FAD Fishing in Curaçao: Complete Guide
If you go offshore fishing in Curaçao, there is a good chance you will hear the term FAD.
FAD stands for Fish Aggregating Device. These offshore structures can attract baitfish and pelagic predators, creating some of the most interesting places to fish around the island.
At Speedy Boat Trips, FADs are an important part of our offshore fishing — particularly when targeting species such as yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo, sailfish and marlin.
But there is one important thing to understand:
A FAD does not automatically mean fish.
Some days a FAD can be full of life. On another day, the same FAD can appear almost empty. Current, bait, water temperature and other ocean conditions all play a role in deciding where we fish.
Here is what you should know about FAD fishing in Curaçao.
What Is a FAD?
A FAD, or Fish Aggregating Device, is an anchored floating structure designed to attract baitfish and larger pelagic species.
Around Curaçao, the FADs we fish are generally anchored in approximately 1,000 to 3,000 feet of water. Below the surface, the aggregation can extend roughly 200 feet down, with materials such as palm leaves, tarp and other plastic materials attached to create additional structure in the water.
Over time, marine growth and smaller organisms begin to gather around this structure. Baitfish follow, and eventually larger predators start using the area as well.
We often refer to this process as a FAD becoming “fully grown.” From our experience, it normally takes around three months before a new FAD really starts producing consistently.
That doesn't mean there will be nothing there before then. After approximately four weeks, we can already start seeing mahi-mahi around a new FAD, and occasionally something bigger will show up as well. But at that stage, the FAD usually hasn't developed into the fully established ecosystem we hope to see after several months.
What Fish Can You Catch Around Curaçao's FADs?
A FAD can hold considerably more than one species.
During our fishing trips, some of the fish we may encounter around or near FADs include:
Yellowfin tuna
Mahi-mahi
Wahoo
Sailfish
Blue marlin
White marlin
Blackfin tuna
Skipjack tuna
Rainbow runners
Exactly what is present changes from day to day and throughout the year.
For us, yellowfin tuna are one of the main reasons to investigate a productive FAD. But sometimes the first sign of activity isn't a large tuna at all.
It could be smaller tuna feeding near the surface, mahi around the FAD, birds working above bait, or activity on the fish finder.
These smaller signs can tell us a lot about what may be happening below.
Why Do FADs Attract Fish?
The simple answer is food and structure.
The open ocean is enormous, and a FAD creates structure in an environment where there may otherwise be very little.
The materials hanging below the FAD provide a large underwater aggregation where marine growth and smaller organisms can develop. As baitfish come across the structure, they begin to gather around it. In turn, those baitfish can attract larger predators such as yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo and billfish.
This process doesn't happen overnight.
From what we see fishing Curaçao, a FAD generally needs around three months to become properly established. We call this being “fully grown.” The longer it remains in place and develops, the more established the aggregation can become.
We can still find fish on younger FADs. We've seen mahi-mahi gathering around FADs that have only been in the water for about four weeks. Occasionally, a larger predator may also already be there.
That's one reason knowing how long a FAD has been in the water can be useful when deciding where to fish.
Not Every FAD Is Holding Fish
One of the biggest misconceptions about FAD fishing is that you can simply drive to the nearest FAD and expect it to be full of fish.
It doesn't work like that.
Before deciding where to go, we look closely at what the ocean is doing. Current is particularly important. We look at current direction, FSLE fronts, temperature breaks and the edges where different bodies of water and currents are interacting.
We use Salty Offshore to help analyse these conditions before a fishing trip. It allows us to compare the FAD locations with current structure, temperature changes and other offshore information.
For example, if the water and current are pushing towards a particular FAD and we see a strong edge nearby, that FAD may be considerably more interesting to us than another FAD sitting in less favourable water.
But satellite information is only part of the decision. Once we're offshore, what we actually see—birds, bait, flying fish, surface activity and what appears on our electronics—becomes even more important. We pay attention to factors such as:
Current direction and speed
Changes in water temperature
Current edges and offshore structure
Bait activity
Bird activity
Recent fishing activity
What we see on our electronics
Sometimes the most productive water isn't directly underneath the FAD either.
Fish can be feeding away from it, so concentrating exclusively on the buoy can mean overlooking the better water nearby. → Best Time to Fish in Curaçao: Fishing Seasons Explained
How We Decide Which FAD to Fish
We don't automatically choose the closest FAD.
Before leaving the harbour, we compare the available FADs with the offshore conditions. We look
at current direction, FSLE, temperature breaks and current edges, particularly where water is pushing towards or away from certain areas.
That gives us an idea of which FADs and surrounding areas may have the best conditions that day.
Once we're offshore, we combine that information with what we actually find.
A FAD that looked promising before departure may be quiet when we arrive. Another area may suddenly have birds working, flying fish, bait or tuna breaking the surface. If that happens, we'll adapt.
This is why we don't fish exactly the same route every day.
Do We Fish Directly Next to the FAD?
Not necessarily. Different species tend to use the area around a FAD differently.
Mahi-mahi are often found very close to the FAD, sometimes right around the buoy itself. They can also move farther away, but if we're specifically looking for mahi, the immediate area around the FAD is always worth checking.
