The Time Machine: Puerto Vicente Guerrero
By Ed Kunze

Even for the non-fisherman, Puerto Vicente Guerrero is like stepping back in time 50 years. It is certainly not on your guided tour program, but it should be a part of your itinerary. You can either rent a car, or take a bus, and spend a couple of days in one of the inexpensive and clean hotels in the area. Other than the modern outboard motors on the panga commercial fleet, it would almost be impossible to tell you weren't in a quaint Mexican fishing village in the 1950s.

Beside the night time commercial fishing fleet, there are also a couple of pangas devoted to diving for lobster, octopus, and oysters with a hookah hose and air compressor, providing fresh seafood for the small local restaurants and residents. The oysters in this area are huge. I have had to cut them in 4 pieces in order to eat them. Plus, this is the only location on the coast with year round clean water, and the only place I will eat raw oysters with confidence.

Featuring pristine beaches which have never seen a crowd, a quiet little 20 acre fishing port, and contrasted against the back drop of the Sierra Madres; makes for a veritable paradise.

With the incredible roosterfish action here, Puerto Vicente, Gro. is definitely one of the top hotspots in the world for roosters.

For the fisherman, you will be fishing almost virgin waters. The port has only three sport fishing boats, and one is currently without a motor. There are rarely more than three or four days a week when one or two boats are fishing the area. But even if they hit it hard, they still can't cover all the available areas, either inshore or offshore. There are very few places in the world where the last person to fish the area you are fishing, was more than two weeks prior.  

          With the incredible roosterfish action here, Puerto Vicente, Gro. is definitely one of the top hotspots in the world for roosters. It would certainly rate no worse than number 4, but only because few people have fished it as compared to the other places. But, the people who have fished it would rate it a possible No. 1 spot in the world for roosterfish. An average day will raise from 10 to 15 roosters, and last July, using a surface popper, I raised 32 in a four hour period. Of those 32 roosters, I was only counting the one on the surface slashing at the popper. I was not counting the two or three we could see down below the popper. And these roosters are huge. There are a few in the 7 to 25 pound range, but the majority of the fish run from 35 to 50 pounds, with even a few in the 70 or 80 pound class. Have you ever seen the hole left in the water after a 50 pound rooster has turned on your fly? It is awesome. This is the place to be if you are into light line fishing or fly fishing for roosters.

The blue water is just like the inshore fishery. It is unspoiled. What makes the blue water fishery here so unique is its geographical location and structure. At Puerto Vicente Gro., located approximately half way between Zihuatanejo and Acapulco, the Sierra Madre Mountains continue down to the water's edge, and on out to sea. This creates the only structure between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo the fish can identify with. Wherever there is structure there will be bait hiding, and the game fish follow the bait.

 The dorado, marlin, and sailfish action starts at two miles from the port. Rarely do we travel more than 12 miles from port, and that would to be to fish the canyon formed by the 1,000 fathom line. The canyon has an incredible upwelling, as in goes from 6,000 feet of water up to 2,500 feet on each side. That is an almost 3,500 foot near vertical rise and the nutrient laden upwelling attracts all species of blue water game fish.

          When you compare the blue water fishing around Puerto Vicente Gro. to Zihuatanejo, keep in mind there are very few sea mounts in Zihuatanejo, and to get to the 1,000 fathom line you must make a 30 mile boat ride. The blue water fishing is better than in Zihuatanejo, the action is closer to the port, and you have the added bonus of fishing essentially virgin water.  

          Why has Puerto Vicente Gro. been such a well kept secret? Mostly it is from the lack of having a fishing fleet. Only this last two years has there been any covered pangas dedicated to sport fishing, and even these really do not have a captain or deckhand knowledgeable with sport fishing and tourists. The local captains are excellent fishermen, but with a hand line or using a net for commercial purposes. If you want to charter these boats, it is best if you have your own quality gear, a working knowledge of Spanish, and very good experience at rigging your own baits.

          A few fishermen have been going to Puerto Vicente Gro. for years and getting some of the best fishing in the world. In fact, ESPN2 did a show there this last year and a couple of articles have been written about it in popular fishing magazines. These knowledgeable fishermen pay the extra premium to have pangas from Zihuatanejo make the 40 mile run and fish with them. They stay in one of the local hotels, and meet the Zihuatanejo pangas at the dock each morning, which is only 5 to 10 minutes from the hotel. This way they get all the benefits of the 1 ^st class gear and the captain's knowledge to fish these virgin waters, and they do not have to make a 3 hour (each way) boat ride every day.

          Times are changing however, and how long Puerto Vicente Gro. will remain an unknown hotspot remains to be seen. But for now, if you want to step back in time, be sure you make the trip down there. You will not just be amazed by the incredible fishing, but the experience of being in a quaint old time fishing village will be a memorable event which may never be seen again in a few more years.

Telephone

(800) 919 2252

VOICE & FAX

(951) 245 2312

            (760) 522-3720 )(cell)

Postal address

Post Office Box 300189

       Escondido California 92030

Electronic mail

General Information: yvonne.graham@gmail.com
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