Cass Tours Group Trips for 2011

2011 Cass Tours  Group Trips with Cass

Pedasi, Panama - June 1-8, 2011
Join Cass on this great fishing trip to the small village of Pedasi located on the Pacific side of the country also know as the Tuna Coast about a 6 hour drive from Panama City. Fishing here can be fast and furious for billfish, yellowfin tuna, dorado, wahoo, roosterfish, cubera snapper, etc.. Once again we will be staying at the beautiful Villa Marina a quaint little hotel located on the beach at Playa Venado. Our pangas will pick us up each morning directly in front of the hotel just a short walk from your room.
Here is the itinerary that has been put together for you:


June 1st arrive Panama City airport and over night at the Airport Rinande just minutes away.


June 2nd after breakfast depart by private airconditioned bus for Pedasi arriving at the Villa Marina in mid-afternoon.


June 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th will be our fishing days.


June 7th return to Panama City where we will spend the night at the Riande Continental.


June 8th depart for home.


The special package price for this fantastic fishing adventure will be $1675.00 per person based on two persons per room and two persons per panga and will include first and last night lodging in Panama City including daily breakfast, 5 nights at the Villa Marina including breakfast, lunch and dinner, all taxes and all ground transfers while in country. Not include will be tips for bell boys, boat guides and bus driver.


This trip is limited to 14 persons so don't wait as space is limited, for reservations or information (we can arrange airfare to Panama City) you can call us at 800-593 6510or to speak with Cass directly, dial ext. 6.


Christmas Island


June 21-28 & June 28-July 5, 2011 SOLD OUT!


July 5-July 12, 2011 **4 Spots just opened up**

 We have four trips planned this summer that are back to back to Christmas Island June 21 to July 19 that were all sold out but we just had 4 persons cancel out on the third week so if you want to get in on a great fishing adventure then this trip is for you. Join Cass as we journey to Christmas Island (Kiribati Republic) located just north of the equator and southwest of the Hawaiian Islands about 3 hours southwest.



We chose Christmas Island as we wanted to offer a new fishing destination where you can get into "world class" Bonefish on the flats and Giant Trevally on the reefs as well as some great offshore fishing for wahoo, tuna, dorado, sailfish, etc.

The price is right at $2195.00 per person for a one week trip. This will include: seven nights accommodations, meals and six days of guided fishing. The extras will be the airfare to Honolulu, hotel stay in Honolulu (you will need to at spend one night on the front end of the trip) and the airfare from Honolulu to and from Christmas Island. For budgeting purposes the total including all airfares will be in the neighborhood of $3700.00 per person. Not to shabby for everything included and a world class destination.


Let us know if you would like to join Cass, to lock in your spot deposit we will need a $1000.00 deposit with balance due the 60 days before the trip. Remember we only have 4 spots left so act now to get in on the great fishing adventure. For more information check out the website for Christmas Island at www.thevillagesci.com. If you want to talk with Cass you can reach him at 1800-593 6510 ext. 6 or directly on his cell phone 951-415 2505.


Big Fish Round Up, East Cape August 5-9, 2011

Don't miss out on this awesome annual fishing tournament at the beautiful Hotel Palmas de Cortez on Baja's East Cape. This tournament is based on a FUN team format which means you to have fun, catch the biggest fish and win; no IGFA rules just use rod and reel. This year awards will be presented to winning teams in the following categories:


● Biggest over all Yellow Fin Tuna weighed in 1st, 2nd & 3rd places


● Biggest over all Dorado weighed in 1st, 2nd & 3rd place



Fishing packages (including 4 nights/5 days hotel, 3 days fishing,hotel and boat taxes, hotel gratuities and R/T ground transfers) begin at $715.75per person including the $75.00 per person tournament entry fee. In addition, for those to wishing to gamble can enter an optional $50.00 per person jack pot that will pay for the biggest overall Yellow Fin Tuna and Dorado. Dennis, Cass and Chucky invite you to pick your team and join them in this fun fishing tournament, you're sure to have a blast. Only a few spots still remain.

