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Fish Report up to Jan 2012!
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fishing Report - January 2012

Greetings of the New Year to all from us in Guatemala. We hope it's a year filled with everything good, and most of all.....some great fishing action!!

We have been posting regular updates on our Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures Facebook page but thought it best to send out one of our usual reports to keep all our friends in the loop.

The fishing has been good this season so far and all our anglers have been kept most happy both on and off the water.

We fished the ILTTA tournament the end of November and were top boat on day 1 with 26 sailfish releases. The bite slowed the next three days, but we still released 49 sailfish to place 4th, 5 fish off the pace. Well over a thousand fish were released in total and a great tournament.

Next we fishing Clint and Lisa Everett out of the Carolina's for 10 days. They are hard-core fishermen and great anglers who enjoyed every minute of their time here and saw some great days. The 9th saw the Everett's releasing 12 sails and a feisty 350lb blue on 20lb. They released another blue the next day with there being up to 6 Blue Marlin raised per boat in the fleet for the day. Things got going with the sailfish on the 11th with 17 releases for the day and then 21 releases on the 12th.

On the 14th we were joined by Dave and Diane Cordes going 8 from 16. The fishing remained steady for the couple over the next 4 days and they were unlucky not to connect with the handful of blue marlin we raised but stacked up some good numbers of sailfish, releasing 8 on the fly and 3 on spinning rod on their final day to see out a memorable trip for the adventurous couple.

The 26th saw us releasing 4 sailfish and a feisty striped marlin for our US Embassy friends from Guatemala City, Billy with his sons Justin and Billy II Sherrill, Roberto Pineda and Juan Manuel Rubio.

Dave Workman Jr of Jacksonville Florida, joined us along with his wife Angela, and dad, Sr Dave and Melissa for 3 days the 27th to the 29th followed by a few splendid days in Antigua, the "Old City". They went 7 from 10 their first day, 8 from 12 the next, with a blue both days that we could not capitalize on. Their final day saw the father and
son duo start out with a double header of blue marlin on the 20lb gear they were both able to release, one of about 250lb's and the other around 350lbs.. way to go Sr and Jr!!! The blues were around and we raised another 4 that day releasing another of about 250lbs as well as a 5 sailfish. I'm not sure why Angela didn't join us on the previous days, it must have been her lady luck, what a great day!!!!
The 31st saw us out with our friend Fernando Paiz of Guatemala, along with his friends Richard Voswinckel, Johann Voswinckel, going 22 from 29 on sails today, with a blue
that would not play, to see out the old year in true festive Guatemalan style.

The 2nd of January saw us going 10 from 18 on sails with some nice Drado.

Bobby Richter, his son Matt and their friends Paul Jr and Paul III Kennedy all of Port Aransas texas joined us the 5th. With the bite at 7 miles it was one of those perfect days with the excellent anglers going 24 from 30 bites. Things slowed a little the next two days but the boys were kept busy and remained extremely happy campers. We look forward to seeing them all back with us in the near future.

The 13th saw Steve Cothron, "Decisive's" owner on the water along with Matt Richter who just couldn't say no to the offer and extending his stay. The guys went 10 from 15 on sails with a 7 nice yellowfin their first day. Things got crazy the following day going 37 from 54 on the sails for another epic trip.

Scott Lund joined us the 23rd and 24th of January along with his old vet school friend Mark Scribano, his wife Lisa and brother George, along with firends Jay Mastry and Debbie Crisp. They went 14 from 21 their first day. Their second day saw Birthday boy Mark releasing his tackle slam with his first sailfish on fly, then one on spin and a few on conventional with a total of 2 on fly and 8 on bait for the day, all at 5 to 12
miles.

Please don't forget to give us a "Like" on Facebook so you get your regular updates.

Brad is heading back to Nova Scotia this coming September for the remarkable giant bluefin tuna fishing there. It'll be his third year up there and he has reserved 2 of the best boats and is taking some friends up there to enjoy it along with him, so if any of you have any interest in this let him know and he'll make a plan to get you in on the action. He is also looking at running the "Hooker'' in Cape Verde this coming June so that's another option for anyone wanting to share their unbelievable blue marlin fishing along with Brad.

Until the next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
'Decisive'
Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures March 2011
Fish Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - March 2011






We had some spectacular fishing for the first half of March with bait, billfish, whales and dorado all in huge numbers, although thigns slowed for the latter part.

The month started with us hosting the 64th Ocean City Light Tackle Derby with a total of 271 sailfish and two blue marlin releases for the thrilled anglers.
Decisive took top boat honours by more than 10 sailfish and two blue marlin.

Craig Zigler and his son Mike joined us the 8th for three days of great fishing. Releasing 20 sailfish on their first day, then 13 the second, followed by 10 on their final day.

