WOW, WHAT A WEEK.....323 BILLFISH RELEASED IN 7 DAYS!!

LANE / STRAKE / CARR GROUP, 125 RELEASES!

Rick Carr, Hill Dishman, Dean Lane and Trey Strake

January 23rd and 24th we fished the above group hosted by HD, good to see Dean Lane and Trey Strake back down here, bringing with them Rick Carr for his first taste of Guatemalan bill fishing. What an introduction as well, and now, ruined for life.....!!! Bit of an ENE blow our first day out and the day started steady, the further we pushed off shore the better it seemed to get and at around the time we were getting ready to cook lunch the bite just went off. No time for lunch with double after double and the odd triple header thrown in. When the dust settled at 3:30pm we had gone through 135 baits!! The official count for the day was 109 sailfish raised, 102 bites and 69 releases. Awesome day right there with some crazy sights witnessed by us all, lit up and aggressive as all heck sailfish biting hard!

Awesome shot from Dean

The next day out we got into more of the same with consistent action though less multiples coming into the spread and finished with 106 sails raised of which 93 did bite and we released 56. A few more sancocho's today though all in all the guys fished real well with the 2 day total ending up at 125 releases....Only in Guatemala!!

What a great couple of days on the water with some incredible teaser bites and some unbelievably lit up sailfish.

Sñr DISHMAN, 42 RELEASES

With his famous beer bottle teaser...

January 25th Hill stayed on for an extra day to get into this bite. The fish were moving a steady rate offshore and getting nearer the edge at the 40NM mark and it took a while to get onto them though we found them out there and they were biting. It was an exceptional day with the conditions back to normal, flat seas, deep blue water with incredible visibility and the sailfish were lit up, coming into the spread with pecks and tails neon blue.

Lit up!!
On several occasions today we had 2 fish all lit up competing over one teaser, coming in hot. The last time it happened we had 2 sails on the bridge teaser, we hooked them both, while making the turn we had another fish on the rigger and another sail on the inside short teaser as it was being cleared, then a striped marlin came in hot, muscling the sailfish out of the way to the teaser, big pecks and tail lit up electric! The stripey overshot the pitched bait and the sail ate it, with nothing on offer it it didn't hang around for long though what a sight. We ended the day with 71 sailfish in the spread and released 42 from 58 bites. Good fishing!!

SISSA GROUP 156 SAILFISH RELEASES!

Brendon O'Brien, Grant Salsman, Nick Sissa and David Collard

January 26th through the 29th we hosted the above group for their first taste of Guatemala and 4 days of fishing. It is hard not to head back to a day of 71 raises so we ran back to the edge looking for the fish we had been on. We found areas of birds and the odd sailfish bite though stayed on the move looking for what we had been on the previous day, the fish has done a bit of a disappearing act on us and we couldn't find what we had been on. Still a good first day out there with the guys hooking all their own fish and releasing 15 from 26 bites and 2 nice mahi's boated.

From out wide to the west we went to an area of blue water pushing in from the east and at 17NM off the break wall we started the next day and they were biting hard!! We ended with 100 sailfish raised and from 89 bites the guys released 54. A backlashing good time! Plenty of practice and slowly slowly they were getting it.

Our next day out the housing on the starboard control cracked (overuse) and we had to fish the day on  the one port side engine. A bit tough to maneuver on one side and it takes a bit of time releasing the multiples though we managed just fine and released 41 sailfish from 63 bites. Pretty good averages there for the guys and we even managed a quintupleta / five banger release on one engine!! Mate, Julio had to help with that one...

Cockpit chaos...

We worked through the night and got the control changed out and were back into the bite for their last day, very steady today with 77 sails raised and 74 bites.....a few more 'sancochos' with 46 releases. 

Pretty steady log book there...

What a trip for this crew with 156 sailfish releases from 252 bites and a couple of big mahi's boated. So good they decide to stay and extra day and are out there fishing with Julio on Allure II right now...

We start a new group tomorrow, Sunday Jan 31st fly fishing the next 5 days. It's always fun to get on the fly and looking forward to getting back into it.

The fishing out there is just unbelievably consistent day to day and it has been an incredible January all in all. It is a very large area right now with boats working 5-7square NM area. By all accounts it is looking like it is shaping up to be the best season in years here, since November the bite has been very consistent and it looks like carrying on. We have a couple of openings in March so get in touch with us to experience this amazing fishery.

liz@sailfishoasissportfishing.com

THE GREAT BITE GOES ON......

