Guatemala

Fishing In Guatemala

Since the early 1990s when boats discovered a huge concentration of Pacific sails, sport fishing has flourished off Guatemala’s Pacific coast. Anglers from all over the world have come here to catch thousands and thousands of big, eager Pacific sails. Guatemala’s almost nonstop action makes it the perfect place for getting comfortable with feeding billfish using a lever-drag reel.    

Charter boats here frequently release more than 2,000 billfish a year. Sometimes, the billfishing gets crazy out of the small port of Iztapa, with anglers catching more than 60 sails a day! Runs here are usually within 25 miles, but sometimes boats travel 40 miles or more to find the main concentrations. On the plus side of those longer runs, the charter boats have started encountering more and more blue marlin, and several boats had record blue marlin releases last year. 

Boats here troll circle-hook ballyhoo rigs in conjunction with teasers in a bait-and-switch setup. Boats will run two or four ballyhoo baits in the water with two or more plastic teasers from the flybridge and cockpit If a marlin comes up on one of the smaller baits or a teaser, the angler and crews reach for the big pitch bait they have on standby at all times. Getting used to seeing a billfish in the spread and knowing what to do next only comes through repetition, and that’s why Guatemala makes an excellent addition to our Marlin U class schedule. We plan on getting you a ton of bites and making you good in a hurry.

Trip Information

Another Central American jewel, Guatemala enjoys the reputation of being the “Sailfish Capital of the World.” Guatemala shares its main border with Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea and Belize to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Honduras and El Salvador to the south. Guatemala exudes a natural beauty, blanketed by deep rainforests and studded with active volcanoes. The Pacific coast of Guatemala is covered by vast, sprawling beaches of glistening black volcanic sand and small palm trees. We take a 1½-hour scenic drive from Guatemala City to Iztapa and view beautiful farms, forests and active volcanoes safely in the distance. Our final destination, the Pacific Fins Resort, is located in the small village of Buena Vista. The Pacific Fins Resort sits in a picturesque tropical setting, where villa doors open to a sun deck overlooking the beautifully landscaped tropical grounds, pool and dock area. The resort offers all the comforts of home, including gourmet meals, wireless Internet service and complimentary Vonage telephone service.

Our fleet of game boats, owned and operated by the Pacific Fins Resort, is located at the Pez Vela Marina, less than a 10-minute drive from the resort. Capt. Ron Hamlin, a legend in the world of sport fishing, captains our game boat Captain Hook. Among his long list of records, Capt. Ron Hamlin currently holds the record for the most billfish caught in one season at 2,809, set in October 2006 in Guatemala.

After an exciting day on the water, we come back to the resort and enjoy a favorite beverage by the pool and an outstanding gourmet meal, specially prepared by the chef. The evenings end with a variety of seminars taught by Marlin University instructors.
Students are met at the Guatemala Airport by a Marlin University representative and then travel by group to the Pacific Fins Resort. This class accommodates 16 students and includes four days of fishing.