 For further details visit www.bigfishroundup.com




Tuna and Dorado Rumble 
Palmas de Cortez, East Cape
October 12-16, 2011



Pete Gray of Let's Talk Hook Up and Richard "Cassman" Castaneda of Cass Tours have ave put together an exciting, fun filled fishing tournament to be held at Hotel Palmas de Cortez on Baja's East Cape. The format for this tournament is to have fun, catch big fish and win and assortment prizes with only one rule and that is you use rod and reel. With major sponsors jumping on board such as Shimano, Rapala, Aftco and more, there will be some fabulous prizes to be given away.


Here is the itinerary for our tournament:


· Oct. 12, on your arrival at the Cabo Airport you will be met and transferred to the hotel, this evening we will have a hosted welcome cocktail party so that you can meet your fellow anglers, answer questions and sign up for the optional jack pot.


· Oct. 13, tournament fishing day, scales will open a 2:00pm and close at 4:00pm.


· Oct. 14, tournament fishing day, scales will open a 2:00pm and close at 4:00pm.


· Oct. 15, free day to spend any way you like. This evening we will have a hosted cocktail party and presenting of awards and prizes.


· Oct. 16, transfer back to the Cabo Airport for your flight home.


This is an individual tournament where awards and prizes will be given to the individual anglers catching the 5 biggest Yellow Fin Tuna and the 5 biggest Dorado caught over the two days of fishing. For those wanting to enter the optional jackpot the entry fee will be $50.00 with $20.00 going to the biggest tuna and $20.00 to the biggest dorado caught over the two days of the tournament. The remaining $10.00 will be divided by the boat crew(s) catching the biggest tuna and the biggest dorado.We have put together a special package for this tournament depending on the number of anglers sharing a room and boat and will include the round trip ground transfers from the Cabo Airport to Palmas de Cortez, 5 days and 4 nights lodging in a cabana or garden view room, 2 days fishing, $35.00 tournament entry fee, goody bagand tournament t-shirt and hat. Those of you needing assistance with airfarecan contact Cass Tours at 800-593-6510 for reservations.


Sample tournament packages *:


· Two persons in a room with two persons fishing a super panga = $743.00 per person


· Two persons in a room with two persons fishing a standard cruiser = $909.00 per person


· Three persons in a room with three persons fishing a super panga = $543.50 per person


· Three persons in a room with three persons fishing a standard cruiser = $654.50 per person


· Two persons in a room with four persons fishing a standard cruiser = $640.00 per person


*Room and boat upgrades are available, call for details.


**Optional meal plan is available for purchase at $35.00 per person per day plus tax.





Wahoo Rumble, San Jose del Cabo Nov. 11 to 15, 2011

El Presidente Hotel, San Jose del Cabo



Reflecting back to our Wahoo Rumble group trip in Nov. 2010 it had to be our best wahoo fishing in recent years with some boats catching up to 6 per day. Not only was the wahoo bite good the yellow fin tuna bite was as good as well with some fish to 115lbs. being landed. Just about everyone brought home an ice chest filled with wahoo and tuna filets and most of us leaving fish behind for the hotel staff because we just did not have room in our ice chests needless to say the hotel staff was very happy.

 Hopefully 2011 will also bring us the same good fishing, here is what the packages we have put together will include:

 *Round trip airfare from LAX to San Jose del Cabo including all taxes and tourist fees.


*Round trip ground transfers from the airport to the hotel.


*5 days and 4 nights lodging double occupancy in a garden view room including tax.


*All meals and drinks including alcoholic drinks.


*3 days fishing with two anglers per boat.


*Cass Tours hat and t-shirt

 Prices:


$1183.14 for those fishing on a 22' panga


$1213.14 for those fishing on a 23' super panga


$1273.14 for those fishing on a 26' super panga






For further information call us at 800-593 6510 or to speak withCass directly use ext. 6.


**Prices subject availability or change so book early

2010 Big Fish Round Up tournament was a success

Wow! What a tournament.  The Cass Tours/Braid Products 8^th annual Big Fish Round Up was a huge success not only in attendance but in the quality of the fish that were caught. Once again the beautiful and comfortable Hotel Palmas de Cortez was the host hotel for the tournament which was held Aug. 6 to 10, 2010. We had 87 anglers entered in this 3 day tournament fishing on 28 boats. This is a fun tournament with no set rules except that you use rod and reel to catch big fish, either yellow fin tuna or dorado will qualify.


