We have selcted some of the top guides from Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Cozumel for our day trips. These trips are accessible from all the major hotels between Tulum and Cancun. In no caser are you more than an hour away from some good flats fishing.
This is not quite close enough to reach Ascension Bay for a day trip. Perhaps a 2 day trip with an overnight would be the best bet.
Cancun: Out of Cancun you will fish Isla Blanca. The fishing in the Isla Blanca is quite varied. There are lots of grass flats, mud flats, sand flats, lagoons, Mangrove lined creeks and channels as well as reefs to provide lots of variety for your trip. The favorites are tarpon, bonefish and permit but snook and barracuda fishing are excellent as well. If it is windy or a bit cold you may be limited to snook and tarpon in teh mangrove lined creeks. The flats for bones and permit are pretty exposed and not good on windy days. The cover of the mangroves makes the difference and you get a great day of baby tarpon ( my favorite) and snook. It is about a 30 minute drive from most hotels in Cancun. This area is relatively unknown as a fising destination, I think because it is in the shadow of Cancun. It just doesn't get fished much. The lagoon is protected on all sides from large waves by the peninsula and the reefs. There are some islands north of the lagoon that has excellent fishing as well.
The fishing is mostly done from the boat. 
There are a few flats that are good for wading but the majority have softer bottoms that require the boat. ( further south in Ascension Bay there is much more wading available.
Playa Del Carmen: You have two options out of Playa - a one hour drive north to the Isla Blanca or hop the ferry over to Cozumel ( about a 30minute boat ride) Our guide will meet you at the ferry dock and drive to the north end of the island where you hop in the boat and hit some world class flats. For more read through the Cozumel section below or the Isla Blanc section above.
Cozumel This small island is famous for its diving but it also has some great flats fishing on the northern end of the island. There are a hundred square miles of bonefish and permit habitat. Naturally you can also find many other species like jacks, cudas and an occaissional tarpon. SOme of these flats are wadeable but most will be fished while you are in the boat. Bonefish are mostly in the 2-3 pound range but there can be large schools that number in the hundreds. The bigger fish in the 4-7 pound range are usually either singles or small groups of 2 or 3.
On the northern tip of the Isle of Cozumel, about ten miles from the plaza of San Miguel, are three lovely lagoons all teeming with hungry bonefish ready to pounce on your "Gotcha" or "Crazy Charlie". These lagoons are known as Laguna Monte Cristo, Paso Balem, and Rio de la Plata. These lagoons are quite shallow, from 3" - 18", and they are quite large. They are so large that you will not be able to wade the full expanse of each lagoon in a full day's fly fishing. The lagoons are a fly or light tackle angler's dream come true! Each lagoon has the ideal flats habitat and environment to attract bonefish, permit, and other sport fish.
There are flats and shallows for as far as you can see. Each lagoon has many acres of water all lined with heavy mangrove bushes along the shoreline. This is bonefishing without all the crowds that have become quite commonplace in places like the Bahamas and other destinations. There is enough open and fishable water that two boats, with two anglers per boat, can fish in the same lagoon all day without ever seeing each other.
Bonefish are plentiful twelve months a year. In season you may also have a good chance at the elusive Grand Slam and get a bonefish, a baby tarpon to 20#, and maybe the elusive permit. During the months of March to September it is also possible to catch really large permit of 20 pounds or larger. You may also have shots at baby snook in their season, barracuda, snapper, triggerfish and other sportster's of the flats. If you are lucky you may even get to see an alligator.
Sailfish, marlin and dorado show up mid-February through August, and other offshore species such as, barracuda and are present year-round. Kingfish and Wahoo are prevalent in December.
Tulum
From Tulum you have two choices: 1. to go north to Cozumel ( about 30 minutes to Playa and then a 30 minute ferry ride to Coozumel. or 2. Drive south for 1. 5 hours down a very bad dirt road to the Boca Paila bridge and fish the Boca Paila Lagoon. The Boca Paila lagoon goes from the northern edge of Ascension Bay almost all the way up to Tulum. Although Ascension Bay is too far for a reasonable day trip it would be a great choice if you could do 1 overnight with 2 days of fishing. For Asscension Bay trip information click here.
The Boca Paila area is full of mangrove lined light colored flats. Most are a little too soft to wade but there are lots of bonefish, as well as some permit, tarpon and snook. It is a little disconceting as you have to drive a long ways down this road while a guide drives a long way in his boat to meet you near the bridge. We obviously give you good directions to the location you will meet.
Client comments:
" Had a great two days, Lots of fish seen and learned a lot about fishing here. The guide worked very hard and found lots of fish for me. Muchas Gracias, I will be back"
-Steve Aguila, November 12, 2004
"One of the best days flyfishing for snooty tarpon and permit. We saw all species of fish, my guide put me on three tarpon and speckled trout. I'll be back"
- Dave Nicholas, Novemebr 18, 2004
"Wow, What a time!! Enique was our guide in the mangroves and worked hard. We stirred up Barracuda and snook. Enrique was very good with me as a beginning fly fisher. Excellent!! Great time with stories to share. Armando truly made us feel welcome and arranged everything!
-Teresa and Chuck Geurts, November 28, 2004
Isla Blanca
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