The 11th saw us return to the dock early in preperation for what might have been. We had warning about a possible Tsunami as a result of the Japan Quake and headed out latter to ride it out a mile offshore and thankfully experienced no problems what so ever.

Eddie Dalidowicz and his son Bronco, started with us on the 13th and what a day it proved to be with 12 sailfish releases and one of the most spectacular fish of the season so far for 15 year old Bronco, a magnificent 650lb black marlin. Bronco did a fine job on the fish, showing loads of determination, while the marlin put on some fantastic boatside antics, as only a black marlin can. Well done Bronco!! The following day the father and son duo released a busy 19 sailfish with another 12 or so aboard the Intensity the next day to finish out their most memorable fishing trip yet.

John and Heather Harvey of Richards Bay, South Africa made their annual pilgrimage to join in our fish fest and were again treated to some stunning action. On their 5 consecutive days they tallyed a total of over 100 sailfish releases with their best day seeing 38 releases. Another amazing trip for the couple!!!

Len Kouba my old 'grander' friend from the big marlin waters of West Africa joined us along with his friend Ron Desideri for 4 days of fishing. This was Lens 3rd trip to Guatemala and thankfully he has seen it great on those previuos trips because things unfortunatly slowed a little from the previuos weeks of red-hot activity. The duo released as many as 5 sails in a day and missed a blue on their first day, but we sure hope that they make it back so Ron can see how good the fishing usually is here. Good luck on your African leopard hunt Ron, we look forward to the stories.

One of our most loyal friends, Denny Doyle of Jacksonville Florida joined us the 25th, along with his longstanding friends, Sutton McGehee, Charles Sorenson and Phillip Meide, for three days of good times...and what an enjoyable group it was. One cann't go wrong when the coradery is that good. The fish were not to co-operate, but everyone did catch a sailfish and we were spoilt with an unusual visitor in the form of a 50lb wahoo which made for some great steaks on the grill to put the icing on a special trip for the old school friends.

Our neighbour and another long term friend of ours, Scott Lund was down with us along with his friend Scott Armand for the 28th and 29th, releasing a few sailfish each day on conventional, spin and fly rod to end out another Guatemalan month.

Until next report, tight line, eagle claw circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
www.guatbilladv.com
February 2011 - Blue Water Magazine -
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - February 2011
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - February 2011

February delivered some fantastic fishing for us off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. We have seeing nice sized blue marlin on a very regular basis and some of the most spectacular balls of bait with sailfish, large Dorado, whales and birds all over them to make for 'National Geographic' like scenes which lasted for up to two weeks and kept anglers enthralled with non-stop activity.

The month started with Tony Interdonato, Mike Mooney, Greg Hochstetter and Steve Walker all friends from Florida joining us. Greg was the fortunate angler on the first day to release a spectacular 450 pound blue on 50lb standup to add to the 8 sailfish for the group. We continued the blue marlin run with Steve releasing a 200 pound fish on 20lb tackle as well as 6 sails for the guys the next day. Their final day we released 5 sails and spent more time in search of blues and were very unlucky not to capitalize, raising one blue that would not eat and having another extreme large marlin, perhaps a black, eat the live bonito we were pulling around a bait loaded log, 3 different times but every time just spit it out.

Clint and Lisa Everrett from the Carolina's joined us for 5 days aboard Decisive and 2 days aboard our second boat Circle Hook, starting the 4th going 9 from 20 on the sails and 11 from 19 the following. Heading inshore and east the next day Lisa was rewarded with a 325lb blue early in the day off the bridge teaser. Not much latter we found a log with loads of bait and choose to livebait while also skipping a dead bonito up close. Not long into it a 400lb plus blue inhaled the skipping bonito right under our noses in what had to be one of the most spectacular bites ever. Lisa again did a fine job hooking and fighting the marlin to put number two for the day under her belt, and together with 8 sails and a half bite from another blue they saw out a spectacular Guatemalan fishing day. The 7th and 8th saw a few sails each day and a blue of about 200lbs that we missed to end a fantastic trip.

Mike Coe and his son Andy fished with us on the fly next and raised an average of 4 to 14 sailfish a day. Althought they proved finicky at times each of the duo released a few fish and enjoyed their trip emensly.

Our neighbour and good friend Dr. Scott Lund was with us the 13th and 14th along with his friends Mike Carastro and Mark Boydston. Day one proved very tuff but we found them biting inshore on day two going 13 from 19 on the sails with some handsome dorado for the grill.

Jeff and Judy Schneider fished with us the 15th through the 17th. Having never caught a billfish on fly they achieved their goal and each managed to release a sailfish or two on the long wand to leave most happy with themselves. Fine job guys.

