Puerto Rico Tarpon Report
Posted by frank s. on 2007-01-23 08:56:56
On Jan. 3rd I left Sac. at 6:45 am to hook up with my Idaho fishing buddy on the way to Boqueron Puerto Rico (west side of the island). We met up in Washington D.C. and landed in San Juan at 9:30 pm. We had previously decided to stay the first night in San Juan since we didn't know the roads to Boqueron.
After checking in to our hotel close to the airport we went for a walk to the nearby casinos (Nevada style) and ended up at a taco beer joint across the street from our hotel for a late snack. I found it interesting and a little uncomfortable to be searched for firearms in order to eat a snack.
Anyway the next morning at 6:00 am we were on the road to Boqueron for the 2.5 hr drive. On the way we called our guide Francisco "Pochy" Rosario to meet us at the harbor. By 10 am we were ready to step on to the boat. It was very easy because Pochy supplies all the rods and flies so we didn't have to haul all our stuff down there. So we stepped on the boat and he poled us back about 20 yds and we saw our first tarpon of the trip. Within 15 minutes we had jumped the first tarpon. We fished that day until dark (around 6 pm) got off the boat had a beer and an appetizer and headed for our hotel which had been picked by a friend who has lived in Boqueron for 20 yrs. We checked in to the hotel and stayed there one night but the rooms were terribly small and spartan so the rest of the trip we stayed at Boqueron Beach Hotel ( which is not on the beach and does not have a water view) where the rooms were larger and only $20 more per night. After this move we settled in to a routine of early morning breakfast accross the street at "Rice and Beans" (which was run by an 85 yr old nice lady). Breakfast was scrambled eggs, 2 bacon , 1 pancake, grilled bread, juice and coffee all for $2.99. Then we would hook up with Pochy and go fishing. We ended up being there for Three Kings Day so it was a party atmosphere in the town center which was within walking distance where we ate at a different restaurant every night.
I really lost track of the number of fish we jumped in our 6 days of fishing but I believe we landed close to 15 tarpon. We also landed jacks, barracuda, snook, lizard fish, mutton snapper. If you want to catch a tarpon on a fly rod this is the place that you can pretty much be sure to do it. Pochy is by far the best guide I have ever fished with and I have fished tarpon in Florida, Mexico and Belize. He is a hard worker that started early and stayed late. Dark to dark a couple of days. The food on the boat was plentiful and good. There is nothing like cold fruit in the tropics. Not only was there a lot of fish but for the most part they were large. Pochy believes that my friend released a fish that could have been the world record on fly. It was estimated (using formula) right at 200 lbs( I think the record is 202). The smallest fish was taken in the mangroves and was only about 15 lbs. but everything else was 40 and up with many in the 60 to 100 range.
As far as the fishing goes it was different than what I was used to. We fished mostly around docks and marinas where the tarpon hung in the area. Often there were people watching us. The casts had to be precise into the shades of boats and docks. And many fish were hooked and lost because they went under, around and over docks, ropes, boats and other obstacles. It is very difficult and you have to be lucky to land a big fish in that environment. Greg's big fish was under a boat on the outside of a marina and luckily (with a lot of help from Greg) headed to the bay. This type of fishing is not as enjoyable to me as the more classic situations where tarpon are found. Greg on the other hand loved it and he is more skilled than I am.
We did fish some schools of bait out in the bay and caught both tarpon and jacks. We also fished in mangroves for snapper, tarpon and snook. We also saw schools of false albacore busting bait and got a couple of casts at them but they didn't stay up long. This more traditional fishing was what I enjoyed the most. But I must say that watching 100 lb. fish take your fly is outstanding fun. We even had a double on 60 lbers for a short time.
On Wednes. the 10th I headed for home. Rather than have Greg, who was staying 4 more days, drive me back to San Juan I took a small plane from Maragues (sp?) for $80.
All in all it was a great fishing trip. I have never been so up close and personal with as many tarpon. We probably averaged 10 hrs. per day for the 6 days of fishing which is pretty hard core. When he comes down here to fish the delta with me we do the same thing.
Part of the reason I wrote this report is because I told Pochy I would so if you're thinking of going to Puerto Rico or you want to catch a tarpon on your fly rod call Francisco "Pochy" Rosario a man with a great disposition who loves to fish and loves the fish that he chases.
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