Winter Fishing in Central America

Looking for someplace warm to fish this winter? Here are a couple of
suggestions for you;


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.


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 most in the 31'
range, 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. From December through April the fishing is
best in the southern half including Quepos, adjacent to the Manuel Antonio
National Park, Drakes Bay and Golfito. 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 Drakes Bay or Golfito areas, also has
excellent billfishing, however more emphasis is placed on the inshore
species like roosterfish, snapper, jacks and grouper. Unlike Quepos, the
accommodations are limited to small lodges, usually situated in the heart of
the jungle.

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 September, 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, and is one of only two land
based operation the country. 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 have
to wait until '07, since the lodge is fully booked for '06. 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 one land based. The liveaboards only accept full week bookings and tend
to fill up early, while the Big Game Club, located on Boca Brava will accept
bookings of as little as three days, with no fixed arrival and departures.


If any of the above appeals to you, check ot my website at
http://www.tropicalfishing.com/tropical.htm, or give me a call, (800 280
5565 or 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.


--
Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventures
http://www.tropicalfishing.com
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 668 2040