January / February Fishing Report

January is a great time of year to fish our waters. Though, this past January mother nature decided to throw us a fastball. Not a curveball… a fast ball! What do I mean? abnormal strong currents did not allow bait to concentrate in one particular area for a long period of time, which resulted in subpar fishing.

About 7 years ago, we had the same isolated currents wreak havoc by pushing the bait further from our zones. One day you mark fish and the other day you end up scratching your head on where did they go. The currents were so strong that in a 24 hour window bait got pushed 20 to 30+ miles away.

Now, with all this going on, we still had very good fishing days. We caught plenty of sailfish, dorado, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, and striped marlin. It was just the second half of the month that this came to develop.

The good news is everything’s back to normal. Keep your eyes out for the next newsletter, as you will see March reports get RED HOT.

Looking to put Pacific Fins in your travel plans? we highly suggest to lock in those dates as soon as possible. Fall 2023 dates are filling up fast and so is the 2024 season!

January Fishing Report :

January 2nd – 31st: Chechos – 207 sailfish raises, 170 bites and 117 releases. Black Marlin: 1 raises, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorados: 57 and 6 yellowfin tuna. (18 days of fishing).
January 2nd – 23rd: Knotwork – 169 sailfish raises, 148 bites and 109 releases. Blue Marlin: 4 raises, 3 bites, 1 release. Dorado: 69 and 17 yellowfin tuna. (20 days of fishing).
January 3rd – 31st: Gypsy – 147 sailfish raises, 118 bites and 72 releases. Dorado: 43, and 1 yellowfin tuna. (15 days of fishing)
January 5th – 20th: Maverick – 55 sailfish raises, 38 bites and 25 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 13 raises, 12 bites, 5 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 4 bites, 4 releases. Dorado: 16. Yellowfin tuna: 2. (8 days of fishing).
January 3rd: Mijooo – 31 sailfish raises, 24 bites, 19 releases. 2 dorado. (1 day of fishing)
January 5th – 20th: Sirena – 72 sailfish raises, 63 bites and 51 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Striped Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 10. (6 days of fishing).
January 5th – 20th: Sirena – 72 sailfish raises, 63 bites and 51 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Striped Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 10. (6 days of fishing).
January 1st – 5th: Uno Mas – 70 sailfish raises, 61 bites and 42 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorado: 8, Yellowfin Tuna: 1. (6 days of fishing).

February Fishing Report :

February 1st – 28th: Chechos – 227 sailfish raises, 192 bites and 120 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 11 raises, 6 bites, 1 release. Blue Marlin: 11 raises, 8 bite, 1 release. Striped Marlin: 4 raises, 3 bites, 1 release. Dorados: 51 and 5 yellowfin tuna. (23 days of fishing).
February 1st – 28th: Gypsy – 131 sailfish raises, 109 bites and 72 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 17 raises, 6 bites, 5 releases. Blue Marlin: 7 raises, 2 bites, 1 release. Blue Marlin on Fly: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Dorados: 42. (22 days of fishing).
February 1st – 28th: Knotwork – 226 sailfish raises, 190 bites and 133 releases. Blue Marlin: 8 raises, 4 bite, 1 release. Dorados: 59 and 5 yellowfin tuna. (26 days of fishing).
February 1st – 28th: Sirena – 56 sailfish raises, 47 bites and 32 releases. Dorados: 12 and 3 yellowfin tuna. (8 days of fishing).
February 1st – 28th: Uno Mas – 34 sailfish raises, 17 bites and 7 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 2 bite, 1 release. Dorados: 13. (7 days of fishing).
February 10th – 21st: Animo – 58 sailfish raises, 44 bites and 29 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Yellowfin Tuna: 6. Dorados: 22. (7 days of fishing).
February 10th – 21st: Ecsta-Sea – 44 sailfish raises, 41 bites and 20 releases. (3 days of fishing)
February 14th – 24th: Mijooo – 58 sailfish raises, 44 bites and 29 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raise, 1 bite, 1 release. Yellowfin Tuna: 6. Dorados: 22. (3 days of fishing).
February 14th – 26th: Captain Hook – 45 sailfish raises, 38 bites and 19 releases. Dorados: 2. (4 days of fishing).

