# In the Yucatan with Jose Wejebe



## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

Sorry for the late post, but I've been incredibly busy the past 2 weeks.

Well our annual trip to Boca Paila is over and we had some good times and general overall fun. This trip was special because Jose Wejebe came along with us and brought a film crew (Mikey and Wes) and filmed a show.

Of course, as is often the case when you have a special guest, the weather turned lousy. We had heavy rains and very heavy winds all week. In fact, the sun only came out for a couple of hours thursday afternoon. The water was very high, very fresh, and very muddy. Probably the worst conditions I've ever seen or heard about at Boca Paila.

Naturally, fishing was off - but it got a little better as the week went on - or maybe we just eliminated all the bad water.

The trip started off with a bang when fellow 2cooler, Cru (his first trip to Boca) nailed a baby tarpon on topwater early on the first morning. Things went downhill from there. Water was too murky for sight-casting in most areas, so we were reduced to thowing wiggle jigs tipped with sand crab or gulp for the bonefish and permit. It was slow, but we did get a few here and there. Permit were scarce.

With the heavy winds, fishing the mouth of the Boca for snook was tough (2-4' waves crashing into us), but we scratched out a few snook each evening. Nailed a couple of tarpon one night to boot. 

The bright spot was the snook. With all the fresh water, snook fishing still held up - although it took a couple of days to figure out the pattern. Billy Meeks got a nice 20 lb snook wading one night on a MirrOlure. 

The best day for me was Saturday. We found that were better in the morning at the Boca than the evening and that morning I banged 10 quick snook from 3-10lbs in about 90 minutes. Then it was time for bonefish and permit. Got very lucky and nailed 2 very nice permit within the next hour and started trying for bonefish. They just weren't anywhere! I guess all the fresh water pushed them offshore to the reef. Anyway, after another 2 hours and a very patient guide, I did manage ONE very nice bonefish (for the area) at around 5lbs. That gave me the slam, so the rest of the day was spent in search of tarpon for the super slam.

One a tip from a couple of buddies, we went to the mouth of a small channel where they had caught two tarpon and several snook an hour earlier. As soon as we poled up it was on! Jumped and lost two small tarpon and then proceeded to nail snook after snook after snook. In less than 3 hours I CAUGHT and released 30 snook! All from 3-10lbs, with one fish around 12lbs. Also jumped FIVE more tarpon but never landed any - I found new ways to lose tarpon, including having the handle of my Chronarch come off on a fish that was cleared spent and ready to be lipped - just couldn't get it the last 5 feet within reach. Very frustrating. However, how can you complain about a day with a big bonefish, two nice permit (largest about 15lbs), and 40 snook! 

Ended up catching one more snook at the Boca at dusk for a total of 41 snook for the day.

We had 3 or 4 grand slams for the week.

The trip was fun and the lodge and staff were great as usual, but there was a bad side too! My usual fishing buddy, Pat Collis, had to cancel a few weeks before due to personal issue (looks like wife #3 is going to be gone soon) and fellow 2cooler "BocaPaila" had his wife and MIL involved in a terrible accident a few days before the trip. Very bad: broken backs, legs, collarbones, and internal injuries. His MIL is still in very critical condition and probably won't make it. 

Due the to cancellations, I invited Jose Wejebe to join us and he is absolutely wonderful! He is a genuine, regular guy - down to earth and very funny. His show personna is very much who he is in real life. Ditto for Mikey and Wes. We had a lot of fun with him and laughed so hard many times at dinner that we could hardly breathe! It really made the trip. Jose waded with us at the Boca and landed a couple of nice snook and finally - finally - had a good day and got some footage for a show to air this spring. I'm sure he's had better fishing, but I bet he never experienced the humor and pranks from some good ol' Texas boys like he did this trip! He is also an avid kite-surfing and was able to catch some serious air because of the high winds.

Anyway, that's the abbreviated version of the trip. Unfortunately, I lost the film with most of the good pictures, but I still have a few to post.


