Fishin in Margaritaville

[Fish Hunter]

Have you been able to head south and check out some of the fishing in the Florida, Mexico, Christmas Island, Costa Rica etc? What are your favorite fish to pursue down there?
Got a chance to fish the East Cape of Mexico at Los Barriles. Palmas De Cortez was the resort. Spent 3 days fishing there in Aug '98. We released 3 Marlin, 1 Sailfish. We bagged four 60# yellowfin tuna. Just the Wife and I on that trip. It was a total gas. The guided day trips on a 30' cruiser were about $250/day for the whole boat and crew of two. Bait and tip were extra. We are planning to return and try for Dorado and Roosterfish in addition to Tuna and Marlin. We may look into other areas also. Anyone doing thier own trips in the Sea of Cortez? Pilar what can you tell me about Florida? I have non-fishing family in Fort Meyers area I need to visit.

[Wood Shampoo]

A couple of years back, I had the oppertuinity to go to Panama for a month during the summer and visit my sister and do a little fishing. One day we fished out in the Pacific Ocean for what ever would bite. We were using two poles rigged monster Rapala’s and two handlines out the back of the boat rigged with giant hochies. At the end of the day we had 2 Barracudas and 1beautiful Dorado. The next day we went fishing in the giant lake that the canal runs through for peacock bass. What a blast! We used live minnows with a small split shot. Within two hours we had more fish than we knew what to do with. When we returned to the dock, we were offered by the locals to clean our fish for a nickel apiece. We counter offered with you clean them all, and you can keep half. They were all over that and had them all (about 100 2-10 lbs. Peacock Bass) done in about 15 minutes.

What a Bast!

[Pilar]

Fish hunter, Ft. Myers is in the vicinity of the Everglades. Some killer bass and panfish to be had out that way. Any of the hundreds of water project canals hold fish for a bank fisher. An Airboat will get you back into the bush for a guided boat bass trip.

If you can manage it get down to Islamarada in the Florida Keys. Get on a flats boat charter and chase some Tarpon and/or Bonefish. Lefty Kreigh still guides there and is a 1st class guy to fly fish the backcountry sandflats with. Bonefish are rockets with scales and fins. Sightcasting a shrimp pattern with a steel flyrod is pretty cool. You spot bonefish 'Tailing' while they are on the feed and drop a shrimpfly on them. A 6' Tarpon doing the Michael Jackson moonwalk will stop your heart for a few seconds! It's all C & R.

Don't waste your time on the cattle boat for bottom fish. But you could do any number of charter bluewater gulfstream trips for Dorado, Sails and even Marlin. Islamarada is a saltwater fishers paradise.

Go to John Pennekamp on Key Largo or Looe Key almost down to Key West for some killer snorkeling in the only underwater state parks in the USA. Don't forget Key West and Sloppy Joes bar for a walk home on your lips.

Oh and don't forget the sunblock for that offshore drilling if you get into the nightlife.