This past week Kate and I took a well deserved vacation to Riviera Maya, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. While there we spent some time in Playa Del Carmen which is just South of Riviera Maya. We decided to do some deep sea fishing while we were there, and hired a panga boat captain from Tulum, which is just South of Playa Del Carmen. As it turned out, the seas were extremely high this week because of Hurricane Ike churning in the Gulf of Mexico just North of the Yucatan, and the port at Playa Del Carmen was closed that day for panga fishing.
Our guide found a solution for us, and paired us with another couple that was going to go out on a panga and we were able to get a shared trip on a 28 foot diesel hatteras, despite the 5-6 foot seas. Our guide drove the boat over from Cozumel (about an hour away) to accomodate us, we met with the other couple we were fishing with, and we set sail around 10AM.
Since the water drops off very quickly, the ride to the fishing grounds only took 5 minutes. Our mate was Miguel and our Captain was Freddy. Miguel started baiting and rigging the lines as soon as we got moving and had 5 lines out and fishing within 10 minutes. We had a down rigger, 2 flat lines, and 2 outriggers, all with ballywhoo rigged in different colors, and we were fishing 200 feet of water.
The seas were really rough and Freddy wasn’t paying much attention most of the time, so the ride was interesting. Within 25 minutes Kate was not feeling so well despite taking Dramamine, so you can use your imagination on how that went.
The fishing was slow, the diesel engine was stinky, the sun was blazing, and the seas were really high, but we did manage 2 fish, and lost another 2 or 3 at the boat.
Here are some pictures of the kingfish and the barracuda that I caught.
We did learn some interesting facts out there from the mate, including how to tell if barracuda meat is poisonous or not. Miguel told us that if you cut open a barracuda and taste its liver and it is sweet, it is good to eat, and if it is spicy, it is poisonous and you should stay away. Now doesn’t raw barracuda liver sound delicious?
The trip didn’t produce the sailfish, marlin, or dorado (mahi mahi) that I was hoping for, but at least it was an experience… and at least it was only a 4 hour trip (for Kate’s sake)…
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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September 18th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
So, did you get a chance to taste your catches? Barracuda is pretty tasty. Come back in May or June for the best deep sea fishing. The waters are calm and all the fish are plentiful. Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos usually hold a fishing tournament in late May.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
No we didn’t get a chance, to try it, long story short my shoes got stolen, and Kate wasn’t feeling well so we went back to the hotel and rested… I would like to get back down there in May sometime and try the fishing again…
September 18th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Oh my gosh, I’m sorry to hear that! How weird that your shoes got stolen! Wishing you better luck the next time!!
September 19th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Great pictures! What you learned from Miguel is a bit weird. Why would you want to taste its liver? Sounds gross! And if you so happen to taste it and get the poisonous one you’ll be poisioned just by tasting it lol.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Well I guess the liver is not poisonous, he was saying that the flesh is what is toxic to humans in the larger barracudas, the liver just tastes different in the non poisonous ones. According to Miguel the reason some become toxic is because they eat a type of toxic coral that spreads the toxin into the flesh over time…
Either way you can rest assured I am not going to be eating raw barracuda liver any time soon
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I am going to be in riviera maya in May 2009, I am wondering if any one can recomend a fishing charter or two?