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This is a little report on the shore and inshore fishing that I and my friend did over the course of holiday at the Grand Bahia Principe Tulum resort. There is no fishing allowed on the resort itself (this is enforced) however easy fishing is within a short walk which can be found north and south of the resort. The Thomas Cook rep does some fishing and he will gladly point you in the right direction, I did three short evening sessions (2hrs) on the headland just south of the Akumal resort next to the first bay.Past the first bay is another small bay and rocky shore that all looks worthwhile fishing.
SHORE FISHING
The first session was literally just a half a hour just to suss out the mark and see if it was worth fishing, we turned up and just started fishing with yo zuri mag poppers, large/small Tennessee chug bugs, sidewinder eels and dexter/krocdile silver spoons. Within a couple of casts I had a cuda follow my krocodile silver spoon right into the edge but without a take. I continued with nothing and decided to try a small Tennessee chug bug, third cast on a medium steady retrieve and it was inhaled and I watched as 50-60yrds of 30lb power pro disappear in a single run. After a few more runs I eventually landed my 1st GT on a popper !
Needless to say I was well chuffed. After this the other two sessions went by with no more significant catches to report except a small bonefish on a sabiki rig and a follow and big swirl to the same popper but without a hookup. I did see alot of small blue runners around a couple of pounds following my popper and there was a 5 minute spell one evening where the bait fish were getting hammered, conditions were against me as the wind did increase making shore fishing impossible.
INSHORE BOAT FISHING
We had booked a catamaran and snorkelling tour on the big fat catamaran with the thomas cook rep, on the off chance I joked about fishing and the rep told me that they would put a couple of rods out for us and that we should get at least 1-2 hrs trolling. This was a bonus trip I hadn't planned, we got chatting to the decK hands and they put the rods out we basically used our own lures with a pearl xrap 14cm and yo-zuri crystal rainbow trout 130 mm floater with wire traces on both rods. Well it turned out they wanted the rapala with my mate catching a 10lb + cuda, 3lb Spanish mackerel and a small snapper to boot with a blank for me. (Little did I know but the yo zuri was to have its day)
My first inshore trip from playa del carmen was with Roberto Navarro jigging and popping for amberjacks (4-5 hrs $300), this was the trip I was really looking forward to I knew I stood a chance of catching a serious fish. Well after 3 1/2 hrs and nothing doubts began to creep in and I thought that we might be in for a blank. Then just as the sun was setting I heard a shout, I turned to see my friends rod literally doubled over and he was hanging on as something big had grabbed his jig, at this point I started to laugh at my mate only to see Tonys rod get hit and seconds later I got hit to, a triple hook up. Eventually all three GTs were landed with very happy anglers!
The last inshore trip was a last minute trip on a local panga on the last day of my holiday, we were really rushed as I couldn't rebook Roberto, the Skippers name was chino and his boat can be found 5 minute walk north from akumal bahia principe resort. There were another pangas here to we paid for 5hrs $250, but I would really barter with these guys as im sure a better deal could have been had. They are ok for trolling and some bottom fishing the tackle though is very basic and heavy, it is here where using your own lures and gear will make a difference.
We had done some bottom fishing for a couple of hours with only some small reef fish to show. At this point we decided to finish the session with some trolling the skipper had two big rods with out-rigged ballyhoo trolled and we used a couple of their heavy spin rods that they had with our reels 30lb power pro 40lb wire trace and a yo zuri crystal minnow on my rod and my mate with his so successful rapala xrap feeling very confident of another catch.
Ten minutes had passed and a outrigged ballyhoo was hit but it didnt stick, then after about half an hour about 50 yrds ish trolled behind the boat my yo zuri got hit very hard I shouted for skipper to kill the motor and worked my way to the back of the boat, I looked down to see 150 yrds of braid gone and I was down to my mono backing at this point I did start to get a little worried but the fish stopped and I gained a little line 15 minutes later and a 10 lb striped (skipjack) tuna was was boated. Out went the yo-zuri after what seemed like 5-10 mins it got bit again and another tuna hooked. Always the friend I handed my rod over to my mate and he reeled in a 13lb tuna! Coming to the end of the session the yo zuri got hit again but unfortunately the hooks pulled.
Tackle advice for the shore (imo essentials this will also allow some trolling for tuna to)
9ft strong spin travel rod 50-100g ish
Good spinning reel with at least 200 yrds 30lb braid
Wire traces are a must 20-50lb and mono/floro can be used to though all of the time I used a short wire trace.
DO BUY some VMC 4x strong saltwater trebles that fit your lures you will need these as normal trebles will let you down.
Small selection of poppers/plugs and spoon/wedges. ( Didnt try them but im confident a dexter would have picked up a tuna)
Extras
Bonefish flats wiggle jigs
Various bucktails/soft plastics
80-150g Dexters
DOA Shrimps
Jig heads plastic shrimp tails (tipped with a little shrimp these are deadly)
Zoom flukes
Lunker City Slug Go
Sabiki rigs to catch livebait
Livebait/offset worm hooks Float small leads.