Checked off your bucket list. Congrats to Mr. Cirar for releasing a blue marlin on Fly!

January 19, 2023January 19, 2023

LADIES, LET’S GO CATCHING!!

“This was our first hosted trip to Pacific Fins and it’s going to be a tough one to top. The staff at the resort did a phenomenal job accommodating each guest. The Captains and crew put us on more fish than we can count. Each boat caught double digit mahi everyday, plenty of sailfish and some marlin too! After two days of fishing half our group enjoyed the the town of Antigua and the other half hiked the active volcano, Pacaya. We even roasted marshmallows and baked a pizza. All in all was trip of a lifetime.” – Amanda and Emily Gale.

This past November, The Gale Force Twins, Amanda and Emily Gale, hosted their first ever trip to Pacific Fins. Twenty ladies took over the whole resort and couldn’t wait to hit the water. They had a mixed group of ladies that were veterans of the blue water and others who wanted to catch their first ever sailfish. For those seasoned anglers and even those weekend warriors, Guatemala has a reputation for making dreams come true. And on this trip… all the ladies experienced that.

Blue marlin, sailfish, dorado, and yellowfin tuna were the main attraction. Everyone enjoyed double digit sailfish releases, blue marlin, big dorados, and yellowfin tuna.

We love to hear all their stories once they returned from a day out on the water. Our Sailfish Pool and Marlin Bar are a popular spot where stories are exchanged by many.

After two rod bending days, it was time to move to the next step in our itinerary. The nice thing about how this trip is setup, the ladder part of it involves the chance to unwind and experience the many things Guatemala has to offer. Some elected to tour the ancient city of Antigua and others to hike volcano Pacaya. Pictures below will show some of the trip highlights.

Congratulations to Amanda and Emily Gale for organizing a remarkable trip with amazing people.

For those who missed out on this trip, we have great news! The Twins are announcing their second adventure at Pacific Fins.

Be part of the adventure, October 5th – 9th, 2023. This is an all-inclusive package (Ladies Only) with 4 nights and 2 full days of offshore fishing during prime time. In addition to Pacific Fins, Emily and Amanda have added a sightseeing in the old capital city of Antigua or hike volcano Pacaya – where you can roast marshmallows or bake your pizza!

Price: $3400 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]

January 16, 2023January 16, 2023

Guatemala Billfish Invitational – Record Event!

The newsletter we have been waiting for… The 7th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational Tournament was recently organized from December 8th to the 12th, 2022. We are still on a high… WHAT AN EVENT!

Guatemala is a country that over the years has proven to have the best sailfish fishery in the world. It’s the perfect destination for many anglers to obtain multiple shots in one day and this event proved such statement.

Our main 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 consisted of three days of fishing with 102 participants 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.

Among the celebrities who attended:

• Alex Avila: Former Major League Baseball Player.

•George Gozdz: Host of the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel television show, Unfathomed and also a professional guide.

• Peter Miller, Host of Uncharted Water (Discovery Channel TV) professional fisherman and 3-time world sailfish champion.

• Matt Moore: World renowned chef and host of his show on the Food Network.

• Bob Dipiero: Renowned composer and singer of country music. He has composed songs that have been in the top 20 and 15 songs in the USA.

• Gary Burr: Member of the country music hall of fame in the USA and composer of songs for artists such as: Cristina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, LeAnn Rimes and Ringo Starr; among others.

The tournament in 3 days, generated a record 2023 sailfish raises, 1725 bites and 1078 Sailfish releases. 11 blue marlin raises, 5 bites and 4 released. 1 striped marlin, countless dorado and yellowfin tuna. Making this tournament the largest in the history of Guatemala!