On the evening of the first day of the group arrival we had our hosted cocktail party and meeting in the convention center it gave everyone a chance to meet new friends and renew with old acquaintances. I mentioned at the meeting that I would like to see someone set the mark on the first day on the big tuna and dorado categories that way it would provide for a competitive tournament. Pedro the food and beverage manager made sure the beer and soft drinks were iced down and the margaritas and pina coladas were made to perfection.

The one hard and fast rule that we do have and abide with is that the scales open at 2:00pm and close at 4:00pm each fishing day. No fish can be weighed before or after that time with the exception if a boat is with in the mooring buoys before or at 4:00pm he can still weigh his fish.

On the first day of fishing we opened the scales at 2:00pm and the first boat arrived a few minutes later and dumped a nice tuna on the dock, Jeremy Davis told us the tuna gave him a good fight that lasted about an 1½ hours, we weighed the fish and it tipped the scales at 104.4 pounds, wow what a start for the tuna category. As for the dorado, Marlon Bechtol arrived a short time later and plopped a nice bull dorado onto the dock, it weighed in at 45.6 pounds which also set a nice mark for the first day. As the scales were about to close with only 5 minutes to go the boat El Loco arrived at the dock in stealth mode, giving no indication they had a fish to weigh until a nice big tuna hit the dock. Raymond Kawamata and his team from the Big Island in Hawaii had a real nice tuna to weigh, we all gathered around the scale and when it locked onto the weight the scale read 166.0 pounds which set the mark way up there. I might add that this was the biggest tuna we have ever weighed in this tournament, the previous was a 160 pound fish. The anlger on Raymond’s boat who caught the big tuna was Jochen (Yohan) Madleisky. Wow, what a day.

On day two I noticed from my room a boat arriving at the dock at 1:30pm a half hour before the scales opened, I also noticed the boat was the one that Michael Hanratty was on. A short time later I saw Mike nervously walking on the dock. I arrived at the dock at 1:55pm and Mike pointed to a nice dorado on the dock and said “Cass, this is going to be close to taking the lead”, he further went on to explain that he had caught the fish at 8:30am and was worried that with every passing minute the fish was losing weight from dehydration. We all gathered around the digital scale and weighed the fish, oh no! It weighed 45.3 pounds, Mike let out a yelp, dang! He missed taking the lead by less than 4 ounces.

A little later Richard Schlager’s boat arrived at the dock with a nice bull dorado that looked like it could take the lead, when we weighed it the scale read 45.4 just short of taking the lead but knocking Mike out of second place.  What a day, this is what we like, competition.

On day three, the final day of fishing a lot of fish were hitting the dock and heading for the fillet station or to the Smoke House, almost all were small tuna and dorado and I’m sure guys were filling their ice chests to take fish home. With 20 minutes before the scales closed it looked like Jochen’s tuna was locked in to take the first place tuna category as well a Marlon’s dorado taking the first place dorado. Another boat slid into the dock and all eyes looked down into the cockpit to see a nice tuna laying there, the fish was lifted on to the dock and onto the scale, suspense was in the air, could this tuna knock Jochen out of first place? Oh no! The scale locked in and read 144.7, close but no cigar, the angler was Gregory Stitzinger who was more than happy to take 2^nd place.

I would like to thanks all those that assisted us with this tournament: Chucky Van Wormer of Palmas De Cortez; Bryan Yamane of Daiwa; Dennis Braid of Braid Products; Irene Mata of Playa Grande Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Anna Benzinger of the Hotel Oasis; John Rowe of Friends of Rollo and Dan Hernandez of High Tide Tackle. I would also like to thank the “Committee” without whose help would make my job impossible: Michael Chavira, Jo Barcimo, Jerry Molina, Manuel Salazar, Robert Aguirre and Inkyoo Chang. From the comments I heard about the new committee shirts “no we are not a bowling team” we are a professional tournament committee and that’s the truth.

For more information on this years tournament including the results, photos and more, visit www.bigfishroundup.com.

