dorado Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Pacificfins Resort

March 7, 2024March 7, 2024

Once in a Lifetime Catch

January’s fishing report was nothing short of stellar. Is February going to be the same? You better believe it!For those who love Fly fishing, there were plenty of shots this month. Captain Jimmy on Gypsy racked up the numbers and so did other Captains in our fleet.Marlin activity started to heat up and it will continue through Spring. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word marlin, it gets my full attention. Compared to last year, striped marlin has shown up in better numbers. This gives many anglers the variety and opportunity for a Billfish Grandslam (Sailfish, Striped Marlin, & Blue Marlin).The tasty dorado is still chomping on the bit and keeping anglers busy. Yellowfin tuna have been around as well, but no big ones yet. That will change very soon.If the fishing is this good, what will March surprise us with? It’s to be an action-packed report.

February Fishing Report :

February 1st – 29th: Maverick – 297 sailfish raises, 268 bites and 189 releases (1 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 1 raised, 1 bite, and 1 released. Striped Marlin: 1 raised, 1 bite, and 1 released. Dorados: 30. Yellowfin Tuna: 8 (21 days of fishing).
February 2nd – 29th: Chechos – 364 sailfish raises, 301 bites and 182 releases (2 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 2 bites, 1 release. Striped Marlin: 3 Raises, 3 bites and 3 releases. Dorado: 47. Yellowfin Tuna 3. (26 days of fishing).
February 2nd – 29th: Gypsy – 198 sailfish raises, 149 bites, and 80 releases (23 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 3 raises, 2 bites, and 1 release. Dorado: 16. (11 days fishing)
February 2nd – 29th: Knotwork – 133 sailfish raises, 97 bites and 66 releases. Blue Marlin: 3 raises. Dorado: 25. Yellowfin Tuna: 3. (11 days of fishing).
February 1st – 29th: Libertad – 138 sailfish raises, 111 bites and 72 releases. Dorado: 14. (8 days of fishing).
February 2nd – 24th: Uno Mas – 152 sailfish raises, 123 bites and 91 releases. Blue Marlin: 4 raises. Striped Marlin: 1 Raise, 1 bite, and 1 release. Dorado: 15. (12 days of fishing).
February 2nd – 28th: Sirena – 134 sailfish raises, 102 bites, and 66 releases (6 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 5 raises. Dorado: 21. (10 days of fishing).
February 2nd – 29th: Tranquility – 92 sailfish raises, 81 bites and 56 releases. Dorado: 23. Yellowfin Tuna 2. (7 days of fishing).
February 5th: Mijooo – 13 sailfish raises, 7 bites and 2 releases (2 on FLY!). Yellowfin Tuna 3. (1 day of fishing).
February 21st: Mojo – 9 sailfish raises, 7 bites and 4 releases. Dorado: 2. (1 day of fishing).

The Billfish Unicorn, one in a million, or an albino sailfish? Whatever you want to call it, it’s a sight you will never forget. Big day for guests, Paul Renfro and his group for releasing a rare “leucistic” sailfish (proper scientific name). Mr. Renfro and his group were fishing on our new boat, Libertad (40′ G&S).

March 7, 2024March 7, 2024

A HOT January Bite

It’s been non-stop since the start of the new year. Back-to-back trade shows in Dallas and Nashville. Now… preparing for the Miami International Boat Show, February 14th through the 18th (Booth # MB5022).

January’s bite was as it was supposed to be this time of year, awesome! The sails came to play and so did a lot of the guests. With that many numbers around, many brought out the Fly rods.

We also had our share of blue marlin bites. Dorado keeps on being strong and yellowfin tuna was hit or miss.

