Fishing Trip to Mexico

Jumping white marlin

At the end of June the wife and I went on a vacation to the Yucatan.  While there I booked a shared charter with Captain Rick's in Puerto Aventuras, about an hour south of Cancun.

I have fished with Captain Rick's several times and have had all good experiences.  I think their boats and crew are better experienced and more professional than some of the other outfits I have booked with and their pricing is competitive.  I will recommend Captain Rick's if you want to fish off the coast of the Riviera Maya.  

Capt. Daniel, Gabriel and Nestor

Puerto Aventuras is a Marina area surrounded by condos and resorts and located about half way between the town of Playa del Carmen and the snorkeling mecca of Akumal.  There are shops including a small grocery store, scuba and snorkel operators, fishing charters, restaurants and bars, and a large lagoon area with manatees, sea lions and dolphin shows.  Once when visiting a nearby resort that was too crowded for us, we spent most of the week adjacent to the dolphin area getting to know the owners of a local bar/restaurant, watching football on the TV's, and dining on the catch they cooked for us when we went out fishing.

In the past I have had several "firsts" with Captain Rick's.  My first barracuda, mahi mahi (dorado), snapper and several other bottom fish, too.

Lacey began the fight with
a white marlin

This trip I did not catch a first personally, but getting a marlin in the boat was still a first.

We had four people in the boat; Casey and Lacey, a young married couple from Texas, Carlos from Canada was on a fishing vacation that his wife booked for him, and myself.  Plus Captain Daniel and the two mates Gabriel and Nestor.

It was agreed at the start that Lacey would have first go at the reel.  About an hour into the morning and trolling ballyhoo a reel began to scream and Lacy was quickly ushered into one of the fighting chairs at the back of the boat.  A white marlin was on the line.

And Casey finished it

Lacey was game, but also a bit green.  She fought hard for about 20 minutes but tired arms called for her husband Casey to take over.  He also fought for about 20 minutes as the fish made several spectacular leaps and tail walked a few times.  Several times he got near the boat only to peel out more line in a steady run.   Eventually the fish was brought to the boat, quickly photographed, and successfully released.

Lacey and Casey with their white marlin

After the excitement of catching the marlin we quickly returned to fishing.  Before the deckhands could even get all the lines back out there was another bite.  I took the next reel and about the time I got settled into a chair there was another bite on.  Carlos grabbed the second and together we reeled in two mahi mahi, or dorado.  Beautiful fish with gleaming colors flashing as they ran back and forth behind the boat.

Carlos with a nice mahi-mahi

Sufficiently excited we continued the search for bill fish for a few more hours but failed to find one.  Still, it was a good day and the first marlin brought to a boat I chartered on.  When we returned later we learned that no other boat that day had caught a marlin and almost everyone had ended up bottom fishing most of the day just to catch anything.

I feel fortunate to have been there and witnessed a marlin catch.  It was just as exciting to watch as it was tiring for Casey and Lacey to reel in.  Both were shaking with adrenaline when it was over.  Next time, maybe it will be my time.

On the same trip, I also fished a few days later with Maroma Sportfishing.  We fished hard trolling for three hours, but finally gave it up and started bottom fishing.  No snapper this time, just one small 'cuda and a mess of trigger fish.