Fishing Report #3
February 09 – 16, 2025
Hey everyone, It’s great to be back with you all for another fishing report! As we dive into the third week of our 2025 season, we had the pleasure of hosting the “good vibes” crew from the Pacific Northwest—one of our favorite returning groups. From the moment they arrived, we knew we were in for an amazing week.
The welcome this time was a bit unusual, but for good reason—it was Super Bowl Sunday! We made sure our guests felt right at home, borrowing a TV from the staff, cracking open some beers, and swapping out our usual Mexican-Mayan cuisine for a full spread of classic American game-day snacks: wings, hot dogs, fries, and more. The only reminders that we were still in Mexico were the breathtaking Caribbean views behind us and a couple of Mexican flags waving proudly in front of the lodge. With the game over and plates wiped clean, we called it a night, ready to get down to business the next morning—fishing.
Monday kicked off with a stunning sunrise—golden light to the east over the ocean, a full moon setting in the west, and a stiff 20 mph wind from the east (not exactly ideal, but we were ready to take on the challenge). The day started slow, with bonefish being the main stars throughout the morning. Jeff and Terry spotted over twenty snook, had some solid shots, and Terry landed his very first snook—a moment that’s always special. As for permit? They were playing hard to get. A few were spotted, some casts were made, but no takers. On the van ride, back to the Margaritas—one of my favorite parts of the day—stories were exchanged, theories debated, and, as expected, the full moon took all the blame for the slow fishing.
Tuesday brought strong winds, heavier cloud cover, and scattered showers—conditions that made the day feel like a true test of patience and skill. But these eight anglers proved they were up for the fight. Bonefish were steady, but tarpon and snook were elusive. John had a blast with some aggressive jack crevalle, stripping his shrimp fly fast and landing a solid 12-pounder—way to go, John!
Steve and Bill spent their day chasing permit, rolling the dice on a game of high risk, high reward. Thanks to their guide’s eagle eyes, they got several shots, with long follows on different crab and shrimp patterns, but as any permit angler knows, the longer the follow, the slimmer the odds. Frustrating? Yes. But that tension is exactly what makes permit fishing so addictive.
Wednesday greeted us with brutal 30 mph winds out of the south-southeast. Looking at the whitecaps smashing the open water, it was hard to convince the crew that we’d find protected areas to fish. Expectations were low, but just like in life, patience pays off in fishing too. And pay off it did. Bonefish showed up, barracudas smashed minnow patterns, snook and tarpon made brief but exciting appearances, and Harry landed an absolute beast—an 18-pound jack crevalle that inhaled a GT brush fly and took off like a missile, peeling off half his backing before finally surrendering after a 20-minute battle. Hats off to the guide for spotting that one through the chop!
Thursday brought no calmer conditions, with winds at 30 mph from the same direction but clear skies. That meant one thing—time to work the eastern side of the bay. The day was spent between “Casitas” and “Rio 5,” covering a ton of water. The results? Plenty of bonefish, a snook, a tarpon, and a feisty jack crevalle that crushed a green-and-white baitfish imitation and put up a spectacular fight. Luckily, Gregg was well-prepared with plenty of backing because this fish ran him all the way to the limit.
Friday started gloomy, with heavy clouds and rain hammering us as we made our way to the bay. The mood in the van during that “eternal” 15-minute ride? Let’s just say it was quiet. But once again, our guides worked their magic, finding wind-protected spots and channels where blind casting paid off. Despite tough visibility, the bay delivered—plenty of bonefish, two snook, a 20-pound tarpon, a snapper, and a beautifully acrobatic barracuda that put on an air show.
Saturday, the final day, started with the same excitement as the first. By now, the wind was just another part of the challenge, and we put our trust in the guides to find the right spots. Early in the morning, between “Casitas” and red buoy, Bill took the casting platform as his guide spotted a school of four permit cruising three feet deep, 50 feet out. First cast—perfect. He let the crab sink, gave it a twitch, and all four fish followed but refused to eat. Quick fly change. This time, Bill tied on one of his own patterns—a shrimp imitation. Another perfect cast, another follow, and this time, the biggest one pounced! A rock-solid hook set led to a phenomenal fight, but just as the fish was tiring, 10 feet from the boat, disaster struck. The reel handle got caught in his shirt sleeve, the line snapped, and the permit swam off with Bill’s custom fly. A crushing loss, but proof that his creation worked.
The week had started with a minor hiccup—Steve’s rigid suitcase didn’t fit in the plane’s cargo hold, forcing it to stay in Cancun (for those planning a trip, take note!). But as if scripted for a movie, the guy who began the week with a setback ended it in the best possible way. Back at the red buoy, his guide spotted six permit 60 feet out, nearly at the surface. Some strategic maneuvering put Steve in prime position. First cast—follow, no eat. Fly change to a spawning shrimp pattern. Second cast—follow, chase, compete, and boom! Hook set, long runs, a fierce battle, and finally, the permit surrendered in Steve’s hands for a quick photo before being safely released. Cheers, hugs, and a huge sense of accomplishment.
And just like that, another incredible week with friends came to an end. This trip highlighted what makes our fishery truly special—the incredible variety of species in the bay and, above all, the amazing team at ESB, a team that Dane and Chiara can be immensely proud of. We believe in continuous improvement, and we’ll keep pushing to make every week better than the last. Thank you for following our reports, and we’ll catch you next week!
Weather/Tides: Temps ranged from 75-82°F, mostly sunny with some variable cloud cover (Friday being the gloomiest) and a few isolated showers, depending on location. The nearly full moon meant strong tides and fast-moving water in the channels.
Flies That Worked:
Permit: White/tan crab patterns (#2/0, #4/0) & spawning shrimp imitations. Go-to flies included:
Raghead Crab (tan & olive)
Squimp (tan w/ yellow eyes)
ESB Yellow Eyed Raghead Crab (white & tan)
Enrico Puglisi’s Spawning Shrimp (tan)
Tarpon/Snook:
Tarpon Snake (black) #4/0
Cockroach #4/0
Puglisi Peanut Butter (chartreuse/white, black/purple & gray/white) #2/0
Junk Yard Dog (orange/yellow/grizzly)
Bonefish:
Crazy Charlie (pearl, root beer, pink) #6
Beck’s Sili Legs (chartreuse & tan) #6
Christmas Charlies (orange & pink) #8
Squimp (tan) #6
And don’t forget your poppers for tarpon, jacks, and barracudas!
Tight lines, J.P. (Juan Pablo Marchelletti) & The ESB Team
800-669-3474 | 530-222-3555 | travel@theflyshop.com | ESB Lodge
