Looking for someplace warm to fish this winter? Here are a couple of
suggestions for you;
GUATEMALA
Pez Vela is Spanish for sailfish, but for fisherman, Guatemala means the same
thing. An average of over a dozen sails per boat are released there every day of
the year. That figure doesn’t only apply during the peak season of December into
May. That’s ALL YEAR. Imagine how good it is when things are hot. I’ll tell you
how good. You can expect to raise a minimum of twenty sails per day. How
many you convert is up to you, but typically these fish are voracious, with very
few window shoppers. There have been numerous instances when boats have
released 40 and more fish in a single outing.
It has become THE place to go to for light tackle billfishing. In fact fly fishing for
sails has become so common, that you often see more boats fishing
unbalanced, with only one outrigger down, than with the customary two. Missing
or losing a fish on light gear is less of a concern when you have an expectation
of raising another one in a couple of minutes.
Unlike other destinations where you have to plan on being in the right place at
the right time, in Guatemala there is only one place, and as for the time to be
there, whatever is good for you is most likely good for the fish as well. The boats
are all fast well equipped sportfishermen manned by experienced crews
consisting of a captain and two mates (two are needed to keep up with the
action).
If you’re itching for some red hot sailfish action, Guatemala is the place for you.
COSTA RICA
It’s hard to imagine a better location for anglers interested in escaping the winter
for a couple of days of great shirtsleeve fishing than Costa Rica.
It is by far the most popular fishing destination in Central America. On the west
coast the main attraction is the bill fishing which is excellent all year, possibly
with the exception of October and November, when weather conditions can be a
bit iffy. December through April is the PRIME SEASON in the southern half of
the country, including Quepos, adjacent to the Manuel Antonio National Park,
Drakes Bay, Los Sueños and Golfito/Puerto Jiminez. During this time of the year
the northern part of the country, experiences strong northerly winds, which often
doesn't allow offshore fishing, a problem that doesn't exist in the south. Boats
from all over the country flock to the Quepos area to take advantage of the
exceptional sailfishing that takes place there yearly. In addition there are marlin,
tuna, and dorado as well as inshore species such as roosterfish, snapper,
mackerel, jacks and amberjack available.
Fishing further south, in the Golfito/Puerto Jiminez area, also has excellent
billfishing, however more emphasis is placed on the inshore species like
roosterfish, snapper, jacks and grouper. This is the only part of the country on
the Pacific coast with true “fishing lodges”, although you can also stay in a hotel
and fish on a local charterboat.
As the year progresses the main body of sailfish moves north, with the peak
fishing during April and May being between Cabo Blanco and Cabo Vela Garza
area. Later, from June into September, the better fishing takes place further
north around Tamarindo and Flamingo
Fishing on the east coast is for tarpon and snook, and is concentrated in the
jungle rivers and just outside their mouths in the Caribbean Sea. There are three
main river systems, the Parismina, Tortuguero and the Colorado, which is the
largest river system. Tarpon are available all year, with the best time of year from
January into October, and the best time to catch snook from October into
January. Accessed only by air or boat, accommodations are in modern fishing
lodges offering all the amenities that the visiting angler could think of.
Panama
Panama's Pacific coast is very similar to Costa Rica, except that there are much
fewer angling opportunities. In fact your choices are limited to two different
areas, one to the southeast of the canal and one to the northwest.
Tropic Star Lodge, one of the world's premier fishing lodges is located over one
hundred miles southeast of Panama City. During our winter months the black
marlin fishing there is nothing short of phenomenal. In addition there are all of
the other species associated with the tropical Pacific, only in greater numbers
than anywhere else. The lodge is luxurious, and fishing is done aboard 31'
Bertrams. During the height of the season (December through April) only full
week bookings are accepted, running from Saturday to Saturday. However, if
you want to go during that time of year, you’ll usually have to plan a year or more
in advance, although recently there have been occasional cancellations. From
May through September shorter stays are available, and the lodge is less likely
to be fully booked so far in advance.
In the northwestern part of the country, the action is centered around Coiba
Island and the nearby Hannibal Bank. There are two liveaboard options there
and three land based. The liveaboards only accept full week bookings and tend
to fill up early, while the land based lodges will accept bookings of as little as
three days, with no fixed arrival and departures.
BELIZE
Except for fishermen, and in particular, light tackle anglers and fly fishermen as
well as divers, Belize, once known as British Honduras, is the forgotten part of
Central America. It is located just south of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, to the
east of Guatemala and is the only English speaking country in the region..
It's chief claim to fame is that it has the longest barrier reef in the western
hemisphere, and second in the world only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. This,
along with the fact that over ninety percent of its islands are uninhabitable makes
it a light tackle anglers idea of heaven. From the super clear waters along the
reef, through its myriad clusters of mangrove islands into its jungle rivers, it has
something for everybody.
Want variety? You can expect to catch two dozen different species of fish in a
weeks time, from bonefish, permit and tarpon to wahoo, sailfish, grouper and
snapper. Want to specialize? Get out your ten weight fly rod and try for the
elusive permit, or stalk massive schools of bonefish. How about tarpon? Where
do you prefer to pursue them? In slow moving jungle rivers with the howler
monkeys screaming at you or on wide open flats with your guide slowly bringing
you within casting range? Belize has it all.
Winter is just around the corner, and if you feel the need to spend some time
catching fish without thinking about how many layers of clothing you need, Belize
is just the place for you.

If any of the above appeals to you, check out my website at
http://www.tropicalfishing.com. e-mail me at captaingene@tropicalfishing.com or
give me a call at 631 668 2019 and I’ll set you up with a great fishing trip. The
worst that can happen is we’ll spend a little time BS-ing about fishing.