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Simply Awesome!!!!

This trip to Mexico had everything the day tripping fisherman could want - variety, a "one that got away story", and a personal best to round off the experience. We even had an Icelandic Volcano contribute to the party for a while!

The Plan

I am not an experienced big game angler and despite catching a number of small Barracuda over the last 10 years I have always wanted to catch a Sailfish.

My research suggested that Mexico's Caribbean coast at Easter represented the best mix of fishing potential and opportunity to take a family holiday during school holidays. My research also suggested that the demand for fishing charters during this period can be very high and so I set about planning and organising the fishing in November 2009 so as not to be disappointed when I arrived.

Captain Rick's

I did a little fishing in Mexico some 11 years ago. My trips then were booked through the tour operator who used a charter outfit with two small boats in Puerto Aventuras which is about a 75 minute run south of Cancun (or 25 minutes from Playa Del Carmen where I was staying). Whilst these trips were good and I caught a number of small Tuna and Spanish Mackerel, the Americans I met all seemed to do better using an outfit called Captain Rick's. I searched to see if this operation was still in existence, and indeed it is going from strength to strength with new owners for the last 8 years. I found a number of good testimonials as well as their own very informative web site and set about contacting a very helpful lady named Glenna who sorted out all the arrangements.

I booked two trips, the first on the 6th of April and the second a week later on the 13th. Having booked well in advance I was able to choose my boat, a 35' Luhrs sport fishing boat named "My Obsession". Now I am no expert so the picture was what drew me to this boat - it looked like what I imagined a proper tropical fishing boat should look like!

Glenna also fixed up transport to pick me up from the hotel each day. The whole experience of arranging this was very straightforward and left me with a high degree of confidence that things would go to plan.

Captain Rick's operate sixteen boats from 23' to over 50' in length with various price points. They own all the boats and employ experienced local skippers and crew to operate them. I get the impression that the crews are fiercely competitive with the seasonal boats that come from the USA and other parts of Mexico each spring in search of Sailfish and rumour has it they usually "out fish" them by some margin.

Captain Rick's is also committed to conservation and they make it very clear in their highly professional briefing that all bill fish will be returned alive. They make it clear that if a fish is in good enough condition they will allow it to be brought aboard for a photo but if the skipper deems that the fish is too tired or stressed it stays in the water. There is no discussion on this point and the skipper's decision is final.

For more details about Captain Rick's have a look at their website here http://www.captricksfishing.com/

Day 1 - "A steady start"

My taxi picked me up from the hotel at 6.20 am and we were at the charter office at 6.45. Glenna met me and introduced me to the crew of "My Obsession". I struggled to pick up the skipper's name and thought he was introduced as "Robot" - Glenna added that I wouldn't talk to him much! Subsequently I think he may have been called "Robert" and it may have been an accent issue? The crew were Pepe and Jesus who were busy rigging baits and lures ready for the day when I reached the boat.

"My Obsession" - Ready to go!

As soon as I was on board, the moorings were slipped and we headed out of the Marina and in to the open waters of the Caribbean. Now many places I have visted boast that there is fantastic fishing within yards of the harbour but here it is actually true! Within 1/2 mile you are in very deep water and the rods are set within a few minutes of leaving the harbour. I know that the fish are there because as we set off, with the rods out for just 2 minutes, a Sailfish jumped clear of the water three times in a row some 70 yards to starboard. All the pictures I have seen of Sailfish represent these fish as being a fairly dark colour however this fabulous specimen had a beautiful metallic blue sheen that would never reproduce on film.

Entrance to Puerto Aventuras Marina

The set up was with two rods (30lbs class) fished wide and long on the outriggers. A third 30lb rod was fished directly behind the boat and short. A fourth was fished from the flying bridge skipping the bait along the surface. A fifth rod (50lbs class I think) was fished on a down rigger to set a bait deep. All the reels were Shimano TLD 25's on the lighter outfits and a Penn International on the heavier gear. All were in great condition with new lines.