Okay, if your are planning on joining us next year our dates are Aug. 5 to 9, 2011, do not wait to book your rooms and boats especially if you have a favorite one, call Rauna at 800-593 6510 ext 2 or email at casstours@gmail.com. More information is also at www.bigfishroundup.com.  Let’s make it bigger and better next year, I look forward to seeing you all again………Cass

Fishing Pesca Panama

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a fantastic trip we had to Pesca PanamaMay 13 to 20, 2010 on our Cass Tours/Let's Talk Hook Up trip. We had a total of 14 great guys on the trip with plenty of laughter and fishing tales to share every evening at the Tiki Bar. 
 
On our arrival at Tucomen Airport in Panama City, Starlite Tours met us and provided transfers to the Veneto Hotel where we spent our first night. The following morning we were transported to the small airport for our 6:30am one hour flight to David where we by Jay Gustin owner of Pesca Panama and his staff who assisted us with our baggage and transfers to the floating lodge at Pedregal Marina. Once on board we got our rooms, had breakfast, assigned our boats and then off for our first day of fishing, all this before 9:00am in the morning. We fished the near by islands where we caught wahoo, roosterfish, cubera snapper, jacks, sierra and a couple of yellow fin tuna. While your fishing the lodge will sail to one of the off shore islands where it will spend the night  which cuts the distance and time to the fishing grounds each day.
 
A normal fishing day starts with breakfast at 5:30am with the boats departing at 6:30am returning to the lodge between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. I might mention that the boats are 27' Ocean Master center console boats with twin 140hp four stroke motors making them very fast and manuverable. All boats are equipped with Shimano and Accurate reels and Cal Star fishing rods plus an assortment of lures and terminal tackle so no need to bring any of your own gear if you wish to do so.
 
Our second thru 5th day of fishing saw the boats fishing the islands of Montosa, Jicarron, Coiba and world famous Hannibal Bank. Montusa and Coiba islands provided some outrageous yellow fin tuna fishing with many fish in the 50lb to 100lb class and quite a few to 180lbs. Trolling live bait and casting poppers were very effective methods in catching these the tuna especially casting the poppers with spinning out fits which really amazed some of the anglers that you could catch big tuna on a spinning outfit.  Biggest fish of the trip was an estimated 500lb plus black marlin caught at the Hannibal Bank that was released.
 
The beauty of this trip is if you get tired of catching tuna then there are different specie you can target such as Cubera snapper which by the way there is a huge population of them due to the fact the Pesca Panama releases them. Also in good numbers are wahoo, mullet snapper, roosterfish, blue fin trevally, jack crevelle, horse eyed jacks, huge sierra's and many, many more specie. The feeling I got was not everyone wanted to tackle the big tuna but instead some other less  back breaking specie. I might add that the food and service at the lodge was excellent especially the cevechi and sashimi that we had before dinner each evening.

Over all this was a fabulous trip so we are going to do it again next April 2-9, 2011 so if your interested in joining us call Cass at 800-593 6510 ext 6 for details and prices.

I could go on and on about this trip but instead I will let the following photos tell the story.

Pesca Panama Photo Gallery

Join Cass on the Wahoo Hunt November 11 to 15, 2010

We are often asked, "where is the best place to catch Wahoo?" And our answer is without question the months of October, November until the middle of December are prime months in the San Jose del Cabo area. Most of the action comes from the Gordo Banks, Iman Bank, San Luis Bank and Vinorama areas which are all inside of the Sea of Cortez where some of the finest Wahoo fishing is found. Not only is this prime time for the elusive Wahoo but you can also find excellent numbers of Dorado, Yellow Fin Tuna as well a Blue Marlin, Stripe Marlin and Sailfish. I might also mention that the Gordo Banks last October thru December gave up good numbers of  huge Yellow Fin tuna up to 383lbs on a consistent basis


Our host hotel this year will once again be the beautiful El Presidente Hotel located right on the beach in San Jose del Cabo and we will be fishing with Gordo Banks Pangas out of the new marina at Puerto Los Cabos. The price of this trip is$1089.00* per person and will include 5 days/4 nights double room, 14% hotel tax, all your meals, domestic alcoholic drinks along with soft drinks and water, 3 days panga fishing with two anglers per panga, fish filleting, round trip transfers from the Cabo Airport to the hotel and round trip airfare from LAX to Cabo. This is really a great end of the year trip when the weather is great and the fishing is "Prime Time", and who knows, you might even be lucky enough to catch the ever elusive Wahoooooooooooo!  *This package is based on $270.00 round trip airfare currently offered on Mexicana Airlines and is subject to change with out notice.

