Rio Lagartos
The Fishing
The tarpon fishing in this area is quite varied. There are open water flats with larger tarpon cruising around, Mangrove lined creeks and lagoons with mid sized tarpon cruising under the branches of the overhanging mangroves, inland lakes and lagoons . This is a nursery for fish between 2 and 70 pounds. Late spring and summer brings a few larger fish into the mix as well.
Snook are also in the mangrove areas and you will target these fish whenever we see them.
Tarpon are most active early in the morning saw we are usually off by dawn to the flats the guides have chosen to visit that the day. The area that has tarpon is quite large extending through the entire Rio Lagartos preserve. A good day of tarpon fishing means you might jump 20 fish - we have recorded a boat that jumped 50 fish in a day. Many tarpon are lost on one of the first few jumps so the percentage you actually get to the boat is low. 10-20% is the number that actually get all the way to the boat.
On the open flats your guide will pole and search for rolling tarpon ( which is about all you see when the light is low or as the sun gets higher you will be able to sight the fish in the clear water even if they are not rolling. Getting a tarpon to eat a fly is sometimes the easiest thing in the world of fly fishing or the most frustrating. Long follows are possible ending up in a refusal or a take 5 feet from the boat. Sometimes the tarpon attack as soon as they see movement, sometimes they spook just because the fly moves funny ( I don't really know what funny is to a tarpon). Long casts are helpful out here in the open as it will increase your circle of effectiveness.
In the mangrove areas accuracy can be more important, slinging it un
der some branches or hitting the pocket between the overhanging mangroves is a more important skill than casting 100 feet. In many area the water is clear and in others it is stained to the color of tea. Still most fish are sighted first. Often the fish will be clear of the mangrove but more often they will cruise just under the overhanging branches. A hook up in there is usually followed by a leap over the branches and off the hook, but what a blast. Once in a while we get lucky and the tarpon blasts out into the open, you just never know!
There are some smaller creeks and inland lakes that have lots of small fish in the 2-5 pound range. These are very aggressive fish and blind casting is most effective. It doesn't matter how big or small a tarpon is - they all jump once they are hooked. It is the best fighting game fish I know of. Add to that the fact that you can sight fish and hunt for these fish in shallow water and it is hard to argue that there is any better game fish on the planet.
I hope you get to experience this unique fishery while it is still undiscovered.
Rio Lagartos
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