Visitor # 61177 Home   | My Account   HOME BOATS SPECIES, SEASONS, SEAS & WEATHER LODGING & SERVICES, GETTING HERE ANTIGUA GOLF RESORT FISHING REPORTS & NEWS CLIENT COMMENTS & PHOTO GALLERY PRICES, AVAILABILITY & RESERVATIONS January 2010 - Fish Report Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - January 2010 The fishing has been red-hot since our Christmas report, and for a variety of reasons January 2010 will be a month to remember for years to come. 'Decisive' had many 30 plus sailfish release days, won both the tournaments it fished and Capt. Brad Philipps released his 20,000th career billfish as a captain. So with 551 releases in the past 25 days on the water it's easy to see why anglers have been kept so happy sharing in the exceptional fishing Guatemala has to offer. John and Heather Harvey of Richards Bay, South Africa, spent Christmas with us and started fishing on the 27th December, with 7 sailfish releases from 15 bites. Things started picking up the next day with 19 releases from 28 bites, and 19 from 26 the following day. Fernando Paiz and family fished with us on the 30th and the bite was hot releasing 31 sailfish from 46 bites in a shortened but exciting day. Steve and Diane Cothron, 'Decisive's' owners were with us at our 'Billfish Inn' to see in the New Year, along with their guests Dan and Stephanie Malin, all of Texas. With 38 releases from 52 bites it was a great way to see out the Old Year and we saw in the New with 15 from 29 bites. The Harvey's were back on the water on the 2nd of January and were treated to one of their best days with 30 sailfish releases from 43 bites, then 22 from 28 and 18 from 31 bites on their final day to end a wonderful trip during which the couple released a total of 115 sailfish and quite a few large dorado. On the 10th, Joe O'Brien started with us on the fly releasing 7 from 9 while raising 17 fish. Our close friend and neighbor Scott Lund joined Joe on the 11th to release 3 on the fly in a short day. 'Decisive' fished the Jake Jordan International Fly Fishing Challenge on the 12th through the 14th with Scott and Joe as it's anglers. The team released 5 sails on the first day to take a lead they never relinquished. On day two 'Decisive' ran back out west and found the fish snapping. Scott released the first fish of the day, the 20,000th career billfish release for Capt. Brad Philipps, a historic achievement that has only been accomplished by one other person, Capt. Ron Hamlin. The day ended with 15 releases from 22 bites for the duo on the fly to further increase their commanding lead. Day three saw the whole fleet around 'Decisive' but unable to raise the fish the winning team was seeing with 'Team Decisive' releasing another 8 sailfish from 9 bites. The team ended up winning the tournament by twice the number of releases of the second boat, Nick Smith's, 'Old Reliable', with Scott Lund taking a walk-away victory as the first placed angler and Joe O´Brian taking second placed angler, for the clean sweep. Carlos Arias, Eddie Smith, Dean Vardeman, Larry Williams and Philip Klose, fished aboard the "Decisive' and Wilson Avalos, Wally Darneille, Steve Bauer, and David Pearson aboard the 'Circle hook' on the 15th to release 8 sailfish a piece. The 21st saw our friends Bobby and Carol Richter of Port Aransas, TX, along with son Brian and girlfriend Rae joining us for 4 days of superb billfishing, to release 36 from 55 on their first day and 41 from 51 the next. Day three saw them on the fly releasing 15 on the bait and 4 on the fly with 2 of those for Bobby to give him his first on the long wand......nice going Bobby. The following day saw Bobby and Carol enjoying Antigua while Brian and Rae had the boat to themselves and both did a wonderful job releasing 4 on fly and 16 on bait. The following day we all played a wonderful round of golf at the spectacular Antigua Golf and Country Club to end a special trip for the Richters. John and Patsy Hundley, along with their friends Roger and Denise Hatton all of Florida, were with us to experience the superb fishing we were seeing from the 26th through the 28th. Their first day saw 31 releases, 46 releases the next and 31 releases on their final day to total 108, releases in just 3 days of fishing, you just can't beat the consistency of these rich waters. The 29th saw the start of Hill Dishman's very popular 'No Sanchocho' tournament. With a lot of money and pride on the table all the Guatemalan big guns were in town for the event, with 'Team Decisives' Steve Cothron, Scott Lund and Harvey Steinhagen back to defend their title. With good fishing, 'Decisive' was very steady throughout the three days, releasing 31 from 45 bites on day one to be only one fish off the lead. Day two saw the team fishing conventional 20lb tackle and ballyhoo in the morning and then switching to a combination of bait and fly fishing in the afternoon to release 22 sailfish on bait from 32 bites to get within half a fish of the overall lead. Day three saw 'Team Decisive' in an unstoppable top gear with Scott releasing 8 from 8 on the fly while Steve and Harvey contributed another 19 on the bait to take the day and win the overall tournament by the equivalent of 5 fish, and the invite to the IGFA tournament of champions in Cabo next year. Once again the event was an outstanding success with a lot of money raised for the local school, and a good time had by all. Thank you Hill. With all the bait, blue water and endless sailfish both east, west and offshore of us it's looking like we are going to see the next few months with some bumper days, so take advantage of the few openings we have and come on down to experience what countless others have hailed as the ultimate in Billfishing Adventures. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Christmas Fish Report 2009! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Christmas Fish Report - 2009 Where the year goes is difficult to say, the festive season is on us and it seems like just yesterday that we were writing the last fishing update. November and December has seen some good fishing, with a steady pick of sailfish, great weather and flat seas. Recently announced is that Capt. Brad Philipps won The Billfish Foundations top award of Overall Release Captain of the Year for 2008/2009 and also the Top Pacific Sailfish release Captain of the Year. Both these awards he has won for the past 8 years running and attests to the quality of Guatemala's fishery and the crew on the 'Decisive'. November saw us start with 41 sailfish releases for Gary Hughes and friends. Scott Lund, a.k.a. Dr. Dog, released 6 on the fly and 4 on spin on the 4th, with Alex Palazio and friends releasing 17 from 22 sailfish two days thereafter. Dr. Dog was back with his friends Brian and Jessica on the 16th and 17th to enjoy the golf at Antigua Golf Resort and a steady pick of sails on the fly, spin and conventional tackle. Mike Viveiros, Dell Dembosky and Craig Johnson fished the 19th as a warm-up to the annual PCCA tournament which started on the 20th. With a slow day of pre-fishing we ran in the opposite direction to the fleet on the first day of tournament fishing to find the fish and release 13 sails and a feisty 275 pound blue marlin for Dell, to jump team 'Decisive' into a day one lead. Day two saw the fleet piled around us but with a steady pick and 14 releases we went into the final day with a few fish lead. The final day saw us a little out of sorts, missing some fish and without our usual fish raising hummm, to let victory slip from our grasp in the dying hour to finish with 10 releases and a solid second placed finish and many trophies for the team and it's anglers. The 28th of November through the 1st of December saw the Texas couple of Chris Keese and Theresa McClendon with us. The fishing was good, averaging 15 plus raises a day although many a fish proved finicky in getting them to eat the fly, but with the ever ready ballyhoo on the spin rod a fun time was had pulling on a bunch of sailfish. When all was said and done, both anglers had released sailfish on the fly, spin and conventional tackle to make for an outstanding trip. Joe O'Brien along with his boss Jon Sharp of England were all over the sailfish from the 3rd through till the 6th of December. They averaged over 30 raises a day with between 5 and 7 releases on the fly and up to 14 on the spin road each day, with Jon catching his first billfish on the long wand. A serious freshwater fishermen, Jon commented latter that after releasing one of his fish on the fly, a particularly large 125lb plus fish, he'd been overwhelmed with emotion at the extent of what he'd just achieved and at the unbelievable joy the entire experience had brought him......well this is what it's all about.......... and sharing this with us over dinner that night really made us all feel very special. Nothing makes us happier at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures than to hear compliments of this nature, thank you Jon!! Dr. Dog was back with us the 6th and 7th with plenty of sailfish on the fly and spin rod as well as some dorado. The bite slowed a little over the next week although anglers were still kept busy with their share of action. Miguel Ricart and Romel Marranzini joined us the 18th of December to see fishing pick up releasing 17 form 27 bites and miss a blue. Manuel Tavares, his son Raúl, and Eduardo Reid and his son Horacio, joined their Dominican friends on the 19th sharing the 'Decisive' and 'Circle hook' with the 'Decisive' finding a late bite to release 19 from 25 bites, and some yellowfin and dorado. The next day the 'Decisive' again pulled the magic rabbit out the hat at the end of the day to release 11 from 15 sails and raise a big blue that would not hang around. The 21st saw lots of bird life and deep blue water but only a handful of sailfish. The highlight was a 100lb striped marlin on 20lb, a first for Manuel, nice going!! It's now time for a short holiday break, so to all our wonderful clients, anglers, friends, family and generous sponsors we wish you all a Blessed Christmas, joyous New Year and all the compliments of the festive season. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Team Decisive! Craig Johnson - 3rd place Angler PCCA Guatemala 2009 Event Capt. Brad Philipps - 2nd place Capt. PCCA Guatemala 2009 Event Angler Dell Dembosky - 2nd place Angler PCCA Guatemala 2009 Event Angler Mike Viveiros - 2nd place overall Angler PCCA Grand Champion 2009 Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report End of October 09! Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - 2nd November 2009 It's been a while since the last report. We have been in Africa for 4 months, visiting with family and friends, hosting some foreign guests, presenting a few billfishing workshops and of course lots of time in the bush on photo safari's and hunting in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The Billfish Inn and the 'Decisive' have had their usual off-season touch-ups, the crew is rested and we are as ready as ever for another good season ahead of us. With the slower economy, bookings got off to a slightly more hesitant start than usual this October, but the sailfishing action couldn't have been better. Saturday the 31st of October and Sunday the 1st of November saw us fishing with our friends Gary Hughes of Chile, along with his colleagues Ian McDonald and Roberto Cisternas. With reports of a boat releasing 38 sailfish the day before it was a great feeling to be back on the water. With lines in the water only 7 miles from port, it took just minutes before we had our first double of the season hooked up, and the action stayed the same way throughout the weekend with us never having to get more than 14 miles offshore. Saturday saw 'Decisive' release 22 sailfish from 32 bites and then 41 sails from 59 bites yesterday. There was also some dorado action.....you just can't beat those freshly prepared dorado burgers for lunch. The water is blue and there is bait, birds and porpoise life everywhere. They have also had some exceptional fishing to the east of us in El Salvador over the past month and the blue water current is pushing hard from that direction, so the prediction is that we will be seeing a very good November and December ahead of us. Bookings are looking good for the rest of the season as people realize they can not do anything about the economy and the best recipe for an over worked, under paid, stressed out sole, is a tropical billfishing adventure. We have November 9, 10, 11, 12 and 23, 24, 25, 26 open, and also December 11, 12, 13 available to fish, so if you would like to take advantage of what is going to be a great month's fishing head of us we are only an email away. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report March 2009! