Visitor # 2,666,332   |   Contact us   |   Sponsors Follow us on Follow us on facebook Login |   
  Search

Sailfishing Guatemala

Sailfish and Marlin in Guatemala 

Capt Brad Philipps has released more billfish than anyone on the planet, with over 36,000 billfish releases to his credit, and 18 seasons of experience on these waters. Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures has gained the reputation of being the finest bill-fishing operation anywhere. If you are looking for the most dialed in of operations, providing the best in billfishing, you have found it! We deal directly with our anglers, making it the easiest of fishing vacation to put together, with 5 star accommodations, first class service, in house ground or air transfers, scrumptious dinning, and the very finest in sports fishing vessels, crews and equipment, we put anglers on an angling trip of a lifetime.
 

Brad and his crew have long been recognized as one of the best in the business, being voted Marlin Magazines Captain of the Year 2008, as well as receiving many received countless other accolades, prior and since.
Brad has been awarded The Billfish Foundations prestigious Release Captain of the Year Award, and Sailfish Release Captain of the Year Award, 16 times in the past 18, and also the Pacific Blue Marlin Release Captain of the Year Award for 3 times in the past years, and Indo-pacvific Black marlin Captain of the year once. Together with his highly experienced mates,they have spent a collective 7500 days aboard the ‘Decisive’ together. Capt. Brad brings to this exceptional boat his friendly personality, unmistakable mix of attributes, the promise of uncompromising service, a willingness to share their knowledge, years of experience on these waters and a professionally tested crew with a contagious passion for the game that one will find hard to match anywhere.
He has averaging an amazing 15 billfish releases per day off Guatemala, along with the hordes of slammer dorado, tuna and blue marlin that fill the memorable trips with unstoppable action and variety. He has broken the world record for billfish releases by a single captain on 3 separate occasions in the past years, having a record breaking 2759 billfish releases in 2004. In 2016, Brad released an incredible record of 3713 billfish for the year, a number probably never to be beat, just showing the fishing off Guatemala is only getting better. Top days aboard the ‘Decisive’ include 91 sailfish releases, a record breaking 73 releases for a single angler in one day, 51 IGFA fly-fishing releases for a single angler in a day and 6 blue marlin releases in single afternoon for a single angler. Brad has released close to or more than 2000 releases almost every year he has fished Guatemala. His top year on marlin releases off Guatemala saw 96 blue marlin and two striped marlin released…the blue aldrin fishing can be exceptional. 
With years of experience in the Guatemalan sport fishing, hotel and culinary trades, Cindy Philipps brings to the exclusive lodging and booking side of this operation her unparalleled efficiency, personal supervision and unmistakable Guatemalan hospitality. Together with their professional lodging staff and full-time driver, this operation will personally handle every detail of your trip, to ensure that your stay on land is as unforgettable as the time spent offshore. 
Whether an experienced billfishermen, a relative newcomer, a fly-fisherman or conventional angler this is as close a bet as one can guarantee to enjoying the fishing trip of a lifetime. You’ll find all the necessary details in this website and we look forward to you contacting us directly to make your bookings or to give you more information on this exciting fishing vacation. 


Welcome to Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures

Our Lodge - "The Billfish Inn" - Photo Courtesy of Bill Boyce

Captain Divan becomes part of our Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures Special Team!

 

Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Capt. Divan Coetzee has been with us the past months, riding with Brad aboard the ‘Decisive’ and others, as well as running some of our trips, and that of his own. He has been learning all the tricks of our Guatemalan fishery, and his years of offshore experience, together with his friendly calm personality, are true hallmarks of this professional. He comes with high credentials having fished Ascension Island for 4 seasons, the Australian Barrier Reef, and also Cape Verde. He will be back with us next season to fish some of his anglers aboard the Decisive, as well as run other trips for our multi-boat bookings. He will also be giving Brad the chance to work on some other fishing opportunities that are opening up. We are excited about what the future holds and happy Divan will become part of our special team. 
 đź“˝Hunter Bost


 

World’s Top Billfish Release Skipper Honored

Capt. Brad Philips is recognized by The Billfish Foundation as the top billfish-release Captain in 2016.

By Doug Olander January 9th, 2017 - Photo Courtesy Capt. Jason Brice
From his boat Decisive, Capt. Brad Philipps released 66 blue marlin in 2016.

 

Continuing his remarkable string of billfish-release records, Capt. Brad Philipps is being recognized by The Billfish Foundation as 2016’s Top Overall Release Captain and the Top Pacific Sailfish Release Captain (which he’s won 16 of the past 17 years).

The Guatemala skipper has released more billfish — more than 30,000 to date — than any other captain anywhere.Philipps cites the past year as another banner season. From his 40-foot Gamefisherman, Decisive, “We released 3,713 billfish in 2016. Our Guatemala fishery just gets better and better; there’s simply no place like it!” he says.

