GOOD KING MACKEREL AND SHRIMP FISHING ON VERACRUZ COAST

Dec. 2, 2006, David Burns, Restaurant El Manglar, Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico:

This week saw some excellent fishing here in Teco.

Monday through Thursday we enjoyed some beautiful weather and the Mexican commercial fishermen were hard at work. The long awaited return of the peto or king mackerel arrived. Although still not the slaughter fest, many launchas turned in very respectable catches to the co-ops.

Capt. Cero had close to a hundred kilos over two days including a monster 12 kilo king mackerel that resulted in the line cutting the hand of the fisherman who was "lucky" enough to land the prize. The scaring of one's hand is a status symbol amongst the Mexican fisherman and although not attractive is highly prized.

Wednesday shall be referred to as "the day of the shrimp." Every able bodied male was recruited to assist in hunting the schools of huge shrimp that were running close to shore. There were so many shrimp caught that the price fell 30 percent, a restaurateur's dream. Luckily I had some pesos put aside for such an occasion and stocked the freezer.

Thursday brought us almost 40 kilos of machete or cutlassfish fillet which we bread and then fry. Delicious.

Towards the end of the week, despite a norte, the river fishermen were very successful in snaring tilapia and mullet in their throw nets.

We still await the time, in the very near future, when the peto are so thick that once you've found the school you don't troll but rather tie on a feather and just toss it out and then pull them into the boat as fast as your hands will work.

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