They say a picture tells a thousand words. If “they” are correct, the photo of a traveling angler with grin from ear to ear aboard The Hooker releasing blue marlin under the watchful eye of Capt. Skip Smith speaks volumes. It’s an exotic image like this snapped off the beaten path that triggers the adventurous spirit in all of us.
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A Field Trip to The Galápagos with my 10-Year-Old Son
by Dale Wills (Publisher of InTheBite)
Upon receiving the invitation to visit San Cristobal, Galápagos from Juan Kayser and his Galapwonder Excursions, I immediately started to formulate a plan to include my son Zachary, who would turn ten just days before our departure. The trip took place February 25-March 2, 2020. With a little scheduling and a plan for school work, we were all set for our big adventure. Zachary certainly didn’t mind missing four days of class either. The trip would consist of flying just over four hours from Miami to Guayaquil, Ecuador. A one-night hotel stay in Guayaquil before we boarded a 1 hour 30 minute flight the following morning from Guayaquil to San Cristobal in the Galápagos. Elliott Stark, the editor of InTheBite, was along for the ride, too. The big plan was sightseeing day one, then two full days of fishing and one inshore day of snorkeling and bottom fishing.
From this point, I’ll share plenty of images on what turned out to a very rewarding and amazing trip. Zachary was able to reel in a couple of nice striped marlin, see a variety of plants and animals and discover a skate park on San Cristbal. Thanks again to everyone who made our trip one to remember. We saw a bunch of cool stuff- Darwin’s first island, animals and a skate park, now that’s evolution.
DAY 1
The turtle refuge on San Cristobal. One of our first stops.
Galapagos Tortoise
Plenty of turtles to see, but don’t touch.
A roadside stop with Zachary and Elliott and a creative background
Just off the pathway to our first beach stop, a variety of cactus can be seen including these.
The friendly Galapagos Planet Hotel Staff (front to back) Juan Kayser, Head Chef William Nazaren, Manager Andres Kayser, Head Waiter Marcos Revelo, Receptionist Alvaro Zurita, Chef Carlos Pinto and Sous Chef Raquel Mora.
DAY 2
A landmark we passed each morning on our walk to the boat
The sea lions were very entertaining to observe each morning.
Early day one, after traveling 25 miles offshore, we watched as several species of birds and sea lions chased bait. This would turn out to be a daily occurrence. Below the water you could witness striped marlin swimming around the bait.
With a keen eye you can see the marlin tail cutting through the ocean’s surface. Another common occurrence.
Zachary battles his first striped marlin on 30-pound tackle.
Zachary learns a lesson of letting a fish run and adjusting the reel drag to wear down the marlin. Also conserving energy for the battle that lies ahead.
Almost there… following a 45 minute battle the striped marlin is close
Our onboard Park Ranger Javier guides the fighting chair for Zachary and both watch as the striped marlin dances across the ocean’s surface.
Zachary’s first attempt to reel in the elusive striped marlin is a success.
Back to fishing around the many different species of sea birds
Captain Juan Kayser keeps a keen eye on the baits
Day two ride home. Beautiful blue water with large quantities of bait and manta rays near the harbor.
In the evening, a large number of sea lions return to this San Cristobal beach for rest. The sea lion cubs cry out for their moms and frolic over the other sea lions. It’s certainly a sight to see, and we really enjoyed watching them before our short walk to the hotel.
Zachary checking out the scooters for rent. We didn’t have time to ride.
DAY 3
San Cristobal was the first island Charles Darwin visited in the Galapagos – Sept 17, 1835. This was a monument we passed by each morning.
Zachary finds a sleeping sea lion cub
Here we go again. 25 miles in search of
Are we having fun yet?
While trolling, we pass a swordfish slowing moving near the surface. Certainly not something you see often.
Porpoise showing off near the boat.
Zachary’s second striped marlin release.
Sea lions chasing bait offshore.
A few mahi around. This would eventually become tasty ceviche.
A return to the port after a successful day.
In the evening, Zachary learns to make pizza, (from scratch) – The Lobster Shack. Chef Willie was very helpful.
The finished pizza pie.
Day 4
We begin the day with a snorkel adventure to León Dormido, aka Kicker Rock.
The group snorkeling. Below is a short video from this trip.
After snorkeling, we cruise around León Dormido checking out the different types of birds including these resting frigate birds.
Blue Footed Boobie
Frigate Bird
Next, we travel to a lava field on the coast of San Cristobal. León Dormido is still visible in the background.
The lava field is barren with very little vegetation other than cactus and a few weeds.
We visit a deep cave created from lava.
Our transportation, the Andale, a 1977 35′ Bertram sits at anchor as we visit the lava field.
A thriving Galapagos cactus on the lava field
Red Sally Lightfoot crabs are common on San Cristobal. Here we observe them while waiting for our dingy to return us back to the Andale.