The weekend of the 19th saw Brad at the Miami Boat Show and The Billfish Foundation Annual Awards Dinner at which he was honoured for winning the Top Release Captain of the year as well as Pacific Sailfish Release Captain. This is the ninth year in a row he has received these much acclaimed awards. His mates Kennedy and Johnny were also honoured as top mates.

Fanie Steyn of Zimbabwe returned to fish with us bringing along with him 4 of is fellow Southern African's, John Reid, Tony Nesbit, Peter Robinson and Brendon Rundle to experience what this part of the Pacific has to offer. The 22nd saw the group releasing 12 from 16 bites and in high spirits. The 23rd saw 6 sailfish released and a very impressive blue marlin of 450lbs caught by Brendon around a group of spinner dolphins.
The following day saw 11 sailfish released from 16 bites. Their final day saw us find the birds, bait, dorado, sailfish and marlin at 14 miles and the action was no-stop. The boys released 24 sailfish from 44 bites, some big dorado were boated and the highlight of the day was a 350lb blue which Peter caught, while another similar sized fish just would not bite. The "Africans" couldn't have been happier and its always a pleasure to see people that come from so far be rewarded with some outstanding fishing and lifelong memories.

The month ended with us organising and help host the 64th Ocean City Light Tackle Derby, a 20lb conventional trolling tournament. 15 anglers fished on 5 boats, with a practice day followed by 3 tournament days. Barry Fitzpatrick and Richard Barrazzotto came in early to enjoy two days of fishing with us the 26th and 27th. Each was deservedly rewarded with a blue marlin release, as well as another blue that was missed and 2 more that would not eat, while getting heaps of practice on the sailfish going 14 from 34 over the two days. The 28th saw us on the official practice day, going 21 from 35 bites to put all the competitors in high spirits. The 1st of March saw day One and 'Decisive' releasing 10 from 28 sails as well as a 225 lb blue marlin for Mike Sparco. Day two saw 'Decisive' release 28 sails from 56 bites as well as a 300lb blue for Tony Calabrese to be top boat for the day. The final day saw the bite get even better, with 'Decisive' releasing 33 sailfish, with countless Dorado and a large marlin which crashed the teaser, to again take top daily honors. The final results saw 271 sailfish and two blue marlin releases for the happy Ocean City anglers. Wayne Six was the top angler with 2800 points, John Carbone came in second with 2600 points and Barry Fitzpatric third with 2300 points. Team Italia of Matthew Barrazotto, John Carbone and Tony Calabrese was top team and "Decisive" took the top boat spot by more than 10 sailfish and two blue marlin, to see the OCLTT derby out in fine style with many saying it proved to be one their most successful events yet.

With the amount of bait and fish we have seen this past month one can look forward to another great report next month. Historically February is not one of our better blue marlin months but with the numbers we are seeing, one is inclined to think that come May and early June we will see some superb marlin fishing along with the usually high numbers of sails. Anyone thinking of trying for blues on fly, light tackle or 50lb standup should seriously think of looking at getting here this May, as the fishing is lining up to be spectacular.

Until next report, tight line, eagle claw circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
Fishing Report - Guatemala January 2011!
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - January 2011

2011 started well for us off the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. We have had some bumper days of up to 44 sailfish releases, with consistent numbers of blue marlin to really make things exciting.

The morning of the 1st broke bright and sunny after a rocking New Years party and Decisive was the first of the fleet to release a sailfish for anglers Dave Lewis from Grand Rapids MI and Paul Herman from Tyler, TX with a couple more under their belts Dave went on to release a feisty 225 pound blue marlin after some espectacular jumps to really break in the new year. The following day saw us release 3 sails, put some some tuna on board as well as plenty of huge dorado up
to 45 pounds. The 3rd had us going 9 from 14 bites on sails with another handful released the 4th as well as marlin that wouldn't play.

Bill and Julie Douglas fished on the fly rod the 5th, 6th and 7th with the couple seeing some amazing action around some huge logs holding incredible amount of bonito, dorado and marlin. Their first day we missed a 200 pound stripey around a log only to hook and have Julie release a 500 pound blue a little while later. An hour later we had another big marlin up that would not eat and then missed another while releasing 5 sailfish for the day also. Not to be outdone, Bill released a 200 pound blue the following day with each of the couple catching a few sailfish on the fly rod as well as a good number on the spinning gear to see out a very memorable trip for them.

Dave and Diane Cordes fished on Decisive the 8th and 9th with Dave choosing to give the fly fishing a go. Early in the day a big fish showed up on the short teaser and we pitched a mackerel with Dave doing a fine job on the spectacular 400 pound blue for some fantastic boat side jumps and photo's. Over the course of the next day and a half both Dave and Diane got the hang of the fly deal and each released a few on the long wand with another 9 on the spin of conventional gear.

