TRIP REPORT- ZAPATA LIVE-ABOARD
We started out in Havana, taking in a lot of sights in just two short days. Mojitos at La Bodegiuta del Medio are a must.
Hi all. I am freshly back from a fantastic trip to Cuba, and still getting caught up on all the things that had piled up while I was gone. This trip was aboard the Georgiana yacht, that moors in the very isolated waters of the Zapata Peninsula, west of the famous Bay of Pigs. However, it was not aboard Georgiana! We found out upon arrival that our boat was in for repairs, and we instead would be aboard the dive boat Aggressor, which to our joy was more luxurious, allowing each of us our own private cabins. Fantastic.
Our home for the week
We honestly had just a fantastic week in Zapata. First of all, the staff aboard our boat were incredible. From Suli, our hostess, to the captain, chef, engineer and deck hands, the staff worked tirelessly to make sure that we were taken care of. We could not be more grateful.
Best of all, we had almost perfect weather, and excellent fishing. Many of you know that one of the unique things about this fishery is that guests fish 3 days in a shared skiff, and 3 days in a single. This is fantastic. Each guest receives more fishing time, and without another angler to please can ask the guide to target whatever species they want to pursue. All guests had excellent Bonefishing, both from the skiffs and while wading. As well, I think every angler hooked Tarpon nearly every day, whether it was from the single or double boat. There were a lot of Tarpon, ranging in size from truly little guys of around 5 pounds, to fish pushing 25 pounds.
Great back-country Tarpon completed one of our Grand-Slams
And, we had 3 Grand Slams, which of course means 3 Permit were landed! I had no idea that this area had so many Permit, and having seen more of this habitat realize it could be one of the best Permit destinations in Cuba for sheer numbers of fish. On one day fishing with the Permit-crazed guide Cachimbo, we spotted 35-40 Permit. Really incredible.
The smiling Cachimbo, racking up another Zapata Permit
And speaking of guides, again words cannot do them justice. All were exceptionally friendly, and worked hard to make sure that all guests had a great experience. They are very enthusiastic about the fishing, but not to the point that anglers feel pressured like they do in some places like the Florida Keys. They were a great group, and I cannot wait to see them again.
I will be hosting more trips to Zapata. I really feel that I may have misjudged how good the fishing here could be. I already have inquired about a week for next Fall, and should have final dates soon. Please reach out if you are interested.
Boat staff, guides, and guests atop the Aggressor