Take a 20lb set-up for the Sails and small Tuna and 30lb max (20 will cope...just) for the striped Marlin.

Slide them into a bit of drain pipe and tape the ends up for transport.
For some real fun on the Sails and sub 100lb fish, take your Bass gear and you will have a great time.

 

Thanks Tom,
so will a slosh 30 hold enough line or do i need the extra capacity of the tld ?










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As Tom says, it's definitely worth taking your own gear!! I'd also take some hooks (circles if poss!), leader material, crimps, etc. I'm guessing that you'll mainly be using livebaits (if the fishing down there is at all like it is in the Sea of Cortez). May be worth putting some lures in just in case the baitfish are thin on the ground (Yo-zuri hydro magnums or rapalas maybe?). I think they get some bigger tuna down in Ixtapa don't they, so may be worth taking the TLD20 as those bigger tuna can really take some line...

You should have an absolute ball!! From what I've read, Ixtapa is a pretty hot venue and the offshore action can be awesome. Make sure you posta trip report up here!

 

Thanks Tom,
so will a slosh 30 hold enough line or do i need the extra capacity of the tld ?

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Depends what and how big a fish you hook.

The majority of fish can be dealt with using standard tackle, but if a large sneaky Blue Marlin or Yellow Fin sneaks along you may find you are in trouble and the boat is being worked very hard by the skipper.

To be honest, it should be fine as, at the end of the day, the boat can follow anything far quicker than you can wind and as quick as anything will be swimming. Bare in mind that Sails, Tuna and smaller Marlin can be readily taken on fly and spinning gear and you get the picture.
A typical spinning reel is going to be holding approx 300m of line. I like a bit more, but as I say, use the boat.

I hardly ever go BG fishing now and have flogged all my proper stuff and simply keep a few Penn 10Kg and 15Kg's loaded with LOTS of braid. These can get pushed into action if I am ever after anything really large, but normally I'll simply use what ever is lying around and is light enought to make me smile.

Tom

 

I am going with Dave on the Mexico trip.

Has anyone tried one of these rods and if so what do you think of them for this kind of fishing.

http://www.poingdestres.co.uk/ProductDetails/mcs/productid/135/

Certainly be convenient putting it in my suitcase!

Any advice would be welcome.

 

Hi Dave (2)
In terms of Sailfish I've had great fun with spin gear - a 7' Loomis, 3-piece travel rod rated 10 to 20lbs. That balances out well with 12lb test, that I use for Atlantic fish, but 'beef' it up to 16lb class for the Pacific Sails. 250 to 300 yards of line on a fixed spool is more than adequate. (The further I've ever had to let a fish 'go' was 200 yards, in virtual free spool, whilst we were playing the other half of a 'double header'.

However I don't troll with that gear. I use it for sight casting either with a small live or deadbait, fish freeline on a circle hook, for fish that will often follow the teasers or lures to the transom. (Sailfish are often encountered in small schools.)

In terms of inshore species, like Roosterfish and other Jacks, I'd also use the same outfit for casting surface poppers - things like the Yo-Zuri Hydro Tigers and Bull GTs.

I've also had a casting rod, matched to a Shimano 4000, made up on the same blank that, as well as casting, I use for inshore trolling with things like the smaller Rapala Sliver.

With regard to that Abu rod you asked for others views on, whilst never having used one, I suspect from the brief write up it might be too soft in the tip, certainly for fishing lures either 'naked' or with bait. Although you might be able to get away with just using a Squid skirt over the head of the deadbait. That wouldn't create too much resistance.

So, at a pinch, you might be able to get away with using it for Sails and smaller Striped Marlin if you're fishing baits with drop backs from the 'riggers.

In terms of fishing lures though, and especially if Yellowfin Tuna are around, it's going to be too light in the tip. Also, with the savagery of the strike, you'd risk breaking the butt in the rod holder. In fact on that point it's always worth attaching safety lines to your outfits.
Dave

 

Hi panamaJack thanks for your post very interesting.....getting excited now cant wait for February to come round!!!!

Think I wont bother with my own tackle for my forst trip and will use what they have on the boats, by all accounts it is all good gear and probably better suited to the task involved.

Hopefully have some pics on our return.

 

Hi (Lucky) Dave
I'm sure you'll have a great time.

The Sailfish really are a great challenge, especially on light tackle. And I really didn't want to put you off in terms of taking your own gear. It's just that that Abu rod was just a bit 'tippy' for trolling with lures. Looking at the quality reels you have (on the banner) they'll be more than adequate as would a reasonable Bass rod (preferably 7 or 8' long) providing you can get the crew to tease them in on hookless teasers. (They can either use softheads, or 'sweeten' them with a strip of Tuna or Dorado.) Then you'll literally just dropping a small livebait over the transom - no more than 30' but occasionally closer.

I've attached some images of fish I had on a recent trip to the Pacific side of Costa Rica.

Firstly on spin gear. Then on fly.

Obviously getting rods there can be an issue, but either a purpose build tube or a 4" soil pipe with caps on, from your local Builders Merchant's, will work. Just make sure that it's treated as fragile, over-sized luggage and, particularly at the 'other end' the porters don't put it on the baggage carousel - they don't go round corners particularly well!