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - March 2009 The fishing off the Pacific Coast of Guatemala aboard the 'Decisive' with Capt. Brad Philipps has been extremely good this past March. We have seen blue water with many big release days on the sailfish as well as some good blue marlin action to keep our anglers extremely happy and finished the month off on a huge body of sailfish giving us high hopes for the rest of our season. We started the month with our loyal friend Brad Watkins and his partner Lori Hazel going 16 from 23 on the sailfish with a 500lb blue that looked like eating but never really did it's thing. The next day they went 13 from 19 with Lori really getting into the swing of things hooking her own fish and a great double header for the couple. On the 3rd we had an exciting day with Brad catching a very lively sailfish on 2lb test, as well as another 4 on our standard 20lb Alutecnos gear. We also missed a nice blue on the rigger and late in the day released a 300lb blue to finish it off in style. The 4th saw us release 4 sails before returning early for a little tour of the surrounding sights. Running a little wider, Brad went 20 from 26 on the sailfish, with an awesome 500lb blue released on the 50# standup on the last day while Lori and Cindy enjoyed a relaxing day at the Antigua Golf and Country Resort, to finish off another wonderful trip to Guatemala. Things started slow for Frankie Mirandes, Mike Cromwell, Chuck Matheny , and Jim Gill on the 7th with only a handful of releases but every new day starts with hightenend optimism in Guatemala with the promise of a big day. This is exactly what we found on the 8th with 34 releases from 45 bites for an outstanding day on the water with a great bunch of guys. The 9th saw us release 10 sailfish on bait, 2 on the fly and a 250# blue for Frankie to see them off on a triumphant note. The 10th saw our long time friend Gary Hughes along with Rob Geldenhuys, Chris Phillips and Gary O´Neill start their trip with a busy 13 releases from 18 bites. The sailfish bite slowed a little on their second day and after finding some huge schools of marauding bonito we switched gears and live baited for blue marlin. Only minutes after soaking the first bonny, we had a large blue crash the bait but unfortunately came unstuck. With expectations raised after this quick bite we plugged away and before the afternoon was over Gary was hooked up to a solid fish of around 400lb's which put on a great display. After releasing 4 sails the following day we found some floatsome with an unbelievable amount of bait and life around it and couldn't resist the temptation to live bait the area. We pulled the hooks on a small blue and had some sail and dorado action but unfortunately could not find the big girl we hoped would play but had a great day never the less. Taylor Glover and his sons Frank and Chris, all of Atlanta Georgia graced us with a visit the 14th through the 16th. We found fish out on the western edge and missed a nice 400lb blue early in the day, finishing the day with 10 sailfish releases. Things had slowed in the same area the following morning and we made a move over to the east and were rewarded with a spectacular 500lb blue for Chris, along with 5 sails. We finished the Glover's trip on a high note with 15 releases from 25 bites on a shortened day so the guys could make it up to fly out early. We raised 16 fish for our champion fly angler Scott Lund on the 18th but only managed a single bite which Scott converted.. Finding new water things picked right up the next day with 8 on spin and 3 fly releases, for another enjoyable monthly trip for Scott. Joe O'Brien was on the fly the 20th through the 22nd. There were still quite a number of sailfish around but getting them all to tease and bite was not easy. We converted for 3 releases the first day and another 3 the second and also added a sturdy 350lb blue that second day. Joe's final day saw him release 5 sails on fly and with another perfect dropback of the mackerel he again added another similar size blue to give him two blues in two days to add to the sails on fly. Nice work Joe!! It'd been years since we'd fished with Duke Gallagher, S. E. Ellender, Tad Blevins and Vic Tedesco and what a pleasure to have them with us again. They fished the 'Circle Hook' on the 22nd releasing 10 sails with Capt. Eddie Bariez. On the 23rd aboard the 'Decisive' they released 7 sails and a couple dorado. Mixing it up the following day we released 15 sails on bait and Duke released his first sail on the fly. With the boys revved up after having a taste of the previous days fly action we got both SE and Tad each their first sails on fly to make for a memorable trip for the close angling friends out of Homer, Louisiana. Our long-time Guatemalan friend Philip Klose and Manuel Torres had invited Ecuadorian friends James brown, Ricardo Yarad and Robert Suber to taste Guatemalan's finest resource. The guys had a wonderful day fighting the sailfish from a dead boat, the "Ecuadorian way", releasing 13 sailfish from 23 bites, along with 3 dorado for sushimi. The following day we were joined by Christian and Peter Klose, Mikey Fernandez, and friends, splitting the group between the 'Circle Hook' and 'Decisive'. Eddie found the fish inshore on the 'Circle Hook' and released 13 sailfish while the 'Decisive' went looking out wide and didn't get on them. John, Rick and Eric Bailey fished with us the 28, 29 and 30th for some excellent family action. In our usual flat blue seas they went 25 from 35, 22 from 33 and running out wide finished it off with a really hot afternoon their final day releasing 44 sails from 66 bites for an unreal trip. Returning to the same offshore bite the following day with Barry Fitzpatrick and John Carbone of Ocean City Light tackle Club, we saw the month out in true Guatemalan form with 33 releases from 50 bites on a huge group on fish that spread for miles. We also had a 400lb blue up on the teaser while we idled up to a hooked sail and had an exceptional bite from the fish only feet off the transom but in all the excitement unfortunately pulled the hook, but what a spectacle. With such a finish to the month and seeing probably the biggest body of sailfish we have seen here in years, cutting and feeding on the surface we are in for an unbelievable April that is going to see some big release days. For anybody that wants to plan a last minute trip to get in on this action, we have the 13, 14, 15th and the 20, 21, 22 and 23rd of April available on the 'Decisive' as well as the 16-24th and the 28-30th of April available on the 'Circle Hook'. Until next report, circle hooks, tight lines and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - February 2009 Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - February 2009 The fishing was good this past February although a little inconsistent at times with some really good days interuppted by some slower periods with greener water. The 2, 3 and 4th of Februay saw John and Patsy Hundley, along with Punch and Penny Martyn, of Palm Beach, Florida with us to share in some great angling. Day one saw 16 sailfsh releases from 22 bites as well as a fiesty 250lb blue released by John. The bite really picked up the next day with 35 releases from 57 bites, followed by 19 releases from 27 bites and an agressive blue we missed their last day. Our regular February fly anglers, cousins George and Michael Coe were with us the 5, 6 and 7th. With some rough seas their first day they chose a memorable sightseeing trip to Lake Atitlan and Antigua instead. Day two proved flatter, releasing 5 on the long wands and then 1 the next. Alex Marshall of Charleston, joined us the 13th and 14th. On the first day we raised 4 blues while fly flishing but they were shy to tease and although we managed to get a bite or two on the mackeral we were unable to convert on the weary fish. We did however averaged some 5-9 sailfish releases each day to keep Alex happy. The Billfish Foundation had it's annual awards evening over the weekend of the 12th to co-incide with the Miami Boat Show, and although Capt. Brad could not make the event, he was awarded the Pacific Sailfish Release Captain Award, the Pacific Blue Marlin Release Captain Award, and the overall TBF Release Captain of the Year Award. This is the 7th consecutive year Brad has been recognised by TBf for his outstanding achievements and support of conservation. Kennedy Hernandez, Brad's long time mate was also recognised with the much deserved Top Mate Award. Brad's long-time friend, Michael Viljoen of South Africa, was awarded the Top Pacific Sailfish Release Angler for all the fish he released while fishing on the 'Decisive' over his December 2007 trip. Well done Kennedy and Michael, it was a good night for the 'Decisive'!!! With the water turning green we were able to move our anglers to a latter date who were due to fish the week of the 16th through 22nd so nothing was lost and we all enjoyed a few days to catchup on everything else. Scott and Kristy Lund were with us the 23rd and 24th and although the fishing was slow we got a half bite out of a big marlin in the 600# after it tracked the bait for what seemed like ages. The Lund's had a ball down here and just couldn't get over how much they enjoyed their afternoon and final night at the magnificient new Antigua Golf Resort. Our old friends Jerry and Carol Peterson brought with them Montana Rancher and Outfitter, Frank Rigler to share in another angling adventure. Their first day they went 7 from 7, followed by 8 from 10 the next day with a 75lb yellowfin for Carol. Saving the best for last the trio finished off with 21 sailfish from 34 bites to leave in great spirits. Until next report, circle hooks, tight lines and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - End of January 2009! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report, end of January 2009 After a long New Year break spent on the beautiful Rio Dulce on the Caribbean side of Guatemala, we have been back on the water since the 10th of January and the fishing has been exceptional, starting off red-hot just like we had left it in 2008. The month of January saw multiple 30 plus sailfish release days, with many marlin and large dorado around to make things even more exciting for our anglers. Miguel and Rafa Medina and friends of Guatemala City started it off with a banner day releasing 58 sailfish from 84 bites with several dorado for the dinning table and all the action at only 12 miles. What a way to start the year!!! Our neighbor Dr. Scott Lund timed his trip perfectly and together with Scott Armand saw some wild fishing on the 11th through 13th. The duo released 24 on bait and 9 on fly their first day, 7 on fly and 19 on bait the next and topped it off with 4 on fly and 10 on bait their final day, after which we had sundowners and snacks at the magnificent new Antigua Golf and Country Club (http://www.lareunion.com.gt/) while on our way up to Antigua for a celebratory treat to round off a wonderful trip for the laid-back Floridian's. January 12th saw Todd Timmernan adding 21 releases to his trip aboard the Circle Hook/Capt. Hook with Capt. Eddie Bariez. On the 17th Aaron Fraizer and his lovely fiancée Terra, spent their first day on Guatemalan waters, with 20 sails and a 200lb blue marlin aboard the Circle Hook/Capt. Hook to make for a most memorable trip!! Holts Crew and his son Holts Jr, of Louisiana, had planned their trip two years prior and couldn't have dreamed of better. Jr had always wanted to catch billfish and dad's treat turned out to be nothing short of unbelievable for the young man. The 16th saw them starting at full throttle with 36 sailfish releases. The 17th saw it just as good with 37 releases and a blue that would not eat as well as several dorado up to 40lb's. By day three 11 year old Holtz Jr just couldn't get enough of it and with all the practice he was getting had got rid of his butterflies and was baiting, hooking and fighting almost every fish by himself. We also found a log loaded with huge dorado and bait of all sorts so it was a busy busy day that none of us will ever forget, with 34 sails released and over 10 dorado. Seeing a young man enjoy himself and learning so much along with his proud father at his side makes for a very special trip and just the sort of thing that makes a captains job the rewarding occupation it is. Thanku guys!!!! The 20th saw Robert Davis and friends from Texas aboard the Circle Hook/Capt. Hook ending up their first day with 13 sailfish releases, out of 19 bites, from 24 raises, with 14 sailfish releases on their second day. On the 22nd we entertained visiting American businessmen on a trip put together by Aviu Polanco of "Jardines Mil Flores", with anglers Don Snow, Dean Bemis, Henry Olsen, Scott David Newton, Gary David Portnoy, Francisco Barrientos, Estuardo Almazán, Alvaro Fernández and Danny Lorenzana, fishing on two boats and releasing 11 sailfish and some big dorado with a marlin that blasted the bait but would not chew aboard the 'Decisive'. Our long-time supporter Denny Doyle of Jacksonville Florida took advantage of an opening and came on down with his good mates Bob White and Chester Stokes. We turned the 'Decisive' out wide to look for action but had a slow first day releasing 4 from 5. Things are never slow for long in Guatemala and with lines in the water only minutes on the 24th we had a huge blue all over the spread, but with all the bait about she just couldn't make up her mind and left some rather excited anglers hearts racing. With 10 releases from 22 bites and countless dorado our anglers were kept very busy for the rest of the day and got some great drop-back and hookup practise. Leaving the best till last in true 'Decisive' fashion we found them snapping on the following day and released 33 from 47 bites with as many 25 to 40lb dorado as one has seen here in many seasons to make for some arm-tiring, fish jumping action. Once back at the dock it looked like Denny did not want to get off the boat and paid us the kindest of compliments, saying that he has been hounded by all the operators in Guatemala for his business but after fishing with our crew and staying at the luxurious Billfish Inn with Cindy and her staff, he knows why he and his friends always comes back to us at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures......"it just doesn't get any better!!!", he said. Well, we are very pleased he does, thanku Denny, Bob and Chester. Another unbelievable trip. The 26th though the 29th saw our very regular fly anglers Joe O'Brien and Don Butler with us. The duo started off in expert fashion going 7 from 8 with a fine display of fly angling by them both. Day two saw us live baiting a life-filled log for a marlin but to no avail, as well as raising 12 sailfish of which only 4 would bite the fly for 2 releases. We raised a blue on day 3 that would not play and the sailfish inshore were still lazy with only a single release. Knowing only one cure, we ran out deep towards the west on their final day and found the fish in aggressive numbers to seal the trip for the guys going 9 from 12 with a blue that showed himself but would not tease in for the fly. Sending Joe and Don off in high spirits. Dave Ribler and Marvin Jacob's of New York, joined us while fishing with Capt. Eddie on the Circle Hook/Capt. Hook. Dave is a longtime client of Eddie and has had the pleasure of staying at all of Guatemala's lodges but enjoyed his trip with us so much he extended his stay by and extra day and finished their four days with some impressive numbers, releasing 17 and a blue on day one, 24 sails on day two, 26 on day three and 16 on day four, for an unbeatable experience for Marvin's first visit. The 30th saw us start the Hill Dishman 'No Sancocho' Shootout, fishing against 11 of the finest crews in these waters all competing for $47,000 in cash and prizes. The tournament has a unique format in that a sailfish on the baits is worth 10 points, and sailfish on the fly is worth 25 points. Fly fishing becomes an option on Day 2 at 12:00 noon. Each “sancocho” costs a team $20 and all this money is donated to the local school in Puerto Quetzal. $20 for a missed bite in Guatemala can add up fast, and this