Early Trips to Campeche Mexico "Baby Tarpon On"

 

Location:    Campeche Mexico Date:    February 06 and March 08

Objective and General Observations:     This report is a compilation of two  AD (Angling Destinations) DX  trips to Campeche Mexico.  DX stands for Destination X which is a way that AD has tried to keep their favorite fishing spots somewhat secret.  In 2006 Campeche was not yet on the angling map and I was very lucky to plug into AD's first commercial excursion. The February  06 trip was the first of a series of trips that AD put together in conjunction with Tarpon Town Anglers (Raul), focused on fishing the surrounding Campeche coast and waterways.  The 08 trip was a follow-on complimentary trip for a Mayaguana Bahamas trip that was cancelled because of a major hurricane.  Both DX trips used Campeche as the expedition base where we boarded large panga's (S American utility boat, stout but slow) and motored several hours up the coast towards Merida. We ended up camping on a penisula that jutted into the gulf that had great access to some coastal jungle rivers and a large bay/estuary system. Yucatan Peninsula. It is a friendly colonial town located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico approximately 1.5 hour flight out of Mexico City. The town itself is clean, people are very friendly and seem quite prosperous.  It has a excellent board walk and downtown area that is centered around a classic plaza and beautiful catholic church (see photo).                    Campeche itself is a very nice mid size Mexican City (200K plus residents)  located on the SW edge of the

Weather and Logistics:   The 06 trip ran into a cold front, even for the Campeche area February is a bit early in the year.  The 08 trip was done in March where the weather was perfect.  In both cases we camped 2 hours (Panga run time) South of Campeche on the coast.  No mosquito’s or other biting bugs. Travel Logistics:   On both trips I was able to get to Campeche in a single day…flying through Mexico City on United.  I used United to get to Mexico City.  The connecting flight out of Mexico City takes off from terminal 2 which is a short train ride from terminal 1.  On both trips it took two days to get home. I stayed overnight in the Bay Area (Red Roof Inn).  Another option two consider is flying directly into Merida and driving to Campeche…several members of our party took this approach.  Depending on the U.S. carrier this might be a legitimate approach. Campeche Lodging: In Campeche we stayed at the Oceanview  ( 981-81-1-99-99 or 01-800-0062326 in Campeche. It is a very nice/clean hotel (moderate price) that is located right on the water front.  They offer a nice sit-down breakfast with the room. There is also a quaint little pool area good for relaxing.   Downtown is within walking distance and it is close to the harbor.  One observation was that the local people seemed to enjoy the water front in the evenings.  Lots of people walking, eating and in general, enjoying themselves.  The plaza area is a must see, lots of shops, and a great  Colonial era Catholic Church.

Trip Detail:  In General, the fishing experience was great on both trips.  The weather is important  as the fish seem to become much more inclined to bite during the warmer weather.  We were hit with a cold front that took the temps down to the lower 80’s on our first trip.  While we saw fish the first few days, they were not actively feeding.  As the temperature increased the fish became much more inclined to bite.  We fished 8wt rods, loaded with 9wt line…helps load the rod a bit.  The hot fly on both trips was a black rabbit tail with a bright read collar .  This fly produced well for me.  Some others in the party seemed to do quite well with a green tarpon toad.  The leader system is pretty basic….3’ of butt going to 1 or 2X  (4’) going to a  44lb bite tippet 18” or so in length.    Both trips produced ~ 4 Tarpon apiece.  Great fun and often had many many shots and hook-ups. The Best Moment: The very best day was the final day of the first trip.  My young Mayan guide ( no English spoken here) and I were on our way back to Campeche for the final  afternoon of fishing, pulling up the rear of our 4 boat  expedition flotilla.  Suddenly and mysteriously out of know where , we found ourselves totally surrounded by 100’s of  juvenile Tarpon.  What a sight….as far as we could see Tarpon playing, sleeping and rolling. Absolutely the best fishing moment of my life as we faced 100’s of very happy laid up Tarpon.  What came next was shot after shot, jumped tarpon after jumped tarpon and several to the boat with 1 nice 40lb fishing being landed.  Absolutely a once in a life time experience…after 2 hours of constant casting…I was totally  drenched with sweat and exhausted.  Summary: This is a very nice area of Mexico that has some outstanding juvenile Tarpon fishing. This is a location well worth the trip and a pretty good spot to bring your significant other.  I found both trips extremely enjoyable and spent several extra days exploring the town on my 08 visit.