January Fishing Report :

January 16th – 31st: Maverick – 204 sailfish raises, 188 bites and 128 releases. Dorados: 72. (14 days of fishing).
January 4th – 28th: Chechos – 482 sailfish raises, 406 bites and 260 releases (1 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 2 bites, 0 releases. Dorado: 114. (21 days of fishing).
January 2nd – 28th: Gypsy – 502 sailfish raises, 438 bites and 278 releases (15 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 3 raises, 1 bites and 0 releases. Dorado: 89. (19 days fishing)
January 2nd – 27th: Knotwork – 523 sailfish raises, 429 bites and 309 releases (2 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 2 raises, 1 bite and 1 release. Dorado: 31. (21 days of fishing).
January 5th – 20th: Sirena – 137 sailfish raises, 103 bites and 56 releases (12 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 1 raise, 0 bite and 0 release. Dorado: 13 (3 on FLY!). (9 Days of fishing).
January 12th – 15th: Mojo – 64 sailfish raises, 52 bites and 31 releases. Dorado: 10. (3 Days of fishing).
January 7th: Tranquility – 19 sailfish raises, 17 bites and 13 releases. Dorado: 3. (1 Day of fishing).
January 12th: Mijooo – 37 sailfish raises, 30 bites and 22 releases. Dorado: 2. (1 Day of fishing).

January 6, 2024January 6, 2024

A December to Remember

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday and a Happy New Year. We are still on a high from last month’s Guatemala Billfish Invitational.

December was one for the books for sure. We are now prepping for the hunting/sportfishing trade show season and Dallas, Texas is first. If you are in the area, please visit us at the DSC Convention, January 11th – 14th, Booth #355. We are excited to see and hear from so many who are looking forward to traveling in 2024.

THANKS TO YOU! Our fleet has been non-stop. The blue marlin bite has also been good. Anglers who never had the opportunity to check off from their bucket list got to experience it. Always a great sight to see the excitement in their faces releasing their first fish.

There was no shortage of Dorado during December. I always make a joke about it, as during the Invitational, anglers were trying to break off 20-30lb fish, so they could concentrate on the sails. Where else around the world do you hear that?

The tournament in 3 days generated 1534 sailfish raises, 1267 bites, and 764 Sailfish releases. 17 blue marlin raises, 11 blue marlin bites, and 5 released. The fishing report below does not include these numbers. So this shows you how good the numbers in December were.

December Fishing Report :

December 2nd – 7th: Maverick – 90 sailfish raises, 69 bites and 49 releases. Dorados: 51. (5 days of fishing).
December 2nd – 31st: Chechos – 464 sailfish raises, 417 bites and 259 releases. Blue Marlin: 4 raises, 2 bites, 0 releases. Dorado: 173. (26 days of fishing).
December 2nd – 31st: Gypsy – 402 sailfish raises, 440 bites and 235 releases (4 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 6 raises, 5 bites and 4 releases. Dorado: 211 and 3 Rooster fish. (23 days fishing)
December 2nd – 31st: Knotwork – 302 sailfish raises, 219 bites and 164 releases (6 on FLY!). Blue Marlin: 4 raises, 3 bites and 1 release. Dorado: 118 and 1 on FLY!. (18 days of fishing).

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023

Dorado Overload Fishing Report

I’ve always been a firm believer that October is the month to be in Guatemala. It kicks off the season with lots of action and variety. One thing is for certain, the meat fish was not in short supply. The dorado were so thick that at times they wouldn’t let the sails get to the bait. There were yellowfin tuna and dorado to go around for guests to take home fresh filets.Fall is known as a good blue marlin month and the numbers proved once again, that this is the time of year to keep in your fishing plans for 2024.

This past month the Gale Force Twins hosted their second all-ladies fishing trip and now they are getting ready for their first all-ladies fishing tournament on May 3rd, 2024. Ladies, contact us for more info.We want to give congratulations to the crew of Gypsy for putting guests Lynn Adkins and his twin brother on their first-ever blue marlin.

