IA Born Report post Posted July 8 We got back July 3 from a family vacation in Belize. We spent all but the last two full days/day we left on Caye Caulker, leaving early for the mainland because of the predictions at the time for Hurricane Beryl. It was predicted to hit our area the day we were leaving (7/3) before slowing down and changing course. I told my wife I'm not going to Caye Caulker and not going flats fishing. Everyone was on board with the plan, so I booked two boats with Chasin' Tail. Jacob and I were paired up in the other boat for our flats fishing day on Caye Caulker. This would be my 4th time chasing bonefish, my third time with a only a fly rod. Jacob and I worked out a deal that he had first chance at any tarpon we came across if I could have first chance at bonefish. He's hooked and jumped a tarpon, but never landed one. I've been through all three stages of tarpon fishing, and did it with my Orvis 9wt, so I get that he wanted to land one. We were in rolling tarpon right away, but casting a 12wt fly rod is tough. I've never cast a 12wt, so I can't blame Jacob for switching to spin gear quickly. Unfortunately, the tarpon weren't cooperating after the switch to spin gear/live bait, so we moved to the bonefish flats. I grabbed my Orvis 8wt, stepped up to the platform, and made sure our guide and I were on the same page for communicating fish locations and distances. Full disclosure: I've never been good at casting long distance with saltwater fly rods. It took a minute to find bones in the sea grass, but our guide called out 50-60 feet at 11 o'clock! I laid out a beautiful cast and remember thinking "I did it! There's my victory for the day!" Then a bonefish took my Crazy Charlie, but I missed the hookset. The tug got my heart racing, but I kept stripping and missed a second hook set on the same cast. I felt this one on better and even saw the fish off the bow. We moved around, looking for another school when it happened. I laid out another 60-foot cast, felt the take, and set the hook. I managed to pay out the line and let the fish take the reel. It’s true what they say about bonefish. They are smaller, but they are extremely powerful. It put up a helluva fight, made one reel-screaming run, and put a serious bend in my 8wt rod. We boated it, took some pictures, and (my favorite part), I was able to remove the fly and set it free myself. It barely left the water. I fought back every emotion I've ever had on this journey. I sat down, told Jacob it was his turn, and only left my seat again to help get him those longer casts. I found what I needed and wanted. I tried my best to make it about the fish, but I realized it never was and never will be. I spent the rest of the day, and a big part of the rest of the trip admiring that beautiful fish and all it stands for. We couldn't get the bones to cooperate for Jacob, despite our best efforts. We ended up going back to tarpon spots, where our guide handed me a spinning rod and told us both to cast out. Who am I to say no? Jacob caught a Spanish mackeral at our first stop and then hit the motherlode. A tarpon hit his line shortly after it hit the water, but the hook didn't get set. Jacob and the guide saw the tarpon jump, but I was busy admiring the bend in his rod and the sound of line peeling from the reel. Jacob got rebaited, cast back out, and was hooked up within minutes of his line hitting the water. It wasn't a tarpon, but he landed a nice Jack crevalle. He rebaited again, cast back out, and was hooked up again! Another, bigger Jack crevalle. It happened two more times with the rebaiting and hooking up within a couple of minutes of his bait hitting the water, landing a grey snapper and dogtooth snapper. All told, Jacob landed four fish within 20 minutes, all while my line was 20-30-feet from his line. I wasn't even upset. I had what I needed, and I never ever get tired of watching my kids find fishing success. My wife and daughter were in the other boat, and they had an awesome day on the water, too. My wife never fails to amaze me. Their boat stopped for bait for tarpon on spin gear, and my wife hooked up instantly. She hooked into and landed a 50-60", 60-lb tarpon! I'd have loved to see that play out. Sydney got some fly-casting pointers and cast to and landed a nice bonefish! Syd caught a few snapper, too. Minnie has now landed one more tarpon than I have (2 total for her) and both of hers really showcase how mine is considered a baby tarpon. Sorry for the sideways pics. This always happens to me and I don't know how to make it not do that. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bojangles Report post Posted July 8 Looks like tons of fun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redman Report post Posted July 8 awesome! I hope to get to Belize soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted July 9 Cool tarpon. You should try the estuaries in rocky point sometime, you can catch a lot of bonefish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSR Report post Posted July 9 Nice i’ve been to Belize twice. It is amazing. We were catching bone fish right at the ferry dock on Caulker while they were unloading our bags Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couesnut Report post Posted July 20 Thinking of Belize myself....any Dos & Don't ? not just the fishing ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IA Born Report post Posted August 2 On 7/20/2024 at 6:48 AM, Couesnut said: Thinking of Belize myself....any Dos & Don't ? not just the fishing ? Sorry, just now seeing this. Haven't really logged in for some time. Feel free to PM with any specific details. This was our first time there and we spent much of it on Caye Caulker. Take plenty of cash is my biggest suggestion. Most places, even on Caye Caulker, take credit cards, but some places are cash only. There is a bank with an ATM on the island, but then you're getting the international charges for the ATM fee. Everywhere takes US dollars, so that makes it easier. Do your research on tours. Everyone has a boat and will take you snorkeling, but you may end up in a boat with 10+ other people. The snorkeling/spearfishing guide that came highly recommended had a 4-person minimum, so when my wife decided she didn't want to snorkel Hol Chan Marine Reserve, we couldn't book through him. After seeing my daughter's pics of the solo trip she did, I highly recommend going with a reputable snorkeling guide to Hol Chan. Bliss Beach on the north half of Caye Caulker is worth the trip and I recommend taking the boat shuttle all the way, otherwise, you're looking at a long walk or a moderate bike ride. They Mayan Ruins tours at Altun Ha, just outside of Belize City were cool and the history is amazing. Definitely take high-quality bug juice. Don't go in June/July. It hot as balls there and full of mosquitoes, even on Caye Caulker. Our next trip will be a winter trip and we're considering a wildlife/birding tour on the mainland, in addition to back to Caye Caulker. Lobster Season starts July 1 and ends Feb 28, so if you're after fresh lobster, that's my recommendation for when to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted August 3 I completely missed this post. Great photos and it looks like you all had a blast! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