The 10th saw us gearing up for the next days fly tournament with Decisive fly fishing hotshots, Scott Lund and Joe O'Brien. We looked out way west and reelased 4 sails on fly and Scott caught a 400 pound blue on bait that would not tease for the fly. The 11th saw us in the thick of the action right out front with 13 fly releases from 16 bites to end top boat for day one. With things slowing on day two Decisive pushed back to the west and found some action towards the end of the day managing 5 releases for the day. Having to roll the dice on the final day Decisive went back out west to try find the previous afternoons action but the move didn't pay off as although things looked good the fish could not be found.

Ritchie Howell and friends fished with us on the 14th going 6 from 11 bites out to the east.

Heading back to the west John Hundley and his son-in-law Eric and grandson Copper saw a slow first day for their trip on the 15th with only 2 releases. But in Guatemala things don't stay slow for long and with the girls on board the next day bringing some lady luck we released 14 from 26 bites the next. John had all the fish to himself the following day going 20 from 31, as the family went up to Antigua to enjoy the local culture and history as well as the amazing sights. While Patsy goes for her walks in the mornings, finish reading a book, have nice meals and enjoy the pool to herself!

Our old Texan/Panamanian friend John Richardson along with wife Susie, son Monte, daughter Allison and Scottish friend Neil Cunningham and TBF's very own Elliott Stark rotated stays with us the 20th through the 24th and to say they saw some great action would be an understatement. Things started hot with John and Neil releasing 44 from 70 bites their first day. We mixed thigns up the next day as Monte and Allison wanted to give the fly deal a go and ended the day with 22 on bait and a fly release for Monte. Allison had her turn the next day and did a fine job catching her first billfish on the fly with another few couple on the baits. John, Neil and Elliott were at it the 23rd with 22 sail release a nice big blue we missed and another up that would not play at all. The 24th saw us miss a 300 pound blue and release 3 sails to end a wonderful trip to the Richardson's group.

Some more Texas friends Bobby (Bouche') and Bryan Richter where with us for some fishing fun the 25th through 27th. Running out wide we went 8 from 10 on the baits the first day. With a patch of green water offshore the bite was found no more than 2 miles off the beach right in front of the marina and the boys released 2 on fly with 5 more on bait. Things got really good for the Decisive and team Bouche' the next day with 7 releases on fly and another 5 on bait. Not to stop a good thing they took it a notch further the next day. Still only 2 miles off the beach Bobby and Bryan put on a fine display of flyfishing to release 12 sails on fly and another 8 on spin. Nice work boys!!

Tyson O'Connell, father and friends all of Montana had the booked for the final two days of the month, also to give their had at the fly game. The guys did a great job and had a fantastic time in shallow and enjoying the flat calm seas almost the entire month has brought as well as the adrenaline charged a fly bite brings right at boat side. The guys released 4 on fly and 2 on bait their first day with another 3 on fly and a fish on spin the next.

With the consistent numbers of blues and sails and the vast quantity of bait we are seeing here its' looking like its going to be a great season ahead.

Until the next report, tight lines, Eagle Claw circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
Fishing Report - Guatemala December 2010!
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - December 2010

It is hard to believe that 2010 is a thing of the past but we saw it out in style with some fantastic fishing off the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. In general the water was good and Decembers top days produced as many as 45 sailfish releases, with many blue marlin and even some striped marlin to spice things up.

Jon Sharp and Joe O'Brien started the month off on the 5th with 14 sailfish releases on the bait and 1 on the fly. The next day saw 9 releases on bait, a release on fly and two blue marlin raised with one that ate but we could not stay attached too. Their last day saw 6 on bait , 1 on fly and Joe releasing a feisty 125lb striped marlin on the
fly rod. Nice work Joe!!

Craig Zigler along with son Chuck and friend Chez Yund, saw some of the best fishing of the month, the 11th through 13th, releasing a 250lb blue and 7 sails their first day. Thing got very better with 30 and then 45 sailfish releases each of the next two days, to put the guys in a festive mood.

The 15th saw old friend Jon Beacher along with his son Teo and brother Bill fishing with us. Its always a highlight to see a young man experience the fantastic billfishing we have here and this was no exception. 9 year old Teo had the time of his life and father and uncle enjoyed it almost as much as he did, if not more. The trio released 14 sails the first day, 22 the next and 30 sailfish on the final day along with dorado and other odds and ends to make for an unforgettable trip for the Beachers.

The 20th saw my Australian friend Matt Smith down here with us along with Todd and Anatoli, 2 of his work colleagues from iCiX. The boys started off the trip wit a memorable day of golf at the stunning Pete Dye, Antigua Golf resort and had a great fishing trip releasing a total of 30 sailfish and a 250lb blue along with hordes of dorado and sushi sized yellowfin and were unlucky to be unable to capitalize on the 3 other marlin they had up.