Next up, we tried our luck bottom fishing near a rock called “5 fingers.”
We managed to catch several different kinds of fish including this strawberry ???
Elliott caught this nice black grouper.
Commemorative striped marlin release flag photo.
Group photo.
Back to the hotel for a final feast.
As per request, a final stop at the San Cristobal Skate Park
On behalf of Zachary, Elliott and myself, I’d like to say thanks again to Juan Kayser and the entire Galapwonder staff. Great times!
That’s all for now folks!
For more information on booking your trip to Galapwonder please e-mail info@inthebite.com
Send us a message!
This article first appeared in our January/February 2018 issue Volume 17 Edition 1 of InTheBite The Professionals’ Sportfishing Magazine.
The Case for Fishing: Guatemala
by Elliott Stark
“Marlin, left teasah!” The man behind the voice is Captain Chris Van Leeuwen. Van Leeuwen is well travelled fisherman, resourceful and full of stories. The fish, a blue of about 400 that would gobble the pitch bait 15-feet off of the transom, had apparently not been informed that Guatemala “is just a sailfish destination.”
Van Leeuwen is the owner/operator of the Allure II, a yellow-hulled 40-foot Capps, and a charming, boutique handle-all-the-variables resort known as the Sailfish Oasis. Van Leeuwen is laid back and full of perspective. Since leaving his native New Zealand, he has done it. Van Leeuwen ran a boat for Tim Choate’s operation in the Galapagos, before following Choate to Guatemala. Though he’s been in Guatemala since 2002, the world knows him as “Kiwi.” His mates, brothers Julio and Enio Morales, are highly skilled and adaptable in their ability to relate to clients. In other parts of the world, the lodge’s hospitality would take top billing. In Guatemala, however, nothing compares to the fishing.
The sailfish numbers in Guatemala make daily fishing report numbers sound like snapper fishing off of a chum bag. Raising 31, catching 16 out of 27 bites, could just as likely be catching 73 in a day or the groups that with some regularity catch 300-some odd fish in four days of fishing. The sailfishery here is astronomical. To label Guatemala as simply a sailfish destination, however, may miss the point. The following is a breakdown of the many reasons that constitute the Case for Fishing: Guatemala.
An Ocean Alive
The consistent, well-rounded fishery on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala results from waters teeming with bait. Deep currents interact with bottom topography, to send oxygenated, nutrient-rich water to the surface. These upwellings set the stage for clouds of ballyhoo, bonito all over the place, shoals of squid and generally lots of bait. The bait holds sailfish, blue marlin (with the occasional stripe and black mixed in), dorado and yellowfin tuna. Beyond the creatures taggable and gaffable, there are schools of spinner dolphins swimming with tuna and baleen whales feeding on bait, too. If you’re in to that sort of thing, there are an awful lot of sea turtles floating around as well.
Marlin Fishing
Someone forgot to tell the blue marlin that Guatemala is a sailfish destination. On the second and third day of our trip, we raised six blues and saw a tank of a marlin free jumping. Captain Mike Sheeder turned loose a grand slam fishing near us—adding a blue and a black to a pile of sails. The marlin fishing near shore—eight to ten miles from the marina, is consistent. Unless someone is targeting marlin specifically, the fleet often runs past the marlin grounds to target sails. That said, blue marlin bites are consistent offshore as well, with a reasonable expectation to raise a few on any given three or four day trip.
Brad Philipps runs the Decisive, a 40-foot Gamefisherman. Philipps and his wife Cindy also operate the Billfish Inn in Puerto San Jose and a hotel in Antigua. “Imagine how many more marlin we’d catch if we were targeting them. Remember, any time we spend going backwards on sailfish, we’re not marlin fishing.” How much time might be spent going backwards? In any given year a Guatemala charter operator like Van Leeuwen or Philipps might fish anywhere between 150-200 days. Over the course of a season, depending on such things as the skill of their anglers (or, perhaps as accurately, how many of the anglers let the crew hook the fish for them), high lining captains may release anywhere between 1,600-2,200 sailfish. That’s quite a bit of time with the square side of the boat going forward.
A broad-shouldered blue marlin on the leader. Caught aboard the Allure ll in November.
Van Leeuwen’s spread is telling of the consistent presence of creatures with broad shoulders. He runs two swimming ballyhoo out of the riggers, squid chains from the bridge and hookless plugs from the cockpit. If a sail noses around a teaser, it’s fed a ballyhoo on a chugger head. If something in a blue or black suit shows itself, out goes the mackerel. In addition to the one that is ready, there will be two or three more mackerel in the cooler ready for rigging. In a good year when the marlin are around, their marlin release numbers are measured in dozens—all while not specifically targeting them.
