Great Soudan Bank is 110 nautical miles from Grand Baie, Sunset Boulevard.
Small Soudan Bank otherwise known as ‘ti soudan’  by locals is 180 nautical miles from Grand Baie.

Soudan Bank is a big plateau that is around 20 nautical miles in length and width with an average depth of about 60 meters. This unique underwater formation is famed for its fishing due to the unique aquaculture that thrives around it.

By following the relief of the sea mount it is possible to fish anywhere giving a wide variety of options depending on what the angler(s) would like to target. With a topography with a depth ranging from 3000 to 60 meters all sorts of fish are a possibility with the right lures and guidance. We strongly recommend making the most of our crew and discussing which fish you would like to catch.

The Soudan Banks are a group of underwater high points and reefs off the coast of Africa, known for their good fishing yields as fishing banks. They are administered by Mauritius. The five banks (actually a single feature) lie on the Mascarene plateau.

Soudan Bank is the largest of the banks, with many reefs and passes. West Soudan is small, rocky, and shallow, and is the least fished of the banks. Central Soudan is the most fished area, with huge reefs and open waters containing a huge abundance of fish. East Soudan, until the 1970s, was considered to be a completely different formation altogether, since it is located more than 100 miles away from the other banks. The other banks are closely linked, separated by small shallows or channels.

Two million years ago, Soudan was a large island, as were Nazareth, Cargados Carajos and Saya de Malha. These islands were more than ten times the size of Mauritius and Reunion. However, they have submerged under the ocean.

Sportfisher – the most experienced chartered anglers to organise Soudan Bank Fishing Safaris:

Having pioneered Big Game Fishing, Sportfisher is among the first chartered fishing companies to organise fishing trips to Soudan Bank. We have been organising trips for locals and tourists alike for XYZ years who regularly and often fly across the world for our fishing trips.

Our clients choose us for our quality of equipment and expertise that Anglers hope to draw upon to land their dream catch.

Due to the distance of Soudan Banks from Mauritius our various trip options range from 3 to 6 days, unless a specially tailored package is requested.

Ours boats have enough space for up to 4 clients in order for us to maintain levels of comfort and luxury through fresh bed linen, towels, food and beverages.

For special requests email us at: info@sportfisher.mu

What kind of fish can I expect to catch during my Soudan Bank Trip?

Setting sail at 5 in the afternoon, we will begin our 12 hour trip to reach Soudan Bank.
Arriving at 5 in the morning the next day. We will begin fishing from sunrise to sunset.
Depending on the Anglers choice we do a bit of trolling and jigging.

On Trolling we target yellow fin tuna, Dogtooth Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Wahoo, Dorado, Sailfish, Blue and Black marlin.

While Jigging we target Dogtooth Tuna, Green Jobfish, Kingfish, Giant Trevally , Captaine, Yellow Tail Croissant (Yellow-edged lyre tail) and Vielle Babonne (Spotted Coral Grouper).

While various fish profiles can be found in our fishing guide here, we have attached a few profiles below of the unique fish expected and regularly caught around Soudan Bank.

Giant Trevally:

The giant trevally, Caranx ignobilis (also known as the lowly trevally, barrier trevally, giant kingfish, or ulua), is a species of large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The giant trevally is distinguished by its steep head profile, strong tail scutes, and a variety of other more detailed anatomical features. It is normally a silvery colour with occasional dark spots, but males may be black once they mature. It is the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known size of 170 cm (67 in) and a weight of 80 kg (176 lbs). The giant trevally is an apex predator in most of its habitats, and is known to hunt individually and in schools.

Green Jobfish:

The green jobfish, Aprion virescens, is a species of snapper native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the African coast to the Hawaiian Islands. This species inhabits various reef environments at depths from near the surface to 180 ft (55 m). This species grows to a length of 112 cm (44 in), though most do not exceed 90 cm (35 in). The greatest reported weight for this species is 15.4 kg (34 lb). It is a very important species for local commercial fisheries and is popular as a game fish, though it has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This species is the only known member of its genus.^[1]

Capitaine:

Pale greyish-green. Scale has a white or bluish spot. Three blue streaks radiate from the eye. Somewhat pointed snout. White or yellowish fins. Dorsal fin is fringed with orange-red.

These fish are plentiful in Mauritius and well known for their delicious taste.

Found near coral reefs over sandy bottoms. Adults grow up to 80 cm and tend to be solitary or swim about in small schools. This fish lay their eggs twice a year: at the beginning of Summer (October) and in Winter (mid-July).

Yellow-edged lyre tail:

The yellow-edged lyretail (Variola louti) is a species of grouper, also known as the lyretail grouper or the caramel cod.
The yellow-edged lyretail is found from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Pitcairn Islands, as far as southern Japan and Australia.^[1]
This fish reaches up to 81 cm in length and 12 kg in weight. It is distinguished by its lunate tail with a yellow-edged margin. As juveniles they resemble the goatfishes Parupeneus forsskali or Parupeneus macronema and may shadow them as they feed.^[2]

Spotted Coral Grouper:

P. maculatus inhabits largely coastal and inshore reefs contrasting with other species of Plectropomus that are mainly associated with offshore and oceanic reefs. Turbid water and coastal habitats have resulted in relatively few abundance estimates. The depth of capture is typically from 5 to 50 m.

The Spotted Coral Grouper (Plectropomus maculatus) shall not be deemed to be toxic fish where it is less than 3 kilogrammes when ungutted or less than 2.6 kilogrammes when gutted and has been fished on any oceanic bank.

Red Coral Grouper:

Found in protected coastal reef in mixed algae and coral habitat. Common on inshore coastal reefs but absent in clear offshore reefs . Juveniles have a demersal existence in shallow water in reef habitats, especially around coral rubble. Migrate over short distances to spawn, forming aggregations. May move into shallow water to feed. Eggs float just below the water surface. Pelagic larvae are found in habitats similar to those of the adults. Juveniles feed on small fish and invertebrates such as crustaceans and squid. Commonly used for food. Its flesh is delicate and well appreciated.