Poca Baila

[Charles (NL)]

Hello, I am Charles and I am living in the Netherlands.

My family and I are going for a week to Playa Del Carmen and I would like to do some bonefishing.
I am a DIY man and therefore I have been looking for information on the forum.
I have been reading about the flat near the bridge in boca paila and how you can reach it by wading to it.
But I have one GREAT concern: what about the CROCODILES?!!!

Kind regards, Charles

[CCS]

Yes, you will see crocodiles around the inlet. Some are sizable.

You can fish from the beach into the small cut / boca and target jacks, bonefish (look just inside on the N side) and occasional tarpon.

As you continue inland from the cut, you have a series of flats that harbor good numbers of bones and permit. Generally, though, the bottom in this vicinity is pretty soft so wading can be very difficult. You will also encounter the aforementioned crocs here.

You might be able to get a guide from Boca Paila as a day guest. If you want to catch fish and enjoy yourself, I would recommend this route.

You will also pass some decent water between where you are staying and Boca Paila. Generally, each of the bays towards Tulum have decent fishing with flats on the N and S ends. Pick the side based on winds. Bones and permit alike. Bring wading shoes. Try in particular the waters just out from the restaurant Oscar y Lolas.

Finally, the road from Tulum to BP is a disaster. I think it's 20 km and will take you 40 minutes, but it's worth it. Just plan appropriately.

Great fishing!

[widdoes]

Charles- I have been to BP 2ce and I can honestly say that I've never seen a croc near the Boca estuary. I've seen them back in the lagoon, but CCS comments are fairly certain, so I'll defer to him. There can be some very good fishing around the Boca, the bridge, and the triangle flat just inside the lagoon from the bridge to the north. But, unless you are an avid explorer and DIY fisherman, my thought is that the difficult access makes a guide worth every penny. The general manager at the Boca Paila lodge is Chico. You can ask him about a guide for the day. Juan is a very nice guide- got my first permit with him last year. Lemus and Alphonso are tough ("cast again, more line! Don't you see him?!"), but excellent fish finders. There is a guide that just came to BP from Pesca Maya that is younger and good, too, though his name escapes me. Expect a day to cost around $300 US and that should include some form of lunch. A tip of $30-$40 is customary.
I will also recomend that you give the beach a shot. There have been quite a few posts on this website about people catching bonefish, snook, jacks and even permit off the beach. Surprisingly, despite fishing the beach every morning and evening during my visits to BP (I'm a died-in-the-wool beach fisherman from my days in Nantucket), I have yet to get even a sniff in the surf. But, we did have some very strong winds and heavy surf during both of my trips.
Hope you have luck and let us know what you discover.
Best-
Wild John

PS- referring to the title of your initial post, I, too, have called it Poca Baila, although it's usually late in the evening, after mucho Don Julio. :brow

[Squidly]

Widdoes,

What a riot. You brought me back to fishing with Alphonso!!!!! " Cast Again!!! More Right!!!! Can't you see him. You spook"

[Henry]

There sure are croc's at Boca Paila. We were recently there this past Nov/Dec and discovered a huge bloody patch of sand on the sandbar at the boca mouth. There were "drag-marks" going for about 50ft to the waters edge by the mangroves. Don't know what was killed/taken but it sure had lots of blood and we didn't find any flats booties with bloody stumps in them...LOL!

I try to put the notion of being some creatures breakfast out of my mind when fishing...helps me concentrate on the task at hand.

[widdoes]

[QUOTE=Henry]There were "drag-marks" going for about 50ft to the waters edge by the mangroves. Don't know what was killed/taken but it sure had lots of blood and we didn't find any flats booties with bloody stumps in them...LOL!QUOTE]

More likely it was one of the "eco-tourists" staying down at the old Pez Maya. They can be fun to party with. Offer them a shower and they're yours. Just ask Chico, Francisco or Ricki to "send down a napkin".

Squidly- OK, funniest moment of the trip... one of our party had a slight issue, bathroom-wise. He was continually returning to the lodge to "read". One night we did the impression of Lemus (or Alphonso) chastising him..."Wipe again!!! More Paper!!!!..." My gut still hurts.

That's a fun lodge --127-3-

-Wild John