Staff Catch Report: Gareth's Mexico Saltwater Adventure for Mahi Mahi & Barracuda https://ift.tt/fd15utn



Staff Catch Report – Mexican Saltwater Adventure

Gareth swaps the Clyde Estuary for Tropical Predators in Riviera Maya 🇲🇽


This year’s first holiday destination was Mexico - specifically the Riviera Maya - and for this roving reporter, that naturally meant one thing… fishing.

Shore fishing can be quite difficult around many of the resorts, as a lot of beaches don’t allow anglers to fish directly in front of them. Usually though, a short walk will find you access to some productive water.

For travelling light, a compact lure setup is ideal. A four-piece travel rod like the Major Craft Crostage Survive Light Game Travel Rod paired with a Penn Battle IV 2500 would cover a huge range of situations perfectly. Add a handful of small surface lures and you’re ready for action.

Mother Nature Had Other Plans…

Unfortunately, just a couple of days before arrival, a huge amount of sargassum weed hit the Caribbean coastline and made shore fishing almost impossible.

That’s part of fishing while travelling though - sometimes you need to adapt quickly and change the plan.

After a little research on arrival, it became clear there were plenty of local charter boats capable of getting out beyond the weed line and into cleaner water. An hour later, the trip was booked - five hours targeting mahi mahi, Spanish mackerel and hopefully even sailfish.



Tropical Action Offshore

The morning of the trip arrived and we headed out from Akumal Bay, trolling baits on 30lb class outfits in crystal clear blue water.

Conditions looked perfect and it didn’t take long before the rods started going. By the end of the session we’d landed two stunning mahi mahi along with a seriously good-sized barracuda.

While the sailfish never showed this time around, the trip was still an unforgettable experience and a brilliant reminder that a little flexibility can completely save a fishing holiday.


Travel Tackle Essentials

If you’re planning a fishing trip abroad and need advice on travel-friendly tackle setups, pop into store and speak to one of the team.