Ten Tips to Enhance Your Guided Fishing Trip
Tue May 11, 2010
1. Prepare for your trip. If you are fly fishing, practice for five minutes a few times a week prior to your trip. If you are new to fly fishing, try to take a casting lesson prior to your trip at your local fly shop. If you are spin fishing, make sure you are fishing the tackle you want for your experience.
2. Trust that El Pescador Lodge is a premier fishing lodge. Our guides know the water, and have been with El Pescador for many years, some for over 30 years. Ask the guide in the morning about the fishing. Do you want to bonefish all day? Is there a chance for permit or tarpon? Are you interested in different species? It is not productive to arrive and tell the guide how to perform his duties.
3. Realistic expectations. If a grand slam happened all the time, it wouldn't be special. One goal might be to leave the lodge a better angler.
4. Control what you can. Bring your polarized glasses, rain gear, sunscreen (remember to check the expiration date). Bring all of your fishing tackle. Drink a lot of water on the boat. If you like to have your cocktails, you will want to make sure you drink even more water. Check the cooler on the boat with your lunch. It is very easy to make changes while still on the dock, but rather difficult once you are on the flats.
5. Show your guide your cast first thing. Let the guide know your goals. Our guides love to cast and will be happy to help you with your cast. We also offer complimentary casting lessons each afternoon. Please take advantage of this wonderful service to maximize your fishing day with the guide. It can be geared for all experience levels. Please schedule a lesson with the Front Desk.
6. Communicate throughout the day. Talk with your guide. If you want to see if there is something else to do, ask. Some anglers prefer to wade fish, just ask the guide for this opportunity. If you are tarpon fishing and you need a tug desperately, see if you can go catch a bonefish.
7. If you are fishing with a large group, don't plan on meeting up for lunch, unless you plan on a shore lunch. Group lunches mean guides have to change their fishing game plans in order to rendezvous at the same time and location. This hurts your fishing in the end. Our shore lunch is wonderful, and is a good time for families and and groups to to spend time together. However,it is not a productive use of your fishing day. If you want to capitalize your fishing opportunities, order a boxed lunch which may be consumed as you wish throughout the day.
8. Tipping. Is a personal decision based on service. We recommend $40 - $50 US per boat per day as a general guideline. If you plan on tipping, the guides prefer to be tipped in cash at the end of the day.
9. Hook and cook. Bonefish, permit and tarpon are all catch and release in Belize. If you catch snapper, grouper, jack, etc, we are happy to prepare this for you at the lodge in addition to our regular dinner menu (at no additional charge). Please take no more than you will personally eat and release the rest. Guides love to take home fish, so make sure to tell them if you wish for them to have the fish or if you prefer they clean the fish for you and leave it with you.
10. Have fun. It is our mission to make sure you are provided with everything you need for a safe and fun fishing experience. We are an extended family, and hope that you feel like part of our family when you leave. Sharing time and adventures with family and friends is the best fun we know!
