Fishing Report #7
March 09 – 16, 2025
Hello to all our loyal fishing report followers!
This past week, the seventh of our 2025 season, we had the pleasure of hosting a fantastic group—mostly from Texas—led by the great Capt. Ben. These anglers have been visiting us for years, practically since the beginning, and their arrival felt like a homecoming. Each one settled into their usual rooms, warmly welcomed by our staff with our signature fresh fish sandwich. Of course, other members of the ESB family—our dogs Lucia, Canela, and Negro—were just as excited to greet them.
Monday: A Start Worthy of a Story
The week kicked off with nearly windless conditions, a light southern breeze, and a mix of sunshine and clouds with scattered showers around midday and towards the evening in certain areas of the bay. The energy was electric—freshly tied leaders, double-checked knots, hand-picked flies, fishing licenses ready, and rain jackets tucked into bags. Everything was set for action!
John and JT wasted no time getting into the bite, landing bonefish, snook, and even a tarpon that eagerly took a sardine imitation. Permit were spotted and followed flies with curiosity, but they weren’t in the mood to commit.
Capt. Ben and Will had a minor hiccup with their boat’s motor early in the day, but thanks to our backup skiff, they were back on the water in no time. And as the saying goes, “A rough start leads to a great ending.” That proved true when they encountered a small school of jacks near ‘Sunken Boat.’ Capt. Ben, always precise, made one of his signature long casts, and within seconds, a jack crushed the fly and tore into the backing. The fish bolted toward deeper water, but before it could escape, a seven-foot shark appeared out of nowhere and devoured it in one brutal strike. No photo this time—but the memory will last forever.
Tuesday: The Kind of Day We Dream Of
The morning greeted us with clear skies and a light breeze that held throughout the day—ideal conditions that lifted everyone’s spirits and expectations. The action came fast, with bonefish, jacks, snapper, and snook all showing up early. Barracudas and tarpon were a bit more finicky, but permit encounters kept everyone on edge.
The real spectacle unfolded aboard Ryan and Capt. Ben’s skiff near the Isla Cha sandbar. Drifting over deep water, their guide spotted a nearly invisible school of permit. Capt. Ben adjusted his polarized glasses, straining to see what the guide was tracking. Finally, he locked in on them—a tight group holding 100 yards ahead. They waited for the breeze to push them closer while the guide maneuvered the skiff with the push pole as an oar. But just as they reached casting range, the school vanished, diving deep. Classic!
“Cast anyway!” the guide ordered.
Capt. Ben launched a long, long perfect cast. As the fly sank, he felt a solid take. A precise strip-set locked in the hook, and the fight was on—a blistering run, followed by an epic 35-minute battle. With only a 16-pound leader, there was no room for brute force. Instead, the fight was won through patience, finesse, and a well-tuned drag. At last, Ben brought an 18-pound permit to hand—a true trophy. Ryan, not to be outdone, landed a beauty of his own shortly after. Then, in a remarkable turn of events, Capt. Ben hooked and landed two more, while Ryan fought a monster permit that eventually cut him off.
What made the difference? Variety. Each fish ate a different fly—Squimp, white crab, tan crab, and spawning shrimp—likely because the current forced them to make snap decisions, just like trout on a rifle. A perfect day, capped with a legendary beachside steak ‘asado’ prepared by John and Tim. Life doesn’t get much better than this!
Wednesday: Doubles and Triumphs
Another beautiful sunrise and an eager team, despite some mild skepticism about the full moon. Capt. Ben quickly dispelled those doubts killing that myth, rallying the crew with his unshakable confidence.
The day started strong with bonefish and blue runners. John T dedicated himself to tricking solitary permit in Tabasqueños, cycling through every crab and shrimp pattern in his fly box, but only managed a few follows. Meanwhile, Tim and Ryan stole the show.
