Guatemalan Billfish High Season Starts
By: Eric Swenson
Conservation wins as sailfish soar in the 2009 Presidential Challenge tournament finale.
The final round of the 2009 Presidential Challenge of Central America (PCCA)—last November 20-22 in Guatemala—provided the most exciting finish in the tournament’s 13-year history. Several individual and team champions had one-fish victories over their nearest competitor.
The PCCA bills itself as the premier sport fishing circuit of the Americas. It draws top anglers from the Caribbean and the US and enjoys high-level support from Central American governments. The event benefits the Billfish Foundation, a Florida-based organization well regarded in the fishing community for its conservation and research efforts, especially in tagging. As a freelance writer who covers conservation and fishing, I was invited to the tournament finale by the national tourism agency, INGUAT, which presents the PCCA in Guatemala.
Tournaments in Panama, El Salvador, and Costa Rica led to the showdown on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, indisputably the best place in the world to catch sailfish. Several boats out of Puerto Quetzal, where I was headed, catch more than 2,000 sailfish annually, most in the 80-90 lb. range, more than double the average 35-40 lb. Atlantic sailfish. The Pacific sailfish are also more aggressive than their Atlantic counterparts.
Sailfish capital of the world
In 2005, NOAA documented that the worst years of sailfish catches in Guatemalan waters during the previous decade were better than the best years at other North and Central American locations. The best years for Guatemala were far superior, usually exceeding the total catch of all other countries combined.
The numbers are eye-popping. Every significant sailfish catch record, using conventional bait or flies, has been set in Guatemala. Imagine taking 54 sailfish in a single day on flies! That’s what Jim Turner, owner of the Casa Vieja Lodge, did in 2006. The one-day record using bait—124—is held by Ron Hamlin on the Captain Hook. He has also released (28,000+) and tagged (10,000+) more sailfish during his career than any other captain! (Hamlin was at the helm of the Finest Kind for the Ol Salt team in the PCCA finale.)
The week before I left, a boat out of Puerto Quetzal caught 131 sailfish in three days—and that was just the start of the high season. Sailfishing is a year-round sport in Guatemala. Tagging shows the sailfish to be a stable resident population. Catches can peak at any time from October through June, although boats have released more than 40 sailfish in every month of the year.
Guatemala is singularly blessed with sailfish for several reasons. Winds and currents, rather than sea floor topography, play significant roles. Guatemala is devoid of the structures that contribute to good fishing elsewhere. You won’t find deep canyons, reefs, or rock piles there. Slopes are gradual and drop-offs few. You need to go out farther to find deep water than on the coasts of other countries. Off Puerto Quetzal, a 15-mile-wide, shallow underwater canyon called the “Pocket” cuts in from the continental shelf, but it is more a point of reference for location than a reliable place to fish.
A steady current, however, rolls out of Mexico and sweeps down the 150 miles of Guatemala’s coastline, much of which consists of black volcanic sand beaches. (The volcanic rock is thought to add nutrients to the adjacent seas.) That current doubles back upon itself when it meets the current coming up from South America, creating a huge virtual bay rich in bait and pelagic fish off Guatemala.
During the winter, the Tehuano winds roaring out of Mexico and the Papagayo winds originating in Nicaragua result in the strong upwelling of nutrient-rich deep water on either side of Guatemala’s protected flat seas. These fertile waters flow toward Guatemala, attract fish, and bring them high into the water column.
Another important reason for the large numbers of sailfish, however, is that strict conservation measures have been practiced in these waters for a dozen years. It is illegal to possess a sailfish in Guatemala. All catches must be released. Only circle hooks are used, which tend to hook the jaw and not damage the fish. In other Central American countries commercial fisheries target or take billfish as bycatch. Not in Guatemala. Together, these factors make the country the world’s most prolific sailfish breeding and fishing grounds, a conservation success story, and an absolute paradise for anglers.
Angling out of Puerto Quetzal
About 30 charter boats are for hire at Marina Pez Vela, Puerto Quetzal, a relatively small number for such a fine bluewater destination. Seven boats were contending in the final round of the PCCA. By the time I reached the marina on the first day of competition, only the A-Fin-Ity had yet to cast off. I quickly jumped on the Knowles 40 and felt lucky to be aboard. The A-Fin-Ity led in cumulative points. Its owner—Davis Clapp of West Palm Beach and Guatemala—was the top fisherman so far. Another high-point-count angler, Dan Pimental, a burly investment broker from Boston, completed the team.