With yellowfin tuna, we often find the fish farther out. From our experience, around half a mile to a mile away from the FAD is a very normal area to find them.
When targeting marlin, we'll generally search even wider, often around one to one-and-a-half miles from the FAD.
These aren't fixed rules. We've seen yellowfin and billfish much closer to a FAD as well, and fish can turn up almost anywhere around productive water.
There is also a practical reason we don't want to troll too close to the buoy. A large fish can run towards the FAD and get the line tangled in the mooring or underwater structure, which can quickly result in losing the fish.
So rather than thinking of the FAD as one exact fishing spot, we see it as the centre of a much larger area to investigate.
How Do We Fish Around FADs?
There isn't one technique that works every day.
Depending on what we find, the conditions and the species we're targeting, our approach can include techniques such as:
Trolling We troll dead baits, lures or combinations while searching around the FAD and surrounding water.
Live baitingWhen suitable bait is available, live bait can be extremely effective around productive offshore areas.
ChummingIn the right situation, chumming can help bring tuna and other species into the action.
Sometimes we arrive and immediately find fish.
Other times we have to search.
That's part of offshore fishing.
Yellowfin Tuna Around the FADs
Yellowfin tuna are one of the main species we target around Curaçao's FADs, but finding them doesn't necessarily mean trolling directly around the buoy.
From our experience, yellowfin are often found approximately half a mile to a mile away from the FAD.
We look for birds, flying fish, smaller tuna and other signs of bait in the surrounding water. Sometimes these signs lead us away from the FAD completely.
We've had some of our best yellowfin encounters doing exactly that, including two memorable Curaçao tuna estimated at approximately 73 lb and 110 lb.
And because a hooked yellowfin can make a powerful run, we also prefer not to hook a big fish too close to the FAD. Giving ourselves some distance reduces the chance of the fish reaching the FAD structure and breaking us off.
Mahi-Mahi and FADs
Mahi-mahi behave differently.
We often see them very close to the FAD itself, sometimes gathering right around the buoy and the structure below it.
A FAD doesn't necessarily need to be fully established before this starts happening either. From our experience, mahi can already begin appearing around a new FAD after approximately four weeks.
Of course, they don't always stay directly beside the buoy. We can encounter mahi farther away as well, particularly when they're following bait.
When they're gathered around a productive FAD, the fishing can change extremely quickly. One mahi appears, then another, and suddenly several brightly coloured fish can be moving around the boat.
What About Marlin and Sailfish?
Billfish require us to think beyond the buoy itself.
When we're looking for marlin around a productive FAD, we'll usually search a wider area—often approximately one to one-and-a-half miles away.
That doesn't mean a marlin can't appear directly beside the FAD. It absolutely can. These distances are simply patterns we've learned from our own fishing rather than fixed rules.
We're looking for the combination of the FAD, bait and the surrounding water. If the current edge or bait activity is farther away, that's where we'll concentrate our effort.
Again, we generally don't want to hook a large billfish directly beside the FAD because of the risk of the fish running into the mooring structure.
All sailfish, blue marlin and white marlin are strictly catch-and-release aboard Speedy.
Can You Always Catch Fish at a FAD?
No.
And anyone booking a fishing charter should understand that.
FADs can increase our opportunities to locate offshore fish, but they don't guarantee a bite.
Fish move. Currents change. Bait moves. A productive area can become quiet, while another part of the island suddenly comes alive.
That's why we don't promise that we'll simply take you to a FAD and catch tuna.
Instead, our job is to read the conditions and search for the best opportunity available that day.
Sometimes that takes us to a FAD.
Sometimes it takes us somewhere completely different.
How Far Offshore Are Curaçao's FADs?
This varies considerably.
There are FADs around different sides of Curaçao—north, east, south and west—as well as FADs in the area around Klein Curaçao.
Some of the closest FADs we fish can be approximately four miles offshore, while others can be around 12 miles offshore.
This is also one reason the duration of your charter makes a difference.
On a 4-hour fishing trip, we generally have enough time to investigate one FAD and, depending on the conditions and locations.
On our 6 and 8-hour trips, we have considerably more time to move between different FADs and offshore areas if the first location isn't producing.
That flexibility gives us more opportunity to search for productive water and find where the fish are holding that day. It's also one of the main reasons we generally recommend our 6-hour fishing charter for guests who want a more complete offshore fishing experience.
FAD Fishing in Curaçao With Speedy Boat Trips
FAD fishing is an important part of offshore fishing in Curaçao, but for us, the FAD itself is only one piece of the puzzle.
The goal isn't simply to reach a buoy.
The goal is to find productive water.
We combine our experience around Curaçao with current conditions, electronics and what we're seeing on the ocean that day to decide where to fish.
That might mean fishing around a FAD, moving between several offshore areas, following bird activity or leaving a quiet FAD behind entirely.
Because ultimately, we go where we believe the fish are.
Ready to go fishing in Curaçao? →Explore our private 4, 6 and 8-hour fishing charters with Speedy Boat Trips.
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