Tournament Results

**1st Place Pro Team for a total of 7500 points, team Piragua.**
**Anglers: Danny Difabio, Austin Collins, Alex Avila, and Luis Perez. Congrats Captain Manolo Diaz for also taking home first place Captain. Team won overall prize money of $25,000!**

**Congrats to Piragua’s Captain Manolo Diaz, well earned.**

**2nd Place Pro Team for a total of 7100 points, team Intensity.**
Anglers: Peter Liechty, Blaine Arthurs, Ryan Foret, and Brent Tatford. Team won 2 daily calcutta’s totaling $11,000. Congrats to Captain Mike Sheeder and his crew for putting up a great fight to the end.

**3rd Place Pro Team for a total of 6500 points, team Chechos.**
**Anglers: James White, Helen Chamizo, Joaquin Chamizo, and Jayce Chamizo. Captain Carlos Diaz. Team won day 1 calcutta $5,500.**

**Congratulations to badass angler, Helen Chamizo for taking home First Place Lady Angler. She surely made a lot of guys look bad.**

1st Place Amateur Team for a total of 10,000 points. Yes! 10,000 points with 97 Sailfish Releases and 1 Blue Marlin, team Sirena with Capt. Chendo. Anglers: Kyle Jones, Wendy Ashley, Greg Fabrizzi and Kat Halpin.

1st Place Marlin with 1 blue marlin and 1 striped marlin release, goes to team Makina. Anglers: Steve Summers, Christine Summers, Stacey Wills, and Tim Wills. Captain Wicho Ramirez. Congrats to Steve Summers for personally catching the Grandslam (blue marlin, striped marlin and a sailfish).

**1st Place Dorado for a total of 127.4 pounds, team Allure.**
**Anglers: Sean O’Connell, John Logan, Alvaro de la Hoz and Tony Semaan. Captain Julio Morales.**

**1st Place Yellowfin Tuna goes to team Mijooo.**
**Anglers: Ozzy Delgado, George Gozdz, Phillip Weikert, Juan Manuel Cobar and Cole Sellers. Captain Joel Fajardo.**

**Gary Burr and Bob Dipiero made one of the nights special by performing an intimate concert for all the anglers.**

Another highlight that gave the 7th Annual Guatemala Billfish Invitational stamp of approval, we got the IGFTO (International Game Fish Tournament Observers). To have professional observers on the boats makes it clear to follow all rules by releasing the correct species and that the fish were properly handled.
The president Steve Hargett coordinated and assigned observers to boats each day. This organization promotes conservation therefore without a doubt accepted our invitation and donated $2,500.
Thank you Steve, Lisa, Reese, Robert, Rick, Kenny, Marci, Barbara, Terry, Art, and Julio.

We want to give THANKS to all our participating anglers for making this an amazing event. We are happy to see all having a great time, meeting and making new friends. From the kick-off party and Poolside Celebration to the neighboring resorts; (The Hook, Sailfish Oasis, Aeroclub, Intensity Sportfishing, Casa Del Rio, and several private rental homes) who took part in the Invitational. To the awards presentation at the awards dinner and all the parties and fishing in between. This is definitely a tournament that any novice or serious angler needs to be a part of. We are pleased to support the Billfish Conservation Project and the week-long festivities that generated much needed funds for a worthy cause – A total of $35,000 was collected.

In addition, we are going to be posting on our social media pages pictures that were taken during the event. Get ready as 2023 dates are: December 7th through the 11th, 2023. Trust me… we already have teams booked. Call or email us to be a part of this history making event. You don’t want to miss it in 2023!

TO ALL ANGLERS AND SPONSORS, CHEERS TO YOU FOR MAKING THE BIGGEST TOURNAMENT IN GUATEMALA!

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

October Monsters – Fishing Report

If we compare October 2021 numbers to 2022’s you will find that fishing was slower than expected – sailfish that is. 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 a lot of yellowfin tuna and dorado to go around for guests to take home fresh filets.