The alternative you mentioned is to use the panga's gear. It will probably be perfectly adequate BUT most of it is likely to be relatively heavy. I recall a member of our Club not taking his gear and finding that the lightest available was based on 40lb B/S line - OK, but you won't get maximum sport from the fish.
Dave
PS I hit the limit with attachments. There're some pictures of gear for the inshore species that I'll post separately.

 

Dave
This picture shows a casting rod built on the same Loomis blank as my spin gear, in the earlier post, is based. I was using it inshore, just out from the rocks, targeting Roosterfish BUT that Houndfish turned up. If though you go into this link - http://www.billfisharmada.com/index.php?page_title=Costa%20Rica%20Sportfishing - and look at some of the images - I think you need to press the MORE alongside New Photos added you'll see a picture of a Rooster. It's the one with black bars and an exaggerated '****'s comb' of a Dorsal.

As well on the light gear I've suggested you'll also be able to catch things like Dorado - the first of the thumbnails on that site, vivid gold and electric blue.

Looking at the other species though the Marlin, Tuna and (inshore) Snapper stick to the boat's gear.
Dave

 

Hi (Lucky) Dave
Whilst I haven't fished from Zihuatenejo here're some links to pictures of some of the inshore species encountered of that Pacific coast of Central America - all except the Tarpon which haven't as yet established populations that far north.

Livebaits obviously work but you'll also see some of the anglers have caught fishing poppers - you need to crank them fast - and also deep jigging. There they tend to use super braids and (often) the Shimano butterfly jigs. So here're some of Cubera Snapper - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_Aratw_CSAmerica_Panama_B.asp - and Roosterfish - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_Aratw_CSAmerica_Mexico_Pacific_1.asp - and both - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_WhatsNewNfc200404_A.asp. Then this link shows what can be caught fishing poppers and jigging - http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1022.

As to the Yellowfin Tuna you mentioned as a possibility they're fast and very strong. And in my experience catching one five times or more the line strength represents a real challenge. Here're just some shots of fish from Ascension Island. The first, after an hour and three quarters, resulted in a popped line. But a fish which looked to be well over 100lbs on 16lb test was perhaps pushing it too far! The others show more sensible tackle - a bent butt 130lb outfit fished from a fighting chair - the first fish was 175, the 2nd 225lbs.
Dave

 

Thanks for your posts Panamjack, more interesting info that fuels our excitment.

You sure look like you have some experience in the field and fun doing so!

Some great pics there, the work with 130lb gear looks hard work, perhaps I should get out on my bike before I go :g:

We have been informed of a good tackle shop there for rods, as one of our party has been there before and is taking his own tackle in his rod case. There is space for ours on the return so we will take some reels.

The site I have been using is mexfish, with lots of species images catch report and info.

http://www.mexfish.com/fish/fish.htm

 

Just read the recent report on mexfish (I tend to check it at least a couple of times weekly!). Looks like they're getting a fair few sails at the moment down there. If you can, you should have a shot for roosters whilst you're there. The most gorgeous fish and tough as nails! They get some biggies down that way from what I know...

 

Dave
This picture shows a casting rod built on the same Loomis blank as my spin gear, in the earlier post, is based. I was using it inshore, just out from the rocks, targeting Roosterfish BUT that Houndfish turned up. If though you go into this link - http://www.billfisharmada.com/index.php?page_title=Costa%20Rica%20Sportfishing - and look at some of the images - I think you need to press the MORE alongside New Photos added you'll see a picture of a Rooster. It's the one with black bars and an exaggerated '****'s comb' of a Dorsal.

As well on the light gear I've suggested you'll also be able to catch things like Dorado - the first of the thumbnails on that site, vivid gold and electric blue.

Looking at the other species though the Marlin, Tuna and (inshore) Snapper stick to the boat's gear.
Dave

Bloomin' 'eck, P-J ! that's not "Alberto" on his holidays away from Coiba is it ?

Roger

(for everyone else, I'm talking about the houndfish, not the panga cap'n)

 

G'day Ravelling
It must have been his affinity with the 'barge'. Wasn't it originally a floating restaurant in Golfito (Costa Rica). I was fishing outside the headland - 70 miles from Coiba - for the elusive (when it comes to my pathetic attempts) Roosters when 'Alberto' struck. You can see the shocked look on his face - just like his earlier encounter with the 'Irishman' I wasn't using wire.

All the Best
Dave

 

Excel and Lucky Dave - Enjoy your trip....

I posted some info on my trip to Zihuatenejo last July - Posting at bottom

http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35560

Have you booked Jose Vargas on LA Bamba or Santiago on the Panga Gitana....? I went off season and did well and in season they average 8-10 sails a day...

Fingers crossed for a blue

Let us know how you get on...

Pat

 

Four of us going, so we`ve booked two pangas each day, including Dos Hermanos and Gitana. Another couple of pangas booked too, can`t remember their names ! We are fishing for twelve days solid, so will be coming back home for a rest hopefully !
Thanks everybody for your help, can`t wait to get out there, should be very different to cod, skate, dogs and whiting !

Dave.


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