Fishing in Sal

Sal sits on the north-eastern edge of the Cape Verde archipelago, a low, sun-baked island ringed by bright sand and volcanic rock shelves, with the Atlantic’s deep blue pressing right up to its beaches. The vibe is often described as “Brazilean” - relaxed and beach-centric around Santa Maria, but anglers notice something else immediately: there’s almost no continental shelf here. The bottom falls away fast, the trades keep water moving, and bait gathers along color lines and current seams that can be reached in a short run from the harbor. With 350 cloudless days a year, and sea and air temperatures staying in the comfort zone regardless of the season, Sal is a perfect place to combine a beach vacation with outstanding fishing: shallow lagoons and rock pockets for quick inshore sessions, reefs edges for steady mixed-bag action, and true bluewater within sight of land.

Start in Santa Maria Bay, a broad, sandy crescent on the island’s south end where mornings can be glassy and green-blue, with waist-deep shallows sliding out to low reef patches. It’s a comfortable place to ease into the fishery, prospecting around pier pilings, rock fingers, and turtle-grass tongues for small jacks, bream, and barracuda, or sneaking along the lee for a calm, family-friendly session. Swing east and the shoreline hardens: wind-facing points throw white water over lava shelves, channels cut between reef knobs, and the water deepens quickly off the ledges—perfect ambush terrain for snappers, groupers, and amberjack, with pelagics ghosting the outer edge on a tide push. Head west or south from the marina and the color shifts to royal blue in a hurry; within a few miles the sounder rolls through hundreds of meters, then thousands, as you cross canyon rims and current lines where flyingfish spray and birds mark bait. Those same edges are Sal’s calling card—places where a morning can be spent working a nearshore reef and, a short run later, you’re setting a spread along a cobalt rip with the town still visible behind you.

Blue marlin headline the show here, drawn by rich currents that wrap the island each year; white marlin and sailfish make appearances when conditions line up, and mahi-mahi, wahoo, and both yellowfin and bigeye tuna keep reels honest through much of the calendar. Closer to the rock and reef, expect amberjack and almaco jack, Grouper and various snappers, rainbow runner and blue runner, bonito and black skipjack, plus toothy barracuda around points and pier lines. From the beach, the island’s breams (sargos), small jacks, and assorted reef species provide steady, accessible action with the occasional surprise when a bigger predator cruises the lip.

Deep sea days revolve around classic Atlantic tactics: trolling skirted lures and rigged ballyhoo along color changes, working tight turns on bird piles, and switching to livebait or pitch-baits when a marlin shoulders into the spread. Wahoo respond to faster passes and deeper-running plugs along drop-offs, while tuna often call for a mix of trolling, chunking, or run-and-gun casts when they blitz. Over reefs and lava ledges, vertical jigging and slow-pitch techniques light up amberjack and grouper, and baited bottom rigs clean up snapper on the edges; when current stands up, a drift over the inside slope can produce non-stop pulls. Shore and pier sessions are simple and fun—metal spoons and small plugs for runners and barracuda at dawn and dusk, or shrimp and cut bait on basic bottom rigs when you want a relaxed bend in the rod. Expect wind; guides time departures and choose coastlines to keep you comfortable and in clean water, and most carry both heavy bluewater outfits and lighter spinning gear so you can pivot with the conditions.