| Meet the Captains |
A couple of years ago, Sport Fishing Magazine published and article comparing the best destinations in the world to catch a sailfish. (See the February, 2001 edition).
There is a lot at stake when an author’s reputation is on the line and he had better be right when saying one well known resort area is better than another. Qualified people did the research and a lot of effort went into the comparisons. Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo was rated a very close second behind Iztapa, Guatemala. A couple of reasons Zihuatanejo rated so high was not just the fantastic fishery we have, but also the comparisons of the ability to get here through our modern airport, the hotels, and other accommodations the area has to offer.
Combine the supporting infrastructure with the year round fishery and it is easy to see how we are world class. Consider the bargain you have by coming here to get just as good of a fishing experience as in Guatemala or Costa Rica. A week’s vacation and 3 days of fishing will cost you less than half of what it would cost to go to one of those countries. This enables a lot of people to either fish more days or take along family members, whereas budget constraints would have to be seriously considered when choosing another location.
At every world class fishing location, it only stands to reason the Captains who fish those waters every day, will be world class also. And, unlike several of the other top locations, our captains are not imported in to run mega-dollar yachts. Our captains are home grown. What is more incredible is they often obtained their world class experience by working out of a 25 foot panga.
Each year, terminating in October, is the annual Tag and Brag competition for tagging billfish. For several years Hawaii has had the majority of the top skippers. There has been a major reversal in the last couple of years. As Zihuatanejo has become release oriented, we are getting several captains in the top 20; in fact Santiago on the panga Gitana was No. 3 in the world this year. I can honestly say we would have a minimum of 12 to 15 captains in the top 20 if we could just get these guys more tags. They are releasing a lot of fish, and some captains are only getting to tag about half of them. Dave Holts of the U. S. Government NOAA sends me a few hundred tags a year to distribute to the captains, as well as The Billfish Foundation when they can get a grant, but they are never enough.
The purpose of these articles is to inform fishermen, experienced and novice alike, as to the area’s best captains and provide information about their methods and boats. In the past, I have written about captains like Jamie Morales, Chiquis, and Alfredo Vargas. They are world class tournament proven masters, but for the most part they have turned the helm over to younger captains and are not spending as much time on the water as they used to. At the risk of forgetting a name or two, I feel the following captains all have the ability to be in the top 20 of the world for tagging and releasing sailfish (listed alphabetically): Arturo- panga Whisky III, Alberto- panga Janeth, Adolpho- panga Dos Hermanos, Cali- Cruiser Vamonos II, Herman- panga Bacalao, Hiram- Panga Hawaiiana, Javier- cruiser Marlin Azul, Luis- panga Gringo Loco, Martin- panga Isamar, Mecate- cruiser Aqua Azul, Pepino- cruiser Whisky II, Poli- cruiser Don Gordo, Santiago- panga Gitana, and Temo- panga Sequestra De Amor.
Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo has the best group of captains and the best fishery I have ever seen. It is just a matter of time before they both explode into a recognized world class fishing destination.
1998, Paul Phillips – Fishery biologist, captain and winner of several major billfish tournaments, Founder of the Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo Fintastic Total Tag and Release Billfish Tournament (the first tournament of its kind in the world).
What other worldwide destination supports a world class fishery and several world class captains, where can you spend a great day on the water at a bargain price? Whether you are an experienced tournament fisherman, or you have never caught a billfish, these men will all meet the challenge. So, before your next trip down here, contact Kay Davy at The Billfish Foundation (1-800-438-8247 or tag@billfish.org) and have her send you some release tags. Your $20.00 contribution towards the conservation of the billfish species will not just give you a lot of personal satisfaction and a release certificate on your wall, but it will also go a long way towards showing your appreciation of your captain and the Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo area by helping to give them world class recognition.
Ed Kunze is a charter boat captain himself and writes this column from his own expertise and personal knowledge of the captains and their boats. He lives in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo year round and can be reached at 554-4876 or sportfishing@cdnet.com.mx
March 2003
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