JEFF QUICK GROUP 71 SAILFISH & 1 BLUE MARLIN

Angel Pala, Matt and Dennis Caldwell and Jeff Quick

January 12-15 it was great to see Jeff Quick from Tucson, Arizona back at the lodge this time fishing with Guatemalan newbies Angel Pala from New Mexico and father and son Dennis and Matt Caldwell from Northern California. And what an introduction for the crew to Guatemalan bill fishing, first day out at the bottom western corner of the pocket we had an incredible day releasing 34 sailfish from 57 bites! We also had a nice blue in the 400lb+ class crash the short teaser and show her size with a head and shoulders bite on the pitched mackerel right off the corner. A bit unlucky with the hook not sticking to that one. Dennis also boated a nice 20lb bull mahi before lunch...

Airborne

 And boatside...

Over the next 2 days we found a couple of logs and tried live baiting around them looking for a blue with no luck and the afternoon sail bite turned on both days with 35 sails released from 66 bites.

Hot fish...

Big sail, quick photo, and released.

Our last day out the guys were keen to try and find some tunas as there had been some good action out wide with 100lb+ tunas reported. We ran to the edge and found a couple of groups of spinner dolphin though unfortunately, no tuna, we covered some ground and did get to release a couple of sails and boated a couple of nice mahis.

Angel and Dennis.

Near the end of the day we raised a hot blue pushing the 300lb mark. We got a good bite on the pitch bait and after a 20min tussle and a team effort between father and son Dennis and Matt on the 50lb stand-up saw the fish tagged and released...

Solid fish! 

Tagged and released...

A great trip for our crew with 71 sailfish released from 125 bites as well as 1 from 2 on the blues and 3 good mahi's boated! Looking forward to seeing them back next year!

Cpt. Chris; 

Four days of top notch fishing (75 catches). Cpt. Chris and deck crew (Julio and Enio), none better.

Great accommodations at the lodge (Rooms,Shower,A/C), the entire staff could not do enough for our party of 4.

When we return next year, do not know how it can get any better.

My thanks to everyone,

AEP

Taos, New Mexico 

SHINKLE/LONSDALE GROUP 113 RELEASES

Terence Lonsdale, Brian Shinkle and Tim Lonsdale.

Jan 16-19 good to welcome back old friends, father and son team of Tim and Terence Lonsdale along with Brian Shinkle. We've been fishing with these guys for a while and always have a blast, it's good to see the excitement there and the bite was very good with some hot fish on the teasers, some awesome bites on the pitch baits and some crazy acrobatic sails!

On our first morning out our second encounter for the day was a hot blue marlin that teased in on the long teaser hot as hell though did not switch to the pitched mackerel....Whiskey Tengo Foxtrot...? A bit of a slow start on the sailfish though the afternoon bite was very good and we ended up with 25 sails released from 43 bites.

Next morning it was more of the same, another blue came in hot on the same long teaser, this time we got a very aggressive going away bite on the pitched mack and Brian did a great job controlling the spool, we came tight though the fish threw the hook on the first jump...A bit slower today though the afternoon bit once again saved the day and the guys did a great job releasing 21 from 35 bites.

Over the next couple of days the bite picked up and we had some good fishing with 67 releases from 108 bites! On that last day while turning on a hooked sail we had another fish with it's lights turned on, tail and big pecks lit up electric blue, scream into the spread, we got the bite from that stripey and came tight, though while backing down the hook pulled....no luck on the marlins this trip! We also had another large fish in the spread that didn't do anything. Some impressive fishing though with plenty of multiples in the spread and 67 sails raised that last day! The guys got their goal of 100 releases with 113 let go from 186 bites and a mahi boated, good fishing, good times!

We've had the last couple of days in and the bite out there has just got better with boats releasing 50-70 odd fish each. We're back out on Saturday and chomping at the bit to get amongst it!! This is looking like it is shaping up to be an incredible season and we aim to make the most of it. We still have February 12 & 13 open, a Friday and Saturday so contact us to get in on this action. Apart from that there are some days that have opened up in early and late March as well.

Contact:

liz@sailfishoasissportfishing.com

See you down here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR & BLOODY GOOD FISHING!!!

LEGACY FISHING TEAM, 86 RELEASES!

 Hill Dishman, Kevin Deerman, Jim and Cameron Plaag on a quad...

December 27-28-29 we welcomed the Hill Dishman hosted group of Kevin Deerman and Cameron Plaag from Legacy Fishing Team and Silver King Adventures guide Jim Plaag for 3 days of nothing short of brilliant fishing. The guys timed their trip well and we got into 'em good with plenty of singles, doubles, triples a few quads and even a quintuplet release!

The birds were working bait and the fish were snapping with totals of 27 from 43 bites, 38 from 57, and 21 from 30 as well as boating a mahi every day for fresh mahi taco lunches. 

Jim on the leader 

Father and son release...

TEAM ALABAMA 33 RELEASES.