The two had started out as friendly competitors on ESPN’s catch and release series. Clapp swore that the captain—a Venezuelan everybody called Jaunga—had a sixth sense about finding fish. For his part, Pimental swore that, “If I needed one guy with deadbait to catch a sailfish to save my kids’ lives, it would be Davis Clapp.”
We made our way past a recently built breakwater, then the A-Fin-Ity ran to the “Edge,” the margin of the continental shelf. The bite can occur anywhere from the Edge, about 50 miles out, to as near as three miles from shore. Customary practice when boats find themselves in a good fishing spot is to promptly announce it to other boats, but that’s not the case during a tournament.
As usual in Guatemala, the seas were calm and clear and the skies blue. The International Game Fish Association-certified observer onboard, Larry l’Anson from Portsmouth, Virginia, noted that, “All the fish make Guatemala the easiest place to catch a sailfish, and the calmness makes it the most comfortable. Fishing in the Atlantic or other places in the Pacific can be a whole different story. The older I get, the calmer I like it.”
For much of the distance, we were accompanied by frolicking dolphins. Sometimes they glided alongside the boat, shadowing us effortlessly. Just as we reached our destination, a migrant songbird, a weary Tennessee warbler, alighted on the A-Fin-Ity, seeking respite on its upper berths. Such visits are considered good omens.
A hard-fought contest
Usually four lines are used for sailfishing, but the tournament rules specify three, and they went into the water just after 8:30, the official start time. The A-Fin-Ity used Berkeley 20 lb. test line and circle hooks baited with thawed, local ballyhoos. Each fish was stitched and trussed to hold together through multiple bites. The sailfish in Guatemala are so aggressive, the same fish will return to the bait repeatedly. Some captains use chin weights to put the bait just below the surface. Others like to leave the bait unweighted and skipping across the surface, making it easier for the angler to follow the bait. Three lines with a trio of plastic squid teasers were also in the water, two controlled by the captain and one by the mates.
We trolled for almost two hours before Clapp finally caught a sailfish. It made spectacular jumps and dives, fighting all the way in with one last leap at boat’s edge. A-Fin-Ity hooked another acrobat about an hour later, and that was it for the day. Two fish, then absolutely nada. Poor Pimental got skunked. While such days are exceedingly rare in Guatemala, they can happen, even to the best of anglers and captains.
With 1800 points, Friday’s leader of the Guatemala round was the Decisive, captained by Brad Philipps. (This February, Philipps was honored for the umpteenth time by the Billfish Foundation as the previous year’s top release captain for Pacific sailfish and top overall releases.) The Decisive team struck early and often, catching its first of 13 sailfish before 9 AM and a blue marlin shortly after. The Finest Kind, captained by Ron Hamlin, also caught a marlin and added seven sailfish to claim second. Team Casa Vieja—representing the classy and comfortable fishing lodge and headquarters for the tournament—had a solid opening day, releasing 10 fish for third place.
The second day, Casa Vieja owner Jim Turner pulled in a blue marlin of his own and captured the individual lead. Decisive kept the team lead with another strong day—1400 points—which the A-Fin-Ity matched, rallying strongly from its dismal start.
On Sunday, several races went down to the wire. Casa Vieja turned it up a notch and overtook Decisive early in the afternoon. Turner padded his individual lead. The Ol Salt team, guided by Hamlin, secured third. Clapp had a lock on cumulative individual points. Mike Viveiros, a health consultant from Pennsylvania, took second. Dan Pimental’s solid Saturday and Sunday allowed him to claim third place by 50 points. The A-Fin-Ity needed its fast finish to take the Costa Del Mar Grand Championship by a single fish over Team USA. For Clapp and A-Fin-Ity, 2009 was the third consecutive year taking top overall individual and team honors.
Competing for Conservation
During the Guatemalan round, fishermen released 211 sailfish and three blue marlin. While ribbing, good-natured taunts, and challenges were constants during the tourney’s three days, a shared commitment to conservation, to keeping these waters healthy and productive was also pervasive. Joan Vernon, the event organizer and a pioneering advocate for the circle hook says, “The PCCA is lots of fun with great camaraderie. But the bottom line is that it’s all about dedicated people and conservation.”
When it comes to billfish conservation, Guatemala leads the region. It wasn’t until last year, for instance, that Costa Rica, as enlightened as it is environmentally, adopted regulations even close to what is long-standing practice in Guatemala. Other Central American nations are even further behind.
In addition to their commitment to the fish, the captains and crews have a distinct passion for their work. Capt. Jose “Pinky” Valdez of the Teaser put it succinctly: “I get up in the morning and thank God for every day I have to go to work and my office is the ocean.”
