Cozumel for Xmas

[Fang]

2011 was a very busy year with little time for family. At the beginning of December I still had 13 vacation days to take so my wife decided we would spend the holidays some place warm and started looking through all the last minute deals for an all inclusive. With help from a great travel agent we decided on Cozumel and booked our trip. Now that I knew where I was going, I jumped on the web and started to research what fishing was to be found. The north end of Cozumel is a series of shallow lagoons apparently loaded year round with bonefish with a decent enough shot at also hooking into small tarpon, snook, permit and barracuda. The best information I could find was to search the bonefish and fly fishing forums and search for Cozumel to get other angler reports and feedback. The one guide service that kept coming up with very positive reports and satisfied customers was bonefishcozumel.

 

We landed in Cozumel on the 23rd. I packed my 9.5ft 7 wt fly rod and 2-8ft spinning rods/4000 reel outfits. Lures were limited to a small assortment of minnow baits, spoons, small jigs and an assortment of store bought and hand tied flies. As luck would have it, there was a dive shop in the hotel that highly recommended these guys and told me to search out a particular booking agent who dealt with them. I found Raffeal and booked a 4 hour trip on Monday. Now this was Saturday so I had to kill Sunday as best I could so I headed across the street from the hotel and found a stretch of deep shoreline that I could cast spoons. There were decent sized needlefish (2-3 footers) all over the place but I could not keep any of them on for any more than a minute of 2. They have such bony mouths. I did manage a bunch of these things, something like a big goby, lightening fast out of the rocks and a full set of needle sharp teeth.

 

 

Monday morning could not come fast enough and I met Nacho and his son Alberto in the hotel parking lot at 6 am. We loaded my rods and tackle bag and headed to the north end of the island. It was a 15 minute car ride to the end of the paved road and then another 20 minutes down a wicked pot hole road to get top the docks.

 

Alberto was to be my guide for the day and we loaded up the boat. I reached in my bag and handed Alberto a Bass Pro neck scruff and said "for you". From that moment it was fishing buddies in the boat and we chatted almost all day about salt water fishing, fly fishing and he had many questions about the type of fishing I did back home. Seems he watches the US fishing channels and likes to see shows on salmon and trout fishing. The ride across to the lagoons was a bit rough but we managed without getting too wet.

 

 

My perch for the day. This was a fairly new boat for Alberto and they had as yet not fully converted the front deck. The deck in the nose will be removed and a full casting deck about 3x the size is being worked on for installation mid January.

 

 

We arrive at the lagoon and the cross chop and current is so strong I don't get a chance to take any pictures. My but is glued to the seat as Alberto guns it through an 8 ft wide opening in the coral break. I already have my fly rod rigged with a white/gold Crazy Charlie size 6 and within 100 yards there is a big school of bonefish crossing the sand flat in front of us. Alberto drops the anchor and we slip out of the boat onto the flats. Here's the result of the 4th cast of the day.

 

 

There is no words to describe how powerful these small fish are. The first fish is about a pound or so and pulls me halfway through 100 yards of backing in the first run. I curse myself for getting over confident as I yell to Alberto " Is it always this easy!" After that things get tough, not the fish but my casting, stripping, placement,.... all seemed to be out of whack. The bonefish gods are giving me a hard time.

 

For the next hour or so we see many schools of bonefish but I missed the next 6 fish in a row and was getting pretty discouraged. The winds were up to around 30 kms/hr and it was getting really tough to control the cast and fly placement. Alberto seeing my frustration and a few choice swear words after I miss a fish that was easily approaching the 4 lb mark, goes back to the boat and brings me a cold beer and sandwich. I get the beer and sandwich down and I ask him to start over with me. I'm not sure what did me more good, the cold beer or the 10 minute refressher on the fly rod.