year $5,240 was raised for the school. Day one saw us making the bold move to run back out wide but to no avail as we could not find the previous days action and where somewhat down the leaderboard by it's end. The following day a bite was discovered to the east and Team Decisive, with boat owner Steve Cothron, Scott Lund and Harvey Steinhagen started ctahing them and quietly began climbing the leader board. By mid-day we went to the fly and it started paying off. When the lines out of the water call came at 3:30, Team Decisive had 16 releases on the baits and 5 on the fly for a daily total of 285 points. This was good enough for day money, easily topping the next best team. Back at the dock, the numbers were tabulated and when the dust settled, Team Decisive had taken the top spot on the leader board with 375 total points. Day Three saw most boats heading back to the east. Everyone was fishing close together and keeping a watchful eye on the leaders. Those that watched saw the Decisive backing down early and often. With Scott throwing the fly to aggressive fish that would tease in, while Steve and Harvey picked away at the shyer fish with the ballyhoo on our 20lb Alutecnos outfits, the strategy paid off as the mid-day report had us opening up a 100 point lead. The afternoon stayed strong for the 'Decisive' and we continued to raise sailfish after sailfish on our right short Hydra lure by Roddy Hayes's Legend and coasted to a very convincing victory of more than a 20 fish margin. In these fish rich waters with such great crews and anglers fishing the tournamant it just goes to show how well Team Decisive really was fishing. With a second win in as many tournaments fished, the fish-raising ability of this boat and crew after the new engine installation is really paying dividends, taking the daily pot on day two and three, as well as the first marlin pot and the big payout of the overall Calcutta. Seeing the month out in such style with a fine victory and lots of fish, blue water and bait, Brad and Cindy look forward to a great February and having all our anglers enjoy themselves with us in true Guatemalan style aboard the 'Decisive' and 'Circle Hook/Capt. Hook'. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - January 2009! Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - January 2009 It is hard to believe that 2008 is behind us, but good to know that means another year of great angling ahead for all. 2008 proved another exceptional year for us at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures, with great fishing, a beautifully slick running lodge, a repowered boat, growing recognition as one of the finest billfishing operations around and a calendar full of delighted anglers. With the billfish showing up in exceptional numbers by mid-December we saw the year out in true Guatemalan style with huge numbers of sailfish releases, blue marlin, flat blue seas and overjoyed fishermen. Big news for the upcoming year is that we are proud to announce our partnership with the newly opened Antigua Golf Resort. This magnificent Perry Dye designed 5 star Golf and Country Club is a one of a kind exclusive development in Guatemala, set in amongst volcanoes and coastal views, located only 40 minutes from the Marina and minutes from Antigua. We have signed an exclusive booking deal with the Resort to handle all their sportfishing needs as well as book and promote their wonderful facilities amongst the sportfishing operations in Guatemala. Anglers can now add in a night or two at the exclusive Golf Suites, along with a round of golf and tours of the surrounding Antigua area to make for an even more eventful Guatemalan billfishing adventure. We are also adding the famous 43' Willis 'Capt. Hook' to our fleet. The boat has fished these fish-filled waters for over 12 years and is possibly the most recognizable boat in Guatemala. Capt. Eddie Bairez has been working on the boat for the past 11 years and started running the boat in 2004. Eddie knows this boat and these waters like no other and is widely acclaimed for his friendly angler pleasing style and fish-catching ability. His comprehensive list of anglers is going to be delighted at the lodging opportunity that this partnership is going to open for them. Our clients are going to enjoy the option of putting together larger groups and taking advantage of being able to fish on this exceptional boat now on our calendar. December started with Scott Segal and friend Brad Nannen made the trip down from Chicago to fish the 3rd through the 5th with us on the 'Decisive'. Brad started off in great form, releasing a 300# blue on 20# tackle on day one, his first ever along with a sail or two. We missed another blue the following day releasing 4 sails and on the final day Scott choose to give Brad the opportunity to try his hand at the fly. With good technique he went on to release 2 from 4 on the long wand and the duo left happy campers having succeeded in cover all angles. The 12th saw long-time Dominican Republic anglers Miguel Ricart, his wife Maria Gisela and their friends Eduardo and Sarah Read, making their annual trip to the rich Guatemalan waters. Our west coast friend and photographer, Bill Boyce, joined us to take photos for the group and indulge in everything we have to offer. Their first day saw the foursome releasing 15 sailfish from 17 bites with some fine angling, hooking almost everything that came their way. The following day things slowed a little releasing 3 from 5, but on day three the marlin showed, with one particular sighting of a 400# fish feeding on a group of jacks right next to the boat that will stay in everyone's mind for years to come. We saw 3 marlin that day, 2 of them very nice fish, but only managed a bite from one of them which we missed, but did release 6 sails and the every present large dorado we have been seeing all season kept it a busy day. Dr. Scott Lund arrived to fish the 15th, along with Bill's girlfriend Vivian, and what a day it proved to be. Running out wide we found the sailfish on the edge and had a bumper day with 39 raises while Scott did his thing on the fly with Vivian backing him up on the spin rod to catch those fish that would not eat the fly. We ended the day with 9 releases on fly and 8 on spin to make for a joyous evening to follow. We concentrated on getting Bill in the water for his patent underwater photography the next day while trying to tease in the sails and also dropping him in on some bait laden logs while Scott cast his fly on the side, releasing 3 sails and another 2 on bait. It probably seems like we call everyone our friend down here, but this fishing world is so small and with so many repeat clients, everyone really does become a friend. Nigel Kreft is no exception and on his umpteenth trip, the laid back New Zealander has not only become a great mate but a fish magnet of note. With his father Jake making the trip from NZ and friends Jim Stevens and Chris White of Dallas, the boys released 23 sailfish on their first day to get the ball rolling on what was going to be a long and intense bite. Day two saw the guys release 43 from 70 bites and another 33 on day 3 to end with 99 releases for their three days and some very happy chaps heading home for Christmas. With new engines, the increased speed and fishability of our 40' Gamefishermen, 'Decisive', was really proving it's worth as we continued to raise way more sailfish than the fleet average, but the new wheels still had us wondering if we were seeing the marlin numbers we should be. With a day off the water, Kennedy removed the props and we filed down the back end of the shiny props to get rid of the slight whistle we had in certain seas at trolling speeds. The next day we were back on the water with our longtime South African friends, Michael Viljeon and Kevin Hodgson, and with lines only in the water a matter of minutes there she was, our first fish of the day, a 550# blue which Michael converted in true pitch-bait perfection and after an exciting 45 minute battle we had our tails up and where running with the wind at our backs. The rest of the day followed suit with the sails biting well and the boys getting in the groove releasing 32 sailfish from 47 bites. The next day saw 25 releases and another blue that came in so hot we missed the very difficult bite. The 23rd saw the best bite of the season so far with 47 releases and a big blue that did not bite, with 9 releases on Christmas Eve prior to taking a day’s break. Back on the water on the 26th we found the bite once more and early in the morning Kevin got the shot he was looking for and released a 250# blue on the pitch to put the preverbal cherry on his trip, along with another 34 sailfish releases for the day. The 27th saw us rounding off our final day of the year, going 27 from 39 to see out an exceptional trip for the South Africans and another wonderful year for us at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures. With the current pushing in the deep blue warm water and all the bait and sailfish around it is looking like we are in for a very good couple of months ahead of us. Boats that have been fishing have been seeing as many as 90 fish a day as of the 6th of January. We have just had a last minute cancellation, opening up the dates of January 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd. We are offering a 15% discount to anyone who books these dates so take advantage of this unique offer to get down to Guatemala for the billfishing trip of a lifetime. Please email Cindy at cindy@guatbilladv.com if you are interested to take advantage of this opportunity or any other dates we have open latter in the season. Until our end of January report, may it be a healthy and happy 2009 for all, jammed full of many bites and great releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - November 08! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - 1st November 2008 Although Guatemalan operators are feeling the economic pinch with a slowing in bookings, Decisive's loyal clientele has ensured that we have once again started our season with flying colors and have had some great days to show for it. In general the water has been a little patchy, but there have been enough sailfish around to keep anglers busy and big numbers of dorado and yellowfin to ensure very few dull moments. Novembers highlight was a convincing victory for team Decisive in the PCCA of Guatemala. Scott Lund started the first three days of the month by releasing 16 sails on fly and bait and putting a horde of large yellowfin and dorado on the boat. Alex and Sarah Marshall were back with us the 4, 5 and 6th to defend Sarah's "title" as top TBF ladies release angler that she won last year. The couple released 6, 7 and 7 sails on each of their respective days. Alfredo Medina, friends and sons joined us the 8th to release 8 sailfish and catch some fresh dorado to take back to Guatemala City for dinner. William Filip of Sailfish Point Florida, his brother Jim Filip, and close friend, Mike Quinlan and son Jeff, came down to enjoy our big Pacific sailfish and had a great time releasing 13, 6 and 12 sailfish from the 9th to the 11th. On the 12th our friend Grant Estman of South Africa bravely tried to give the finicky sailfish a go on the fly but with little luck getting them to bite aggressively, however we did manage a couple on the bait. The 13th, 14th and 15th saw Mike Malin along with his father Gene and long time school friends, Keith Hofbeck and Dave Maddaluna releasing 12 sailfish their first day. Day two saw them with 7 sails and us pulling the hook on a blue marlin which came up right next to the boat to eat a bonito we were pulling in, what a sight so up close and personel. Our good friend Gustavo Alarcón and brothers Leonel and Blass, along with uncles Raúl and Fernando Castañeda came down on Sunday the 16th for some fishing fun, and were spoilt rotten. The action was hot and they released 7 sailfish and filled their coolers with fresh yellowfin of up to 60lb's which we caught while trolling around a huge school of spinner porpoise. Guatemala's biggest annual tournament the Presidential Challenge of Central America started on the 21st after a victory for Team Decisive in the El Salvador leg earlier in the month. Day one saw things start slowly with us missing a sail and pulling the hooks on a blue. With no choose but to go looking, the easterly run paid off and our team of Bill Easum, Jimmy Taylor and Mike Viveiros settled in to release 13 sails from 18 bites to end the day as top boat. Running west with 5 other boats the Decisive picked up a gear and with the new engines and extra speed paying big dividends we put in a solid performance to finish the third day with 21 releases, to again take top daily honors and a solid overall victory for the joyous team. Bill Easum took the top angler award and Capt. Brad the top captain trophy. Dr. Scott 'Dog' Lund was back with us the 24th and 25th doing what he does best, taking advantage of whatever is out there. The dorado were thick so he had a blast with some large fish up to and over 45lb's and some sails on the fly and spinning gear for good measure. John and Vita Skogland of San Antonio, Texas, made the short trip to come and polish up on their billfishing skills. The 26th saw us going 7 from 10 on the sails. The following two days saw the couple getting lots of dropback practice on big dorado and a couple sails ensure they left knowing a little more than when they had arrived and we look forward to seeing them back with us in the near future. Joe O'Brien, John Sharp, Joe Hussar and Darryl Caldwell joined us on the 29th starting with 4 sails and a bunch of big dorado on their first day. Day two say 5 sails released and a blue that crashed the teaser but would not play. The following day saw us run way wide to find lots of activity with 12 releases from 25 bites, while the dorado were always around to keep them busy. By the look of things the water is steadily improving and things are bound to start really cranking up any day soon. There have been increases in the number of marlin seen by the fleet in the final week so lets hope they start chewing soon. For those of you that have already booked we look forward to seeing you with us, and for those thinking about it, come on down, you will not be disappointed. We have an opening the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 of January, so take advantage of these prime dates. Until next report, circle hooks, healthy releases and compliments of the festive season to you all. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report, October 10th, 2008! It's October and we have started what is going to be another great season. Our 40 foot Gamefisherman, 'Decisive', had been in the boat yard for the past few months putting in new Cummins 450C engines along with a new generator, refrigeration, A/C and other upgrades. The new power is providing an easy 25 knot cruise, improved efficiency and maneuverability, making for even more comfortable fishing time each day. Guatemala's Pacific coast is known to hold sailfish year round and the number of blue marlin increase from May through until the end of November and into December. The past few months have been no exception. Boats that fished, saw good water and bait activity with as many as 25 sailfish releases in a day and up to 4 blue marlin bites a day while out trolling the traditional combination spread of teasers and ballyhoo. Some nice blue marlin of up to 750lb's were released, with the marlin averaging 250-350lb's. With no predictions of any unusual weather patterns or El Nino conditions, and going by the good fishing that has been experienced of late, Guatemala's top skippers are expecting another great season ahead of them. Most of the boats start fishing in earnest in October with a couple of the bigger tournaments scheduled for November. This past weekend saw 'Decisive' on the water with old friends Drs Scott Lund and Jeff Cox of Florida. Saturday saw us stretching our legs trolling at high speed to cover ground. We raised a medium sized blue that wheeled around the teasers but would not eat the pitch-bait and released 2 sails while out exploring. Sunday saw us release 5 sails and put several dorado in the hatch before heading home early to head up to beautiful Antigua for the evening to enjoy the offerings of the ancient city along with the guys. Our bookings are looking very good for the upcoming season and the number of repeat clients is a true testament to the quality of the Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures experience. Some of Capt Brad's top months in past years have been October and November and with new motors and upgrades he can't wait to get back on the water after having had a good summers break. Our only open days on 'Decisive' for the upcoming period are October 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and November 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. If those dates do not suit you or are sold before you have the chance to commit, we have January 3rd through the 12th open, so drop us an email and book your spot for a billfishing trip of a lifetime. Here's to a good seasons fishing ahead, circle hooks, and healthy releases. Tight Lines, Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Capt. Brad Philipps - Voted Top Captain by Marlin Magazine - April 2008 Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - May 2008! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fishing Report - May 2008 It's the end of May and the 'Decisive' is now out the water for it's repower after another exceptional Guatemala season. Nowhere in the world will you see the consistent numbers that top boats in Guatemala average throughout the year. Fishing a total of 160 days, averaging over 14 releases a day fishing both conventional 20lb tackle and fly-fishing gear, 'Decisive' released 2158 sailfish, 51 blue marlin and 2 black marlin, to see Capt. Brad Philipps with his 5th year of releasing over 2000 billfish in a season, a remarkable achievement in itself. Typically we fish well into June as the fishing stays consistent with the added bonus of more marlin during our summer months but this year we have chosen to upgrade to bigger Cummins engines which will give the boat a 26knot cruise and better fuel efficiency, both a big advantage and something our anglers are going to enjoy. We are also redoing the generator and A/C's so look forward to a new ride when we start up again in early October. The season ended on a real high, with Brad winning Marlin Magazines inaugural and prestigious Captain of the Year Award with more than twice the votes of the next finalist. It couldn't have been sweeter, with Kennedy Hernandez, Brad's long time mate, winning the top mates position, deserved recognition for one of the hardest working and longest serving pairings in the game. It must be mentioned however, that nothing would be possible without the support of 'Decisive's' Steve Cothron, our sponsors like Pelagic High Performance Offshore Gear, Alutecnos, Eagle Claw Hooks, Legend, Moldcraft and Big-T Lures and all our angling friends and clients who not only voted for the boys but keep us on the water and in business, a big thanku to all!!! Highlights of the month saw Gary Hughes of Britain/Chile, gathering his Sandvik Mining management team with us for a teambuilding and leadership outing. The trip proved to be a huge success and what an honor for us to host a wonderful group of people from all over the world. Igor Korolev of Russia, Nils-Peter Mols of Sweden, Pablo Rossetti of Argentina, Aquiles Vergara of Chile, Hans Neumann of Peru, John Martin of South Africa, John Wells of Tasmania, and Glauco Teixeira of Brazil. We split the group between the 'Decisive' and the 'Intensity', releasing a total of 23 sailfish on the 14th of May and 25 sails on the 16th, with a large number of big dorado up to 45lbs as well as several nice yellowfin tuna making up the mix for the enthralled anglers. On their layday the group did a volcano climb seeing the molten lava and spectacular views from "Pacaya" and then getting to experience a relaxing lunch and afternoon in the Old City of Antigua, Guatemala, followed by a big screen presentation back at the Billfish Inn. Their trip was a big success on all fronts and something we are going to work more on in the future, company and management retreats, it really is the perfect destination for groups to take advantage of in this regard. The end of May saw Scott Lund rounding the season out in style with 5 sails on fly, a couple big dorado with a 50 pound bull, and a 450# blue on the 50# standup tackle. What a year he had on the blues, with 6 in a single day, and another day with 1 blue on fly and another reelased on standup. It just goes to show that the more you come down the better Guatemala looks after you!!! With new power, a faster ride, and the promise of another great season ahead we look forward to seeing you down here with us at the Billfish Inn. The fishing really gets cranking again in October and we have some space so take advantage of the openings we have to experience some of the worlds finest billfishing. Available dates this year include, Oct 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and Nov 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 17, 18, 26, 27, 28, and Dec 17, 18, 19. In 2009 we have Jan 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 23, 24, 25 available, Feb 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, Mar 31, Apr 1, 2, 3 and dates in May. These days will fill fast so we look forward to hearing form you. From all of us at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures, a good summer, circle hooks and healthy releases to you all, Cindy Philipps Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - April 2008! Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - April 2008 April proved another great month for us in Guatemala. The sailfish were biting with great consistency, keeping rods bent and anglers enjoying. 'Decisive' released 340 sailfish and 2 blues over 27 days on the water and has now released well over 2100 billfish since November 1st of 2007 to highlight just what another great season is proving to be. Bob Edmonds started things off for us on April 1st releasing 14 sailfish from 24 bites after his 24 releases the day before. Things slowed a little the next day with 4 releases but Bob still totaled 42 fish as the single angler in his 3 days and left a happy man. Kendrick Mattox and friends, Callum Parrott, George Macon, Moultrie Dotterer, Cooper Fowler and Patrick Holder joined us at the Billfish Inn for 4 days of fishing. The group fished aboard the 'Decisive' and the 'Release' throwing the fly and bait at fish over three fairly slow days to start with, although marlin were seen in the spread and sails were released. Their 4th day was the real turning point when a really hot bite was found and things went crazy for the deserving anglers. Aboard the 'Decisive' the boys went 12 from 22 on the spinning and conventional tackle, while also releasing 6 on the fly rods for a smorgasbord of action. The 'Release' was also in on the same action ensuring we saw the group off in fine style. Our friends John and Heather Harvey made the long trip from South Africa to join us again and started off in fine fashion with Heather releasing her first Pacific blue marlin, making short work of a 300lber on the 50lb standup gear, from a fish we raised on the bridge teaser. Nice going Heather, and another 16 sailfish releases made for a great day shared with the fun loving couple. The next two days saw things slow a little with us releasing 5 and then 4 fish. Our regular friends Brad Watkins, John Wendkos and Joey Zimmer brought down the 4, 6 and 8lb tackle to persuade the sailfish and marlin with over the next three days. The 11th saw a great bite with the guys going 25 from 36 with over 15 of those fish being released on 4 or 6lb test. The following day saw their averages go up even higher, releasing 25 from 34 bites with another 17 of those releases on 4 or 6lb. A real testament to the quality of angling and team work we had going on. The 19th saw the trio releasing 19 from 35, while the Harvey's released 27 from 45 aboard the 'Intensity' which we had chartered for them for the day. The weather got a little snotty on us for the next 2 days, which is really unusual for here so we took a break from the fishing but the Harvey's were welcomed back to it on the 16th with the fish still biting and releasing 22 from 35 bites with Heather having the honor of releasing our 2000th billfish for the 2007/2008 season aboard the 'Decisive'. With 17 from 27 bites the following day, the couple ended a most memorable billfishing adventure. The fishing stayed really steady over the next 5 days, with our NY clients going 23 from 28, 17 from 24, 27 from 44, 25 from 33 and 8 from 13 on a shortened final day, to release well over 100 fish for their trip. Rees and Sarah Poag joined us the 23rd through 25th with Rees chasing the sails on the fly while Sarah enjoyed the relaxingly private atmosphere of our Billfish Inn. Rees went 4 from 10 the first day on some finicky fish, and 3 from 9 on the fly and 2 on spin the next day. Day three proved the charm with the enthralled angler going 9 from 17 on the sails with a very large marlin in the spread which would not tease or eat the mackerel pitch-bait. Chester Stokes our old friend from Jacksonville, Fl brought down his fishing team of Tommy Smith, James Moore and Jason Hadjis to try out some Guatemalan action. The boys released 16 from 23 their first day, 11 from 22 the next and finished it off with 6 from 17 the final day. The guys sure had a great time and we look forward to seeing them all down here on a more regular basis. Our Billfish Inn neighbor and 'marlin charmer', Scott Lund brought with him Scott Armand, Dave Lockey and his usual marlin luck. After a steady morning going 14 from 26 on the sails the blue marlin started biting and in the next 2 hours we pulled the hook on a 400lb blue, released a 350 blue on 50 standup, had another 350 go ballistic on us doing a huge dive and then turn on the surface to break the 20lb line he was hooked on, and had another crash the teaser but not eat to make for some really exciting action. The current moved in some greener water the next day and getting on the same billfishing action as the previous day before proved tuff but with a horde of 20-50lb dorado in the area the Florida boys were kept busy pulling to their hearts contents. From all this angling action, one can see that you just can't beat the amazing billfishing trips Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures has to offer. We still have May to fish and then we will repower the 'Decisive' with new faster engines and be back at it in early October again. Our bookings for next season are filling really fast, and it looks like we will have a second boat to accommodate our bulging demand. So start planning your next angling adventure and drop us an email or check out the website, it'd be great to see you here. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Blue Water Magazine - Last Issue # 66 - March, April 08 Blue Water Magazine - last issue # 66 - March, April 08! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - March 2008! We were spoilt with another very consisting month of fishing this March off Guatemala aboard the 'Decisive' with Capt. Brad Philipps. In total the boat released 350 sailfish and 4 blue marlin in 25 days of fishing to keep anglers very happy and sure to come back for more. March started with the Puerto Rican boys of Manolo Matienzo, Ernesto Vásquez and José Santana continuing their trip releasing 9 sailfish on the 1st and having an exceptional day on the 2nd with 30 releases from 51 bites. The following day the trio mix it up each releasing a sailfish on the fly as well as 19 on the bait to end a great trip for them. John Bailey invited his brother Rick and nephew Eric down with him to enjoy the fine hospitality at our 'Billfish Inn' from the 4th through the 6th to release 18 from 35, 16 from 26, and 28 from 43 for a very enjoyable family getaway. The 7th and 8th, saw Rick Lawrence and Jim Boles with us fly fishing, to see 3 releases on the fly and 10 on spin the first day and 3 released on fly and 7 on bait the following. Our friend Denny Doyle was joined by his good friends Ed Burr, MG Orender and Bob White on the 11th through the 13th. Things started a little slowly their first day with 4 sailfish release, but Bob-a-Blue White came through again with a 200# blue on the 20 gear which ate a ballyhoo out of the rigger and was released in fine fashion to make the day. Things picked up the next day with 24 releases from 36 bites and the group tried some fly fishing the following day releasing 2 on fly and 7 on bait. The 15th through 17th saw Bob and Corrie Verde flyfishing with us, the duo released 2 sails on fly and 4 on bait their first day, followed by 7 on bait and 2 on fly from 30 finicky raises the next day. They released 4 on fly and 6 on bait their last day. Bobby Richter, James Preis and his young son Merritt, all of Port Aransas, Texas where with us to give young Merritt some billfishing 101, and what a great job the young man did on the hookups, out-fishing his elders 3-1. The trio released 12 sailfish their first day along with some tasty yellowfin tuna, 11 sailfish the next and 4 on their final day. Our 'Billfish Inn' neighbor, Dr. Scott Lund of Wellington, Florida, had the day of his dreams on the 23rd. After leaving the dock late, we found the fleet and the blue water at 25 miles and it was not long before Scott had released 2 sails on the fly and a couple more on spin, minutes later a nice blue showed up on the rigger. After a perfect tease job by Yefri, great cast and an incredible going away bite, Scott was hooked up to his first blue on fly. About forty five minutes later, after some incredible jumps and wild runs together with some great angling and hot dogging chasing the fish all over the slick-flat indigo blue ocean, we released the 275# blue with high fives all around. With the lines back in the water and working a close school of spinner dolphins we couldn't believe our luck when only minutes latter Scott hooked and released his second blue of the day on the pitch bait. With another sailfish on fly and spin we headed for the pool and celebratory champagne and 23 year old rum drinks after having witnessed the wildest three hours of angling possible. The day had to go down as the highlight of the Guatemalan angling month and certainly a PLUS for Scott, Kennedy, Yefri and myself to have shared in his first blue on the fly after all these years of having fished together and just goes to show that if you stick to your guns and put in you time, your luck will change and you will get your shot. Nice going Scott!! Ken Johns, John Adamiak and Bobby Jones, joined us from Florida aboard the "Decisive" on the 26th to release 26 from 45 sailfish, Dennis Longstreet, Jim Linzer and Bob Rankl released 28 from 46 on the "Spindrift" that same day, the guys swapped boats the following day with Ken and team releasing 41 from 77, while Dennis and team released 32 on bait and Dennis his first on fly, to finish off a great trip for the six guys after having seen some outstanding billfishing action. I heard the comment on their departure.............."What are we going to do fishing back at home now, after having seen this sort of non-stop action. Thanx's Brad, we're spoilt for life!!! Ted Blount brought his son Todd and son-in-laws, Frank and Sean with him for a great family trip. They had planned to overlap their first nights stay with that of the final night of their Florida friends stay, to make the most of good times. It is always a treat for us to see people having such a good time at the 'Billfish Inn' and what a festive time was had by all 10 anglers catching up on old times and sharing stories of the previous days action over scrumptious food and good humor. Todd started the next days fishing with the highlight of his angling career, releasing his first blue marlin, an energetic 450# fish, with the guys following that up with another 10 sailfish releases, 6 the next day and 11 on their final day. Bob Edmonds joined us on the 31st to release 24 sailfish from 27 bites with an exceptional average on the Eagle Claw circle hooks to end another fine angling month in true style. The 'Decisive' has released over 1800 sailfish and 46 marlin for the season so far starting November, which just goes to show how consistently good the fishing off Guatemala really is. There is just no billfishing destination that can compare. Our new set of updated Alutecnos Veloce 20's have sure been put through their paces now and have come out with flying colors. The teaser of the month has proved to be the new Legend Lures 'Piper', a new style lure which Roddy Hayes gave to me at the boat show, it is a hot little item that the sailfish just can't leave alone. We have another 2 great months of fishing ahead of us before we pull the boat to repower her and get ready for October when we start all over again. So do not leave it to late, book your dates and get down here to share with us in the billfishing trip of a lifetime. And don't forget to go to the marlin magazine website and enter your vote for your favorite captains and crews in the Captain of the Year Competition, voting closes any day now. Until the next report, circle hooks, tight lines and healthy releases, Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - February 2008! This is proving to be another one of those outstanding seasons for us on the 'Decisive' in Guatemala. The fishing has been extremely consistent this past month with an incredible amount of bait holding large number of sailfish in the area. It has not been unusual to see upwards of a 200 fish a day balling bait on the surface. We have been spoilt with this truly incredible "National Geographic" style sightings, which to see first hand has been many a highlight for our anglers. This together with the blue water and flat seas has ensured angler fun-filled excitement with as many as 61 sailfish releases in a single day. February 1st, saw Larry and Laura Nash finish their trip with a blue marlin release as well as a couple of sailfish. Perry Glover, Nigel Kreft, Ryan Vanderman, Meredith Cullen all of Texas joined us the 2nd through the 4th. Their first day proved the slowest of the month with 5 releases from 9 bites, but things picked right up the next day going 13 from 28. They finished their trip the following day with a very consistent 22 sailfish releases from 29 bites. Cousins, George and Michael Coe, were on the fly rods for the next 3 days with us. The duo released 7 from 14 sailfish their first day, with another 7 releases the next day, on some finicky fish which proved tuff on the fly as a result of all the bait in the area. The 7th however proved one of those great Guatemalan fly days with 15 releases on the long wand to send the guys home in style. The 9th through 13th saw Brad Watkins, Lori Hazel and John Wendkos aboard the "Decisive". The group averaged between 10 and 15 sailfish releases a day over their 5 day stay, catching them on 6, 8 and 20 pound tackle, with the highlight being a 400 pound blue marlin that John released in fine fashion on 20 pound tackle. A truly large marlin estimated in the 800 pound range, also show herself in the spread that same day but would unfortunately not eat. All in all, Brad and friends had a wonderful trip and is always good to share time with them at the Billfish Inn. Capt. Brad made it to the Miami Boat Show from the 14th to the 17th. It was great to catch up with old fishing friends as well as meet new ones, and a good time was had in the big game room at the Pelagic Offshore Gear Booth. Brad also attended the Billfish Foundation Award Ceremony at which he was honored with the "Top Pacific Sailfish Release Captain Award", "Top Pacific Blue Marlin Release Captain Award" and "The Overall Release Captain of the Year Award" for 2007. Both Kennedy and Yefri, 'Decisive's' talented and hardworking mates, were also honored with Awards. The venue was overflowing with people and it was great to see such a good turnout and support for this years TBF Awards Ceremony. Scott Lund, our Billfish Inn neighbor, Ernie Small, Phil McCrackin and RJ Torsey experienced some incredible Guatemalan sailfishing on the 18th and 19th of February, releasing 60 sailfish in 2 days and witnessing some of the incredible bait balling scenes mentioned earlier. It really was incredible and as much bait and balling activity as I have seen in my 8 years here. Joe O'Brien was fly fishing for the next 3 days with us and also saw some great action although getting the fish to bite the fly at times with the incredible amount of bait around was trying. Joe released 13 from 22 on fly on the 20th, the 21st saw Joe catching a 350# blue marlin on conventional tackle as well as 5 sailfish on the spinning rod and 3 on the fly. The 22nd saw Joe release 5 on the fly and 12 on bait to end a wonderful trip for the dedicated angler. Our friend Gary Hughes of Chile was accompanied by his boss Lars Josefsson and associate Pablo Rosetti from Argentina to see some incredible action, releasing 61 fish on their first day, followed by 57 releases the next and 25 releases on a shortened final day to blow the socks off of Gary's previous best trip. The 26th, 27th and 28th saw Jerry Peterson and Bill Long enjoying things with us. Their first day saw the duo release 15 sailfish, to be followed by a really good day of fishing the next with 34 action packed releases. The ocean proved on the rough side the following day and the guys choose to give it a break that day. The last day of the month saw our 6 Puerto Rican friends join us at the "Billfish Inn", fishing aboard the "Decisive" and the "Makara". Manolo Matienzo, Ernesto Vasquez and Dr. Jose Santana started off hot with 26 releases aboard the "Decisive", with Juan Carlos Torruella, Miguel Casul and 'Chiki' Maiz releasing 18 sailfish aboard the "Makara" for their first of 4 days of angling. As one can see, it has been another red-hot month for the "Decisive", with close to 450 billfish releases for the month and a total of almost 1,500 releases for the past 4 months. With the way things are shaping up it looks like it is going to be another record setting season in Guatemala, as all the bait is bound to hold the fish here over the next few months. We are fully booked for March and April but do have availability for the 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 of May and the 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 of May. So take advantage of these open days and the fine fishing that is bound to be had, it sure would be great to see you down here with us enjoying the Billfishing Inn's fine hospitality and the blue marlin that are bound to make their usual summer showing to compliment the steady sailfishing bite we are seeing. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases, Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - January 2008! Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - January 31st, 2008 We started 2008 with a some good fishing and as many as 30 sailfish releases a day. The sailfishing stayed pretty steady, slowing a little for a week towards the end of the month, although the blue marlin showed up behind the "Decisive" to keep anglers happy and with great weather and good seas, a good time was had by all. January 5th saw us back on the water with Michael Viljoen releasing 30 sailfish from 41 bites, staying very busy as our single handed angler for the day. Don Butler and Joe O'Brien joined us the next day on the fly rods going 4 from 11 on some finicky sailfish. Their averages improved the following day going 5 from 8, with 5 on the fly and 5 on the spinning gear the next day. Don rounded their third day off with a really big black marlin we called in the 600 to 700lb class on the 50lb standup gear and what is going to be one of our highlights for the year. What a fish!! The duo finished their trip with 6 on fly, 2 on spin with over 35 fish in the pattern on their forth day. Miguel and Maria-Gisela Ricart of the Dominican Republic made a quick return after their fantastic December trip to go 15 from 20 on the sails on the 10th. Miguel tried his had on the fly the next day releasing 2 on the long wand and 3 on the baits. Bill and Vikki Childs along with their friends Bill and Kate Chambers joined us the 12th and 13th for a very enjoyable trip for them, releasing 24 and then 18 sailfish on their respective days. Things slowed on the 14th as we released 3 sails, missing a blue and raising another. Bob and Corrie Verde were with us over the next three days, mixing it up with the fly and some lighter conventional tackle for Corrie. They averaged 6 sailfish on the fly and 3 or 4 on bait each day including a bunch of yellowfin keeping the Verde's most happy. Larry Deddy and Jimmy Stanger came to see how we do the fly thing on the 'Decisive' and were treated to some good fishing releasing 8 on fly and 6 on spin on the 20th. They followed that up with 5 on fly and 4 on spin the next and then 9 on fly, 4 on spin the next with a 300lb blue marlin for Larry on the bait to top off a great trip for the Miami flyfishermen. Dale Schroeder and his son Dean, both of Texas, joined us the 23rd starting off with some good fishing, going 15 from 22 on the baits. Things unfortunately slowed for them the next two days releasing 6 and then a single sail their last day, as some greener water moved in on us. Craig Ziegler and sons, Chuck, Bobby and Michael joined us for 4 days on the baits the 26th through 29th. Things started slowly with a couple releases a day building to 6 releases on their penultimate day but we rounded it off in fine style releasing a 300lb blue for Bobby on 20lb tackle on the last day for his first blue marlin, only to follow it up minutes later with a 175lb blue for Michael, to see the boys off in fine style. The friendly couple of Larry and Laura Nash made the trip to Guatemala to see first-hand what they had been hearing from family and friends. The couple averaged 3 to 5 sails a day along with a blue marlin release each of their three days on the water, giving Larry his first 2 blue marlin and Laura her first ever, to make for a very enjoyable billfishing trip which they followed up with a romantic night at Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua Guatemala on their way out. All in all it was another great month and finishing it off with 5 blue marlin releases in the last 4 days ended it in style. The water is clearing and with the signs of some bait showing up, it looks like February is going to produce some good numbers of sailfish. Until the next report, tight lines, circle hooks, healthy releases and hope to see you at the boat show in Miami. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Capt. Brad Philipps - TBF Release Captain of the Year - Feb 2008 The Billfish Foundation TBF, is pleased to inform that Capt. Brad Philipps is the, Top Release Captain for Blue Marlin in the Pacific Top Release Captain for Sailfish in the Pacific And Top Overall Release Captain. Brad attend the Tag and Release Awards Ceremony being held on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at the historic Miami Beach Rod & Real Club. The mates, Kennedy Hernandez and Yefri Garcia were also recognized for their outstanding achievements at the event with other leading captains and anglers from around the world. Fish Report - Year End 2007 Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - 31st December 2007 The fishing this December has been as good as Guatemala gets, if not better in fact. The sailfish came flooding in with the Decisive releasing 653 for the month. The fantastic marlin action we have been seeing just got better with us releasing 28 blue marlin in December, including a whopper day which will go down in the Guatemalan history books when we released 6 blues in the wildest two hour stretch imaginable. We started things off for the month with Brad Watkins, Darren Terzi, John Hundley, Barry Fitzpatrick, John Carbone and Craig Ziegler joining us at the Billfish Inn, booking both the Decisive and the Makara. Their first day was a special day for Darren aboard the Decisive as he released his 100th Pacific sailfish and his first Pacific Blue marlin, a 400lb'er in the dying seconds of the day, to compliment the 20 sailfish for the day. The following day things slowed a little with us releasing 5 sailfish, then 8 sails and a blue of around 300# the next day. The 3rd of December proved one of those frustrating days with the blue marlin being around but being on the finicky side and making it tough to capitalize on them, with us only managing to stick the very last of 7 blue bites, a 225# fish which Brad released in quick order on the 20# gear. The next day saw the Decisive release 6 sails and missing a 400# blue and releasing a 300#. Things picked up for Darren and Craig the 5th, as they stayed on to fish an extra day going 12 from 24 on sails, with Darren releasing his second blue of the trip. Manuel Tavares with sons Juan and Manuel, together with Samuel and Sammy Conde and Oscar Peña all from Dominican Republic, joined us the 6, 7 and 8th of December to fish aboard both the Decisive and Makara. Sammy started things on a hot note releasing 2 blues aboard the Makara with Decisive releasing 12 from 22 on the sails. Things picked up the 7th with Oscar, Samuel and Sammy going 19 from 31 on sails and releasing a 400# blue for a great day on the Decisive, to follow it up with 11 from 31 sails on the 8th. Miguel and Maria Gisela Ricart of the Dominican Republic fished with us next. The 9th saw us out at 28 miles on some unusually large groups of feeding bonito's which had attracted the big boys. By the end of a hectic day of action we had released a 450# and 400# blue on live-bait, a 400# and 350# blue on the pitchbaits, and another 9 sailfish on the ballyhoo. Running straight back to the foamers the next day the action was still hot. Missing a blue early on the livebait we opted to troll instead and ended the day releasing 3 sails and going 3 from 4 on blues with the pitch-baits, one of which was a solid 600# fish which put on a spectacular show. We stayed inshore the following day in the hope of giving Maria-Gisela more shots and practice on the sails and the move paid off with 17 sailfish from 26 bites, nice going Maria, and Miguel releasing a 200# blue on 12# to end a fantastic trip for the couple who we are going to see back here in no time I would imagine. Our Guatemalan neighbors, Drs Scott and Kristy Lund of Palm Beach fished with us on the 12th, for a day that none will forget. After a slow morning of trying to get on top of the sailfish bite inshore and scratching together a handful on the fly rod I couldn't help it but turn the Decisive offshore and run out to the east to see if the bonito's could still be found. At 25 miles we found the bait under the tell-tail birds, and the games began. 1pm saw us hook our first blue, the smallest fish of the day, a 275# which we duely released. The action thereafter was non-stop, we released 3 more blues and had a big fish jump back onto the line and break us off. By 3pm we had a double header on, our potential 5th and 6th blue marlin release for the day. The double header went in opposite directions and had us on the knot on one of the 50# wide Alutecnos reels for 10 minutes as I jockeyed the boat not to break the line but still release the other fish. 45 minutes later we got the second of the double header and set a new Guatemala record of 6 blue marlin releases in a single day and headed for the festivities. The smallest of the fish was 275#, the biggest 600#, all were caught on the new Eagle Claw 2004, 11/0 non-offset circle hook with a 100% hookup ratio slow trolling live bonito's around the school of bait. Thank goodness Scott is as fit as he is, that was the wildest 2 hours of fishing any of us had ever seen. We couldn't find the bait the next day but Scott did release a 400# blue on the troll, pitch-baited off the teasers along with 2 sails on the fly rod. Gary Parlin of Stuart, Fl joined us along with his son Jason, son-in-law Scott "Fish-Hog" Palfreyman, and friend Alan Milstein for three days of outstanding sailfishing. The 14th saw the guys release 30 from 41 bites only to up that the following day with 33 releases and only just missing a blue marlin inches from the release. They finished things in style on their final day with 41 releases to see more than 100 fish released in their three days and start off their festive season celebrations early......................nice going guys. Our Kiwi mates, Nigel and Marian Kreft were with us the 17, 18 and 19th. The sea was rough on the first day so we elected to return early after 7 releases for Nigel. The fishing picked up nicely the next day with Nigel releasing 37 sailfish. Wife Marian was back out with us the next day, Nigel put the screws to the fish, not without Marian's help of course and between them they released 50 sailfish for the day to end a superb vacation for the couple. Mo Smith brought his young sons Connor and Parker on their annual pre-Christmas fishing trip and where not in the least bit disappointed after all the anticipation. The first day saw Mo release a 300# blue and the team join efforts in releasing 35 sailfish. 12 sailfish and a 350# blue where the order of the following day. To continue on his blue marlin roll, Mo released an energetic 400# blue their last day along with 50 sailfish of which Parker probably released way more than half to fill his Christmas stocking to the hilt with fish stories. Our close friends Michael and Lyndsey Viljoen, and son Sean, and another good friend Kevin Hodgson all of South Africa joined us to spend their Christmas season in Guatemala, and what a great festive season it proved to be. On their first day out Michael, Kevin and Sean released 47 sailfish to follow that up with 53 the next. After a days break for Christmas we where back at it with 18 releases, then 34, followed by 49 sailfish releases and then 17 releases the next day. Our wives Cindy and Lyndsey joined us the 30th, finding some marlin action out wide with Michael releasing a 250# class fish off the teasers and us seeing 3 other blues while also releasing 9 sails. We opted to see the year out in style and went out wide leaving an excellent sailfish bite inshore on the 31st but scored on a couple sailfish and Kevin's first Pacific Blue, nice going Kevo!! December proved to be an outstanding month, one of the very best I have seen and fitting way to round off another great year for us in Guatemala. We released 1702 sailfish, 93 blues, 2 striped marlin and 1 black marlin for the year and have been blessed to have had such great anglers join us to share in the bounty of the sport we so enjoy. From Cindy and I, and all at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures may we wish you all a great year ahead, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" FISH REPORT OCT & NOV 2007 Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - 30 November 2007 It has been a little bit of a different start to this fishing season. The multitude of marlin that were around all through the summer months have stayed with us, with some exceptional marlin days in October and again in November. Our friends, Enrico Capozzi, Stacey Parkenson and their captain Scott Jones brought their boat the "Spirit of Pilar II" up from Costa Rica to join us at the Billfish Inn, and try their hand at the Guatemalan blues on the fly rod. The team saw some exceptional days at the beginning of October raising as many as 6 or 7 blues in a day and fighting a blue on the fly gear for a substantial length of time almost every day, but were really unlucky not to capitalize and break one of the fly records they were trying for. David West and his father Jim, joined us the 13 and 14th of October with David jumping right into trying for a blue on the fly rod. We had two up the first day and with a little more luck we may have got a bite on the fly. The following day proved slow although we did see some feeding killer whales which was quite a treat and the first time I had seem them off Guatemala. Some unseasonably late rains really messed things up for the next week or more with green water moving in and the fish moving out. This was the first year in 8 years that I have seen such late rains but one can't argue with the weather gods. Bob Middleton joined us for his 50th birthday celebrations along with his good buddies, Peter Bray and Blaine Heaps, on the 5th of November to give the sailfish a go on the fly. The sailfishing was a little on the slow side but Peter was quick to get in on the action with a 200lb blue marlin he released in fine style and really showed him the power of these supreme gamefish. Peter then released a sail on the fly latter in the day to take the angler of the day award. The following day we missed another blue, but were redeemed the next when Bob got stuck into a very lively 350lb blue on which he did a fantastic job and then had his birthday blue gift-wrapped by a sail on the fly rod and another 2 more on the spinning gear to see a happy ending to the groups billfishing adventure. Our loyal friends Denny Doyle of Jacksonville Florida and Bob White of Ft Lauderdale, were with us the 8th thru the 10th of November. Running out 40 miles we found good water on the edge and raised a 300lb blue right off the bat which would not eat but got our hopes up. A little while latter a small blue passed through the spread and we latter found the sailfish just off the edge and picked at them with the guys going 5 from 6 raising 9. We were back on the western edge the following day and after 2 sailfish releases Bob hooked a crazy 250lb blue in fine style with Denny taking some magical photo's of the airborne fighter. Only moments latter and not to be outdone, Denny hooked into a larger blue getting a super fast tournament style release followed more fantastic jumps to see to a great day on the water. Things proved slow the next day for the duo but a great trip was had and it was wonderful to again spend time together with these two great anglers. Deciding not to make the run offshore the following day, we put the baits out at only 10 miles straight out front in what we call 'the bottom of the pocket', a deep cannon that runs in from the edge. Following the hunch proved most rewarding with Richard Hoffman and sons, Mark and Mike, all of New York, getting in on some great action releasing 8 sailfish and missing a blue and seeing another to show them things can change a great deal from one day to the next in Guatemala and one never knows unless one is on the water trying. The blue marlin were biting in good members the next day, with us having 2 nice fish up earlier in the day neither of which would do much, but with the rest of the fleet also seeing blues we knew it wouldn't be long before we got our shot. With a couple sailfish and dorado in-between it wasn't long and there she was on the right short teaser and then switched to the right rigger Legend lure with hooks. A solid hookup and Richard was holding on for dear life as the 450lber made a streaking series of jumps for the horizon. After another series of runs the fish went down deep and it wasn't to long before we realized the marlin had unfortunately been tail wrapped during the crazy jumps. With a lot of drag, huffing and puffing we surfaced the dead fish. Sailfish are a protected species in Guatemala and anglers release all marlin also. This was the first marlin that had died on us in my 8 years in Guatemala and rather than waste the food, we boated her and took her home where she went 441lb by the formula and within no time many of the protein starved locals had their share of fresh fish with not an ounce going to waste. The sun wasn't to high in the sky on the 13th and a blue marlin slightly bigger than the previous days was up on the magnum wide range teaser. Another perfect switch and Mike was into his first marlin ever. With smooth technique we released the fish in short order to cap a great trip for the Hoffman's. Bill Easum and Jimmy Taylor joined us on the fly for the 12th with Bill releasing a sail straight off. A nice blue we had up wouldn't tease for the fly and the sails seemed rather lethargic for most of the day. John Price of Texas, joined the 2 the following day in practice for the next days PCCA tournament event and brought with him his lucky lone star. The team released 2 quick sails and then we raised a 550lb class blue on the flat line teaser which John did a fine job with the pitch and switch and had the exciting release in only minutes. An hour latter we had another blue up on the short teaser which we missed, but hearing the chatter on the radio of all the marlin the fleet was seeing we were confident it would not be our last sighting for the day. We were right, it wasn't long and a shadow materialized behind the right short, John made a perfect switch with the mackerel, junior chugger and the new 10/0 Eagle Claw 2007 circle hook combo rig, to the marlin and we where tight again. To our surprise the first jump showed stiff pec's, proportionally shorter dorsal and the big head of a 400lb black marlin, a species we do not see many of here. With some amazing leader jumps John had released the most difficult species of a potential Guatemalan slam. All rods were given to John and it wasn't long and he had released a saily to give us our first ever Guatemalan slam. What a day it proved to be for John, his first ever pacific blue, black and slam, and as far as I am aware the first time a single angler has achieved that in Guatemala, nice going John. The opening function of the PCCA was a buzz with all the marlin news as some boats had released as many as 5 blues