Fishing in Belize

[wharde]

I am going to Belize in April and hope to do some fishing. I have a week near San Pedro and a week at Placencia. Can anyone recommend some good people to hire or what kind of fish would be fun to go after?

[trashheap]

I'm not going to be alot of help with who to go with cause when I went for some dumb reason I never made it out fishing. Although Placencia is a very small place and is you go to the main dock at the end of the penincula in the afternoon the fishing boats are coming in and you can probably find out there who is catching fish.

[fishnchicks]

Haven't been to belize(I wish) but we usually find a fishing store and they usually have some contacts of local guides that would take you out! Have fun and be sure to post pictures of your amazing adventure!

[BEL]

We visited San Pedro and Placencia last winter. The Banana Beach Resort, where we stayed, had various excursions and we booked a bonefishing trip. the guy got us into a "hole" which was absolutely covered with bonefish--probably a thousand. I don't remember his name--he is local. Check with the Banana Beach Resort. They are on the web. We did not fish Placencia but the next time I go we will fish with a guide in that area who does various types of fishing. His name is "Something Pow". Can't remember the something part. If you can't find it on the web get back to me as it is somewhere on my computer, no time right now to find it for you. Good luck. BEL

[lannie]

I am thinking flyfishing but if you are not I would think you would only fair better.

You can hire different types of "guides". Every local Fisherman knows where the Bones Permit and Tarpon are. Some know fly fishing and some don't. I have paid from 100.00 to 350.00 per day. If you have fished for all three before all you really need is a fisherman to get you "there". What makes fishing down there easier for bones anyway is you don't need to match the hatch etc. I don't find Bones hard to catch(easier than trout imo) but the other two are challenging to say the least. You could use the same fly year in and out for each species. You can catch many species that you are not targeting that are great to eat. If you go with a fisherman rather than a guide he will want to keep every fish you catch other than the grand slam trio. C&R only for those. Bones are bigger the farther North you go so San Pedro area is better for size but Placencia is a better Permit area and I like it for Tarpon too. You can do much better at DIY fishing around San Pedro and if you are up that way i would stay at Caye(pronounced key) Caulker for a couple days. Lots of Tarpon at the Split and by the bridge(they call it a bridge but its a dock for barges). If you don't catch them you should see lots of them anyway. There are many piers on Caye Caulker that anyone can access and fish for bones with good success. In fact you can walk on any dock in Belize but you can't use the owners chairs etc. Caught my first Southern sting ray on a gotcha from a pier there. As you move south in Belize the Barrier reef gets farther from the mainland and there is much more travel time in the boats and the DIY (without a boat)is actually much poorer around Placencia. Way less people down there and many different islands to camp on but the edge of the reef is 20 miles offshore. We ate lots of Lobster, Crab and Conch(Konk) that we caught(grabbed) and cooked on islands. Go with a fisherman and take your gal, fish then pull up on one of the many uninhabited islands start a fire and
cook the fish or Conk and crab you have dived for. If you are into this kind of trip bring your own snorkel gear as you will use it everyday. Hands down Placencia is my favorite but is also the most costly. Are you fly fishing or spinning? Have you fished for the big 3 before?
Lannie

[Moefoe]

Fun trip! If you like to go solo there is no better place than Ambergris Caye, the Bones are everywhere. Grab a guide for your first trip to get your feet wet then just walk on anywhere. For a shot at a larger Bonefish 6-8lbs, head up past Brightwaters, look for cruising stingrays in the morning the Bones and small jacks like to follow them around...have fun!!

[wharde]

Thanks for the info. Conch sounds interesting, is it good? I have never tried fly fishing so I think I will stick to spinning. Never been to Belize so what ever I catch will be awesome.