chinarider
03-28-2003, 01:19 PM
Hey All - Just got back from Playa Del Carmen, South of Cancun.
Spent 2 half-days fishing with Captain Rick's Charters out of Puerto Adventuras (sp?) below Playa - Can't recommend them enough - By far the classiest outfit I've ever had in mexico, including Cabo.
Normally, I'm used to spending 2 hours to get to the Gulf Stream off the outer banks of NC before a bait hits the water - In Cabo San Lucas, we spent about 20 minutes to get to the fishing grounds - But here, the boat slows to a troll and the baits hit the water as soon as the boat has cleared the Jetty - Amazing! We were never more than a mile from shore!
We'll start with the Bad day - I rented a 34' for our group (4 of us)for $350 USD, and although it was a great day, we didn't raise a thing - Had one drive-by that clipped the ballyhoo in half. We did stop to dive in a little lagoon and I swam with a sea turtle - Amazing - It was even tagged, so it makes me feel like someone is really looking out for these creatures.
Two days before I booked a shared trip to split with 5 other anglers on a 31' boat for $87.50 USD - None of the others had ever been offshore fishing before, so I said that I would go last, and all of them could figure out their order before me - Got a bit of fishing Kharma out of that one as you will soon see.
In the first 1/2 hour, we hooked 2 Sails - The first did an amazing leap a hundred hards off the stern and threw the hook - the second, there was a gear problem and the line split. Both of these were still fun for the newbies.
Another 1/2 hour, nothing - Then Bam, One guy gets a Bonito, another gets a King, and my turn comes up again.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/49561386.jpg
Another Bonito, which I gave to the crew for bait on their next trip.
1 minute left on my fifteen-minute turn, and FISH ON! This one was big, and it turned out to be a Wahoo - My very first! By the way, I'm 6'5" to give you a sense of proportion.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/09001486.jpg
My left hand ached and I got a blister on my thumb (Must have been doing something wrong) but I got a sweet fish.
After that, nothing much happened until one of the newbies hooked into something we thought was BIG - The line kept going and going and going. As it got close to the boat, we realized it wasn't that big - And up comes a small football-sized blackfin tuna with the tail missing - I presume a shark was on the line for a while and that is what was taking out line, but who knows what it was!
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/31591386.jpg
All in All, a great day.
Now, Back to Oregon and thoughts of the first springer of the year on my tag!
Adios!
Tomas
Spent 2 half-days fishing with Captain Rick's Charters out of Puerto Adventuras (sp?) below Playa - Can't recommend them enough - By far the classiest outfit I've ever had in mexico, including Cabo.
Normally, I'm used to spending 2 hours to get to the Gulf Stream off the outer banks of NC before a bait hits the water - In Cabo San Lucas, we spent about 20 minutes to get to the fishing grounds - But here, the boat slows to a troll and the baits hit the water as soon as the boat has cleared the Jetty - Amazing! We were never more than a mile from shore!
We'll start with the Bad day - I rented a 34' for our group (4 of us)for $350 USD, and although it was a great day, we didn't raise a thing - Had one drive-by that clipped the ballyhoo in half. We did stop to dive in a little lagoon and I swam with a sea turtle - Amazing - It was even tagged, so it makes me feel like someone is really looking out for these creatures.
Two days before I booked a shared trip to split with 5 other anglers on a 31' boat for $87.50 USD - None of the others had ever been offshore fishing before, so I said that I would go last, and all of them could figure out their order before me - Got a bit of fishing Kharma out of that one as you will soon see.
In the first 1/2 hour, we hooked 2 Sails - The first did an amazing leap a hundred hards off the stern and threw the hook - the second, there was a gear problem and the line split. Both of these were still fun for the newbies.
Another 1/2 hour, nothing - Then Bam, One guy gets a Bonito, another gets a King, and my turn comes up again.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/49561386.jpg
Another Bonito, which I gave to the crew for bait on their next trip.
1 minute left on my fifteen-minute turn, and FISH ON! This one was big, and it turned out to be a Wahoo - My very first! By the way, I'm 6'5" to give you a sense of proportion.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/09001486.jpg
My left hand ached and I got a blister on my thumb (Must have been doing something wrong) but I got a sweet fish.
After that, nothing much happened until one of the newbies hooked into something we thought was BIG - The line kept going and going and going. As it got close to the boat, we realized it wasn't that big - And up comes a small football-sized blackfin tuna with the tail missing - I presume a shark was on the line for a while and that is what was taking out line, but who knows what it was!
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/31591386.jpg
All in All, a great day.
Now, Back to Oregon and thoughts of the first springer of the year on my tag!
Adios!
Tomas