajo)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and live baits on wire.
Lures: High-speed trolling lures and lipped diving plugs on wire.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Use heavy abrasion/bite leader; many wahoo anglers add short wire or cable because of the teeth.
Roosterfish (pez gallo)
Bait: Live sardines, mullet, ladyfish and small jacks (caballito).
Lures: Big poppers and stickbaits, and long-casting metal lures from the beach.
Leader: 30–60 lb fluorocarbon.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- FishingBooker – Ecuador — Charter listings with catch reports and the month's top catches
Sources
- Bait Your Hook – Fishing in Galápagos Islands
- FishingBooker – Ecuador wahoo charters (Tesoro Galápagos Game Fishing listing)
- Fishing World Guide – Fishing trips in Ecuador
- Bait Your Hook – Galápagos Heavy Tackle experience
- El Comercio – Calendario de vedas en Ecuador (Ministerio de Producción)
- Extra – La veda dispara el precio del dorado (1 julio – 7 octubre)
- Acuerdo Ministerial MAP-SRP-2018-0130-A, veda del dorado (FAOLEX)
- Decreto Ejecutivo 486 de 2007 – pesca de tiburones y especies protegidas (FAOLEX)
- Acuerdo Ministerial 173 de 2008 – Reglamento de pesca en la Reserva Marina de Galápagos (FAOLEX)
- Frommer's – Fishing in Ecuador
- FishingBooker – Ecuador fishing charters
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.