……. Read more

http://www.sportfishingmag.com/worlds-top-billfish-release-skipper?c7BZ2swEoSGkskXM.01

 

Anderson Party by Kyle Hughes with Capt. Brad Philipps aboard 'Decisive' with Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Oct 2018!

NEW WORLD RECORD!!!

NEW WORLD RECORD - 30,000 BILLFISH RELEASES 

Capt. Brad Philipps RELEASED his 30,000th career BILLFISH on the 28th off November, 2015. He has logged over 1000 blue marlin releases, a couple hundred other combined species of marlin, a few swordfish and spearfish and over 28,000 sailfish releases, the majority of which have been caught on his 40ft Gamefishermen, ‘Decisive’, out of the Pacific Coast of Guatemala, with Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures, www.guatbilladv.com

 

 

AVERAGING 24 BILLFISH RELEASES PER DAY!

 

Tournament Wins!!!

TEAM DECISIVE with Capt. Brad Philipps WINS again the 2018 NO SANCOCHO Tournament with 54 sails and a blue marlin release over the past 3 days! - November 2018


With anglers Bill Canida, Brian Canida, Marcos Azar,  Johnny White representing Team Bamboo, mates Johnny García, José Marroquín and Kyle Hughes behind the cameras. Good friends, great times, over $42K raised for a great cause!




'DECISIVE' With Capt. Brad Philipps WINS 2ND PLACE IN THE FLY FISHING JAKE JORDAN INVITATION TOURNAMENT, January 2017



Brothers from Boston: Joe and Steve O'Brien with a 23 Sailfish best fly fishing tournament released day in history!

'END OF YEAR 2016 - TAG & RELEASE ANGLER & CAPTAIN COMPETITION - THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION

‘Decisive’ and it’s anglers totaled 10 awards for TBF’s Tag and Release Awards Season…what a year, congratulations to all of you…Darren Philipps (3), Jack Duval (2), Lisa Everett (1), Kaitlin O’Brien (1), Amanda Cofer (1 - fishing CV for blue marlin with us, aboard ‘Hooker'), and my-happy-self as captain (2). Thank you to all who fished with us this past year and to all our great sponsors and supporters, we could not do it without having the very best backing from the very best in the business!

'Decisive' with Capt. Brad Philipps wins 2nd Place in the NO SANCOCHO TOURNAMENT, November 2016


Anglers from Dominican Republic: Manuel Tavares, Elias Cruz and Eduardo Read with an overall 60 Sailfish released.

 

'Decisive' wins the NO SANCOCHO TOURNAMENT, April 2015

'Decisive' with Capt. Brad Philipps and his 'Team Decisive' anglers Denny Doyle, Ed Burr and Bob White win the 'No-Sancocho' Tournament of Guatemala. Taking the daily on each day of the event as top boat, for a resounding overall win. Points are giving according to billfish species and the tackle you catch them on, with 10 point for a sailfish on conventional 30lb and 20 points if caught on IGFA 20lb fly gear, marlin score more points. The team racked up 625 points, 'Team Pelagic Gear' placed second with 430 points. Capt. Brad Philipps and his long-time mates Kennendy and Johnny are three for three on tournament wins this season! Fishing has been great and the event was a resounding success, thank you to all the sponsors! U$10,000 of 'Sancocho' money was raised for a local school from the event! 
 
'Decisive' WINS the JAKE JORDAN FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT, January 2015

We won the Jake Jordan Fly Fishing Invitational Tournament. Decisive released 34 sails and a blue marlin on the fly in 2 days of great fishing.

'Decisive' released 12 sails and a 275lb blue marlin on the fly rod, IGFA 20lb tippet, tournament fishing...caught and released...the fish almost jumped in the boat early in the battle, what a bite, what a show!

 

'Decisive' WINS the PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGE OF GUATEMALA, 2014, with all sorts of records broken!!!

We released 23 sails and 2 blue marlin (275lbs and 325lbs) yesterday, all on 20lb IGFA. 'Decisive' totaled 98 sails and 2 blue marlin releases in the three days of fishing, which by all accounts is the most fish ever released by a single boat fishing a tournament!!!

The tournament totaled 845 sailfish & 4 blue marlin released by 12 boats in 3 days of fishing, also a new tournament record!!!!

The BITE is on off Guatemala, it's a huge body of fish and it's going to be a great season here!!!! 
 
 
91 sailfish released in a day
'Decisive' released 91 sailfish from 114 bites, with angler Dave Workman Jr of Florida releasing 73 of the sailfish, a possible new record for the most billfish releases for a single angler in a single day!  Dec 28th, 2012
 
 

Over 2000 releases each year!

Decisive

6 Blue Marlin in 1 day !