After a lovely Christmas break we were back at it with the Mills family. Father Robert treated his wife Sheila, daughter Suzanne and husband Alex, daughter Helen to two days of fun. Things had slowed down a little but everyone got to catch a sailfish, for most their first, and the highlight was a 300 pound blue that did some great jumping around the boat giving everyone a chance to test their strength on the fish and get an idea of the power of these true open water predators.

Decisive's owners Steve and Diane Cothron were with us to see out the old year. Diane did a fine job releasing a 325 pound blue marlin on the 30th, her first blue and a wonderful catch it was. We had two other fat blues up in short order but just couldn't capitalize on them and saw a huge marlin free jumping in the area. The blues were certainly around and together with the handful of sailfish we released and some huge dorado it all made for a picture perfect last day of fishing on a flat blue ocean in perfect weather.

All that is left is to thank all of our wonderful anglers who joined us this past year. Whom together with our loyal supporters like Alutecnos Tackle, Pelagic Offshore Gear, Eagle Claw Hooks, Berkley Line, Hiltons Offshore Navigator, Big T lures, and Legend Lures, make this all possible for us and keep us as one of the most popular billfishing operations in the world.

So from all of us at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures, may it be your best year yet and we look forward to seeing you all here with us over the coming year. Until the next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
Fishing Report - Guatemala November 2010!
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - November 2010

As predicted we have seen some very good fishing this November off Guatemala. The amount of bait and activity out wide has been something to behold. Anglers who have made it to these rich waters have been rewarded with some superb action. Boats have averaged between 15 to 30 sailfish
releases a day with almost daily encounters with blue marlin in the 200 to 300lb range.

Mike Malin, his father Gene, Bill Frint and Rich Dorchak, were the first to join us in November going 7 from 22 on the sails their first day. The following they released 10 sails and strong blue in the 300lb range which Rich Dorchak did a fine job on as the angler.
Their third day saw 8 from 21 and then 14 releases from 23 bites on the last day to see out a great trip which the group all thoroughly enjoyed.

Robert Schoenthal and his collegue Alex González made the trip down from a cold New York to enjoy our hot action. The duo released 7 from 16 bites on the 14th to start things rolling. With Alex having high sights on his first blue marlin we stuck to our guns in persuit thereof and were rewarded late the next day when the second blue of the day inhaled the mackeral pitchbait for Alex to enjoy the angling highlight of his life and release a feisty 225lb Blue to compliment the 6 sailfish Bob and he had already released. Day three saw Bob enjoying a relaxing day around the pool catching up on soem work, while we wore Alex out offshore, releasing 16 sails, putting some 30 to 40 pound dorado in the boat and having two blue marlin up we just couldn't connect on. To say Alex and Bob left happy would be putting it mildly.

The 18th saw our OBX/Decisive team with us from the East Coast to practice fish a day prior to the PCCA's final event which is historically held in Guatemala. Anglers Mike Viveiros, Dell Dembosky and Craig Johnson got off to an exciting start releasing a blue and 2 sails all at the same time all on 20lb early in the day. Only minutes latter we released another feisty blue to start their trip.
Following our initial plans of exploring prior to the tournament the following day we unfortunately seemed to leave the fish behind as we went looking but it did give us an idea of where not to go the next day.

The 19th saw the tournament start and we found the pick of the bite out west but we just could not get the hooks to stick and ended with a disappointing 13 from 38 bites, but Dell did release an exciting 250lb blue . After a good team talk we were back in high spirits on day two and found our groove, going an impressive 38 from 54 bites in 6 hours of tournament fishing to take top day honors and put us back within 5 fish of the top boat.
With a lot on the table for the final day we were back out west but just couldn't get it going with a slower pick for everyone. With 45 minutes to lines out we were still 5 fish behind the lead boat and found a pocket of fish for the Decisive to turn it on. First we released a triple, two sails and a blue marlin in the 250lb range, exciting stuff with 20lb tournament line and so much at stake. Next a triple of sails, then a double, then a single, down to the wire it went to tie on points but loose by 7 minutes on time. Not to be disappointed Team OBX/Decisive was victories taking the Grand Championship Team for the Event, with Mike Viveiros taking the Grand Champion Angler for the entire event and Dell Dembosky taking the Top Angler for the Guatemalan Leg. All in all, a fantastic showing, a new PCCA release record with 676 sails, 7 blue marlin and a striped marlin to make for some unbelievable action.

The 22nd and 23rd saw our neighbour Scott Lund and his friend Ron Lameneck with us. The sailfish were most certainly around and we encountered unbelievable numbers of them feeding on balls of bait, but it was marlin the boys were after so on we pushed in search of the blue dog.
With a few sails under our belt and some 20 dorado we unfortunately were not rewarded with what we were after, but a great time was had never the less.