Discover Pesca Panama

Known as one of Panama's premier fishing destinations a trip to Pesca Panama will give you the opportunity to fish Coiba Island, Montosa Island, Jicaron Island, Ladrones Island, Contreras Island and of course the one and only world famous Hannibal Bank known for it's huge marlin and cow yellowfin tuna.

The lodge is built on top of motorized barge, it is self contained with spacious air conditioned quarters, lounge and of course a fully stocked "Tiki Bar".  The beauty and the advantage of a floating lodge is that each day it can move you to close proximity of the fishing grounds making for shorter runs and longer fishing days on a daily basis.

The lodge is based out of the Pedregal Marina on the Pacific near the city of David, Panama which is near the Costa Rica border and an hour flight from Panama City. The offshore waters provide some world class fishing for Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, monster Yellow Fin Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo and inshore for huge Cubera Snapper, giant Roosterfish, Snook and a variety of other fish.

Their fleet consists of 27' Ocean Master center console boats powered by twin 140hp four stroke Suzuki outboards that cruise at 30mph, live bait tank, outriggers and are a great fishing platform. The tackle on board consists of Shimano, Accurate and conventional and spinning reels matched with All Star and Shimano rods along with a variety of quality terminal tackle.  So there's no need to bring anything with you if you wish. Those of you that like to fish from kayaks the lodge has them on board for you to use at no charge.

A typical package will included the first and last night in Panama City in a 5 star hotel, all ground transfers, 5 nights at the lodge, 6 days fishing, all meals, soft drinks, water and  beer and quality matched fishing tackle.  For further information pricing or reservation call Cass Tours at 800-593 6510 or casstours@gmail.com.  

Travel Tips

We want to provide you with as much information as possible so that you can plan your trip with ease and have a enjoyable vacation.

Before You Book:
Cass Tours offers vacation and fishing packages from every major airport in the U.S. We can book your entire package or any part of your package (land only, boat only, etc.).
Booking a vacation is easy. You can either phone us (800)593-6510 or (951)371-3511, email us at casstours@gmail.com or book your vacation with Apple Vacations.
Cass Tours offers competitive pricing with no hidden costs or fees.
When you book a fishing or vacation package with us, we now offer travel insurance and services to keep you and your family protected before, during and after your trip. Coverage includes travel cancellation, medical emergencies and loss, theft or damage to your baggage.

Before You Travel:
Documentation: For U.S. citizens - When traveling domestically, you only need to show picture identification. When traveling internationally, all citizens including children and infants, a valid U.S. passport is required. For information on getting a U.S. Passport, please visit the U.S. Department of State website, http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. For Non-U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico, contact the Mexican consulate nearest you to determine what documents are needed to enter Mexico.
Special Requirements for Traveling with Minors: If a child under the age of 18 years on the day of departure is traveling to an international vacation destination with a parent whose last name differs from the last name of the child, proof of parentage is recommended. It is strongly suggested that all children under 18 on the day of departure, traveling with an adult other than a parent, have a notorized letter from the non-accompanying parent(s) stating that they have given consent for the child to leave the country. Additional requirements apply when traveling to specific countries. We regret that we cannot accept unaccompanied minors under 18 on any of our vacation packages. Anyone traveling who has not reached 18 on their departure day will be denied boarding if not accompanied by an adult.
Baggage Requirements: Due to recent changes with the airlines, each airline has there own set of rules regarding baggage allowance for domestic and internation travel. Please contact the airline or visit their website to find out current baggage allowances and for general information regarding your flight.
Carry On Items: The TSA has new regulations for carrying liquid on board planes. Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints. The TSA Rule is "3-1-1" for carry-ons. Passengers may carry any 3 ounce bottle or less, stored in a 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; and only 1 bag per passenger may be placed in screening bin. The one-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring; and the 3 oz. container size is a security measure. This information can change at at time. For more information on the most current carry on regulations, please visit www.tsa.gov.
What To Pack: Pack light. When traveling internationally, you will find the atmosphere and dress is casual with t-shirt and shorts being the uniform of the day. Although casual dress is the standard by day, many resorts have dress code requirements for dinner. In many cases, "casual yet elegant" dress is suggested for women. Men are required to wear long pants (excluding jeans), proper footwear and shirts with collars. Some gourmet restaurants may require men to wear a jacket. We recommend a light windbreaker or sweatshirt for cool mornings and evenings during winter months. We also suggest you bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, camera, film, toiletries, prescription medication, snack food, etc.
Fishing Tackle: The airlines normally allow fisherman to take 1 rod tube and a tackle box in place of 1 checked bag. Please check with the airline for their rules regarding fishing tackle and gear. You may carry on your reels (check www.tsa.gov for the current guidelines regarding fishing reels). We get asked a lot about what tackle our clients should bring, so Cass came up with a general tackle list for Mexico. To view it, click here. For those that don't want to take their own gear, you can rent if from the boat fleet if the tackle is not included in the price of the boat.