The Shots
Learning how to hook fish from the riggers or feed them off of a teaser can be difficult in many places in the world. In other parts, you troll all day for two or three bites. If a fish does come up, everyone on the boat goes nuts. People jump around, teasers get crossed up, and baits are thrown around like a Chinese fire drill. The stressfulness of the situation is twofold: a. because you’re not likely to get many shots, you need to make the most of them, and; b. because you haven’t had many shots lately, it’s been hard to work up the chemistry for everyone on board to know what they’re supposed to be doing.
How then is a new boat owner or a new addition to the tournament team expected to be able to learn? After all, unless you’ve grown up on the charter docks of Manteo or Islamorada, consistently circle hooking billfish can take some repetition. Enter Guatemala— the land of opportunity.
As Capt. Kiwi puts it, “If you miss one in Guatemala, who cares? You’ll get another shot.” While the number of fish raised and released varies as with every type of fishing, the consistency of double digit days in Guatemala is the cornerstone of the fishery. It is the consistent presence of fish that allows for plenty of all of the necessary backlashing, whiffing, and bird-catching that it takes for a novice or intermediate rodsman to become a confident, competent angler.
Capt. Chris “Kiwi” Van Leeuwen is a pleasure to fish with.
The number of shots, in this line of reasoning, offers the following advantages: it decreases stress per opportunity; the repetition slows the process down (a first time angler who only sees a marlin every third trip—each time with the crew hollering like the boat is on fire—will believe that marlin swim 800-miles per hour); feeding fish from the teaser—and seeing the bite—will also help novice and intermediate anglers see the fish as they enter the spread, and; a stress-free environment in which anglers can alternatively miss fish and catch them on their own produces more technically competent anglers, but also more confident ones.
For a tournament fishing operation, a trip to Guatemala, or some other high volume fishery, is a way to hedge your bets. The charter tab becomes a team tune up before the high stakes, high pressure environment where a missed fish can swim away with tens of thousands of dollars. The experience works for everyone on board.
Mates get a chance to see how high volume operations work, the way lines are cleared and how to best manipulate fish on the teasers. Owners and anglers can get their shots on the reel, leaving with a great experience and increased confidence. Captains can come down and see how to run the boat to increase multiple hook up opportunities. For someone with the right body of experience, Van Leeuwen will even let the captain run the boat for the trip to get his team dialed in.
Lots of Fish and Calm Seas
While a sentence such as this is generally reserved for the opening line of obituaries, it actually applies to Guatemala. According to Van Leeuwen, about 80% of the time Guatemala is calm (not 2-3 or 3-4, but calm). Beyond the generally pleasant proposition this provides, a tranquil sea state also enables the prescribing of very specific fishing applications. Think kids, wife or prospective clients who can’t deal with rough weather.
Guatemala is a great place to introduce kids to the world of bluewater trolling. With short attention spans, the numbers are a great force to counter the I-pad. A calm ride is great for the kids and for that special lady, as nobody really likes to get bounced around. The March 2017 issue of InTheBite contains “Child’s Play: An Expert’s Approach to Fishing with Kids.” The setting for the article was the Rum Line with Captain Chris Sheeder, fishing in Guatemala.
Billfish on the Fly, Light Tackle
Because you generally don’t have to worry about whether you will catch sailfish or marlin in Guatemala, you can get fancy and try to catch them in special ways. Bring out the two-pound and the bug slinger! As it is illegal to kill billfish in Guatemala, there is no record fishing here but it is a great place to get accustomed to catching billfish on alternative tackle. Van Leeuwen, like most of the captains operating here, is accomplished in the art of targeting billfish on the fly.
Anglers wishing to target fish on the fly may do so to catch their first, target their biggest or to search for numbers. The approach involves teasing a fish up close to the boat, placing the boat in neutral and casting the fly in across the boat in front of the fish. The mate then snatches the teaser away and, if all goes according to plan, the fish eats the fly. As there are a number of steps to this process, it works best in high volume fisheries.
In order for it to work, the fish must be aggressive enough to follow the teaser to within casting distance. We switched to the fly for the last afternoon of our trip. When everything came together, Van Leeuwen found two blue marlin that were willing to show us the process. The first was a small one that nosed about, but didn’t eat the fly. The second was a good fish who treated the fly with all of the gentleness that you’d expect from a starving cat jumping on a pigeon. Two hours and 20 minutes later, the fish went nuts—jumping off into the sunset. It left us a video (available on www.inthebite.com) that starts with, “****, it’s huge!”
The Atmosphere—The Dock
There is one marina on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. All of the reports and astounding numbers you read about come from here. All the captains, all the boats, and all of fishing is centered in one location.