Our bookings have filled nicely and we are convinced that those that have scheduled a trip will be rewarded with some fine fishing this season. For those looking to treat themselves to the fishing trip of a lifetime we still have some open dates in April and May of next year, so drop us an enquiry.

Until next report, compliments of the festive season to you all. Tight lines, Eagle Claw circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
"Decisive"
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - October 2010
Fishing Report - Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - October 2010

It has been a late start to the fishing season for everyone in Guatemala but the fish are here and boats have already seen some great days. The 'Decisive' our 40ft Gamefishermen was totally repainted with some additional angler comforts installed during our down time. Although it took much longer than planned and hence the late start, to say she is looking good and fishing well would be the understatement of the year.

It was a busy summer never the less, with Brad and Cindy welcoming a healthy baby girl into the world on the 8th of October, to complete their perfect pair. Some of Brad's off-season highlights were a month in Africa visiting family and friends with time spent hunting, as well as catching some magnificent Red Steenbras up to 100lb's on the 'Wild Coast' of Africa. Brad was also fortunate enough to fish the Boy Scout tournament in St Thomas with friend Ed Burr on his magnificent 66ft
Spencer winning the final day with 4 blue marlin releases and a fine showing overall. A trip to the Florida Keys with longtime friend Scott Lund produced Brad's first day time swordfish. South African friend Kevin Hodgson invited Brad to join him on the most epic of trips to Nova Scotia during which the duo released a total of 13 giant bluefin tuna in three days, with three fish over the 1000 pound mark.

October saw Julie and Ros Lentz, Brad's fishing mentors from SA along with friends Pete and Lydia Smith visiting Guatemala for 2 weeks. The two couples were blown away by the natural beauty of Guatemala and friendliness of its people. With Decisive out the water for its paint job Brad accompanied the couples aboard the Rum Line, for two days of fun fishing. With green water the ride was far but there were a few sailfish and dorado out wide. Ros and Lydia both released their first
sailfish, nice going girls!! Julie released his first striped marlin and pulled the hooks on a small blue marlin after a few jumps to make for a memorable trip.

The 30th and 31st of October saw Scott Lund back with us were he left off last May catching multiple blues on fly, and the fishing was just as exciting. The first day proved a little tuff but by the end of it we knew just where they were not, releasing a few sails on the fly rod and some nice sized dorado for the table gormet galley. Going in the opposite direction the next day we found better water and within 15 minutes we had teased in a hot 250lb blue which inhaled Scott's cast and put up a superb battle. Making long runs with us in hot pursuit, it was a magnificent display of teamwork all around, culminating in a perfect release some 45 minutes latter.
Not to rest on our laurels, on we trolled only to find even bluer water. With three sailfish under our belts and hordes of small dorado all around we teased in what was more than likely a little striped marlin that would not switch to the fly. A little while latter we had another blue up which teased in well and made 3 turns under the fly, lighting up and getting our hearts going as it look like we were in for business but each time turning off just inches from the bite. By 3pm we were back at the dock and heading to a festive Antigua for Halloween celebrations and the end for another great fly adventure for our angler.

We have not fished this past week, but those boats that have been out have released as many as 25 sailfish a day at 14 to 20 miles from the port and plenty of marlin in the mix with reports of double header blues, and fish p to 500lb's in size to make things very exciting.

By all accounts it's going to be a bumper year for us here. History has shown that after a wetter than usual rainy season, and a previuos years El Nino, we see increased numbers of sailfish and marlin off our Pacific coast of Guatemala. What we are seeing so far is corresponding with this, so we are all awaiting with great anticipation the season ahead. We have some open days the end of November. December has consistently proven to be one of our top months and we have some of our last open dates during this top period to take advantage of before we again have openings in April and May. So for those that have not already booked their Guatemalan Billfishing Adventure we hope to see you down here with us for the trip of a lifetime.

Until next report, tight lines circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
Capt. Brad Philipps
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report July 2010 end of Season!
July 2010 - Fish Report – Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures

We have come to the end of another exciting season, finishing it off with some exceptional blue marlin fishing. Our bookings were good throughout the season despite the recession and those that fished these productive Guatemalan waters all had wonderful trips enjoying the special service, fantastic facilities, wonderful cuisine and of course the unparalleled billfishing.

May started off slowly for our friends from East London, South Africa, Arthur Kidson, John and Andrew Keil. The 3rd of May saw them start their trip with 5 sailfish releases and a 550 pound blue that got tip wrapped and broke off after some crazy jumps in roughish water. As far and wide as we ran over the next days we just could not find any fish, although water looked good and at times there was showings of good bait. We did however all enjoyed our time in Antigua together and it was great sharing in some good home grown company.

