(By Bill Tipton)
TRAVEL
There are several flights a day to Cancún, Mexico. To get to Xcalak, you can either rent a car at the airport, or the Costa de Cocos Resort in Xcalak can arrange for a complimentary shuttle to pick you up. The scenic, 250-mile drive from Cancún to Xcalak takes about five hours. On the way to Xcalak, you can stop for tacos and a cold beer in Tulum.
LODGING
Costa de Cocos Resort (www. costadecocos.com) near Chetumal Bay accommodates 20 anglers per week in cabanas that sleep two people. There is a full-service bar and restaurant on the property, but no fly shop, so take enough flies and tippet, and a backup rod and reel. The guides at Costa de Cocos fish out of traditional pangas and will pick you up from the dock each morning after breakfast.
SEASONS
Chetumal Bay is a year-round fishery. The target species are bonefish, tarpon, permit, barracudas, jacks, and snook. Costa de Cocos Resort offers discounted off-season fishing packages from June 1 through November 30, which coincides with hurricane season. The weather can be harder to predict during this time of year, but the fishing is consistently good. The best months for permit are May through July. Bonefish can be caught all year, and big, migratory tarpon show up along the reef in June. Juvenile tarpon can be caught in the creeks and lagoons throughout the year.
GEAR
The ideal setup is an 8-weight for bonefish, a 9-weight for permit, and a 10-weight for tarpon. If you’re going to take only two rods, bring an 8- and a 10-weight—that will cover the three main species. The only time you won’t fish a weight-forward floating line is if you are targeting tarpon in deep water along the reef. In those situations, an intermediate line may come in handy. Under most circumstances, you can fish a 12-foot, 16-pound leader for permit, and a 9- to 12-foot, 12-pound fluorocarbon leader for bonefish. If you have any interest in fishing for barracudas, make sure to take a 20-pound (or heavier) wire leader
Read Nick Roberts story, Xcalak, HERE.
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