Fly Fishing

Fly fishing is on flat water inside the reef or in the lagoon and rivers, lakes and mangrove ponds. Placencia has skilled guides who can take you to the fish and help you find the right fly. Bonefish and permit go for little crab lures and streamers, tie your own and see what they like. You fish for them inside the reef so it is calm most of the time but you never really have to miss a day of fishing because of the weather. There are snook in the lagoon and the rivers among the mangrove so if the sea is too rough you can look there. Tarpon are in both places. Most of the guides will be using 28 or 25 foot Mexican type skiffs with outboards. These are very practical in these waters and are easy to fish from. Bring your regular fly gear "lighter line, better fun" $250-$275 US for guide and boat all day.

Bottom Fishing

Bottom fishing is the surest way to get fish around here, you always get something. There are jacks (all kinds), mutton snapper, red snapper, dog bite snapper and black snapper, yellowtail and silk snapper. We have grouper and kingfish, rockfish and porgy, 15 types of grunts, how about triggerfish; the guide told me "he pull hard, you get that on your line, you happy" don't forget the snook and tarpon and many others. You fish inside the reef and the guide cooks up one of your fish on one of the keys for lunch. Bring regular spinning tackle 10 to 30 lb test and get new line, you never know what you are going hook. Inside the reef in a 28 foot skiff, you can do this in most weather because of the protection offered by the reef. $250-$275 US boat and guide full day.

Trolling Outside The Reef

Look for Kingfish and Wahoo, Barracuda and the rest. Spend the whole day out in the deep water trolling with spoons, repalla, russle lure and local bait, plus bait you think might attract them. You will see snapper and grouper. Bring 20 to 80 lb test line "depending". If the weather is rough you can troll the inner channels. Many times you don't even make it to the deep water because kingfish are biting in the channels almost any day. $250-$275 US for a guide and boat full day.

Deep Water Drift Fishing

Blue water is where the monsters live. If you aren't afraid being pulled in by a big one try this. You catch a little yellow tail on your small line and put him on your big line, then drift in the deep water and see what happens. Kingfish, Barracuda Wahoo and ocean jack. Use a little trolling rod, a 500 or 350 that can hold a lot of line. Sometimes you might get one that you never see and he takes rod and all. Use 60 lb test anything smaller will just break. $250-$275US for guide and boat full day.