that day. It was going to be an interesting 20lb light tackle tournament. I unfortunately ate something which disagreed with me at the opening banquet and was out of action for a few days, the first time in 8 years I have not managed to make it to 'work'. Capt. Tony Haupt of the 'Escapade' fame kindly filled in for me while I recovered and saw the team to some steady fishing but just couldn't get into a blue marlin or two to boost their points and position up the leader board with the top boats releasing around 25 sails and a marlin or two a piece over the 3 day event. Ricky LeFranc and son Andres and their friends Jorge Junco and son Francisco joined us for a father and son trip the 19th thru 21st. The fishing was slow the first day but Francisco still managed to release and swim with his first ever sailfish. Well done Francisco. Latter we were truly spoilt when a fully grown killer whale jumped just yards from our bridge teaser, what a sight to see an Orca in the wild. The boys released 3 from 5 sailfish the next day and 5 from 5 the following. The fishing wasn't what the LeFranc's had seen on the their previous trip but never the less everyone had a blast and we couldn't get over how much the little guys enjoyed themselves around the Billfish Inn. It is great to see fathers including their young sons in such trips and exposing them to the joys of the offshore world. After a couple days break, we were back at it on the 25th with the fishing having improved for the group of Guatemalan businessmen who went 16 from 20 bites at 12 miles offshore. Dr. Scott "Dog" Lund was back with us on the 26th inviting Cindy and Ries, our new Dutch Chef, out for a day on the water. Scott released a couple on the fly with Rees catching his first ever sailfish and Cindy releasing a very strong 125lb sailfish on the new Alutecnos spinning reel which has been performing flawlessly for us. The next day Kristy Lund joined us and Scott was red-hot on the long wand going 7 from 8 on the fly sailfish and us being back in the pool by 2.30pm with welcomed cocktails to savor the joys of it all. We are fully booked aboard the 'Decisive' for December and I will keep the reports coming on a more regular basis for the rest of the season. For anyone wanting to get in on the outstanding billfishing action aboard the 'Decisive" with me here in Guatemala next year, please note that we still have January 23, 24 and 25th open, as well as February 20, 21 and 22nd. For any fly angler who is interested in joining in with two other regular anglers who have already booked, we have space for them to join this group on the 7, 8, 9 and 10th of March. We also have availability over the Easter Weekend dates of the 21, 22, 23 and 24th of March and again towards the end of April, the 26, 27 and 28th. May and June have openings but these too will fill fast, so drop Cindy an email at cindy@guatbilladv.com if you are interested in any of these dates, they will not last long and remember that we are now booking the 'Makara' a brand new 36 ft Bertram which proved itself in the last tournament as a real fish-raiser. There is availability on this boat and for larger groups wanting more than just one boat this gives you the option to book both the 'Decisive' and the 'Makara' while enjoy the outstanding facilities, cuisine and service our Billfish Inn has to offer. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report, June 22nd, 2007! Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - 22nd June 2007 The month of June lived up to it's reputation as a marlin month in Guatemala with the 'Decisive' releasing at least one blue marlin on every outing, and together with the flat seas, great weather and a splattering of sailfish activity kept all our anglers extremely happy. We started with our friend John Bailey of Huntingtown, Maryland bringing down his daughter Kristen to enjoy the Guatemalan billfishing experience as well as for her to learn more about hooking and fighting billfish. The sailfish were a little on the scarce side which made the hands-on hookup side a little tuff, but what we missed in sailfish we more than made up for in marlin. On our first day out dad John hooked an aggressive 350 pound blue on which Kristen got to pull and feel the power of her first blue marlin. We stepped up the pace the following day, with Kristen releasing 2 sailfish and 2 blue marlin to really start mastering the art of standup fishing, as well as celebrate her birthday in fine Guatemalan billfishing and hospitality style. By day three Kristen's angling technique was really coming together and it was a very happy John who watched his daughter release her 4th blue marlin using fine controlled form, to end a superb 3 day trip. Our lodge neighbor Dr's Scott and Kristy Lund came down to enjoy their Guatemalan vacation home the 16th and 17th of June, bring with them Dr. Scott and Ami Schwerdlin, of Palm Beach to enjoy in the fun. Carlos Arrivillaga, our friend from Guatemala was also along to enjoy the first day to see Scott Schwerdlen release his first Pacific standup blue marlin, a 250lb fish in fine fashion. Not to be outdone, Scott Lund released a similar size blue the next morning, and we missed a larger 300lb plus size fish latter in the day but keeped our unbreakable marlin run rolling. To see the season out, my wife Cindy invited her close cousin and family down on the 19th to celebrate her birthday Billfish Inn style. With the blue water and marlin in so close we decided to give the boat it's last run and were rewarded with an early blue marlin raise early 7 miles, followed by 5 sailfish and then a spectacular jumping 250lb blue which Patyi's son Ronny released and we got great from the water footage of, for our upcoming full feature DVD release. It was a superb way to see the season out, although a little pity we did not get out more times this month as the marlin were definitely out there but as the word gets out, marlin anglers may well take advantage of this and book a May, June or October trip with this in mind. We have come to the end of another great Guatemalan billfishing season, and one that will stand out in my memory as one of the most special in many different ways. There was talk of the sailfishing being a little slower than normal, but our anglers still released an impressive 1903 sailfish and we had the very best blue marlin bite in Guatemalan history. Our 40ft Gamefishermen the 'Decisive' showed her true form raising the fish like no other and never missing a days beat. It was most fulfilling to see us being able to take advantage of the marlin with such consistency, out releasing any other boat by more than double the number of marlin releases. It is not easy catching blue marlin at the very best of times, especially when trying to target sailfishing on light conventional or fly tackle at the very same time, which makes things even more challenging. Team 'Decisive' came through with flying colors and it is a testament to the skills of a great team and their anglers to see us do so well teasing and pitch-baiting to the blues on our 50lb Alutecnos standup rig, to turn for what for many other boats here was an average stretch, into a highlight season. For this month of June alone we released at least one marlin on every outing and in the last 41 days on the water have released an amazing 41 blue marlin, to reinforce my opinion that the blue marlin fishing here peaks from May through until November. Our total for the season includes 64 blue marlin releases, 2 striped marlin (which are rare for here) and the 1903 sailfish releases, adding to an impressive total of 1969 billfish releases for the season, none of which would have been possible without the undying commitment of our anglers and supports like Eros Cataneo's of Alutecnos, as well as the boys at Pelagic, Eagle Claw, Moldcraft and Legend Lures and the many other individuals who assist us on a daily basis to make this all possible, none the least "Decisive" owner Steve Cothron who brings it all together and enjoyed another top year onboard. Cindy and I are heading back to South Africa for two months of visiting with family and friends, as well as some hunting and photo safaris, after which we'll be in Madeira for 3 weeks targeting the big blue marlin there along with my buddy Clay Hensley and James Roberts. Our bookings are looking very good for next season, we have a gap or two here and there as well as some great fishing days in October, as well as latter on in May and June of next year available still, but they are filling fast. I'll drop in a Madeira report sometime in mid-September, but until we start here again in October, good fishing to you all. Tight lines, circle hooks, healthy releases and smooth sailing. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - May 2007! Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - 30 May 2007 We have come to the end of another great month with our season slowly winding down here in Guatemala, although the fat lady has not yet sung and we have the month of June ahead of us still. This May proved slow as far as sailfishing goes but produced some of the very best marlin fishing this area has ever seen with the 'Decisive' releasing 20 blue marlin in 21 days, with marlin flags a plenty flying on a daily basis at Marina Pez Vela out of which all the sportfishing boats operate. Our seasonal total stands at an impressive 57 blue and 2 striped marlin releases, almost three times that of any other marlin release total for a previous season in Guatemala and almost double that of any other boats releases in Guatemala for this past season. Almost all the blues have been caught pitchbaiting off the Moldcraft and Legend lure teasers we pull, hooking them on an Eagle Claw circle hook rigged mackerel on our 50lb Alutecnos standup gear...man it's been exciting!! Joss van Breda and Andrew Gillespie, my tuna fishing friends from Cape Town, South Africa, made the long trip to join us on the 'Decisive' for 4 days and were spoilt rotten with the blue marlin fishing they saw at only 6 to 8 miles offshore. Their first day out had the duo release 5 sails from 7 bites, with Joss releasing his first blue marlin ever, a feisty 175lb fish he made short work of. We had two more blues up that day, one of which was a big 600lb plus class fish which would not eat. The 2nd of May saw Andrew release his first blue even, a strong and very acrobatic 400lber that gave him a real pull. With another 6 sailfish from 11 bites the boys were kept very busy and late in the afternoon we were attacked by a pack of blues hooking a double header but unfortunately pulling the hooks on both fish. Seconds latter we hooked another but again came unstuck but were amped after seeing such great blue marlin action so close to home and in such a flat calm blue ocean. The next day was Joss's turn on the blue with him releasing a 200lb fish along with a couple sails. We also saw another blue in the spread and missed one other. On their final day the marlin Gods really turned it on for us. We raised 5 blues, had 3 bites and the duo released all three, with Andrew getting the largest, a 400lb fish. The final fish of the day came right at lines out when Andrew hooked a sneaky blue on the ballyhoo in the rigger, to catch it on the lighter sailfishing outfit and give us our third. It had been a long time in planning but in their 4 days the 'Tuna Boys' had released 6 blues and 16 sailfish for a trip of a lifetime, and what a pleasure to have shared it with old friends. Well done and thank you for making the long trip guys!!! Leon Nel of South Africa and Etienne Vercueil ex-South Africa also joined us at the Marlin Inn the April 30th thru 3rd. We had chartered the 'Cañaso' with Capt. Randall Gaines for them and they were also tickled pink with the amount of marlin action they had. On the 30th April they caught 3 from 14 bites on sails, missing a blue from the two they had up. The 1st of May saw the marlin up, but they just wouldn't stay stuck for them, pulling the hooks on 3 blues and releasing 2 sails. Things changed the following day going 2 from 3 on blues and 7 from 8 on sails, nice day, and all the action at only 6 to 8 miles. The final day the guys raised 18 sails and blue but with the fish on the lazy sails it was tuff converting and ended with 5 sails releases, to make for an excellent trip and some great good old friendly rivalry amongst the two boats and many evening rums over which we shared each days events. The 6th saw us stay inshore and trying for the blues that had been stacked up there previously with Samuel and Sammy Conde of the Dominican Republic, who were visiting us along with our regular guest Manuel Tavares and his son Juan also of the DR, whom fished aboard the 'Cañaso'. Both boats saw blues but failed to capitalize that day. The next day we went offshore and at 38 miles found the marlin with the 'Decisive' going an amazing 3 from 6 on blues, with 8 up for the day to give Samuel his first blue ever. The fish ranged from 200 to 400lb's in size that day. It was good to have Manuel on board the following day as the boys did the switch with both fathers fishing with us for the day. We released a sail early and followed it up latter with a fat 650lb blue for Samuel latter in the day, which he handled like a pro. Don Butler, our friend from the Carolina's brought down Andy LaStelle, Mike Coviella to join him for the 9th to see us releasing a 300lb blue and seeing one other. The following day Rick Noel, Brian Schmidt and Tom Simonson joined in releasing 2 sails from 5 bites and another 3 from 5 the following. We have so many great anglers who visit and support us from all over the globe. With the vast majority of our clientele being repeat in nature one does to really like to point out anyone in particular as every group is so special to us, and case in point is Gary Hughes who again joined us from Chile, along with friends Rob Geldenhuys and Sean Whittome of Zambia, Africa. We started their trip going 7 from 8 on sailfish at 25 miles out to the east, with a nice blue marlin up that would not eat and then Rob releasing a spectacular 400lb blue marlin, his first ever. Nice work Rob!! The following day we missed the two blues we had a shot at and released 5 from 10 sails to keep everyone busy the next day doing almost exactly the same, just not being able to get the marlin to stick. Dave Minson and son Matthew, joined us from Chile and the UK respectively, yes they've been coming from far ends wide this past May, for Matt to release his first