Favorite Fishing destination

[Squidnation]

Cheap airfare and pioneering operations have really openned the door to fish in many foreign countries. I can remember just starting out in the fishing world and hearing about the incredible bite off of remote Costa Rica. Now Costa Rica is a weekend trip for many. Venezuela of course was and still is an incredible place to be able to realize the atlantic Grand Slam. Then folks really started to get off the beaten path and fish the blue marlin meccas of the Azores, Mediera, Canary and Ascencion. The hordes of billfish off the coast of Guatemala have also been on the radar of many billfisherman, especially the fly guys. So where are your favorite places to venture for billfish. The other question has also got be, where would you go next.

I will give my 2 cents. In no particular order except for the first one.

1. Venezuela - Grand Slam Capital of the World. The first time I saw a fish in a spread in Venezuela was in the late 80's. We had seen a grand slam in the first 15 minutes. We didn't get it but we did manage 7 whites and a blue. We finally realized our grand slam in 2006 on the Prime Time when we scored a double grand slam and 4 extra whites. but we had the grandslam opportunity at least once on every trip.

2. Gautemala - Man what a mecca - I visited there this past march and couldn't believe what I had been missing. The fishing was slow by their standards but we still saw over a dozen every day and the numbers crept up into the 20's on two of those days. Calms waters and relatively short runs along with a back drop that included volcanos was enough to put this destination on my short list of places to visit every single year.

3. Costa Rica - I have been to Costa Rica a handful of times and really enjoy this natural treasure. This past year on the Tuna Bite I realized how good the marin bite can be. The sailfishing is off the hook but when those stripey's and blue get mixed in I really get excited. Los Suenos is incredible as everyone states. But my favorite fishing destination in Costa Rica was Dominical. Friendly people, great food and a short run to the Furuno bank made this place my favorite. Surfers have long raved about Domincal as well.

I am sure I would have enjoyed Golfito as much but our short stay in transit just made me yern for another visit to what I thought was the most beautiful area I visited in Costa Rica.

4. - Panama - One day I will get back to the Hannibal Bank but until then I just have to dream about the half day I spent on the hannibal bank and the incredible opportunities. Long story but we were in transit and expected to stay 3 days on the bank. The women on board had had enough and we needed to get them to land. In that half day we spent on the bank we jumped off a black, caught 2 50lb dolphin, a sail, a 150lb yellowfin and a couple of sharks. Thats a season in some places.

5. Brazil - Get on a plane and go as far as you can tolerate and then jump on two more planes and you will end up in one of the great blue marlin banks of the world. The Royal Charlotte Bank just maybe the place that produces a tonner. What an incredible fishery. The long expensive voyage to get their and the remoteness may not be for everyone but I loved it.

6. Isla Mujeres, Mexico - I don't think I have seen less then 12 sails on any day out of isla. It can be rough but the boats are usually big and the bite is so consistant that you tend to forget about how rough it really can be. I have been told by many to go in May for the marlin bite. The sails are still available but the water is usually flat and the whites can snap well. Isla also is just a great place to visit. Great food, incredible atmosphere and lots of nitelife.

7. Outer Banks, NC - It's more of a pleasure to fish and chat with the captains and mates then anything else for me. These guys work their tails off in some nasty weather but man do they produce. I often wonder why we travel so far when this offshore mecca is in our backyard. I guess its just the lure of far away places and the unknown. But I don't think I will spend another season without at least visiting the outbanks for a day or two tuna and billfishing.

I would like to visit so many more places but the value of the Venezuela's and Guatemala's keeps luring back to the same place time after time. But if the bank account openned up and the opportunity arose I would hop on a plane for Australia first. Then it would be off to the Canary Islands in April. I have heard the tails of 15 and 20 blue marlin bites a day in the Canaries. That has to be an incredible site.

Lets here it - where have you been and where do you want to go?

[frankypettolina]

If I could only ever fish one place again it would be Venezuela- purely for the variety- My favorite day there we went 5 for 7 on blues, 11 for 17 on sails and 2 for 2 on spears- go figure strung out on a double super slam by whiteys in Venezuela, in the fall. The people are great too. Like Walker Holcomb said to me today- the fish don't know who Chavez is or what he is doing.

2. I love the Winter bite in isla/cancun- my best number day ever was there-- 31 sails in just over 4 hours with only 3 people on the boat- capt, mate and angler. The night life in Cancun is hopping, and El Tacolotes is tasty eats.

3. Costa Rica- flat calm- lots of fish- first class resort in Los Suenos- If I have to stay in a third worldish setting see my first choice.

4. GBR in OZ- only have been there once, but an amazing big fish fishery- getting there sucks though.

5. WPB, FL- Sailfishing can be good, but hell, I am going to the Brass Ring and getting me a pitcher and some wings.

6. I still love fishing in OC- yeah the ride can suck, and so can the fishing, but when it is good, it is as good as anywhere for whites. Several double digit shot days every season, and something about seeing the Ferris wheel and the boardwalk when coming home. I like fishing right in my backyard.

Now for my wish list-

Panama- I want to see what all the hype is about- I will get there some day.