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*Boca Pictures*

1. Cru's tarpon on topwater
2. Cru's first ever bonefish
3. Filming with Jose
4. Mikey catching air
5. Jose catching air
6. Mikey catching serious air - he's 15-20' in the air!


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*More pics*

1. Cru's first ever permit (palometta species)
2. Jose and yours truly
3. Nice permit in the pouring rain
4. Chunky bonefish, one of the few
5. One of the 41 snook on Saturday - 30 in the mouth of the channel behind me. Don't know how many I lost or didn't get the hooks into - probably another dozen. This was about the average size.
6. Big permit on red MirrOLure in the surf just before I had to leave for the airport - that's right, permit on MirrOLure!


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*Still more pics*

1. Small tarpon during the only sunshine of the whole trip!
2. Bad pic of a good snook
3. Can you spot the bonefish? Murky water!
4. Permit Video
5. Tarpon Video
6. Me and Jose clowning around


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## Aggieangler (May 28, 2004)

Looks like an Awesome trip to me John!


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*let's try the pics again*

1. Small tarpon during the only sunshine of the whole trip!
2. Bad pic of a good snook
3. Can you spot the bonefish? Murky water!


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## rtoler (Apr 9, 2006)

*Wow!*

What a post, what a trip, thanks for all the pics and detail! Sounds like you guys had a blast fishing with Jose. I make a special effort in watching his shows every Friday night and have often thought he would be fun to fish with.


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## sneekypete (Jan 11, 2005)

I had the chance to fish 2 day's with Jose Wejebe about 10 years ago.A friend of mine since high school won an all expense paid trip to the florida keys to fish 2 day's with Jose.Yozuri was the sponsor that gave the trip away.We had a great trip and caught some good fish...


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## Cru (May 24, 2004)

*Great Report*

Glad I was able to make it this year. Boca Paila is truly a special place and having Jose there topped it off.:cheers:


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## fishtruck (Aug 9, 2004)

Love that Boca, got skunked last time there but was only fishing for about an hour and at noon with the fam and friends. The wind sure can blow there when it wants. The road to the puente is getting to be too good hope it is not covered up with people soon. Great trip you had congrats!!!
Rob C


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## chrisnitro (Apr 24, 2005)

Jose is my idol!!! I love his show!! Sounds like a good time...Nice pics


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## Backwash (Oct 22, 2004)

*Pics*

WTG Greg, aka "Cru". I was wondering if I'd ever see the pics, see you tomorrow at work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

Nice report and pics John! I'm glad the Texas boys made the best of the weather and conditions to grind out a good trip. I was looking forward to your report from Boca and you didn't disapoint! (Good pic of you and JW too!)


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Awesome......


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## spitfire (Jan 2, 2007)

*Legend!*

Jose is a legend!


chrisnitro said:


> Jose is my idol!!! I love his show!! Sounds like a good time...Nice pics


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## CaseyS (Nov 24, 2004)

*Jose Wejebe*

Good dude, I had some cool ones with him one time at Sharky's in Port A.

Looks like you had a good trip despite the weather.


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## Hal01 (Jul 18, 2005)

On right now ESPN.


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## Hughoo222 (Aug 24, 2005)

Snooky Snooky....Nice job! Hows the road from Tulum?


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

I just saw the show on ESPN 30 minutes ago.......I loved the snook fishing from the beach.


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## Bonito (Nov 17, 2008)

Several Grand Slams. Great trip! I'm jealous. Looks like Jose put on a little weight, Bro !


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

Mmmm mmmm, I think Jose looked pretty darn good! :smile:


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## Crispito (Aug 30, 2005)

Incredible detail ! Numerous times I felt I was right there fishing with you guys! Great story and even better pictures! 

Tight Lines & Gig'Em
Cm3


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## FishinHippie (Jun 19, 2005)

I saw it!! Cool episode!

wow was that some brown water...


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