October is known as a good blue marlin month and the numbers proved once again, this is the time of year to be in Guatemala.We want to give a HUGE CONGRATS to the crew of Maverick for an impressive catch. Anglers Greg Wagner and Shawn Slocum from Minnesota battled a 250lb yellowfin tuna and prevailed.Looking to visit us? we highly suggest to lock in those dates as soon as possible, as many remaining 2023 dates are filling up fast!

October Fishing Report :

October 1st – 29th: Knotwork – 93 sailfish raises, 86 bites and 70 releases. Blue Marlin: 10 raises, 8 bites, 4 releases. Dorados: 74 and 18 yellowfin tuna. (12 days of fishing).
October 2nd – 29th: Chechos – 101 sailfish raises, 88 bites and 61 releases. Blue Marlin: 19 raises, 11 bites, 6 releases. Dorado: 55 and 6 yellowfin tuna. (11 days of fishing).
October 16th – 25th: Maverick – 11 sailfish raises, 9 bites and 8 releases. Dorado: 8, and 6 yellowfin tuna – one being a beast (250.4lbs) (3 days fishing)
October 4th – 31st: Gypsy – 82 sailfish raises, 66 bites and 52 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 raises, 4 bites, 4 releases. Dorado: 38. Yellowfin tuna: 4. (12 days of fishing).

May 24, 2022May 24, 2022

A HOT bite and Guy Harvey visits Pacific Fins

Wow! is how to describe this past month. It was a busy one for sure. Two hosted trips; first with Dr. Guy Harvey and the other with George Gozdz of Unfathomed.
It’s no surprise the bite in April was really good. There were days of amazing numbers – which resulted in 1218 sailfish raised. This gave first time visitors to our region the experience of a hot bite. Also during this month, another big group traveled to Guatemala to fly fish. What better opportunity to catch and release billfish on fly than in our waters!
There were 28 blue marlin raises, which we knew April was going to be a better one than March numbers. And of course the supporting cast of yellowfin tunas and dorados were out in full force.

April Fishing Report :

April 1st – 30th: Chechos – 433 sailfish raises, 371 bites and 257 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 20 sailfish raises, 6 bites and 2 releases. Blue Marlin: 12 raises, 5 bites, 4 release. Dorados: 13. Yellowfin tuna: 7 (1-150lbs) (22 days of fishing).
April 1st – 30th: Knotwork – 349 sailfish raises, 287 bites and 178 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 7 sailfish raises, 5 bites, 3 release. Blue Marlin: 6 raises, 3 bites, 1 release. Dorado: 8. Yellowfin tuna: 8. Roosterfish: 2. (22 days of fishing).
April 1st – 30th: Maverick – 169 sailfish raises, 150 bites and 92 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 52 raises, 19 bites, 11 releases. Blue Marlin: 5 for 5. Dorado: 4. Yellowfin tuna: 18 (1 on Fly). (14 days of fishing).
April 1st – 30th: Gypsy – 120 sailfish raises, 88 bites and 55 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 30 raises, 10 bites, 2 releases. Blue Marlin: 1 raises, 1 bite, 1 release (on Fly). Dorado: 5. Yellowfin tuna: 9. (12 days of fishing).
April 10th – 29th : Sirena – 110 sailfish raises, 84 bites and 70 releases. Sailfish on Fly: 4 raises, 1 bites, 1 release. Blue Marlin: 1 for 1. Dorado: 1. Yellowfin tuna: 1. (Based on 8 days of fishing).

Guy Harvey Expedition Meets all Expectations

On April 19th marked Dr. Guy Harvey’s first ever visit to Pacific Fins Resort and for four days the action was caliente!

