Deep Sea Fishing Recommendation

[IBSaling]

Can anyone recommend a fishing charter in Cozumel? Would we be likely to catch anything on a 4 hour trip, or should we do a 6 hour? Also have seen some boats offer combo fishing/snorkeling trips. Any comments on how well that works?

[FishermanJim]

Can anyone recommend a fishing charter in Cozumel? Would we be likely to catch anything on a 4 hour trip, or should we do a 6 hour? Also have seen some boats offer combo fishing/snorkeling trips. Any comments on how well that works?

 

What month will you be in Cozumel and I can tell you what fish are generally in season. This is a strange year. We've already had three sailfish and other operators have also caught sails that typically are not into Cozumel's Caribbean until mid-March. Generally white and blue marlin are right behind them.

 

You can Google (or any search engine) "fishing Cozumel" or "fishing in Cozumel" and see what three of four companies offer. I wouldn't jump on the cheapest but you don't have to overpay, just make fair comparisons, most Cozumel operators have good reputations and fair prices.

[IBSaling]

Thanks for the advice, Fisherman Jim. We will be there in mid-March, so I hope there will be some good fishing. Would you recommend we do deep sea, bottom fishing or a combination? In order to satisfy all the family members, we would also like to include some snorkeling in the excursion. Does the boat need to have a special marine permit to do that? How much time is spent traveling to the fishing areas? I'm trying to decide between a 4 and 6 hour trip, since we'll want some time for shopping.

[FishermanJim]

I think it is always a good idea to take the mix of deep sea and bottom fishing; often when one isnt' working the other is. You are not obliged to do both types of fishing. Start deep sea and if there is plenty of action keep at it, if not, switch.

 

You will need a six hour charter (minimum) to get in all three activities if you add snorkel. The best snorkel in Cozumel is in the protected marine park, so yes, be sure the company offering snorkel coupled with your fishing has a "marine park permit". Others will take you snorkeling but generally at Villa Blanca, which you can comfortably do from the beach and maybe Paradise. Paradise is officially inside the park, but management doesn't bother the un-permitted boats in that zone.

 

There is no travel time fishing in Cozumel. Generally lines go out 15 minutes outside the marina. We are on an island in deep, deep waters.

[LHP]

Check this site:

 

http://www.fishingcozumel.net/

 

Wahoo tours is a great one!!! http://www.wahootours.com

 

I think they can be booked at either website!

 

Enjoy Cozumel!!!

[Zada]

In January of 2006, we had booked a fishing charter online through Island Charters. Island Charters set us up with Tres Hermanos (Three Brothers) fishing charter. I believe we booked a half day of fishing through them for $350 for the boat and 6 fishermen.

 

At the time, Cozumel was still recovering from Hurricane Wilma and the pier was still wiped out so we had to tender in. We knew beforehand that the tendering could actually take a lot longer than usual and ended up meeting the brothers slightly late. Even though we were a bit late, the two brothers, Thomas and Charlie (the third brother was busy elsewhere), were waiting for us at the marina north of the cruise port near the old lighthouse.

 

Their boat is nothing fancy but was clean. Thomas informed us when we arrived that the fishing was actually better towards Playa del Carmen and that it would take about 20-30 minutes to get there. We were fine with that as we wanted to fish where the fishing would hopefully be the best.

 

Thomas drove the boat so we didn't see him much and Charlie set up and put out the lines. We trolled through the area near Playa del Carmen. I'm not sure how good the fishing can be in the area but we managed to snag 4 fish, one for each person in our party. When a fish bit, Charlie would quickly try to set the hook and if the hook was set, he'd have one of us reel it in. We only caught one big fish (a Wahoo), the three others were 'small' (barracuda, small mahi-mahi, and bonita).

 

I think the charter was supposed to be for 4 hours but I think the brothers actually gave us 5.

 

We were very pleased with the fishing trip and would recommend a trip with Tres Hermanos. Thomas and Charlie both spoke english. Included in the price is a cooler full of beverages, which included water, soft drinks, and beer (Sol). And to top it off, the price was quite cheap for a fishing charter. The brothers had booked with cruise passengers before and wanted to make sure we'd get back to the ship in time.

 

You can find information about them at http://www.cometocozumel.com/english/sub/activities-3hermanos.asp

[the plumbers wife]

Would anyone recommend one fishing charter over the other? Very hard to tell, especially when I (DW) have no clue...lol?? DH, BIL, my Dad and 3 young teen boys, it would be the first week in July? We are docked from 10-7? Would a four hour tour be enough (I feel like I am talking about Gilligans Island :D ), they just want to fish? All 3 adult men have caught sailfish at one point! And my Dad wants to go on a well equiped nice boat!! Would the tour meet them at the port where we will dock from the Enchantment? Thanks so much (fisherjim)!

[FishermanJim]

Follow my suggestion about the search engines. There are at least three or four companies recommended above (we are among them, thanks very much) and communicate with a few. Most Cozumel operators deliver good, professional services. Some offer a boat, some offer several and some have options for "economy", "full-sized" and "luxury". There are many options to choose from.

 

I recommend doing that now as you are because it seems they all turn out better when well arranged in advance.