I took alot more gear than i needed as i thought that i might be going to boca paila for some backwater fishing, we didnt rent a jeep so that didnt happen as the road is impassable without a 4x4.
Overall a great holiday with some good fishing, Im sure if the shore conditions had been better the fishing would have picked up.
SHORE FISHING
The first session was literally just a half a hour just to suss out the mark and see if it was worth fishing, we turned up and just started fishing with yo zuri mag poppers, large/small Tennessee chug bugs, sidewinder eels and dexter/krocdile silver spoons. Within a couple of casts I had a cuda follow my krocodile silver spoon right into the edge but without a take. I continued with nothing and decided to try a small Tennessee chug bug, third cast on a medium steady retrieve and it was inhaled and I watched as 50-60yrds of 30lb power pro disappear in a single run. After a few more runs I eventually landed my 1st GT on a popper !
Needless to say I was well chuffed. After this the other two sessions went by with no more significant catches to report except a small bonefish on a sabiki rig and a follow and big swirl to the same popper but without a hookup. I did see alot of small blue runners around a couple of pounds following my popper and there was a 5 minute spell one evening where the bait fish were getting hammered, conditions were against me as the wind did increase making shore fishing impossible.
INSHORE BOAT FISHING
We had booked a catamaran and snorkelling tour on the big fat catamaran with the thomas cook rep, on the off chance I joked about fishing and the rep told me that they would put a couple of rods out for us and that we should get at least 1-2 hrs trolling. This was a bonus trip I hadn't planned, we got chatting to the decK hands and they put the rods out we basically used our own lures with a pearl xrap 14cm and yo-zuri crystal rainbow trout 130 mm floater with wire traces on both rods. Well it turned out they wanted the rapala with my mate catching a 10lb + cuda, 3lb Spanish mackerel and a small snapper to boot with a blank for me. (Little did I know but the yo zuri was to have its day)
My first inshore trip from playa del carmen was with Roberto Navarro jigging and popping for amberjacks (4-5 hrs $300), this was the trip I was really looking forward to I knew I stood a chance of catching a serious fish. Well after 3 1/2 hrs and nothing doubts began to creep in and I thought that we might be in for a blank. Then just as the sun was setting I heard a shout, I turned to see my friends rod literally doubled over and he was hanging on as something big had grabbed his jig, at this point I started to laugh at my mate only to see Tonys rod get hit and seconds later I got hit to, a triple hook up. Eventually all three GTs were landed with very happy anglers!
The last inshore trip was a last minute trip on a local panga on the last day of my holiday, we were really rushed as I couldn't rebook Roberto, the Skippers name was chino and his boat can be found 5 minute walk north from akumal bahia principe resort. There were another pangas here to we paid for 5hrs $250, but I would really barter with these guys as im sure a better deal could have been had. They are ok for trolling and some bottom fishing the tackle though is very basic and heavy, it is here where using your own lures and gear will make a difference.
We had done some bottom fishing for a couple of hours with only some small reef fish to show. At this point we decided to finish the session with some trolling the skipper had two big rods with out-rigged ballyhoo trolled and we used a couple of their heavy spin rods that they had with our reels 30lb power pro 40lb wire trace and a yo zuri crystal minnow on my rod and my mate with his so successful rapala xrap feeling very confident of another catch.
Ten minutes had passed and a outrigged ballyhoo was hit but it didnt stick, then after about half an hour about 50 yrds ish trolled behind the boat my yo zuri got hit very hard I shouted for skipper to kill the motor and worked my way to the back of the boat, I looked down to see 150 yrds of braid gone and I was down to my mono backing at this point I did start to get a little worried but the fish stopped and I gained a little line 15 minutes later and a 10 lb striped (skipjack) tuna was was boated. Out went the yo-zuri after what seemed like 5-10 mins it got bit again and another tuna hooked. Always the friend I handed my rod over to my mate and he reeled in a 13lb tuna! Coming to the end of the session the yo zuri got hit again but unfortunately the hooks pulled.
Tackle advice for the shore (imo essentials this will also allow some trolling for tuna to)
9ft strong spin travel rod 50-100g ish
Good spinning reel with at least 200 yrds 30lb braid
Wire traces are a must 20-50lb and mono/floro can be used to though all of the time I used a short wire trace.
DO BUY some VMC 4x strong saltwater trebles that fit your lures you will need these as normal trebles will let you down.
Small selection of poppers/plugs and spoon/wedges. ( Didnt try them but im confident a dexter would have picked up a tuna)
Extras
Bonefish flats wiggle jigs
Various bucktails/soft plastics
80-150g Dexters
DOA Shrimps
Jig heads plastic shrimp tails (tipped with a little shrimp these are deadly)
Zoom flukes
Lunker City Slug Go
Sabiki rigs to catch livebait
Livebait/offset worm hooks Float small leads.
I took alot more gear than i needed as i thought that i might be going to boca paila for some backwater fishing, we didnt rent a jeep so that didnt happen as the road is impassable without a 4x4.
Overall a great holiday with some good fishing, Im sure if the shore conditions had been better the fishing would have picked up.