 

Around the corner we see another big school of about 30 fish actively feeding. There's tails everywhere and they're heading straight for us. Alberto says cast 11 oclock - 40 feet and the fly drops in right on target. Strip-Strip, pause and again Alberto reminds me to keep my rod tip in the water when stripping the fly.

 

I get a clear, front row seat to about a half dozen bonefish charging in after the fly. Most important thing I learned is you don't set the hook on bonefish here. You just keep stripping the fly and when they take you hold on.

 

patience rewarded, fish #2

 

Things start falling in place as we see more and more bonefish and I start to get the cast and retrieve down

 

a nicer one that took out 100 yards of backing twice

 

We ended up back at spot number 1 and the school was still there, Fish number 5

 

Fish #5

 

As we leave the lagoon, I see 2 big permit about 10lbs in the channel and Alberto hands me my spinning rod that I rigged with an 3/16 jig and Trigger X shrimp. I get several cast in on them and watch as they react to the shrimp but wouldn't hit. What a rush to see them charge up to the jig in less than a foot of water and then freeze on it. We try for about 15 minutes and switch up different baits and flies but to no avail.

 

One last stop on the way back to the marina added another bonefish on the spinning outfit but also a better fish story.

 

On the very next cast after releasing the bonefish, I have a "baby tarpon' follow the jig right back to the boat. Baby in their terms is anything from 2 lbs to 20. This one was closer to 20. I almost scream like a little girl. Grab my other spin rod with a topwater popper and start casting. After several cast I get a big hit and I'm frozen thinking did I actually catch that tarpon. I can't wind the reel! There's weight on the line but not what I was expecting. Turns out to be a smaller barracuda

 

Now here's the fish story part. I'm still thinking about that tarpon and standing at the front of the boat not paying attention. On a long cast with the popper the water explodes and the line goes tight in an instant. All I can think of is tarpon and I lift the rod high to set the hook - tooooo high!!! I loose my balance on the front of the boat and fall straight back in the water with my camera still in my front shirt pocket. I go right under but still manage to keep the rod tip up and fight the fish. The water is about chest deep here and I throw the camera in the boat to Alberto and turn to keep fighting the fish. Interesting I thought, no jumps but a strong fighter as line keeps peeling off the reel. Alberto is trying to get me back in the boat as I learn later this part of the lagoon has black tip and bull sharks up to 6 ft long.

 

The fish comes up face to face with me and turns out to be a barracuda over 2 ft long with a mouthful of treble hooks. At this point all I can do is grab it behind the head and hold it up so Alberto can flip it into the boat. That takes about 3 seconds and then another 3 seconds for me to get my arse out of that deeper water and back in the boat. Camera dead - no pictures but I don't think I'll ever forget that image of the barracuda face on about 1 ft in front of me with a mouth full of trebles.

 

In the end I think the count was 7-15 in bonefish. 2-2 on barracuda with 1 tarpon and 2 permit sighted. Alberto and I laugh and joke all the way back to the dock. His dad, Nacho see me all wet and Alberto tells him the story in spanish. Nacho laughs and slaps me on the back. Pretty good day for a fly fishing novice. Day 2 was just as good and when I get the disposable camera shots back I'll post up those pics.

 

Alberto gave me his personal email and asked for a few of the pictures and video. If any of you are thinking about a family vacation with fishing send me a note. Cozumel has got to be one of the safest and funnest spots I've been too

[solopaddler]

Fantastic, sounds incredible all around.

 

Quite an ending as well, it would have been a great picture landing that cuda in the water.

[Joey]

What a great report. Sounds like it was really fun for you and you've made a new friend for life

[davey buoy]

Great trip!,one day I will get south and try some salt water fishing as well. Having that good of a time is a bonus.

[Jds63]

beautiful shots thanks for sharing

[tb4me]

Nice report fang! Looks like it was an awesome trip..I enjoyed reading this..Please do post up pics when u get them..

[msp]

Very cool report ! A great story in a great location.

[danbouck]

Awesome Report