Despite this early fish sign, the next hour and a bit were quiet. I saw lots of flying fish which were the first I have ever seen and a couple of good sized sea turtles.

Then we had a run. Jesus grabbed a port rod and struck repeatedly in to a fish. I jumped in to the fighting chair and Pepe fitted a fighting belt around my middle (relieved it fitted after all the beer and food!). The run was short and I winched in a smallish barracuda of 15 to 20lbs. I have often discussed that these fish seem to be like our dog fish, easy to find and taking every bait in sight, and the crew's lack of enthusiasm for this fish seemed to bear out this theory......I would change my mind later in the holiday!

Pesky Barracuda!

After around 2 and a half hours we turned and started to run back up the coast in a zig-zag pattern, sometimes doubling back when we had hits on baits or the skipper was seeing "sign" from the flying bridge.

As we worked back up the coast we had another run, much stronger this time. I fought the fish for a few minutes and then the rod went light. The fish had thrown the hook. Pepe and Jesus looked incredulous that I could have lost what was a much better fish, hypothesising that it was probably a Sailfish. From the action I experienced on trip 2 (see below) I now doubt this was a Sailfish but could have been a big 'cuda. Anyway, despite losing the fish I was quite happy that I would catch a big one and it was only a matter of time and luck and my angling skills would be up to the task......I would change my mind on this later as well!

As we neared Puerto Aventuras we had a couple of hits on lures without hook ups and then one of the reels screamed.....briefly. I was handed the rod and I realised that this was not a large fish. I was being encouraged to wind faster to get the fish in so the lures could be reset but despite the small size of the fish it still seemed hard work! The result was a Spanish Mackerel. Whilst not a big fish it was a beautiful looking creature and I suspect made a good meal for someone later.

Spanish Mackerel

We cruised past the entrance to the marina and continued for about half a mile before taking a long turn back towards home. Here I saw another one of Captain Rick's boats locked in a battle with a big fish. I then saw the lucky angler land a fine Sailfish - not sure of the size but over 50lbs at a guess. But there was no time for admiring other peoples work as a large splash and a screaming reel let us know we were in to another fish. Jesus struck the fish, a King Fish he thought, and passed me the rod. I managed to lose this one immediately, again to the consternation of the crew. I was starting to have my doubts whether I had what it takes to land one of these blue water monsters!

That concluded my first trip and with one more booked I was itching to come back the following week.

Day 2 - "Adrenaline and missed opportunities!"

My second trip started much the same as the first. We left the harbour at speed, immediately set the rods and there on the starboard side of the boat was a Sailfish jumping out of the water. This one was closer and looked like a very big fish.

What I didn't know was that I was about to get a harsh lesson as to how difficult this type of fishing really is.

Soon after we had bites on 3 out of 5 rods. Each had the bait neatly severed just behind the hook, and Pepe suggested these were probably small predatory fish.

We fished on, and after an hour or so we had our first serious run. And serious it was! A large Sailfish smashed in to a bait and took off at speed. I forget who, but one of the crew grabbed the rod and struck, securely hooking the fish, before passing me the rod in the fighting chair. I held on for dear life as the fish ran for what seemed to be an age. I was being urged to wind and keep tight to the fish but didn't seem to be able to do anything with it as it skipped across the surface before diving. Eventually, after what seemed like minutes but was probably seconds, the fish slowed and I started to keep pace with it - taking as much line as he was. Then I made a bit back. Then he ran again. Then I was winning. I fought this fish for several minutes and nothing in British angling had prepared me for what a physical battle this would be. I remember being surprised that it was not the bicep or shoulder on my left arm that hurt but it was my grip and the inside of my forearm which burned - the by product of driving a desk all day I suppose. I was so busy staring at the spool of the reel to see if I was gaining that I didn't notice the fish surface. It gave a big leap and spat the hook. It was gone. Jesus pointed out my error of not watching for the fish's leap and I was determined not to let this happen again if I got another chance.