October Fishing Report :

October 7th – 21st: Knotwork – 42 sailfish raises, 38 bites and 28 releases. Blue Marlin: 3 raises, 1 bites, 0 releases. Dorados: 86 and 2 yellowfin tuna. (7 days of fishing).
October 2nd – 23rd: Gypsy – 119 sailfish raises, 104 bites and 65 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 3 bites, 2 releases. Dorado: 185. (12 days of fishing).
October 7th – 24th: Maverick – 53 sailfish raises, 50 bites and 39 releases. Dorado: 90. (7 days fishing)
October 1st – 21st: Chechos – 37 sailfish raises, 30 bites and 18 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 4 raises, 1 bite, 1 release. Blue Marlin: 2 raises, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 55. (6 days of fishing).
October 1st – 21st: Tranquility – 59 sailfish raises, 51 bites and 37 releases. Blue Marlin: 2 raises, 2 bites, 2 releases. Dorado: 35. (3 days of fishing).

October 19, 2023October 19, 2023

Calling All Lady Anglers!

First Annual Gale Force Ladies Fishing Tournament

We are hosting our first women’s fishing tournament. The goal of this tournament is to bring lady anglers together to catch fish, but most importantly have fun on the water! Get your friends together and enter as a team (4 anglers) or enter as an individual and meet new anglers. Each boat will include a captain and two mates. No experience is required.

Blue marlin, sailfish, dorado, and yellowfin tuna will be the main attraction.

Ladies will be competing for beautiful hardware from our friends at Kingsailfish Mounts.

Awards:

Top Billfish Release Team (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

Top Billfish Release Angler

Top Dorado

Top Yellowfin Tuna

May 3rd – 6th, 2023. This is an all-inclusive package with 3 nights and 2 full days of offshore fishing during prime time.

Price: $3225 per person

Due to limited space and high demand, we highly recommend to secure your spot!

For more info, you can contact us at: 888-431-5556 or Ozzy Delgado at [email protected]

September 14, 2023September 14, 2023

Serial Griller: Matt Moore Returns to the Invitational

Pacific Fins is excited to welcome back Serial Griller, Matt Moore to the 8th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational.

Author. Entrepreneur. Cook. Musician. Host. Pilot. Adventurer. Southern Gentleman.

These are just some of the words used to describe Nashville, TN based Matt Moore. Moore’s work has garnered critical acclaim as far reaching as the BBC and CBC to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Atlanta Constitution, Chicago Tribune, People, Southern Living, Redbook, Esquire, Men’s Journal, TODAY, CBS, VH1, FOX, Hallmark, The Art of Manliness, and countless others. As a chef, Moore specializes in updated Southern cuisine with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. He’s also a cast-iron and wild game enthusiast with extensive experience working over live fires.

His first book, Have Her Over for Dinner, a Gentleman’s Guide to Classic, Simple Meals was named one of the year’s best cookbooks by The New York Times. His follow-up, A Southern Gentleman’s Kitchen (TIME INC Books) was released to wide praise and acclaim in the spring of 2015. His best-selling, The South’s Best Butts (TIME INC BOOKS) was named the #1 cookbook of the year by The National BBQ and Grilling Association in 2018. Moore’s recent work, Serial Griller (HMH 2020), has also enjoyed best-selling status with a focus on live-fire grilling throughout America.

Fast forward to today, Matt is back with a new cookbook “Butcher on the Block”, focusing on butchers across the country to combine the worlds of barbecue and grilling.

When he is not cooking, traveling, or writing, Moore is busy running EastWest Bottlers, a boutique fragrance and apothecary company he founded in 2011. To date, Moore maintains a distribution of over 200 retail specialty stores where his fragrances and books are sold. He has negotiated distribution and license agreements in over 30 countries, including big-box stores such as Belk, Dillards, and Bloomingdales – securing license products for Fortune 500 brands, as well as luxury European brands.

For those who love to grill, which I know the majority of us do, Matt’s new cookbook, “Butcher on the Block” is currently available for purchase online or at your local stores.

August 31, 2023August 31, 2023

8th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational (SOLD OUT)

We realize many anglers focus on freshwater destinations – places like Alaska, Canada, and the American West during the summer months. But what many don’t realize this region hosts good numbers of blue marlin, plenty of dorados, and yellowfin tuna during the so-called “Off Season” (summer and early fall).