Jim Ryaby and Dan Grande of New York saw it slow on the 7th but things picked up on the 8th to release 6 sails from 9 bites with a blue that would not play. The next day saw 9 sailfish releases and another blue that would not bite to see out a fun trip for the doctors.

Our neighbour and friend Dr. Scott Lund was with us the 11th and 12th of May to see him release a spectacular 325 pound blue on 20lb tippet fly gear. With an incredible bite and series of jumps, Scott had the fish boat-side after 30 minutes and we were able to retrieve the fly, prior to reviving and leasing the certain world record size blue, for one of the season highlights. Catching blues on fly is the pinnacle of team work, and a very special event for all, especially with fish over 300 pounds in size. Scott released another 6 sails on fly over the two days as well as enjoying a magical round of golf at the new Antigua Golf Resort to see out an unforgettable trip.

Joe O’Brien from Boston was with us the 22nd and 23rd and we were able to tease in a feisty blue to which Joe made a fine presentation of the fly then hooking and fighting the blue before pulling the hooks but still making for an exciting day. A few sails over the two days saw out the season on the long wand for one of most loyal anglers.

Guatemala saw some unusually early and heavy rains in June which shut things down for us for a while. Our friends Charlie and Diane Levine of Marlin Magazine were down with us for a week of good times in Antigua while we managed to get in a day of fishing on the 28th with Diane catching her first pacific sailfish in fine form as the couple released 6 sailfish between them.

Scott Lund and his wife Kristy were back with us the beginning of July for an exceptional trip. The 5th saw Scott starting off with 6 yellowfin tuna around some spinner dolphins, latter adding a 250 pound blue and a sailfish on fly for an exciting day. The next day we did what nobody in Guatemala has ever done before. After an hour of trolling the inky blue water on the drop-off we had an aggressive 200 pound blue marlin tease in and with a perfect cast, head and shoulders bite, and an amazing series of wild jumps during which we stayed attached, we got the release to retrieve the fly. An hour latter we had a second blue up which also teased in for another spectacular bite which Scott hooked and within 5 minutes after some down sea jumps and quick boat handling we had our second blue marlin release on the fly on the same day, a first for Guatemala. Only minutes latter a 300 pound blue was up on the long rigger and we had it teased right into the zone but it did not see the fly in the white water and faded away. Knowing we were in the right area and the bite was on, spirits were high. It was only a matter of time and not before too long we had another blue up on the bridge teaser. It teased in hot and climbed all over the fly. With a perfect hookup we had the fish jumping all over. After a short while we had the 175 pounder going down sea with us in hot pursuit. For some seconds the fish was within 15 feet of the rod tip and inches from the 12 foot leader for the release. With a final jumps right behind the boat as we powered after it, the marlin gained it´s freedom as it´s bill cut the light 20 pound tipped only 12 inches from the hooks. We just couldn´t believe the day we had been blessed with and ran for home, rum drinks flowing, high-fives all round and looking forward to when we start doing it all over again in October.

The succesful season we have just experienced would not be possible if it wasn’t for the loyal support of ALL our anglers, Decisive´s owner, and the wonderful companies like Alutecnos, Eagle Claw, Pelagic Offshore Gear, Legend Lures and Big-T lures that make this all possible and to whom we at Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures are most grateful….THANK YOU!!!

Until we start again in October, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases.

Brad Philipps
Decisive
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report March 2010!
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - March 2010
The blue marlin arrived in good numbers during March with as many as 4 raised in a single day. Decisive released as many as 31 sailfish in a day with yellowfin tuna and dorado to keep anglers busy on the water, while the secluded waterside setting and fine dinning of our 'Billfish Inn' kept guests pampered after the exciting days on the boat.

Ed Burr, along with son Austin, friend Denny Doyle and captain Eddie Wheeler, who runs his boat O'Hana joined us the 7th through 9th of March. The first day saw 3 from 5 sailfish with a blue up that would not bite. With all the bonito and bait around we were back out east on the edge the following day with high blue marlin hopes and came right with Eddie releasing a 175lb blue on 20lb while we went 3 from 5 on sails. The 9th saw Austin on pitch-baiting form releasing 7 from 9 sails to finish a fun trip.

Next to join us was Scott and Maria Janda, Pat & Dawn Gothro, Brian & Ashley Walters and Tim Reed, all of ENPAC. The 14th saw us raise 4 blue marlin with 2 bites and Maria releasing a 200 pounder in a fine struggle, her first billfish ever, way to go Maria! The rest of the crew released another 7 sailfish for a wonderful day. Not to be outdone, Scott released his first blue marlin the next day while on the Decisive, a 300 pound fish that did some great close quarter jumps. We missed another blue marlin the same day and had another that would not play while releasing 5 sailfish. The other half of the group had a busy day fishing on the Circle Hook releasing 12 from 16 sailfish. On the 16th Decisive headed in the opposite direction and found a red-hot bite late in the day way out west releasing 31 sailfish from 39 bites to see the Janda group off in fine style.