There is something quaint and charming about it. Captain Chris Van Leeuwen has been here for 15 years, Captain Brad Philipps arrived in 2000; Captains Chris Sheeder, Jason Brice, Mike Sheeder, David Salazar and others have all fished out of the same marina for years. Joining the retired Captain Ron Hamlin, these active captains are all among the leaders in most billfish caught. In terms of sportfishing history, this unassuming dock is steeped in tradition. Guatemala holds the record for sailfish releases in a day, on both conventional and fly tackle.
The stable of captains here is really incredible. Beyond simply the number of fish caught, it is the perspective and diversity of background that makes the marina here so interesting. Van Leeuwen hails from New Zealand, Philipps is a native of South Africa, the Sheeder brothers are Hawaiian, Brice is American. They are joined by Guatemalan captains, many of whom have grown up as mates. These are headlined by Eddie Baires, who cut his teeth with Ron Hamlin, and Kennedy Hernandez whose cockpit wizardry graced the Decisive for many years. The result is an amalgam of culture and perspective that makes a walk down the dock in itself is a great piece of fishing perspective.
Another charming aspect of the fishery in Guatemala is the relative lack of travelling boats. Compared to other of Central America’s premier destinations, the area is much the same as it was ten years ago. The lack of traveling boats is neither a good or bad thing, but it imparts a sense of intimacy and community to the dock and the men who make their livings fishing here.
It’s Really Fun
In a world that’s increasingly driven by plans made three months ahead of time and by actions that are the result of analyzing lists of pros and cons, the most compelling reason to fish Guatemala is perhaps the simplest. It’s really fun. The people are nice, the lodging is great, the food is good and the fish are more than gracious in their hospitality. There’s a reason it’s a bucket list destination that brings people back over and over. See for yourself.
One of the best things about consistent dorado and yellowfin? Boat lunches.
San Jose, Costa Rica-February 27, 2018- Twenty-seven years ago, Didiher Chacon was a young biologist from the National University in Costa Rica. Todd Staley, co-creator of 12 Fathom Jigs that forever changed tarpon fishing in Boca Grande, Florida, in the late 1980s, had just moved to Costa Rica to manage Archie Fields’ Rio Colorado Lodge, a world-famous tarpon destination. Chacon stopped by the lodge one day to explain he was collecting tarpon samples for analysis by Dr. Roy Crabtree in Florida. Staley, who was familiar with Crabtree’s work, jumped at the chance to catch a few tarpon and help science at the same time.
Chacon went on to become well respected in marine conservation circles. He is currently the director of the NGO, Latin American Sea Turtles, as well as a professor at the National University in the post-degree program. Staley moved to the Pacific side of Costa Rica after Archie Fields died and for two decades managed famous billfish destinations like Golfito Sailfish Ranch and Crocodile Bay. He began working full time for FECOP, a Costa Rica sport-fishing advocacy and conservation group, last May.
“I first saw a tarpon roll in the Pacific back in 1995,” Staley explains. “For a minute I thought I was losing my mind but then I thought, I have seen tarpon roll my whole life, I know one when I see one.” Eventually one of the charter captains returned to the dock one day with a 40-pound tarpon and had no idea what it was. Since then clients have hooked five to 10 tarpon a year, occasionally landing and releasing a few. The largest tarpon taken was estimated around 130 pounds. It has always been assumed that the tarpon, which are not indigenous to Pacific waters, passed through the Panama Canal and took up residence on the Pacific coast.
The puzzle got even more interesting when Saul Porras caught a baby tarpon while snook fishing at the mouth of a creek on the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. Chances that little guy passed through the canal and swam that far are extremely slim. So, are tarpon now breeding in the Pacific? They have been caught all along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, especially in the southern zone. An increasing number have been taken in the Sierpe and Coto Rivers. Tarpon have also been have recorded as far south as Colombia and as far north as El Salvador.
FECOP agreed to sponsor a project to find out more about tarpon in the Pacific. Staley contacted Chacon (the two had remained friends over the years) and he agreed to work on the science part of the project. “The Sierpe Wetlands are perfect habitat for juvenile tarpon,” Chacon says. “That very well may account for the increase in numbers of tarpon caught there in the last few years.” Most of the river tarpon are small, less than 30 pounds, but some as large as 100 pounds have also been captured.
Tropical Storm Nate delayed the project when massive amounts of rain fell, which not only caused major landslides but also completely flushed everything out many of the coastal rivers.
Phase 1 of the project will concentrate in southern Costa Rica. A DNA comparison will be done between Pacific-caught tarpon and tarpon taken at various locations on the Caribbean side of the country. Biologists will also study what the Pacific tarpon have been feeding on. This can be accomplished with a small tissue sample without sacrificing the fish. All Pacific-caught tarpon will also be tagged.
Chacon notes that there is a possibility tarpon could change the ecology of the rivers over time. So far it is not yet known what these tarpon are feeding on or how they will affect native fish. But the ever-increasing encounters along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast make it worth finding out.
For more information contact: www.fishcostarica.org or info@fecop.org