During this time of year, our blue-water fishery becomes more diverse. Water temperatures heat up, but our climate remains pleasant. We consider the summer (June – September) to be prime time for Dorado and Yellowfin tuna. You can catch these species many days until your arms completely falls off. To hear guests return to the dock catching 25 Dorado and 15 Yellowfin plus several sailfish in a given day is pretty normal in the Guatemalan summer months. And let’s not forget about Marlin. The summer is a great time for our blue marlin fishery, also.

Summertime is superb for family fishing, a father-son/trip, or a corporate excursion. The calm Guatemalan waters offer a wonderful time to take that trip and experience what this country has to offer.

We are always open to guests that can’t make a trip during other months.

June Fishing Report :

June 1st – 30th: Gypsy – 116 sailfish raises, 95 bites and 69 releases. Blue Marlin: 4 raise, 3 bite, 3 releases. Dorados: 39. (14 days of fishing).
June 2nd – 30th: Chechos – 207 sailfish raises, 170 bites and 114 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 4 raises, 2 bites, 1 release. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 3 bite, 3 releases. Dorados: 41. (15 days of fishing).
June 1st – 28th: Knotwork – 39 sailfish raises, 34 bites and 27 releases. Blue Marlin: 2 raises, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorados: 8. (5 days of fishing).
June 1st – 20th: Sirena – 39 sailfish raises, 34 bites, 26 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 12. Yellowfin Tuna: 1. Wahoo: 1. (5 days of fishing)
June 23rd – 30th: Uno Mas – 28 sailfish raises, 21 bites, 12 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 3. (2 days of fishing)
June 1st – 30th: Maverick – (Boat Maintenance).

July Fishing Report :

July 2nd – 23rd: Gypsy – 69 sailfish raises, 58 bites and 37 releases. Dorados: 19 and 17 yellowfin tuna. (6 days of fishing).
July 21st: Chechos – 15 sailfish raises, 14 bites and 9 releases. Dorados: 1. (1 day of fishing).
July 15th – 30th: Knotwork – 69 sailfish raises, 54 bites and 37 releases. Dorados: 4 and 14 yellowfin tuna. (7 days of fishing).
July 9th – 21st: Sirena – 15 sailfish raises, 14 bites and 17 releases. Dorados: 5. (2 days of fishing).
July 22nd: Intensity – 9 sailfish raises, 9 bites and 6 releases. Dorados: 3. (1 day of fishing).
July 1st – 31st: Maverick – (Boat Maintenance).

8th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational

Get ready anglers! The 8th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational just got bigger. Which means is shaping up to be the biggest in Guatemala’s history. It’s no surprise we have this turnout. Last year’s event was our largest and the vibe after that one indicated that 2023’s event will surpass it.As last year, we will have a woman’s division. Yes… we will have several ladies competing for a beautiful trophy from Kingsailfish Mounts.In the coming weeks, we will be making announcements about the tournament and the special guests that will be part of this year’s event. So, if you think last year’s tournament was one for the record books… we can’t wait for this one!

June 23, 2023June 23, 2023

“Reel in the Fun – 8th Annual billfish Invitational”

The newsletter you’ve been waiting for! The 8th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational Tournament.

The 7th annual tournament generated a record 2023 sailfish raises, 1725 bites and 1078 Sailfish releases. 11 blue marlin raises, 1 striped marlin, countless dorado and yellowfin tuna. Making the tournament the largest in the history of Guatemala!