Our neighbor Scott Lund joined Brad for a round of golf at the magnificent Antigua Golf resort prior to two days of sailfishing during which he released a couple fish on the fly as well as a few dorado, and some tasty yellowfin tuna.

Joe O'Brien and Don Butler arrived in a celebratory mood. Like many, after a long cold winter they were just happy to be in the tropics and back out on the water. Fishing on the fly proved difficult with a slow and tentative sailfish bite with the duo managing only a handful on the fly. Joe did have the exciting pleasure of casting to a 200 pound blue marlin which 1st mate Kennedy did a wonderful job teasing in on the first day. Joe hooked the fish on an impressive bite, however the fish spat the hook on the first series of jumps, but it's always special just to get the bite on the fly from a fired up blue.

The 23rd though the 25th saw friends Barry Fitzpatrick and John Carbone on the Decisive to release 5 sailfish from 6 bites and 5 from 7 on their first two days. Things started picking up on day three with 8 from 13 sailfish releases and a 150 pound blue on 20lb tackle for John. The 26th saw us miss a 200 pound blue and raise another that would not eat while releasing 10 sailfish to see the duo heading up to Antigua to enjoy what the 'Old City' has to offer in good humor.

Darren Terzi, his son-in-law Victor, along with Craig Ziegler and son Chuck saw out the end of the month with us. The 27th had 5 releases from 7 bites to be followed up with 6 from 9 bites the next day along with a feisty 300 pound blue released by Chuck. On the 29th the guys released 15 sailfish from 19 bites and missed a blue to see out a wonderful trip for the father and son duo's.

We will be back at it after an Easter break and are expecting to see good numbers of blue marlin in the next few months as well as some great sailfishing right through into June and July, which often bring to Guatemala some of it's very hottest blue marlin and tuna fishing.

Until the next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
"Decisive"
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report -
Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures - Fish Report - February 2010
It seemed unlikely for February to follow in the footsteps of the unbelievable excitement that January had to offer, but that it did. All our anglers enjoying fantastic trips with some big sailfish release days. One of the months highlights was that Capt. Brad Philipps was awarded The Billfish Foundations, Overall Release Captain of the Year Award and the Pacific Sailfish Release Award at their February awards ceremony in Miami, that's the 8th year in a row Brad has received these accolades.

We started the month with our South African hunting friends Casper and Lizette Walker joining us for some red-hot sailfishing. On the 2nd of February the couple released 20 sailfish from 30 bites. The following day they releases 47 from 70 bites with some large dorado throw into the mix for a non-stop angling fest. The 4th saw 15 sailfish releases from 19 bites. With a short sightseeing break in beautiful Antigua, Casper was back at it aboard the 'Decisive' while Lizette fished the IWFA tournament. With the boat all to himself, Casper opted to throw the fly at fish that would tease and did a fine job over the next three days, going 4 from 4 on the fly and 7 from 9 on the spin rod on the 7th. Casper released 4 of fly and 9 on bait the next day, with 3 on fly and 10 on bait his last day and a large blue that gave a half hearted attempt at the pitch bait to see out a wonderful trip with some fantastic fishing.

The 12th saw Jim Owens, with sons Jay and Ben, along with uncle John Owens visiting with us. The bite started out great with releasing 22 from 38. They followed that up with 9 from 9 on the 13th and 3 from 5 the next day.

Brad and Lori Watkins, and John Wendkos fished with us the 15th through the 18th. Fishing predominantly 6lb and 12lb test line they released 11 from 13, 14 from 16, 11 from 18 and 10 from 15 to finish off a trip filled with some great days.

Our Guatemalan neighbors Scott and Kristy Lund were with us to enjoy their home and release a couple fish on fly and bait on the 20th as well as a round of great golf at Antigua Golf Resort.

Decisive's owner Steve Cothron's wife Diane brought down Steve's father Olen Cothron along with his wife Barbara to enjoy what we do in Guatemala. Everybody released a sailfish on a short days outing, while indulging in the pleasures of our Billfish Inn after which they spent the following day in the wonderful; town of Antigua.

Texans Robert Mills and friends Keith Halloran, James Lee, James Fryfogle were on the sailfish for the 26th and 27th releasing 22 from 27 and 12 from 16 for a very successful trip to these rich waters.

It's proving to be another great year in Guatemala, we will be taking bookings right through June so come on down and enjoy the very best in billfishing.

Until the next report, tight lines, circle hooks and healthy releases.

Capt. Brad Philipps
"Decisive"
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 arou