On Your Vacation:
Currency, Credit Cards and Traveler's Checks: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and travelers' checks are accepted in most destinations. Most local banks and hotels provide a currency exchange. Don't plan on bringing alot of cash, especially if you're staying at an all-inclusive resort. You may want to bring a small amount of $1 bills to use for tips to show your appreciation for great service.
Being Safe at Your Resort: Traveling to destinations, domestic or foreign is rewarding and exciting. Tourists must be aware, however that potential problems and risks to your personal safety could exist everywhere. Please use the same personal safety precautions and common sense on your vacation that you would at home. Example: apply sunscreen, don't swim alone, avoid display of cash, cameras and other valuables and be especially careful of low railings on hotel balconies. Avoid venturing out alone; beware of dark places and isloated areas...just as you would at home.
Getting From the Airport to Your Hotel/Resort: Most of your packages include prepaid roundtrip ground transporation. You may also rent a car. Taxis are also readily available at the airport.
Drinking the Water in Mexico: Most hotels have their own water purification system, but if in doubt, we recommend purchasing bottled water from the local market or take it down with you. Resorts in Loreto and East Cape do have excellent quality deep well drinking water.
Is English Spoken? Most hotels do have personnel who speak English. Most of the boat guides/captains at least understand some English. Should you need to make a special boat request, it’s recommended you let whoever is in charge of dispersing the boats know what your requests are so it can be translated to the crew.
Tipping: Most of your packages include a 10% hotel gratuity. Although you may leave additional tips if you would like. Boat gratuity is not included. We recommend 10%-20%, which is based on the price of chartering a boat. When fishing on a cruiser, give the captain the tip and he will share it with the deckhand. Tipping should not be based on how many fish you catch, but how hard your guide or crewmembers work to get you the fish and the service that they gave you.
Bringing Back Fish: We recommend a 48 to 60 quart size good quality ice chest. Most airlines have a 50 to 70 lb. weight limit. Take plastic bags with you for bringing your fish home and a roll of duct tape for sealing and securing your ice chest. No ice, frozen fish only.
Calling Home: First, you should check with your cell phone provider to see if they offer service to the area you are traveling. While in Mexico, be advised that collect calls are very expensive compared to the U.S. In most parts of Mexico, you can reach an AT&T English speaking operator by locating phones marked “LATADEL” and dial the access number 95-200-462-4240. Prepaid calling cards for the “LATADEL” phones can be purchased for $5.00 to $10.00 at most hotels or shops and dial 001+area code+number. It costs about $.35 per minute to phone home.

Cassman's trip to Dreams Cancun and Pesca Maya

Mary and I just returned from our annual Cancun trip where we enjoyed a great mini vacation. We flew non-stop from LAX on Alaska Airlines and on arrival were transferred to the Dreams Cancun Resort which is an all-inclusive hotel that includes all your food, drinks and activities at no extra charge. On arrival we had a welcome glass of champagne during check in and escorted to our room which was in the new tower section our room had a balcony with great view of the Caribbean.

The hotel has three restaurants consisting of a steak house, Japanese food and seafood plus a buffet restaurant. We chose the steak house for our first night dinner and had a perfectly prepared rib eye steak dinner. We spent the second day relaxing and doing a little shopping at near by shops and opted for the Japanese restaurant for our second night dinner which by the way made some very good sushi and sashimi.