 

FishermanJim

[Pusniski]

We used Papa Hogs June 2007 and were pleased. www.papahogs.com

 

They are close to port. The boat we rented wasn't luxury and had a basic bathroom onboard. I probably would opt for the larger boat. No one can guarantee lots of action, but we did catch a couple of mahi-mahi. Boy, that sure was fun reeling them in. :)

 

The other two companies mentioned I checked out, too. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them. They reviewed well. ;)

[KyGolden08]

What month will you be in Cozumel and I can tell you what fish are generally in season. This is a strange year. We've already had three sailfish and other operators have also caught sails that typically are not into Cozumel's Caribbean until mid-March. Generally white and blue marlin are right behind them.

 

We will be in Cozumel September 26, 2008, and DH & I were really looking forward to deep sea fishing. Any idea how the fishing is that time of year "usually"?

[map70065]

Is the fishing good in June? Is a 4 hour trip enough if you're just looking for deep sea fishing?

[FishermanJim]

Is the fishing good in June? Is a 4 hour trip enough if you're just looking for deep sea fishing?

 

In this region fishing is generally strong through August, indeed we have landed a lot of sailfish in August. Four hours is enough if you want a few fish. The more time you spend fishing, typically the more fish you catch.

Of course there are days no matter how much time you won't catch anything, but not usually this time of year.

[jasutrick]

I will be in port January 1st. Happy New Year!!! Will boats be running? Is the fishing worth it in January? Would like to hear from passengers who have fished in January...

[mrios1]

I will be in port January 1st. Happy New Year!!! Will boats be running? Is the fishing worth it in January? Would like to hear from passengers who have fished in January...

 

When the ship docks in Coz,as you're getting off the ship onto the pier. There are big fishing boats offering fishing trips. I can never get anyone to go with me so Im usually alone. This guy was offering trips for $80 bucks a person,right from the pier. I usually bicker on the price,but I know his fuel costs are more than ours and his price wasnt bad at all. Im gonna try to post a pic of his boat, it was diff nice...

[Just_Wondering]

Since everyone is on a cruise... what do you do with the fish that are caught?

[FishermanJim]

When the ship docks in Coz,as you're getting off the ship onto the pier. There are big fishing boats offering fishing trips. I can never get anyone to go with me so Im usually alone. This guy was offering trips for $80 bucks a person,right from the pier. I usually bicker on the price,but I know his fuel costs are more than ours and his price wasnt bad at all. Im gonna try to post a pic of his boat, it was diff nice...

 

If at $80 per person, you are "bickering" I'm curious what you think a fishing charter is worth? In the States, it cost upwards of $1000 per day for a boat out of Texas, Florida or California ports.

Surely you know that Mexico is an OPEC member nation, a net petroleum exporter??? Diesel and gasoline are half the cost in Mexico vs. USA prices and those are cheap vs. European prices at $10 to $12 per gallon. We pay in the neighbourhood of $2.60 per gallon for gasoline, but most boats, good fishing boats are diesel.

I'm curious what "amenities" are included when you take an "un-booked" boat working for a “commissionista” hawking tourists off the cruise terminal piers???

If there is a break-down and you lose your fishing day, can you get a refund from your credit card company or have you paid cash? If the latter, I assure it's non-refundable.

Most people get to vacation once a year and it's very expensive in today's economy. Efforts to fix your reservations and be sure of your enjoyment in advance is usually time and money wisely spent.

[vfb2girls]

Fisherman Jim, I have a question for you since you seem to know a lot about the fishing, do you have any knowledge of fishing in Belize? I tried asking questions about fishing on the Belize board but there seems to be know one that can answer them. Since most people choose to do cave-tubing, fishing is probably not a preferred excursion. So my question for you is have you ever used the ship sponsered fishing excursions? I am talking about Carnival in general. We would like to do some fishing in Belize but not sure if we want to venture out with a non-ship sponsered tour so I was leaning toward using Carnival. Would you know what company Carnival uses for their tours? Sorry to interrupt this thread but it is very frustrating not to get any answes from the specific boards. Thank you.

[FishermanJim]

Fisherman Jim, I have a question for you since you seem to know a lot about the fishing, do you have any knowledge of fishing in Belize? I tried asking questions about fishing on the Belize board but there seems to be know one that can answer them. Since most people choose to do cave-tubing, fishing is probably not a preferred excursion. So my question for you is have you ever used the ship sponsered fishing excursions? I am talking about Carnival in general. We would like to do some fishing in Belize but not sure if we want to venture out with a non-ship sponsered tour so I was leaning toward using Carnival. Would you know what company Carnival uses for their tours? Sorry to interrupt this thread but it is very frustrating not to get any answes from the specific boards. Thank you.

 

The reason I seem to know about fishing in Cozumel is it's my business; that's how I make my living. We are in a very close proximity to Belize, but I don't personally know any operators there. What port of call will you visit? I have friends who travel there to Belize frequently; mostly to gamble, but some of them are also boat owners here and involved in regional to world-wide fishing events. They likely will know something about the operators there and I donn't mind researching that at all. You can also email Rick Wilson, my son. He has an extraordinary ability to pick the right ones. Ricky@wahootours.com

[vfb2girls]

Thank you fisherman Jim for the quick reply, I will go ahead and e-mail your son then. We will be in Cozumel as well as Belize the beggining of December but this is for a cruise so our time in ports is very limited. That is why I asked about ship sponsered fishing excursions. We are not expecting the top notch fishing that we did last summer in Alaska so even if it is only for a few hours of fishing we will be happy. So once again thank you, these boards are just great for getting the infomation that we need.