# Tarpon Fishing in Veracruz



## Jake Reaves (Oct 1, 2004)

Anyone on here ever fished in Veracruz or Tampico?? Wondering what the season is down there? Anyone ever drove there with a boat?-Jake


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

Veracruz has some good fishing in May. That is usually when they schedule their tournament.


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## Jake Reaves (Oct 1, 2004)

Yeah...thats what I hear...Thought that they might have a early or later season than us...doesnt look like it...May and June are supposedly there best months...Trying to figure out something different to do next year...try and get out of Texas...Maybe florida...do the Boca Grande deal...-Jake


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

I think the new Mexican hotspot is Isla Holbox on the northern tip of the Yucatan.

If you're looking to drive, though, it would be pretty easy to get to Poza Rica. I've talked to several people over the past year or so that were disappointed with Veracruz. I travelled down through there a number of times selling rafting equipment and on the way to Costa Rica, and saw pictures of lots of dead tarpon on cafe walls. I think the name of the historic tarpon spot there is Tecolutla near Poza Rica. The only thing I ever saw there myself was a guy in the river at Tampico with a snook about 4 feet long. In a town called Soto la Marina I talked to a guy for a while about tarpon and he acted like you could catch them there in July/August, but I think he was selling a trip more than anything. From what I saw down there, it's about the same as it is here--hit and miss. Of course, the season is extended because of the warmer temps.

They call that stretch through there the Costa Esmerelda, and it is pretty. The water is green like you would expect, but still it's pretty. I think you can get a boat and guide for $60 a half day.

Flying to Costa Rica I was always fascinated by that reef right off the coast of Merida--the Alacran Reef. Seems like that would be a great spot.

Next time I fly somewhere to tarpon fish it will be either Florida or Costa Rica again. Boca Grande sounds like fun, but I could do without the crowding I've heard about. I had a heck of a trip up the San Juan into Nicaragua one time to a place called El Castillo. This is where that guy Phillipe fishes some that writes long posts occasionally begging people to come. I rented a boat for $25--for the day--we drove out into the San Juan about 40 yards, and hooked two monster tarpon in about 15 minutes. I was casting a little rod with a 2 ounce jig on it and my buddy (a Venezuelan guy) was using a handline. I never had a bite and don't know what I would've done if I had with 20# tackle in a river 50 yards wide and 200 miles long with a rapid just below us. The second fish he jumped he brought to the boat and I released it--maybe 150 or 160#. This is the fish that almost took my arm off with a pair of pliers I had put a steel keeper on and around my wrist. They were using about 50 yards of 200# mono, and just whipped those fish, never letting out any slack. It was exciting and fun, and then it started to rain and kept it up for two days until I had to go home. Going home down that swollen river was an experience in itself. That whole town reeked of fish, and all it exists on is fat snook. They salt and dry it in their homes in a special room, and a huge barge comes along, loads it up, and pays them off. 

You should go to Veracruz and see what it's about. At the very least you will have an adventure somebody didn't hand to you off the shelf. Those kind aren't usually that successful, but when they are, they are very fulfilling. 

The other option down there is just going to Rio Colorado in CR. I used to fish out of Casa Mar Lodge a bunch when Bill Barnes was alive. There are two guys that freelance out of that area--Eddy Brown and Guinder Clark. They are both tarpon fanatics, and I've caught a lot of tarpon with Eddy over the years. I fished out of Parismina and Tortugero some, too, and if you have an active guide, it doesn't matter--he'll take you anywhere up and down the coast that the fish are--including Nicaragua.

October was my favorite month to fish down there. It rains a lot, but the ocean goes flat like blue syrup, and you can see tarpon rolling for a mile or more. It's the easiest time to get out of the river mouths, too. The rivers there run into the ocean and create horrific rips and dangerous currents, so if there is a heavy river flow and some tidal action, it's impossible to get out. You can fish the river and catch fish (usually bigger fish, too), but getting outside means big schools of happy fish. If you can imagine Pass Cavallo as a huge flowing river with good swells coming in from the ocean, it is similar to that, and boats do overturn occasionally in the bocas. 

There's not much like seeing a football field area of tarpon rolling and casting a coasthawk into them in the bluest ocean you can imagine. You don't even have to cast. I usually just dropped mine straight down while clients were casting into the fish, and I hooked more fish just doing that. 

So many times I don't remember a specific one, I've seen tarpon jumping with jigs in their mouths and guys just watching them, not realizing it was their jig. We used to use all different colors of coasthawks for this reason--so you could tell which guy to reel, reel, reel! They get picked up as they drop, and you don't feel it until you see your orange and black or red and white jig come out of the water on the side of the face of a 75# fish. 

I like tarpon fishing. Can you tell?


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

Dude, you are giving me tarpon envy...good story.


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

Tarpon envy? 

I'm one of the founding members of the TTE Club. That's Texas Tarpon Envy. 

Costa Rica tarpon are easy--there's a million of 'em. You guys that are catching them here are out of my league at this point. 

Thanks!


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

I've been to Costa Rica and I think the best lodge down there on the East Coast is the Rio Parismina Lodge. Not to be confused with the other similar named places. Good boats. It has its own compound isolated from the town and is owned and run by a family from San Antonio. Can't beat the Texas Hospitality. If you're gonna fish the ocean areas, go to Rio Parismina Lodge. I intend on booking a trip with Phillipe soon. I'll give a full report, pictures and video if I go do that. It may be six months or so before I get that pulled off.... but I'm probably going to try.


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

I used to know Judy at Rio Parismina Lodge. She's a nice lady, it's a nice lodge, and they do catch a lot of fish.

When I lived in Turrialba, Parismina was the closest place for me to fish. I used to pay a guy $5 to ferry me down the Pacuare and up to Parismina from Freeman (Dole banana plantation). I fished Parismina quite a bit and caught a lot of fish there, but the Colorado system is bigger and gives more diversity as far as locations go. If the ocean is too rough to get out of Parismina, you can try for the little tarpon at Juloba, fish for snook, guapote, mojarra, etc. At Colorado, there are big tarpon in the river heading up to the San Juan, and I like that option a lot. Of course, fishing the Parismina river mouth at night is probably one of the most exciting things you can do. Take 3# hunk of tarpon and drift it out into the mouth on a big bottom rig...and hold on. Bull sharks there get up around 500 pounds. You can also drift Rapalas out in the current for tarpon. Fighting a good size tarpon from the beach is pretty challenging. Anyway, I like Colorado a little better because if it is too rough outside, the big river tarpon give you more options.

I really suggest the freelance guys. You can do it a lot cheaper as they will put you up in nice hotels (not lodges) in the areas closest to where the fish are at the moment. So, if fish are at Tortugero, you stay there. They move constantly, and using the freelance guys just allows you to move with them.

Lodging out of Colorado when the fish are at Moin is a long boat ride four times a day, and with the cost of fuel, lodges are reluctant to make those drives.

Scott: The Nicaragua deal. I don't know Philippe. I met a guy named Martin that ran a deal out of Cano ***** called NO FRILLS FISHING. I do not remember him having a great reputation, but I only met him once and never fished with him. I fished in Cano ***** (where it's not prohibited), Lake Nicaragua, and down to the Rio Sabalo on my own without much success. Castillo, though, about half way to the Carribean, has tons of big fish at different times of the year. And I mean big fish. Small fish up there weight 100+.

The newest place is at one of my favorite places--Manzanillo down by Panama. Jim Debardinis from Montana runs that place. I think it is Manzanillo Tarpon Expeditions: www.tarponville.com

He's a great guy, and tarpon come right to the beach there when the sardines are in.


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