Brett & Stephanie Dishman, Jeff & Jenna Bissell, Claiborne & Courtney Morris, Doug & Sarah Centeno, Chas & Caroline Duvall with Hill & Donelle Dishman

Between Dec 30th and Jan 2nd over 3 days of fishing (we took Jan the 1st off to nurse hangovers) the above crew fishing on both Allure II and one day on Capt Hook, Team Alabama got into some good fishing. As well as releasing 33 sails there were also 3 blue marlin raised and we missed one that did bite. Back at the Lodge we had a huge New Years party after watching Alabama crush Michigan State with several Antigua local families in attendance and of course the Blue Dawgs playing till the wee hours.....Good times!!

The boys out on the 2nd released 12 from 23 bites...

Sñr DISHMAN 21 SAILFISH & 1 BLUE MARLIN. 

January 3rd and 5th Hill was back out there for the 2 days while resting up on the 4th. We spent some time out there looking and found some fish on the eastern edge at the end of the day on the 3rd. Mixing it up on the fly and bait we ended up with 11 on conventional and 2 from 2 bites on the fly. On the 5th the fish were not as thick though we went 1 from 2 on blue marlin and mixed it up on bait and fly again releasing 8 for the day from the 16 raised....

ANDERSON FAMILY 58 SAILFISH & 1 BLUE MARLIN

L-R, Jim, Katie, Chris and Clare Anderson and John Carlson

January 6-7-8 for their first trip to Guatemala we welcomed the Anderson family along with good friend John Carlson from Corpus Christi for 3 days aboard ALLURE II. With the fishing a little slow to the east the previous day we went looking to the western edge and found some good action there for the 2nd half of the day. 

We fished this area for the next 2 days and experienced an excellent bite with 58 sails released as well as Jim hooking into a large solid 400lb blue marlin which took an hour and 40 mins on the 50lb stand-up gear before we could get the tag in. For the last 15mins we had 30lbs of drag on the reel to get this large fish up! 

We also had a stripey in the spread that we missed and a large fish on the rigger bait that we missed as well. Good fishing and great times with this crew!!
'Everything was fabulous! Food-Fun-Fishing. What a beautiful place. We will be back for sure!!'
The Anderson's Jan 9th '16

CARMECI FAMILY 44 SAILFISH, 1 STRIPED MARLIN, 1 BLUE MARLIN

Charles Carmeci with sons Finn and Tristan.

January 6-7-8, we hosted, for another first trip to Guatemala, the above family from Oregon down to the 'Oasis' fishing aboard MAKINA for 3 days. They mixed it up fishing both conventional and changed to the fly late in the 2nd day for outstanding results with 33 releases on the conventional tackle and 11 released on the fly!! 

Some awesome bites right off the transom as well as a stripey released on day 2 and a large blue on day 3 for Tristan on the 50lb stand-up. 

A great way to start 2016 for the Carmeci boys!!

EASUM, GODWIN & KOZAK 50 SAILFISH & 1 BLUE MARLIN

Scott Kozak with a nice 80lb+ tuna

January 7-8-9 we hosted down at the Lodge once a month regulars Scott Kozak, J Godwin and Bill Easum fishing aboard CAPTAIN HOOK. These guys are pros and miss very few fish with a 3 day total of 50 sailfish released from 61 bites!!! That there are some impressive numbers, Bill Easum also released a 250lb blue marlin and Scott boated a nice tuna in the 85lb range.

Sñr FRIJOLE & LYNCH GROUP 27 RELEASES

David Lynch, Chris Bean, Owen, Sam and Brad Lynch

January 9-10 we welcomed back Chris 'Make Beaumont Great Again' Bean aka Sñr Frijole with good friend Brad Lynch. This time Brad brought along twin sons Owen and Sam along with brother David. The crew dived in the deep end hooking all their own fish from the get go. It really is the only way to learn and the boys were at it like pros despite the inevitable 'sancocho' that comes with learning. They ended up with 27 releases from 46 bites and a couple of nice big mahi's to boot over their 2 days on the water.

Chris and Sam with a nice pair...

As well as getting the release on this horse!!!

A Lynch family quad...

And photo op.

We fished the middle of the pocket the last day out raising a nice blue that stayed behind the boat forever though did not commit to the pitched mackerel. The averages went up and it was good to see Owen and Sam picking up the circle hook techniques and fishing real well. Good stuff and we hope to see this crew back down here soon.

The good fishing continues!! We started today with the Jeff Quick group here at the bottom western corner of the pocket just 12nm off the break wall and ended the day with 34 releases from 57 bites as well as a large 400lb++ blue marlin that gave us a head and shoulders turning bite on the mackerel.....what a sight!! The hook didn't find the corner of the jaw unfortunately.....There were several more seen amongst the fleet and the sailfish were biting consistently right through the day. The fishing is GOOD!! We have February 12 and 13 open which is a Friday and Saturday, a great opportunity to get down and get into this fishing over a weekend. Get in touch to secure these dates, they won't last....