The renowned artist and conservationist brought his posse of Steve Roden, CEO of the Guy Harvey corporation; Fred Garth, Editor of GH magazine; Brian Rowland of Rowland Publishing; and, of course, his daughter Jessica, who holds numerous fishing world records. The GH crew, along with 13 guests who came from far and wide to hang out and fish with Guy and Jessica.
All the guests were able to fish with Dr. Guy Harvey and Jessica for a unique experience. The 4 boat 3 fishing days expedition manage to raise 144 sailfish, had 119 bites, released 78 sailfish and some dorados and yellowfin tuna action. One of the groups wanted to try out even rooster fish and they released 2 in just 30 minutes. Also had the opportunity for some sailfish on the fly rod.

During the expedition one of the wildest days, the boats circled a massive school of literally thousands of spinner dolphins as they launched high into the air. Why do they do this? Only they know. What we do know is that the anglers hooked up on lots of tuna.

An added bonus for everyone was getting to watch Guy himself paint an original piece of art during the trip. Amazingly, Guy was able to finish the painting just before dinner on the last night. Appropriately, he painted a sailfish surrounded by spinner dolphins, an animal behavior interaction Guy has never painted before. The last step was to auction the art to the highest bidder.

When all was said and done the auction raised $18,000 and Guy generously donated the entire proceeds to the local K12 school near the resort.

As part of this donation during their visit, Billfish Conservation Project members, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Pacific Fins, and Casa Vieja Lodge joined the school for a kind donation of 10 computers as a startup project to help the local education on Marine Science. Dr. Harvey Foundation will donate the course materials to start education that will help 100% on conservation.

While this may have been Guy’s first visit, plans are already in the works for another Guy/Jessica trip next year. If you’re interested in fishing and hanging out with Guy and Jessica, call 850-766-2201 or email [email protected]

It’s really nice to witness Dr. Guy Harvey painting an original. Especially a first for Pacific Fins.

To all the GH Expedition participants, form all of us at Pacific Fins, THANK YOU for making it a great trip!

In the end, this is what’s it all about. Pacific Fins, Billfish Conservation Project, and Casa Vieja Lodge donate 10 computers to the school of Santa Marta in Iztapa. To support the education program donated by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Everything with the support of the Minister of Education in Guatemala.

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021

Go Billfishing with Guy Harvey

Meet Dr. Guy Harvey:

Guy Harvey is the man behind the Guy Harvey world. A man that doesn’t need introduction, known all over the world for his amazing conservation work. Guy is a unique blend of artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer, fiercely devoted to his family and his love of the sea.

“Dear Fellow Anglers:
I am excited to announce that the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is sponsoring a series of Blue Water Fishing Expeditions at the world famous Pacific Fins Resort in Guatemala. I will be there along with one of our marine research scientists.

Each expedition is limited to 18 anglers and will encompass three days of fishing in Eastern Tropical Pacific waters. Every angler will fish with me on my boat at least one day.
As you may know, Pacific Fins Resort has access to some of the world’s most prolific offshore and inshore fishing, which is why it’s one of my favorite fishing holes in the world! We will be fishing for blue marlin, dorados, roosterfish, yellowfin tuna, cubera snapper and other species running during your visit.

After a great day of fishing we’ll all be dining together as well as having two private cocktail parties. I will be painting an original to be auctioned off on our last night together.
Please review the attached flyer and consider joining me for this incredible fishing adventure, which will double as a GHOF research mission. Our tagging of billfish, dorados and roosterfish has taught us a great deal about these magnificent fish and is helping us to protect them. Your participation in these conservation efforts will be filmed as part of a documentary we’re producing.

Please know that by investing in what I promise will be a trip of a lifetime, you will further the marine conservation efforts of the GHOF, a 501c-3 nonprofit organization.

