Mar del Plata boasts a wide variety of fish species and offers different settings where diverse fishing techniques can be used. Whether it is bait or fly angling, trolling or spinning, fishing lovers will have the opportunity to enjoy themselves watching an idyllic sea landscape, surrounded by mountain ranges in the middle of a magnificent city.

The Argentine sea is well-known for having fish in abundance, an ideal scenario for fishermen to practice their favorite sport.

All this is supported by a major infrastructure and a large number of tourist facilities, which are available to you from Buenos Aires city within 45 minutes by plane, 5 ½ hours by train or bus, 4 hours by car along a modern freeway, and also by sea.

Shore Fishing
Anglers can obtain excellent catches all along the extensive Atlantic Ocean coastline, which features diverse coastal formations stretching from Santa Clara del Mar to the southern slopes.

Depending on the season, such fish as croakers, jackfish, Atlantic silversides (both “escardones” and “panzones”), southern eagle fish, sharks, soupfin sharks, southern king croakers and flatfish can be caught from rocks, sea defense walls, cliffs or the sand, either near the city center or on the outskirts, at night or during the day.

Sea Fishing
The city counts on facilities for boat owners, including ramps, dry-sail areas, car parks, trailers and clubs offering a wide range of services. You can reach the best fish stocks near the shore by going on half-day sailing excursions on board fully equipped boats run by expert guides.

November and December provide for the best catches when it comes to quality and quantity.

Summer is the ideal season to fish for sea trout, silverside, red porgy, mackerel, sea bass, southern eagle fish, narrownose smooth-hound, anchovy, and jackfish, among others. Winter, on the other hand, caters for Atlantic silverside (“escardones” and “panzones”) and, at the beginning of July, you can find Manila silverside.

Deep-sea Fishing
This type of fishing is carried out on board vessels which are equipped with such modern devices as echo sounders, satellite navigators and radars. Excursions take up a whole day but you end up getting the largest catch ever.

Fish stocks are found in deep waters, around 20 to 60 meters down the sea. Of these, “Banco Patria” is the most outstanding one.

Seasonal fishing patterns do not vary much in deep-sea fishing. Sea salmon, sea bass and wreckfish species reach great sizes, and they can be caught at all times. During March, April and the beginning of May, two of the most aggressive kinds of fish arrive in the Argentine sea – the yellow tail and the Atlantic bonito.

Fly and Lure Fishing
In areas less than 15 meters deep, on board small boats, it is possible to use light gear and practice bait casting, spinning or fly cast to make the most of fishing.

These techniques allow for a greater sense of fish nibbling the bait and, as a consequence, a faster reaction on the part of the fisherman to catch their prey. The main reason for this are the vibrations sent from the tip of the fishing rod to the angler’s arm. The fight offered by jackfish, anchovies, bonitos and mackerel to anglers feels them with adrenalin.

Spinning and trolling are suitable for catching yellow tail, bluefish and jackfish. Fishing for these species is highly enjoyable because they also offer a hard battle.

Fishing Preserves
A few kilometers away from Mar del Plata, there is a specialized fishing preserve to practice fly fishing. It is called “Puerta del Abra”. This is a complex formed by six intertwined artificial lagoons, where fishing is open all year round. The period extending from March to October is ideal for those who are just taking their first steps into fly fishing. At that time, they can start getting familiar with the use of streamers, nymphs and dry flies and learn how to cast out for rainbow trout. During the rest of the year, it is possible to fish for typical species found in lagoons.