The objective for this tournament is to create awareness for the benefit of conservation of sailfish, being a resource of great importance for the country. In this event, like the previous ones, we had different celebrities of international stature and personalities that contribute to sport fishing in the region. There was 35 brands and entities supporting sport fishing in the country, as well endorsed by the National Fisheries Association in Guatemala. The tournament will consist of three days of fishing and will have anglers from the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Guatemala. This tournament gives the opportunity for amateurs and professional anglers to compete to be the team that releases the most sailfish, marlin, dorado and yellowfin tuna.Awards: Top Professional Team (1st, 2nd & 3rd), Top Amateur Team, Top Captain, Top Pro Lady Angler, Top Amateur Lady Angler, Top Marlin, Dorado and Yellowfin Tuna.Plus, a crowd favorite, a calcutta for those brave enough to bet on their skills and luck.

The 2022 Guatemala Billfish Invitational was the biggest yet. We had 8 lodging locations at capacity. It’s no surprise with such high anticipation that always builds throughout the year. So, if you think last year’s event was one for the record books… just wait till this December.We started to receive reservations and we highly recommend for those that want to participate in this year’s event, to contact us and secure your spot. Due to limited capacity, you don’t want to be left out of this amazing fun, but competitive tournament.

Tournament dates: December 7th – 11th, 2023.
For more information, please contact us at 1-888-431-5556 or [email protected]

June 9, 2023June 9, 2023

April & May Fish Madness – Fishing Report

The month of April and May produced stellar fishing. Anglers that traveled to Pacific Fins sure had one heck of a time and got to “Live the Pacific Fins Experience”.

Some days we raised 20+ fish and some days close to 60. You know when that happens seasoned anglers and weekend warriors become a little more inspired to try out a sail on fly. With that many shots, why not – bring out the Nautilus reel/Biscayne rod combo!

Marlin activity started to become a norm and it will continue through the summer months (Marlin Season). The supporting cast: dorado and yellowfin tuna have been plentiful. Don’t expect for yellowfin tuna and BIG dorado to disappear anytime soon. They will be here waiting for you!

With summer around the corner and the subject of where to travel during summer break, traveling to Guatemala is more affordable than many other spots around the world. Guests have expressed after you factor in fuel, hotel, meals, and local charters… traveling to Pacific Fins is a much more affordable vacation.

So, whether it’s for summer or the upcoming season, we highly suggest you book soon. Many have started to reserve into the months ahead and you don’t want to miss out on an experience of a lifetime.

April Fishing Report :

April 1st – 30th: Chechos – 441 sailfish raises, 362 bites and 210 releases. Blue Marlin: 15 raises, 4 bites, 3 release. Dorados: 71 and 14 yellowfin tuna. (26 days of fishing).
April 5th – 30th: Knotwork – 272 sailfish raises, 228 bites and 156 releases.
April 1st – 3rd Sailfish on Fly: 22 raises, 10 bites, 7 release. Blue Marlin: 17 raises, 11 bites, 7 release. Dorado: 34 and 8 yellowfin tuna. (25 days of fishing).
April 1st – 30th: Gypsy – 267 sailfish raises, 199 bites and 112 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 87 Sailfish raises, 27 bites, 5 releases. Blue Marlin on Fly: 4 raises. Dorado: 25, and 7 yellowfin tuna. (21 days of fishing)
April 1st and 3rd: Uno Mas – 27 sailfish raises, 22 bites and 12 releases. Dorado: 1 and 2 yellowfin tuna. (2 days of fishing).
April 1st – 28th: Sirena – 87 sailfish raises, 73 bites and 51 releases. Blue Marlin: 3 raises, 3 bites, 2 releases. Dorado: 6. (8 days of fishing).
April 10th – 29th: Mojo – 156 sailfish raises, 121 bites, 76 releases. Blue Marlin: 2 raises, 2 bites. 12 dorado. 4 yellowfin tuna (9 days of fishing).
April 21st: Fresh Catch – 9 sailfish raises, 9 bites and 7 releases. Dorado: 4. (1 day of fishing).
April 25th: Danmark – 19 sailfish raises, 15 bites and 19 releases. 2 dorado. (1 day of fishing).
April 29th: Tranquility – 5 sailfish raises, 4 bites and 2 releases. Blue Marlin 2 raises, 1 bite, 1 release and 6 yellowfin tuna (1 day of fishing).May Fishing Report :
May 1st – 28th: Chechos – 231 sailfish raises, 196 bites and 117 releases conventional plus 34 sailfish raises, 16 bites and 7 released on fly. Blue Marlin: 9 raises, 5 bites, 5 release (INCLUDING A DOUBLE!!!). Dorados: 45 and 1 yellowfin tuna. (20 days of fishing).
May 1st – 31st: Knotwork – 186 sailfish raises, 152 bites and 98 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raises, 1 bites, 0 release. Dorado: 28 and 4 yellowfin tuna. (13 days of fishing).
May 1st – 31st: Gypsy – 176 sailfish raises, 149 bites and 105 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 2 bites and 2 releases. Dorado: 48. (16 days of fishing)
May 5th: Sirena – 26 sailfish raises, 23 bites and 14 releases. Dorado: 3. (1 day of fishing).
May 10th-13th: Mojo – 33 sailfish raises, 15 bites and 10 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raise. Dorado: 1. (4 days of fishing).

