TOP SPORTFISHING CHARTER PANGAS BOOKED SOLID

Nov. 13, 2006, Paul Phillips, Fintastic's Tag & Release Tournament, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico:

Almost all of the better sportfishing pangas in Zihuatanejo are now booked through February and into March. I don't mean for a few days. I mean for everyday, total, no free days!

For this fishing season over 450 charter boat days were booked by a group of world class anglers, then came 300-plus from another group.

I and a close friend from British Columbia made the introductions in January for the 450-plus charters group. They picked the some of the best boats, and Capt. Santiago Valdovinos Olea of the charter panga Gitana is in charge of everything for this group.

Ed Kunze, the local fly fishing guide, can't get a panga for his clients in January or February, any day! He says he has to go find a couple boats and train a couple more captains.

The captains you have seen being written about, with published photos, etc., are booked solid. There will be no strolling down to the pier to book a decent captain for tomorrow!

I highly suggest that anglers start looking at the smaller cruiser/sportfishers, and plan on paying the extra $100, and do it now. These boats are booking faster than pancakes go at hurricane relief breakfast.

If this is the season it is looking like it will be, it will be the same thing for next year.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Ixtapa Zihuatanejo may be found at Mexfish.com's main Ixtapa Zihuatanejo page.