Recommended equipment for sport fishing in Guinea Bissau, in the Bijagos islands

Click on photos to enlarge them

	When you come it will be late in the season and the waters will be loaded with nutrients and plankton. You will fish for kingfish hippos, carp or red snapper, barracuda, red drum or Senegalese otholites. Cobias will be hard to catch because their summer migration will just be starting but there will be a lot of rays and rock fishes. For you to enjoy to the fullest we'll make you sample the delights of our fishing techniques in key areas of the archipelago. As time goes by, you will practise everyday the jigging (or waddling), the rod and reel fishing and the bottom fishing (heavy or light), when the tides are not suitable you will rather practice troll fishing and surfcasting on the beach when the tide is coming in.
We recommend you to bring a 20 to 50lbs jigging rod with a suitable 50lbs plaited reel, not any bigger, and also a roll of 50lbs nylon thread (the better quality, the finer the thread will be and the more it will resist to strong tides, think of threads such as Syglon V or Asso fluo). This rod will also allow you to fish heavy hold
	Take also a 2m40 to 2m70 reel fishing rod (2m70 long is the one I prefer) such as Tenryu Red Bull or an equivalent rod that will allow you to launch all kinds of lures and also to practice light bottom fishing with a reel that would be equivalent to a 30 lbs plaited Saltiga 4500 and a roll of 20 lbs good-quality nylon, not any bigger.
The other reel-equipped trolling or surfcasting rods may be rented here for the package price from 15 to 20 euros a day per rod. You will be charged for the damage and for using the small equipment. The sinkers and hooks for bottom fishing will be free of charge. The effective rappalas that you will need for trolling will also be provided and you will only be charged for those you will lose or break.
	You might be interested in the following list if you are already used to tropical fishing, if it's not the case we will be able to lend you fishing rods but you will have to get the small equipment by yourself because there is no shop specialized in fishing in this part of the world. However, do not burden yourself with useless equipment, here is the list of the things you must bring in order to have a comfortable stay :

a pair of pliers, a hat, a solar cream, a mosquito repellent lotion, a sharp knife, a ventral harness, a pair of fishing gloves, a clip, a file to sharpen the hooks, a frontal light with diodes.

at least 10m of uncased multi-threaded (49 threads) steel rope, resistance 80lbs and double sleeve adapted.

at least 10m of uncased multi-threaded (49threads) steel rope, resistance 20 or 30 lbs with adapted sleeves

10m of 50 lbs fluorocarbon and another 10m or more of 100 lbs fluorocarbon

100 simple fasteners, resistance 50 lbs; 100 black simple merlins, resistance 30lbs and 100 fastener merlins from 30 to 80 lbs (all mixed).

a few leaded hooks (6or7) of at least 150grs, flexible lures and 200grs jigs for jigging fishing (you can choose any coulour if you believe it will improve your catch)

For the spoons I recommend the small GEOLOGIC spoons from 10 to 25 grs, often cheap and very effective, they have a swaying form or the shape of a shiny little fish, take at least two dozen of them. You can also find small swimming fishes in all colours and of 10/12 cm, take a dozen. Some \"walking the dog\" lures such as Super spooks, some big poppers like YoZuri or Orion or Miss Carna, favour warm colours but also pink and pearly.