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023

Unfathomed hosted trips – Just Awesome!

“This is my 3^rd trip to Pacific Fins, and as expected, it was amazing. Each trip has had its own unique features, but there is always the common thread, which is an epic experience. Transportation to and from is always with great ease and clearly organized. When you arrive at the resort, it is obvious how much care and attention goes into it. The grounds are always manicured and the entire resort including the rooms are very clean. The service is absolutely first class and the food rivals any top rated restaurant. And of course there is the fishing, which is top notch. The Captains and Mates are very knowledgeable, professional, and polite. They will accommodate the most experienced person to the beginner, and will let you be as much involved as you want with the fishing experience. I highly recommend this resort to everyone looking for a first class fishing experience and at first class resort! I have already booked a return trip, this time with my family.” – Will Crook.

What an amazing trip hosted by Pacific Fins Ambassador, George Gozdz. We had a mixed group of guys that were veterans of the blue water and others who wanted to have a taste of what Guatemala’s fishery is like. For those seasoned anglers and even those weekend warriors, Guatemala has a reputation for making dreams come true.

Sailfish, dorado, and yellowfin tuna were the main attraction. Everyone enjoyed a hot sailfish bite, big dorados, and yellowfin tuna.

After three rod bending days at Pacific Fins, it was time to move to the next step on the itinerary. The nice thing about how George’s trips are setup, the ladder part of it involves the chance to unwind and relax our muscles at the beautiful hotel, Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua. So on the last day… breakfast at Pacific Fins and a short drive to the ancient city.

When catching lots of fish is not enough… you get pampered by flying into Pacific Fins to start the party faster.

First timers catching billfish get the plunge.

“They Keep getting better! Our hosted trip to Pacific Fins was nothing short of amazing. We had a great group of guests that were welcomed with incredible fishing, food, sight seeing, and all around good time. Bucket list items were checked off with impressive catches of dorado, sailfish, and yellowfin tuna. Topping the trip off was time well spent in the old city of Antigua. We experienced the rich culture of Guatemala. ” – George Gozdz

In Guatemala there is a demonym called “Chapin” and it’s not offensive. We can start to call George a Chapin for the many times he has traveled to Guatemala. From all of us George, CONGRATS again on your success!

It’s no surprise these trips book in record time and this is why we are announcing Fall 2023 Unfathomed hosted trip.

Our next adventure which has only 6 spots left, October 10th – 15th, 2023.

This is an all-inclusive adventure with 5 nights and 3 full days of offshore/inshore during prime fishing. In addition to Pacific Fins, we have added a night stay/sightseeing in the old capital city of Antigua on the day we arrive. We will be lodging at one of the best hotels in town, Casa Santo Domingo.

Price: $3900 per person (includes night in Casa Santo Domingo)

Due to limited space and demand, we highly recommend to secure your spot!

For more info, you can contact us at: 888-431-5556 / George Gozdz 772-284-5922 or [email protected] / [email protected]