Mexico Rod Quiver

[jsrieck]

Putting together a set of travel rods for fly fishing the flats of the Mexico. Need rods for the three big species: Bonefish, Permit, and Tarpon. Bonefish and Permit will be in Ascension Bay while Tarpon will be at Isla Holbox (100-200#s).

Ascension Bay has small Tarpon, so don't need the big rod when I go there, while Holbox has big Tarpon and not much else, so don't need the small rods there. I'd like to always have a back up rod.

So, what set would y'all put together? I am thinking 6 & 9 for Permit & Bones, 9 & 12 for Tarpon and a spare 9 wt. as back up. However, I also think the old 8, 10 & 12 combo with a 9 back up might be more conservative...

Thoughts?

[backwater]

I think you would do fine with 8, 9, 10, 12 combination. Keep in mind that you'll need good quality reels and lines to go along with all that plastic. JMHO, but depending upon how much big tarpon fishing you plan to do in the future, you may want to consider how much use that 12 is going to get. BTW, Holbox has LOTs of small tarpon and small is sometimes a relative term. A 60lb tarpon can be a handful on a 10wt, and a trophy on a 9wt. There are also lots of decent sized snook around too. A 10 is also a whole lot easier to cast all day than a 12. True the 12 will come in handy for the big ones, but it might just end up sitting around a lot. I would bring the 8 and 9 for bonefish and for the odd permit. Snook and tarpon in the 8-25lb range would be a good match on the 9 too. Hope that helps!!

[ajax6]

I agree. The 8,9,10,12 rods will handle and prefectly suduce your quarry.

[SpexnReds]

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said, but the bonefish in Ascension aren't very big (2-3 lbs usually with some ocassional 5lb). Personally, I'd replace the 8wt with a 7wt since flies are small and wind won't be too big of a problem considering there are always sheltered lagoons to fish in that area. Still, you couldn't go wrong with an 8, I just prefer lighter tackle when possible. For the permit and smaller tarpon, a 9 will do ya just fine. Bringing along a 10 wt would be a good idea given the large possibility you could spot a tarpon in the 40-60 lb range in shallow water (you could easily use a 12, but a 10 would be way more fun). And of course, for Holbox it might even be wise to bring two 12's since the water that holds most of the large tarpon is deep. Lifting even a 60 lb tarpon in deep water can be hell if it settles on the bottom (which most of the time they do after their initial runs/jumps), and Holbox tarpon are BIG. About 90% of breaks due to actual fishing incidents occurs in deep water because of the angle a fish can put on your rod. Since the typical tarpon you will encounter in Holbox (when the fishing is hot) is pretty large (80-170lb) and the water is deep, I would bring along an extra 12 just in case one fails on ya. I should probably mention that large tarpon at Holbox are seasonal and are best in the summer months. That's not to say that some large tarpon aren't there other times of the year, but most likely summer is when you are going to run into multitudes of el sabalo grande. If you aren't headed down there in the summer, I wouldn't bring along that extra 12 wt since you probably won't need it.

[PeterRoss]

I know that the common understanding is that there is only small fish in Ascension Bay. Well.. yes and no. The guides there know about places (now I know them too) where the fish is much bigger than 1-4 lb. The problem is that very often the playing of the fish may be risky because of the mangroves etc. So, being nice people they do not want you (as the customer) to loose too many fish. On my last trip to Ascension Bay I hooked a quite a number of fish between 8 - 12 lb. Some of them were landed some disappeared with my flies. :cool: .. but who cares? I got the best part anyway. On my trips to Ascension Bay I have used #8 as an allround rod. It worked just fine.

Regards

[SpexnReds]

what lodge/guide did you use? I have never heard of that and now I'm dying to get a shot a large Yucatan bone.

[PeterRoss]

SpexnReds, we were three times in Punta Allen, not really staying in any fishing lodge there though there are 3-4 of them in the village.
It was first our third year that we got in touch with the right guide. We just explained to him that we were not interested in catching 100 fish a day. One is enough - if it is big enough --126-3-
Look at til thread (http://reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34018) - with pictures of fish I was lucky to get there.

[Jim Royston]

Gaspar is maybe the best little (and I mean little) guide I've ever fished with. His enthusiasm for sight fishing is unexcelled. And that is one whopping bonefish from Ascension Bay.