Azores, Madeira or Ascension- I want to see BIG blue ones.

And lastly, I want to spend some time in Charleston SC in my boat, I hear its great, and it is not out of the realm of possibility for me.

[Persistence]

I'm not the world traveler like you guys...I've had a chance to fish the Big Island and Cabo but this was before my "disease" was at the state it is at right now so this was not a serious "fishing" vacation.

Bill and I have talked as myself and 3 friends want to make a trip but of the 4 of us, I am the only one that does not require "nightlife"...at least for this first of hopefully many annual trips. Right now, we are leaning towards Isla as we can have some fun in Cancun after fishing for a couple of days. I hope we make this trip work this Spring...

Funny you mention OBX...I am here this week with my family and I am sitting here wondering why I don't plan a full week here with some fishing friends, a small rental place and a boat or two on the trailer...I have seen it blow here for a full week and yes, it can be tough for a small boat but for sure if we could get in 3-4 days in say late May to early June, it could be epic. We did 3 days straight down here a couple years ago in my friend's 30ft CC and it was great...the fishing, the hanging out, the atmosphere, everything.

Anyway, great thread. I am going to e-mail this to my 3 buds so that they remember we're going somewhere soon. My vote is Venzuela...maybe I can sway them.

Glenn

[Squidnation]

Glenn if you choose isla don't forget to book early, like now. The top boats book up quick. Let me know if you need some numbers

[Double D]

Where else can you find all these within 5 miles of your dock - tarpon, bonefish, permit, sailfish, cobia, grouper, snapper, amberjack, tuna, marlin, sailfish and wahoo






Florida Keys

[Patudo]

Cape Verde is where they are getting the big numbers in April/May. But then it seems to me that there's some really good numbers in Venezuela and St Thomas too.

Brits and other Europeans have been fishing the Canary Islands and to a lesser extent Madeira since the 1960s. Those places are to us like Hawaii is to you.

My favourites of the places I've been to:

1. Cape Verde - Rough to very rough seas, and the port of Mindelo isn't a terribly nice place (one of my friends got mugged while I was there) BUT the fishing is so good that I'll live with it. It's a whole different world when you had two or three blue marlin bites and think you had a crap day. It'll be hard to find dates for April/May 2009 because this fishery has been so exceptional for the last three or four years.

2. La Gomera, Canary Islands - Very very quiet onshore, but that's OK with me. (There's a resort town to the NW that's full of hot German birds soaking up the sun though, or so they tell me .) Some of the best fishing in the Canaries - consistent blue marlin bite with some nice fish in there and you have a good chance of hooking into a big fat bigeye. Only two charter operations but they are both good.

3. Madeira - You may have to wait a long time for the bite but it's almost always worth it. I've had some really special days here. I go there because of my friends more than the fishing but damn there are some big fish here.

4. Algarve coast of Portugal - A difficult fishery technically because you need to match SST to the wealth of bottom structure but when you find a productive zone your chances of getting a bite from a nice blue marlin are very good. Also some good white marlin fishing for a short time in late August early September. Not too many good charter operations though - the great majority of billfish there are caught by privateers.

5. Mauritius - It's been a while since I was there last and the fishery is under pressure (but where isn't) but it's like Kona on the other side of the planet - calm seas in the island lee, FADs, palm trees, beautiful beaches which you can admire while trolling the 500 fathom line and just like Kona they manage to wangle a grander or two out almost every year. I'd really love to run a boat there for a season and fish it hard.

Places I'd love to fish: ... hmm, where do I start

Panama... I like the idea of black marlin and sailfish inshore with blues and big yellowfin offshore. Plus giant dorados.

Galapagos ... Would really like to see some of that unreal striped marlin action. Submarine sized bigeye tuna too

Azores... Got to see how this place stacks up vs Madeira. Have a few friends there and really should visit.

Bom Bom ... Big blue marlin again, just can't stay away from em. The fishing there sounds so good that I'll overcome my aversion to needles and going on malaria medication.

Vanuatu... Good friend of mine runs a boat over there. Great mix of Pacific blue marlin, yellowfin, mahi, wahoo and reef fishing.

I'd also love to visit Bermuda and North Carolina.

Regards

P.

[waynofish]

Would love to get back to Venezuela. Would also like to return to Pinas bay in Panama and spend more time in panama at assorted other locations, though remote, other then Panama City, Panama is probably the most beautiful place I've ever fished.
Not big on deserts but I would also like to get back up to Cabo and spend some time in Mag Bay, this time hopefully on a good year. When I went there it was an off year and I didn't see much difference in fishing there then in Hatteras, actually NC has much better fishing then Cabo did when I visited. Can't beat the meat fishing in NC anywhere.
Of course I gotta include Costa Rica because of all that goes along with it but wish I would spend more time fishing out of places such as Golfito or Flamingo.

[Persistence]

Will do Bill...I'll catch up with my buddies this weekend and see about setting it up.

Thanks

Glenn

[Tunaman40]

I would not mind taking a crack at Great Barrier Reef . After that get me back to the north east canyons

[fishvenezuela]

Venezuela.......Venezuela.......Venezuela!!!!!!!