So we set the rods again and continued our troll. I necked a can of Pepsi provided by the boat, more for energy than refreshment, and made a silent prayer that we wouldn't hook up again too soon as my left arm was almost unusable at this point!

Forty five minutes later and the skipper was striking in to the rod fished from the flying bridge. He handed it to Jesus who struck again to make sure the fish was still hooked and I was back in to the fight. This time I watched the water and just hoped I was gaining! I started to make some ground on the fish and made steady progress - I'm not sure but I suspect the skipper was also slowly reversing towards the fish to make it easier on me! After several minutes I now had the line almost straight up and down to the fish. I was within 30'. Pepe saw the fish - a Sailfish, around 65lbs! Jesus turned around to start to prepare the deck space to handle and unhook the fish and.....POP!.......the fish was gone. I still don't know what I did wrong, maybe I went to easy on it near the boat? I asked Jesus whether the problem was mine or the fishes and he smiled, then honestly said "I think the problem is you"......I think he was right!

I could sense the disapointment in the crew that they had put me in to two good Sailfish and I hadn't landed either of them and the bragging rights would belong to another boat. If the second Sailfish was 65lbs I cannot imagine how big the first was as it had fought significantly harder. After two battles I was definitley feeling the pace!

We were on our way back to the harbour by now and shortly after the second fight we had several runs. Only one hooked up and I landed what must have been the smallest Tuna fish in the world - a 2.5lb Bonito. I wondered whether I had found my level in the world of sport fishing.

With about 40 minutes left on the clock we had yet another hit. This time the deep fished bait on the heavy outfit screamed off. Pepe set the hook and handed me the rod. The tension was palpable as the crew willed me to land a fish. The fight was reasonably brief, two or three minutes maybe. The fish was not as big as the two I had previously lost and stayed deep the whole time. When it surfaced there was a great deal of excitement - a Wahoo of around 30lbs, a fine sport fish and good to eat! I brought the fish to the side of the boat and Jesus took the rod and instructed me to go to the back of the deck. Pepe grabbed the trace and went for the fish with the gaff. As he tried to set the gaff the fish kicked and the trace slipped through Pepe's hands embedding an exposed "tag end" on the swivel clip in his finger. Naturally he had to let go and the fish ran. Jesus tried to reset the hook but by the time the rod was back in my hands the fish was gone. The crew were despondent but I have rarely seen such a beautiful fish and felt privileged to have done so.

So we headed in fishless. An amazing day's sport that fully demonstrated the potential of this location with only a trophy photo missing. Despite not actually landing a dream fish this was one of the most exciting days on the water I have ever experienced and I can only feel sorry for the crew that I did not reward their expertise with a catch. I suspect a more experienced, and dare I say competent, angler would have bagged up today.

As I didn't photograph any fish on this trip I thought you might like to see what the super-yacht fishing boats at the Marina look like!

A Matching Pair!

Day 3 - "Cuda Magic!"

Day 3 was unplanned. We had been hit with a delay to our return to the UK due to the Icelandic volcano. The first couple of days were fine as we just stayed in our beach side resort hotel and soaked up the sun. Half way through the 3rd day however, the tour company moved us to another hotel down the street. This was not nearly as nice and it was pretty depressing sitting around marking time. The family were so down that I suggested I would find out if we could get a fishing trip in the afternoon that we could all do, including my eight and ten year old daughters.

A quick call to Captain Rick's confirmed they had one boat left for the afternoon and I booked it. By 12.30 we were out of the "dive" and on our way to the Marina. Our boat for this trip would be the "Wild Bill" which is a single decked 31' sports boat that was very comfortable.

On arriving at the boat the skipper (sorry I didn't get any of the names for this crew) appeared surprised, and maybe a little horrified, that we wanted to go bottom fishing in the middle of the peak Sailfish season. "Nobody bottom fishes in April" he said. After a short negotiation we agreed to troll for an hour to a bottom fishing spot and then if the bottom fishing action was no good after a couple of hours we would try trolling again at the end.