For more details, contact Brian Rowland: [email protected] I look forward to meeting you. Fair winds and tight lines!” Expetion Link & Flyer

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021

May Recipe: Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Dorado, Tuna, Roosterfish, & Cubera

The month of May produced some great fishing. One of the many highlights was to witness our friend and Pacific Fins Ambassador, Captain George Gozdz releasing his first blue marlin – after 48 years. How about Maverick having a banner day; 65 sailfish raises, 55 bites, 32 releases and 4 dorados! How about Gypsy with an inshore day; 32 Rooster fish raises, 23 bites and 12 releases.
Marlin activity started to become a norm and it will continue through the summer months. 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! This folks is why people travel to Guatemala.
With Summer around the corner and the subject of COVID becoming smaller in the rear view mirror, many started to plan their family vacation.
So, whether is for summer or the upcoming season, we highly suggest you book soon. More and more people have started to reserve into the months ahead and you don’t want to miss out on an experience of a lifetime. Live the Pacific Fins Experience!

Visit from Peter Miller

It’s always a pleasure to have Peter Miller at Pacific Fins. We want to THANK him for returning to one of his favorite places and film a show.
This time Peter was accompanied with his girlfriend, Alessia Andrade. They got to experience great fishing and one of the highlights was having Alessia catch her first Pacific Sailfish. I’m not going to ruin the surprise, you’ll have to tune in to Discovery Channel this weekend and see for yourself all the action.
Discovery Channel: Saturday, June 12th, 7:30AM and Saturday, June 19th, 7:30AM

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019

The Steady Bite Continues

Looking for a summer time of action packed reel screaming fun? If you do… you better hurry, summer will end soon for many.

We are happy to say that this summer, the fishing has stayed steady. The man in the blue suit, aka blue marlin are around and can make an appearance in the spread any given time. The yellowfin tuna are in the 30-40 mile range in scattered schools of spinner dolphin – ranging from 20-50lbs. But, this summer has already produced some nice ones as well – a few over 100lbs and 150 pounder.

The Dorado, which I am not going to call them Mahi-Mahi (that’s in Hawaii) are almost guaranteed every trip – nothing beats fresh Dorado for lunch on the boat. You can always look forward to Sashimi or an amazing Sandwich, it’s Guatelicious.

Weather? The sun has been shinning on us most of the days. You might get a shower here of there at night.

The reason why so many come here, Sailfish. The Sailfish action has been good this summer. Double digit raises has been the norm and we are not in the peak season. It’s great to see these many raises, you might think they will be lower numbers, but hey… this is Guatemala, The Sailfish Capital of the World!

If you are interested in doing some inshore, I have to say that the Rooster fishing has been out of this world. We recently had one trip of 52 raises, which had 35 bites. Yes folks, 52!

Here are some highlights of the trips.

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019

Travel in Style

Taking Our Private Plane Is More Affordable Than You Think

For those who value their time, what if you can be at Pacific Fins in just 12 minutes? Yes… you read correctly.

Our guests mean everything to us, this is why we went ahead and added to our fleet a Twip Prop Piper Cheyenne plane. It has a cruising speed of 250 Knots – 1200HP, Pressurized and with A/C and comfortable enough for 6 passengers.

Why should you use our private charter? The flight is short, but a flight with amazing views. You will love the experience as well as the extra time to relax once in paradise.

For more information, give us a call at 888-431-5556 or email us at; [email protected]

June 27, 2019June 27, 2019

You Are Missing Out!

Three weeks ago, I sent out a newsletter expressing how good Summer is in Guatemala. Well…I should have been a betting man.

While many know that our waters hold loads of sailfish, particularly during the peak season from November through June, many don’t realize this region hosts good numbers of blue marlin and plenty of dorado, aka mahi-mahi during the rainy season (summer and early fall). Not to mention how good the yellowfin tuna bite has been this year and the bigger fish being caught.

The crew of Maverick and angler Mr. Schmid with an impressive 155 lb trophy.

Besides this awesome tuna, Mr. Schmid had 18 Sailfish bites and released 15. 13 dorados, 6 yellowfin between 40-50 lb range and a 100 lb yellowfin tuna to start day one. Lets not forget the hot marlin bite going on this time of year. Schmid also released a 350 lb blue. And of course going home with a bang…the trophy fish pictured above. We can surely say that Mr. Schmid went home all smiles!