On the 3rd day I rented a car and Mary and I drove down to the Boca Pila area which is about a 3 hour drive from Cancun, about 45 km past the Maya ruins of Tulom is a flats fishing lodge called Pesca Maya that specializes in fishing for bonefish, permit and baby tarpon. We had been invited to come down to experience and visit the lodge, on our arrival we were met by Jorge the manager who welcomed us and showed us around. We checked into our room and had arrived in time for happy hour along with some very good chicken wings for appetizers. We met a great group of fly fishermen from the New England area who told us that they had been fishing for a few days and had good catches of bonefish and baby tarpon which usually average about 10lbs to 20lbs. We all enjoyed a nice chicken and mole (dark chocolate sauce) dinner, after dinner the New England boys invited me to play a game of Texas Holdem which left me $20.00 poorer.

The following morning after a great breakfast we met our guide and boarded our flats boat for a half day of fishing which I might mention is the first time the either Mary or I have ever fished on the flats. Having never caught a bonefish we wanted to target them, using light spinning outfits we tossed small lead head jigs with plastic tails which attracted small jacks and small barracuda. After a couple of hours with no bonefish our guide suggested we catch some crab for bait, he motored over to a beach and took off on foot looking for bait. He returned about 15 minutes later with a bunch of hermit crabs at which time we proceeded to a location called Punta Allen where Mary and I each caught two bonefish each. Our guide suggested we troll around the reef for a while before calling it a day so I put on a small rapala and after a few minutes caught a nice 8lb Atlantic barracuda, boy do they have a mouth full of jagged teeth. We said our good byes to Jorge and his staff early that afternoon and drove back to Cancun, while in route all Mary and I talked about for dinner was that rib steak we had the first night.

Needless to say after a shower and cocktails we headed down to the steak house and once again had a perfectly prepared rib eye steak with all the trimmings. I might add that entire staff at the hotel is service orientated and practice service with a smile, our waiter Francisco was great and you knew that he really enjoyed his job.

The following morning was our last day and I had pre-arranged to go fishing with the El Cid Marina sport fishingfleet, Mary looked out our window and saw that the wind was whipping up the sea so she opted out of fishing with me. I drove over to the marina where Armando Guiterrez the Harbor Master was waiting for me he had reserved the 28' Californian sport fisher "Pescadora" skippered by Capt. Elias. Elias recommended we try fishing for bottom fish, those of you that have fished with me in the past know that I really like to yo-yo iron so I agreed. We took a ½ hour ride to an area outside the barrier reef in about 60' of water, I had brought along a few Daiwa Sacrifice butterfly lures and commenced to yo-yo. It wasn't long before I got bit and immediately got bit off which the deckhand quickly remarked "barracuda". I retied and soon there after again got bit off at which time the deck hand put a short leader of wire on my lure. I managed to boat a couple of small pargo (red snapper) and while reeling in the third pargo I noticed a dark object following it, as it got closer I notice it was about a 30lb Atlantic barracuda which quickly attacked and stole my fish. I subsequently caught a 10lb barracuda and a small reef shark, not bad fishing for just a 4 hour charter? The crew was really happy that I would not be taking any of the fish with me as I was leaving that day and had not brought an ice chest with me, they were smiling from ear to ear as I headed up the gang way.

If you really want to take the family on a great affordable vacation then Cancun, Riviera Maya or the Mayan Riviera is the place to take them, the coast stretches for miles and miles with most of the hotels offering the all inclusive plan. Some cater to families and some are adult only with all offering beautiful swimming pools, white sand beaches and activities for everyone. As for the fishing the prime months are April, May and June where you can expect to catch marlin, sailfish, dorado, yellow fin and black fin tuna, wahoo and king mackerel. Fishing during the rest of the year will produce king mackerel, barracuda, sierra, pargo and jacks.

If you are interested in flats fishing a trip to Pesca Maya would be a great choice not only for the abundance of fish but also the lodge, the location, great food, pristine secluded beaches and great fishing platforms.

Call my daughters or myself at 800-593 6510 for further information or reservations, Cass.