Cayo Guillermo fishing information needed

[pit]

hi,

On 15 may 2005, few friends and i, go back to cayo guillermo for one week fishing trip. Does anyone know the answers to the questions.

1. If the cayo guillermo fishing club or the jungle tour rent a small fishing boat ? if we want try to fish under the brigde for snapper.

2. Does someone already catch a tarpon in channel near to the Sol Melia ? and what king of bait sould we use ? (Rapalas, live bait fish (like Mojarra), shimp) ?

3. Does someone know a name of good fishing guide at cayo guillermo ? and how can we reach him.


best regards. :)

Pit

[Wade]

1. You won't be able to rent a boat and motor by itself.

2. Tried but never caught a tarpon so no idea.

3. There is a dive centre at the Melia Cayo Guillermo where you will be able to book fishing trips - off-shore for blue marlin, in the mangrove swamp and channels for barracuda, snapper, and plenty more.

The full moon is around May 21 - may be good time for blue marlin - if you don't try you won't know. :)

BTW, try a search on this forum - plenty of info.

Let us know how you do.

[pit]

Thank's Wade.

[pit]

Hi everybody,

We came back from cayo guillermo, after on week of fishing. We saw lot of fish and we just catch few of them. May is the season of PARGO (Red snapper), All the cuban than we met, fish for 'PARGO'. They fished on the bridge who connecting cayococo to cayoguillermo, they fishing day and nigth, using 4 to 5 hand line and a chunk of fish as bait. The fish was not easy to catch, generaly two fish per fisherman for 10 hour of fishing. Hard, but what a nice fish, generaly aroud 6 to 8 pound, good fighter.

For pepeol who saw tarpon in the channel in front of Sol melia, there no more water in channel, they drain to all the water, may be it's a mousquitos problem.

At the marina for "Deep sea fishing", they also offert a service of fishing guide on a small boat of 18', but we don't try it, the cost for half day is 130 pesos (equal to 130$usd). And if you fish on the bridge, you will see some cuban, come to offert there service as guide, fishing for permit, tarpon, bonefish. The service cost you 80$ plus 20$ for each extra person (No boat, just their knowledge, may be little bit to expensive) So we prefer to discorver the fishing spot by ourself. We rent a car for 230 pesos for five day and we try to different places, it was great. Best time to fish is 06am to 9am and 6pm to 8:30pm. Just before to sun set, you can see lot of activity on water. (Full moon)

We went two time for deep sea fishing, it was great. Lot of "Dorada" (Mahi Mahi or dolphin) (Land on boat 1, missed 5) . May is the good month for this kind of fish. The cost for 4 hour trip is 210 pesos (or $210 usd) including one captain et one professional fisherman.

In conclusion in one week, 1 Dorada (35 lbs), 2 barracuda (10 lbs each), 1 horse eyes jack (9 lbs pounds), 1 Pargo (8 lbs), 30 small Pargos (1 pound each), few garfish
and lot of fun.


Ciao

[pit]

Picture of the bridge

[Wade]

Thanks for the report. That sounds like a pretty good week!

Those are the same prices I've paid in the last couple of years - so much for runaway Cuban inflation :). And 230 pesos for the car! - I saw them for $90 a day 2 years ago.

[reave]

i am going to guillermo in october 2005
last year caught snapper of beach to 5 pounds on bread at high tide ,i am interested in catching barracuda ,bonefish ,tarpon ,cuda this year and i have heard reports of groupa close by ,i am looking for some advice on techniques where to fish lures baits and just about anything else that can help looking forward to reading your replies thanks

[pit]

hi reave,

I hope these informations will help you.

Tackle
=====
Last trip, i bring 3 rods:

1 rod 9 or 10 feet long with 17 lbs test for casting lure (330 feet of line)
1 rod 7 feet with 8 lbs line for catching small fish as bait
1 heavy rod 8 feet with 25 or 30 lbs line test

use clear saltwater mono

Reel: I use saltwater Quatum Blue runner (model 50,60,70)

Lures: Yozuri Cristal minnow 5.25 inch min. (Blue/silver, red head white
flash);
Bomber A-Salt Bomber Lures 6 inch

Jigs: 1 oz Bucktail Jigs (Green and white)

Iron cable 30 lbs min.

hooks: number 14, 8, 2 and number 3/0 (Saltwater hooks)

Skinker: 3/4 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz

Bring Lot of Strong Plastic bags, zip lock and if you can, a minnow tank

polarize sun glass.

English/spanish dictionnary

*** You will find all your tackle at www.cabelas.com (http://www.cabelas.com) (Saltwater section)

Tips

* First thing to do, is getting some shrimps (Camarones) or squid (Calamares) and keep then in the mini frige in your room. You need these bait to catch a small live bait. After that, the big game can start.

* Technique, Casting lures, jigs in the channel or casting live bait in botton. (If you use shrimp or squid, you will only catch small fish)

* Rent a car (350 pesos for 5 days) and go fishing

Spot
====
On the bridge and around the bridge (Get in the water and fish in the deep channel)


Best time to fish
=============
Sunrise and sunset or nigth full moon. (Some fish like snapper are more active during the nigth or low ligth period)