The reason I didn't want to troll is that it is a patience game, and without a rod to hold the kids would get bored. The skipper I think sensed this, and as Polly was starting to feel a bit sea sick motoring along, he set us up for bottom fishing sooner than the first hour. I had assumed we would just fish for small snappers etc and the skipper set up a couple of rods with lighter reels and slivers of ballyhoo fillet as bait for us to hold.

The skipper and crew had another trick up their sleeve however, and they set two rods up with whole Ballyhoo dead baits suspended off the outriggers. These the crew regularly agitated to give them movement. They then set up two rods with triple snoods and fish fillets on each hook which the skipper and the senior crewman worked up and down over the reef.

We had only been at it for five minutes when one of the outrigger suspended baits took off. The skipper hit the rod and handed it to Maddy, my eight year old daughter, who was sat in the fighting chair at the time. With the rod butt secured in the fighting chair, her feet braced against the fish box, and the skipper supporting the rod when required, she started to reel. After a short sharp fight I was astonished to see the fish turn "flank on" to the sunlight - a Barracuda in double figures! The smile on Maddy's face said it all and I think at this point the crew's enthusiasm for bottom fishing increased.

"I don't want to touch it Daddy!"

Next up I was handed a triple hooked rig and reeled in a small Strawberry Grouper of only a couple of pounds. This was a beautiful looking fish and is apparently good eating.

The skipper didn't wait long after the bites dried up at this mark and we moved to another spot. Polly, 10 years old, had been struggling with the onset of sea sickness up to this point. The sight of her younger sister landing a large fish soon perked her up though and she was determined to take the next turn in the chair.

At the next spot the recipe worked again. This time it was the port side whole Ballyhoo that was hit and Polly was in to a good fish.

Polly in the chair

With excellent supervision from the crew Polly was able to bring her fish to the boat and I was even more astonished to see this was another Barracuda but this time 25lbs in weight! It was larger than the one I'd caught on day 1 and I was now jealous!

"I'll hold mine!"

I was next with another fish on the 3 hook rod. This time a snapper - we'll meet him again later in this report!

Yummy!

Another move and we were in another spot. Maddy managed another Strawberry Grouper for bucket whilst Polly landed a small Snapper. Then the port side whole Ballyhoo went again. I leaped in to the fighting chair and took the rod. I started to fight what seemed to be a good sized fish. Riddled with doubt from Day 2 however, I wondered whether I was just making hard work of it? What if I lost it? What if it was smaller than the kid's fish?

I needn't of worried. I worked the fish to the surface and the gaff flashed in the hands of the crew. We were all urged to step away from the back of the boat and then over the gunwale came my biggest ever fish. It was a Barracuda of around 40lbs taken on a 30lb class outfit. Undoubtedly my best angling achievement to date (and that is in 33 years of trying)!

Supacuda!

I think even the crew were happy to catch this Barracuda. We tried a couple of more spots as the skipper was keen to get one more big one! It didn't appear and Polly rounded off the day with another small snapper.

This was an excellent trip out with the family, and the crew and skipper were outstanding in helping the kids enjoy their day.

The final icing on the cake was being able to take our snapper, cleaned by the crew, to a local restaurant on the quay. This is a locally renowned watering hole called "Gringo Dave's". We met Dave and he had the chef prepare the snapper as a starter for the four of us. My kids are not normally big fish eaters but they picked this guy clean. We followed up with fabulous Surf 'n' Turf and the ice cold beer my wife and I enjoyed seemed to be the best I'd ever tasted after simply fantastic day.

Snapper for tea

So thank-you Captain Rick's, thank-you Gringo Dave and thank-you Icelandic Volcano for making all this possible!

We will definitely return one day and I will have another crack at the Sailfish with Captain Rick's. I think I will pump some iron and work on my technique between now and then though!

Madpolka Publishing

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In Mexico!