How to book, and what to ask

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Ways to book

1. Through a booking platform. FishingBooker lists a handful of El Salvador charters^[1]. Platforms usually show the cancellation policy and take payment up front. See current listings
2. Through your hotel. Several coastal hotels and surf camps arrange fishing trips with local captains^[2][3]. Convenient, and transfers are often included, but ask who runs the boat.
3. Directly with a captain or marina. Often the cheapest, but you carry the risk on deposits, permits and safety checks.
4. Tours marketplaces. Viator and GetYourGuide list some El Salvador day tours; we did not find a sportfishing listing on Viator when we checked.

Questions to ask before you pay

Paperwork

1. Does the boat hold a current vessel licence and sport-fishing authorization from the fisheries authority (now ASEA, formerly CENDEPESCA)? Visiting anglers on a licensed charter normally fish under the operator's permits. See licences and rules.
2. Is the trip covered by any insurance, and what happens if someone is injured?

Safety

3. How many life jackets are aboard, and are there child sizes?
4. Does the boat carry a VHF radio, GPS, and a second way to call for help?
5. For river-mouth departures (for example, Costa del Sol): how do tides set our departure and return times^[4]?
6. Is there shade? Open pangas can mean eight hours in full sun.

The fishing

7. How far do you expect to run, and how long does it take?
8. What has been caught in the past two weeks? Ask for recent dated photos, not a highlight reel.
9. Do you use circle hooks for billfish, and how do you release them? (Regulations call for both^[5].)
10. What can we keep, and will you clean it?
11. Is all tackle provided, and what line class is used for sailfish?

Money

12. What exactly is included: fuel, bait, drinks, lunch, transfers, port fees?
13. How large is the deposit, how is it paid, and when is the balance due? Cash is common in El Salvador and some places do not take cards^[6].
14. What is the weather and cancellation policy, and who decides if it is too rough?
15. Is a crew tip expected, and is it ever included in the price?

Red flags

• Pressure to pay the full amount by wire or cash transfer before you have a written description of the trip.
• No clear answer on permits or safety gear.
• Offers to bring a billfish ashore for a photo or for the table.