Fishing in Aruba

'Catch of the day' : commonplace on many restaurants' menus in Aruba.

Fishermen take off to the deep sea at first light, often equipped only with a hand-line, and bring back the catch that sometimes might even include a 300-pound shark! Nets are of little use to local fishermen not only because of strong winds and currents, but also because the fishermen are after larger species of fish, mostly red snapper and dolphin-fish.

The hand-line is the most common fishing method in Aruba, consisting simply of fishing line, hooks and lead weight. A fisherman bringing up the line has to muster both strength and skill to pull the catch up, often with bare hands, from depths of close to 400 feet.

Aruba - South Coast: By far the largest proportion of fishing is done along Aruba's southwest coast (right), although some fishermen sometimes fish on the north coast where the rough sea often cause fish to become trapped in small pools carved in the rocks - an easy catch. One of the typical Aruban seafood dishes, keri-keri, which is a minced fish stew, is often made from fish caught in this way.

Up until a few decades ago, fishermen would set off in their small boats for days on end, but today they rarely spend more than twelve hours off shore. Their boats' colorful designs are not simply decorative, but are also identifiable and specific designs of the boats' owners, easily recognizable from the shore. The Caribbean is a treacherous sea, and the adventures of fishermen that got lost at sea only to be found in the waters of Panama after a month, are told as local legends.

Visitors to Aruba who have a love for fishing can charter skippered boats for a fishing expedition where typical catches would be Wahoo, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, King Fish, Tuna & Bonito. Packages include tackle, bait, food and refreshments.