After racking up solid numbers of bonefish, they shifted their focus exclusively to permit. They worked through Casitas without success and moved to ‘Red Buoy,’ where their guide believed a school might be holding. He poled for 40 minutes with nothing in sight—until suddenly, the fish appeared.
Still out of casting range, Ryan took the lead, armed with a white/tan spawning shrimp. The guide positioned the skiff silently, and Ryan needed just two long casts to land the fly mere feet from the school. A few seconds of suspense… a chase… a sudden burst of speed—and boom! Perfect eat, textbook strip-set, and a blistering run into the backing.
While Ryan battled his fish, Tim, without wasting time, took his shot, delivering a well-placed cast. Moments later, he too was hooked up, both anglers now locked in epic permit fights side by side. Ryan even had to duck a few times to dodge Tim’s line, but in the end, both fish were landed, photographed, and carefully released. Double up! Fists in the air, high fives all around—another unforgettable day.
Thursday & Friday: The Final Push
Thursday morning was nearly a carbon copy of the day before—clear skies, an eastern breeze, and a fiery sunrise. Despite some signs of fatigue, the crew was relentless. Most opted to chase permit exclusively, a high-risk, high-reward strategy that paid off.
Ben landed a stunning 16-pounder early, followed by Tim and Capt. Ben again. John, wading near the Cenotes, sealed the deal with a spectacular solo catch. But the day belonged to Will. Fishing Tabasqueños, his guide spotted a lone permit—a clear sign it was big. The fish lingered deep in a channel, forcing them to wait in silence, hoping it would move out. Finally, it did. Ben’s first cast went unnoticed. He adjusted and delivered a pinpoint shot. The fly sank, a slow long strip… and then, an explosion. The fish crushed the crab pattern, tore into the backing, and after an intense battle, Will held his first-ever permit. Celebration erupted. Followed by the ritual of the tequila shot at night. His first permit… and certainly not his last!
Friday: Chasing Tails in the Wind
Friday brought strong winds—far from ideal—but with mostly sunny skies, we weren’t too worried. This blessed bay always offers sheltered waters where the game is still on. With that in mind, the team committed the entire day to the relentless pursuit of permit.
The boats took refuge along the southern and southeastern edges of the bay, between Hernández and Cenotes. Those areas proved productive, with everyone getting solid shots at permit—the undisputed prize of the day. Of course, the occasional bonefish, jack, and bluerunner crashed the party, but permit remained the main objective.
Some anglers had better luck than others. Several managed to deceive their targets with well-presented crab, squimp, and spawning shrimp patterns. Tim had a heartbreaker near the red buoy—after multiple attempts and battling the wind, he finally made a perfect cast. The fish ate confidently, the hookset was flawless, and the run was explosive… but—there’s always a but—he stepped on the line, and just like that, the fly was gone. Next time, Tim. A similar fate befell Ryan and John. ‘Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.’
Ben, however, sealed the deal near Casitas, landing a stunning 15-pounder. Meanwhile, Will, who had caught his very first permit the day before, wasted no time making it a habit—he landed his second one in Los Pinos, tricking it with a white crab pattern. His cast into the wind was more than decent—it was impressive enough to earn his guide’s respect. Well done, Will!
Saturday brought strong 33 mph east winds—far from ideal—but Capt. Ben rallied his troops: “We’ve waited all year for this. No wind will ruin our trip!” Fired up, the crew hit the water, focusing on bones, jacks, and whatever was willing to play. While it wasn’t the most productive day, it was a fitting end to an incredible week.
That night, we celebrated with laughter, toasts, and an unforgettable guajillo lobster feast prepared by our extraordinary chef.
Weather & Tides
Temperatures ranged from 75 to 82°F, with mostly sunny conditions. Friday saw the most cloud cover and isolated showers. Tides were mild, with a morning flood and afternoon ebb through the river system.
Fly Selection:
- Permit
- 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) #4
- Squimp (tan) #6
Don’t forget 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