sailfish and first blue, a 300lber on their first day out. We went looking way out east the following day and hit a blank but found the blues again out on the western edge the following day missing one and then for Matt to capitalize on an acrobatic 450lb fish as well as two sails to end an enjoyable trip for the Minson's. Scott and Kristi Lund brought down their friends Billy and Laura Lutch of Palm Beach to share in their Guatemalan adventures. With the slower sailfishing of the past days we decided to target the marlin and that we did, releasing 2 in the 150 to 200lb class, one of which really gave Scott a good pull on the lighter sailfishing gear and the other which Laura managed in style on the 50. We were back on the same numbers out wide and west the following day waiting for the afternoon bite and it wasn't long after noon when a big fish came up hard on the left short bridge teaser and Laura was in for the fight of her life. The fish stayed deep and Laura stayed focused doing an amazing job on the 50 standup in the comfortable Alutecnos harness, exerting maximum pressure at all time. It took an hour to get the release and although the fish never showed itself clearly on the surface from what we had seen on the bite and on the leader it was fair to say the marlin was well over 500# and may have pushed well over 600lb's, very impressive work Laura, it's great to see anglers with such good technique, go girl!!! Doing a big turn and sweep over the same spot Scott hooked a very feisty 300lber, only minutes latter that made an incredible series of jumps and the most sizzling run we have seen in a long time. Scott whipped the fish in great style and in no time to end two great days of blue marlin fishing for the ecstatic group. After our first day off the water in ages, we were out on the water after lunch on the 21st with 'Decisive's' owner Steve Cothron and his daughter Angela. With a sailfish to Angela's credit and couple blues having been raised by the fleet on the 9 mile drop-off, we switched gear and slow trolled some dead baits from the riggers working a tight area were marlin had been seen but would not eat at the higher speeds. It wasn't long and although I had to look twice in the lower light, the dark shadow trailing the right short turned into an aggressive bite on the mackerel which Steve brought in from the right rigger and hooked in true style to pass off to Angela who did a wonderful job releasing her first big blue, a 450# class fish that jumped fantastically up close and on the leader for the camera. We went out wide the next day, looking for that afternoon bite and were rewarded when the second blue of the afternoon bite the mackerel for Steve and he release a 400# fish to give the father and daughter team each a blue for their trip. The choice was made to work inshore the next day, pulling the hook on a blue off a lure early and then seeing another that would not eat and releasing 2 from 5 sailfish to end another enjoyable for the Cothron's. With some time off the water we had time to regroup and had a very interesting meeting with Dr. Nelson Earhart of the Rosenthal School of Marine Science at the University of Miami. Earhart is spearheading a study to determine the economic value of the billfishing industry to the Pacific Central American countries, in particular that of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. What was of great interest was his findings and studies as to why the sailfish congregate in such density along our Guatemalan coast and also as to why they were not here in their usual huge numbers this past season. From what they know and have seen, it has to do with this past seasons lack of offshore winds usually found along Nicaragua and Mexico and the subsequent slight warming of inshore waters, decreasing bait density and pushing sailfish out into the distant offshore reaches of their domain, resulting in less inshore density. This is not the first time this has happened off this coastline with a similar occurrence back in 1998, when the sailfishing slowed and the marlin moved in. It is a complicated set of variables but all made since and correlated with what we have seen here this past season. It was also very reassuring to note that by all accounts this is only a short term phenomenal and that it is predicted that things will revert back to normal in the upcoming months and that all will be back to normal by October for our upcoming 2007/2008 season. Our bookings are filling quickly for next season, with December, February and April already sold, so do not wait too long as things are filling fast and we hate to see anyone disappointed with not being able to find their suitable days. We are back on the water the 5th of June and look forward to what the month will bring us. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" Fish Report - April 2007! Ed Broderick, Mate Kennedy Hernández, Mike Cromwell, Gary DeShazer and Frankie Mirandes Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - April 2007 Some are saying the fishing has been a little slow off the Pacific Coast of Central America this year but on the 'Decisive' we have had some really exciting days of billfishing with some great anglers making it here from far and wide to enjoy it with us. We have had several days with over 25 sailfish in the spread this past month, with as many as 51 bites in a day and we have been able to capitalize on the increased numbers of marlin in the area and turned most trips into exceptional adventures. With a total of 15 marlin releases for the month and as many as 7 up in a day, it has been by far the best marlin year Guatemala has ever experienced, and added to the sailfishing it's been a great month. We started April with Miami friends Henry and Raul Sala's, and Andy Fernández joining us to go 12 from 22 on the sails their first day, with a blue up that would not eat. In the very same spot at 14 miles we released 15 sails from 27 bites the next day with Andy getting his first marlin, a dream 500lb fish that did everything for us and made the trip even more special for the group. The following day we rounded it off with a superb day of sailfishing releasing 23 from 32 bites. Scott Lund came in to enjoy the fishing and between he and my wife Cindy, the pair releases 5 on the fly and 2 on spinning gear from the 26 sailfish we had up. Scott's wife Kristi joined him on the water the following day, releasing 7 on the fly rod and 2 on spin from the 23 we had in the spread. The bite stayed good for the 'Decisive's' owner, Steve Cothron, who was joined by longtime friends Bill Easum and Jeff Svajda, for them to release 32 from 51 bites on the sails, and miss a nice blue we should have released. Things slowed the next day with us looking out wider and releasing 5 from 7 sailfish as well a boating 5 nice sushi yellowfin. On the final day, we made up for our earlier miss releasing a 375lb blue for Steve, as well as reelasing 9 sails to see the guys out in style. Bill stayed on to fish the 9th on fly with great averages releasing 5 on the fly and 1 on spin. Ken Johns of Sailfish Point Florida, brought down a group of friends, Ted Blount, John Adamiak and Dennis Longstreet to fish with us the 10, 11 and 12th. I was sorry to see that the fishing did not stay as good as it had been the previous week as Ken has always been so good to us, and surely deserved a good run. The boys however saw enough action to keep them busy and a more than great time was had enjoying Cindy's wonderful cooking and our lodges great service and the private ambience it provides. The guys released 3, 4 and then 6 from 14 on their final day with a large blue marlin making a showing but not wanting to play the game. John Oliver, Jim Owens, John Duckworth and Rex Clark all of Louisiana had the blues show up for them in force. On the 13th we were unlucky when we broke the hook early in the morning on a 500plus blue which we had hooked off the teaser on a pitchbait. We saw 2 more blues that day which would not take the pitch but did release 6 sails to keep everyone very happy. The following day we capitalized on the blues releasing a feisty 300lb'er which gave John a great tussle and his first blue ever. Nice work John!!! Never to be outdone, 'Duck' released a 250lb blue the following day from the 3 blues we had up, one of which was well over 500#. South African's Mike and Mearl Buyskes, and Johan and Magarite Majoor made the long trek to explore the country and enjoy in the billfishing and the 'Billfish Inn'. They brought with them the marlin luck and on their first day out released 3 blue marlin from the 3 we had up to add to the 4 sailfish they caught to make for an outstanding start and the first time I had ever released 3 marlin in a day off Guatemala. We went back out to the edge the following day and missed the blue that bite but released 5 sails to keep everyone happy. We had booked the group aboard other boats the following 2 days and their marlin run stayed hot with them releasing another 4 blues in amongst numerous sailfish. On their final day, we added another 11 sailfish to their tally to see them off in style. It is a long way to travel but Mike couldn't stop raving about the fishing and the operation in general and how worth it the tripo had had been. For Cindy and I it was a true pleasure to have had such fun loving and enjoyable people to visit with us here. Some consider Guatemala a sailfish only destination, and boy was Rees Morgan Poag pleasantly surprised when on his first day out he released a 300# and 450# blue on our 50lb standup Alutecnos gear, to add to the sail he caught on the fly to make for an outstanding day of action. In the last 30 minutes of the day we were right in the midst of a wild marlin bite with over 5 of them up to give us high hopes for the next days action. Back on the same numbers on the 19th we raised a blue straight off which would not tease for the fly and then released a 400# on the 50#. Minutes latter Rees cast at a 300# blue which bit but missed the fly but we did catch on the pitched mackerel. We saw another 2 blues latter in the day as well as released a sail on the fly to keep our run going. Rees continued on the 20th with a blue release early to add to another 4 sails on the fly to end a dream trip for him of 5 blue marlin, and 6 sail releases in 3 days. Now that is some fishing!!! My great school mate, Rob Anderson, was visiting from LOndon for the week and with a day to spare he joined Cindy and I out on the edge at 40 miles to try his luck for his first blue. We started strong on the sails with 11 releases and then turned up the heat on a very large school of spinner porpoises, with Rob doing a fine job on a very strong 300lb blue which we hooked on a dead bonito we skipped around the action. Minutes latter another blue was up on a teaser and he released the 350# class fish like a true pro to give us time to take a swim with the porpoises and then run home in great spirits after a remarkable day. Don Van Orden, Mike and Bill Sandinfer, Dennis Orcutt of Texas and Rafael Medina our friend from Guatemala, saw 11 sailfish releases from the 21 bites on the 26th. The fishing slowed a little the next day but the beer drinking didn't skip a beat and Don released a 350lb blue in fine fashion to give him his first blue and end a great trip for the boys. The 28, 29 and 30th saw Frankie Mirandes, Gary Deshazer, Ed Broderick and Mike Cromwell finish out the month in great style. Man these boys new how to have a good time!!! The boys went 10 from 17 on their first day, with Gary releasing a 200lb blue the next day along with 4 sails. The marlin bite really turned on the final day starting with a large 500 plus fish being missed early. The marlin were there and we missed 3 more during the day to humble us like only a blue can, but did stick 6 sails to keep a rod bent and the boys vowing to be back to get revenge. With 33 marlin releases since January 1st and the traditional marlin months of May and June ahead of us we are certainly looking forward to the rest of the season. We have an opening or two in late May and then some in June so if the big fish are your game, this would be a great opportunity to take advantage of the superb marlin action we are seeing. Have a look at the new Legend Lures from Roddy Hayes, their interchangeable skirts and Pro-design heads make these exceptional lures and together with our trusty old Moldcrafts they have been raising the heck out of the blue dogs for us. Until next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases. Capt. Brad Philipps "Decisive" GUATEMALAN BILLFISHING ADVENTURES - OFFICIAL REPORT! January 27th, 2007 Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report After a great Christmas break, visiting various friends in the wonderful state of Texas, we have been back on the water since the 3rd of January 2007. The bite started off red-hot, just like we had left it in 2006, but unfortunately slowed right down through the second week. We pounded away, burnt alot of fuel looking in different areas, and where rewarded with enough action to make it worth while and the biggest blue marlin I have released in my almost 7 years in Guatemala, and one of the top 5 of my career. Our friend Bill Easum of Corpus Christi, TX, got his year off to a flying start releasing 29 sailfish on the bait as well 6 on the fly rod on the 3rd. I don't think he missed but 1 or 2 fish all day, and was 100% on the fly. If he keeps this up the rest of the year, those tournament anglers in trouble. My longtime buddy, Matt Smith of Australia, together with his father-in-law Wayne McWatt of New Zealand, joined us for 3 exceptional days, the 4th thru 6th. After years of trying to put a trip together it was great to have them here to share in this exceptional fishery. The pair released 31 sailfish from 40 bites the first day. Half way thru the morning of day two we raised a solid marlin on the right flat teaser, everything went to plan and the fish ate the pitched mackerel and Matt was into his first real fish, a blue one of around 500# maybe a little larger. The fish put on a show like no other, with some 20 plus water clearing, greyhounding leaps across the flat blue ocean, before settling down into a slugfest, with Matt getting the better of the fish after some 45 minutes on the 50lb Alutecnos standup outfit. With 14 sailfish to add to the marlin it was a day none of us will forget and always a blessing to have shared it with such good friends. The 6th saw us release 20 from 31 bites to se