The Chetumal bay has every necessary condition to be
able to fish for all size tarpon. You could fish from baby tarpon to juvenile
ones that are about 10 to 40 lb in the rivers, swamps, or
in the flats.
You can find big tarpon during all the year. Its
average size is about 80 to 100 lb but you can expect great opportunities in
sighting one of about 150 lb or more. Despite this, the wind
conditions during the months of February through May is when high winds from
the southeast make casting and fishing somehow difficult.
The best season to fish big tarpon is from June to September. The fishing is mainly
done in deep water ponds searching for them until they “role” up at the surface
so that the guide can approach them and the angler can cast the fly to the
school. After some years of explorations, we have found some places where it is
possible to fish big tarpon at sight, however, this “kind” of fishing requires
that the wind and sea conditions, mostly the transparency of the water are the
appropriate ones to let us fish this way.
The Río Hondo has also great chances to fish juvenile tarpon from about 30 to 40 lbs, and big tarpon that can reach the 150 lb mark. Even so, this fishing demands a lot of patience because we usually encounter some lonely fish or just in pairs in very large areas.
The answers to the most frequently asked questions and recommendations about your fly fishing or spinning gear are listed below.
Rods: 9' four pieces fast action rods from 8 wt to 10 wt and 12 wt for giant tarpon.
Lines: WF floating lines, reel with 100 yards of 20 lb. Backing for baby and juveniles. 400 to 500 grain skinning lines or sink tips for giant tarpon with at least 300 yards of 30 to 50 lb backing.
Leader: 9' to 12' long leader, 30 to 40 lb test for baby and juvenile tarpon, and 100 lb bite tippet for giant tarpon.
Flies: Black death, purple death, seaducers, toads, baitfish
patterns.
Colors: Red/black, purple/black, red/chartreuse, red/white, orange, tan.
Rods: Light spinning rods of 6'6" to 8' length, medium action.
Heavy rods for giant tarpon.
Lines: 16 to 20 lb test for baby and juvenile tarpon,
mono, braided, or fluoro. 25 to 30 lb test for giant tarpon.
Leader: 40 lbs test. mono or fluoro for baby and juvenile tarpon.
100 lb test bite tippet for giant tarpon.
Lures: Softbaits, poppers, and swimbaits.
Colors: Red/black, purple/black, red/chartreuse, red/white, orange, tan.