While Casa Vieja’s Jim Turner was clearly pleased to have won the individual and team PCCA championship in the 2009 Guatemala round, he is even prouder of another achievement. Casa Vieja landed a trio of the 2010 Billfish Foundation’s annual tag and release awards. Turner took the 2008-2009 top release angler award for Pacific sailfish. Chris Sheeder was the top captain for Pacific blue marlin, and brother Mike was the top tag captain for Pacific sailfish.
Surprisingly, for such a committed conservationist and passionate angler as Turner, it’s not the fish that appeal to him the most about Guatemala. He says, “Fishing is good lots of places in the world, but in Guatemala there is a unique factor—the people here are so great, humble but proud, so warm and gracious. I’ve never seen such hospitality and service anywhere else.”
Guatemala: the sailfish capital of the world…and a lot more.
Update
Good fishing got even better after the PCCA. Pods finned and sailed all over the place. A group on the Rum Line caught 106 sailfish in one day. One fortunate angler had 150 in four days. Another fulfilled a dream by pulling in two good-sized sailfish on 2 lb. test line. December and January release numbers were steady to spectacular.
The Billfish Foundation’s 2010 Presidential Challenge for Conservation is scheduled for:
Costa Rica March 5-7
Aruba October 20-22
Guatemala November 19-21
Details available at www.preschallenge.com.
SIDEBARS
Beyond sailfish
The variety of fish caught in Guatemala is not as great as found in other Central American locations. You’d better go to Costa Rica or Mexico for your grand slam. But there’s still plenty to catch. Since 2006, blue marlin (mostly in the 300-600 lb. range) and, less frequently, black and striped marlins are showing up more in Guatemala. Capt. Brad Philipps set the release record with 97 blue marlin in 2007. Dorado (mahi-mahi) and yellowfin tuna are abundant. Snapper and grouper are occasional. Inshore, the roosterfishing is great, but who wants to catch a roosterfish when the sailfish are biting?
Fly fishing
The hottest development in Guatemalan sailfishing is the use of flies. Many converts to this method don’t go back to conventional tackle. Catching a sailfish on a fly is harder and more intense and exciting. You get to see the action and the turbulence up front. It requires close teamwork.
Boats are set up for fly fishing with teasers and lures on one side only to leave more room for casting. When a fish is raised, the captain throttles down and reels in the plastic squid on the outrigger while the mates reel in hookless ballyhoo. A mate then spin casts a ballyhoo and teases the fish close to the boat’s stern, reeling in the bait as the angler casts the fly, sometimes close enough to look the fish in the eye. It’s pretty exciting. And that’s all before you set the hook. Get ready for a series of thrills if the fish takes the hook then runs and runs, jumps, dives, and otherwise challenges you to bring it back in.
If you go
Seven established fishing resorts operate in or near Puerto San Jose/Puerto Quetzal. They offer customized packages, and prices vary widely based on your taste, the type of boat, and time of year. For the better resorts, expect to pay $2,500-$3,000 per person for three days of fishing with four people. Summer rates are 20-30% lower. Boat-only prices are $1,450-$1,750 per day.
For luxury, you can’t beat the four two-bedroom villas and two single rooms at Pacific Fins. They offer many amenities in addition to first-rate gourmet food and four boats.
The newest addition to the scene, Club Oh-Si, is the brainchild of perennial PCCA Grand Champion Davis Clapp. He wanted to build a private nightclub catering to anglers that was “unlike anything in Central America or beyond,” and he succeeded. His upscale, 50,000 square feet playground is located 10 miles east of Puerto San Jose. It offers a sports bar, electronic games, card room, pools, sauna, and a disco—a lively place to be when you’re not fishing. Clapp’s boat , the A-fin-ity, is also available for charter.
Other activities
Surfing and hunting (wild ducks and doves; game farm pheasant, quail, and chukars) are year round options. Long black sand beaches are good for exploring on ATVs. The Pacific coast foothills, lowlands, and mangrove swamps have fabulous birding.
Nearby attractions include:
Antigua, the old colonial capital, an enchanting and vibrant city of ruins, fountains, plazas, and markets. Walking its streets is like stepping back in time.
La Reunion, a new, world-class golf course with breathtaking views and extraordinary amenities.
Pacaya, an active volcano rising 8,000 feet, vents frequently and occasionally blows its top. Lava flows and a glowing cone are regular features.
Chichicastenango, Guatemala’s most famous and authentic artisan market.
Montericco and Hawaii, conservation projects for marine turtles and other species.
Photos provided courtesy of Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures. | | |
