KNOW
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
When you decide to come and fish for tarpons you must
know the following:
Baby Tarpons and Generally all Tarpons are considered as Trophy Fish.
Let’s make an example. HardCore Hunters travel miles to africa
in the search of a Lion without guarantee. There are less than a handfull
of fishing destinations in the world where you can target baby tarpons.
Well, Campeche is one of those, but do not expect to boat every hooked
tarpon. Tarpon boating average is quite slow. Less that 20%, so if you
get 10 strikes and boat only 2, you are on the average not to tell that
some outstanding day you may hook 18 and boat 7 and a slow day with
5 hookups and one boated. Our current record is 23 boated plus other
20 hook ups in a day for a client. Hey. Do not ring the bells yet, next
day on the same spot he only caught 1. So, this is Saltwater Flats fishing.
Be always prepared for the unexpected. We’ll put you where the
fish is. The rest is up to you. Upon your arrival, we will discuss our
5 steps theory to boat a tarpon. 1.- Spotting the Fish, 2.- Fly Presentation,
3.- Stripping your line 4.- Figthing and Jumping, 5.- Boating the tarpon.
Challenging Right?
LET
THE FISHING BEGIN!
We are encourage to start riding the boats with the first lights of
dawn so you can take a light breakfast at the hotel by 5:45 to 6:00am
and walk across the shore drive or take our truck to the pier for boarding.
Your guide will be at the hotel 20 min before to be sure that breakfast
is ready. Some times we depart a little bit earlier and ask the hotel
staff to dress a table just for us and not to wait for the whole buffet
set up. You’ll have fruits, coffe, sweet & toast bread, cereal,
milk, cheese, orange juice. Tipping the hotel staff for this is at your
own decission.
We will be fishing in various different scenarios all of them in the
mangrove coast that runs northeast from the city’s coastline,
some of them 10 minutes from departure some other spots are 1:30 hours
far. Mangrove shoreline, creeks mouths, open bays, deep back mangrove
rivers and inlets. The goal here is to find Tailing or Finning Tarpons
while rolling over the surface and mostly sight fishing will be mandatory
but it is not a rule. Depending on tide conditions, water color and
some other factors, some blind casting will be necesary where your guide
indicates. That means that you may be at a spot where you can not see
tarpons but your guide is sure that is a productive spot becuase some
other time he has caught tarpons there and really worth to try a blind
cast. Baby Tarpon Fishing is not as predictable as other species. These
“babies” have to be chased or intercepted, that is the reason
that depending on the tide condition some times you’ll be 100
yards offshore and some other in the middle of a creek so it is desirable
to be able to cast in different situations, specially for fly anglers.
Light Tackle spinning anglers will not requiere long casts but very
accurated. Instructions will be given in advance. If wind is blowing
from East or SE, mangrove shore is always a “mirror” type
water, when it changes to west or NW, breeze start chopping the water
and that is when sight fishing gets difficult. This usually happens
after noon, so more blind casting may be necesarry as the day goes on
while fishing in open bays.
The fishing days ussualy ends up by 2:00 or 3:00 pm but some clients
want to go back earlier, and some other will stay for extra hours paying
an extended time surcharge of $75 USD per boat ( 2 additional hours).
We will drop you in front of your hotel and take the boats to the anchoring
point for cleaning, and next-day setp up. Every fishing day is a different
experience but most of the basic steps described here will repeat day
after day. Departure day is not elegible for extended hours and should
end up by 12:00 or 1 pm.
Lunch
& onboard refreshments:
A Well-stocked Cooler with ice, bottled purified water, sodas
(pepsi or coke, diet coke, flavors sodas, a couple of gatorades), 3
beers per angler, lunch (alternating turkey ham and cheese sandwiches,
tuna mexican salad with crakers, grilled chiken sandwiches, seasonal
shrimp salad), chips, candies (snickers or milkyway chocolates), peanuts
or almonds. You can serve yourself at any time or agree with the other
boats to gather together for lunch time in the shade of the mangrove.
.
Safety Requierements
It’s mandatory to follow some
rules for a easy day of fishing:
1. Bring your fishing license onboard (Each angler should carry his
own fishing license in case of an inspection by authorities).
2. Any waste or trash can be drop outboard. There is a black bag on
each panga for Trash
3. It is forbidden to destroy or affect the mangrove trees/branches
or any other element belonging to the ecosystem.
4. People under the influence of alcohol or other substance won’t
be allowed to board the boats.
5. While the motor is running or riding the boat, every angler should
remain sit and rods placed in holders.
6. It is the client’s sole responsability to be aware of his health
condition knowing in advance that fishing under hot weather could cause
dehidratation, sea sickness, muscles stress and other ills. Please tell
the head guide / owner about any special requirement on this subject
before start.
7. Be aware of slippery edges and gaps and avoid sudden changes while
ridding.
8 . Wet your hands before handling a fish. Handle it gently. If using
the net to land it, first remove the hook and then lift the fish gently
out of the net. The less you lift it the less harm it’ll be. When
releasing, move the fish forth and back at least 10 times till the fish
gains strength again. DO NOT DROP IT HARDLY. If you do not want to land
it by your self, the guide will do it for you.
10. Wear the Life Vests while ridding or use it as cusion. Keep it close
to you anytime.
