It was still dark at 6.30am when we stepped aboard our boat armed with sun tan lotion, cameras, beer and water. She really was a beautiful boat, spotlessly clean and adorned with huge outriggers, viewing platforms and everything else associated with game fishing.
Once welcomed aboard the Skipper discussed our options then asked us what we wanted to fish for, the choice was ours. He explained that if we decided to fish for Sailfish and Marlin, we had a reasonable chance of a strike but it would be unlikely that all three would get a chance. If we chose to fish for ‘smaller’ game then he could almost guarantee action by taking us to an area where yesterday’s party had landed around 15 tuna to over 20lb. Also, when fishing for these lesser species (his words not mine) there was always a chance of a strike from one of the billfish. The decision was an easy one, I wanted action, as did everyone else, as long as the gear was balanced I would be happy catching the Tuna and Yellowtails he described. 
So we were off, motoring at rapid speed towards the blue water line.
Before we arrived in the area the skipper had suggested, the first mate had set out six rods. Three of these were on 50lb class outfits and bait consisted of mullet of around 12oz. These were gutted and de-boned with a large hook and 120lb mono leader passed through their mouth then the underbelly was carefully sewn back up. These three rods were placed on the canopy above us and the line paid through the outriggers. Baits were fished some 40 to 60yds behind the boat. Any takes on these and the rods would be grabbed by the mate and passed down to one of us. The remaining three rods (30lb class) were fished with simple but large, weighted Muppets, and these were placed on the back of the boat. When one of these rods woke up we were to grab hold, throw the drag over and game on…..literally. 
As I had organised the trip it was agreed that I would take the first strike (believe me I didn’t take much persuading) so I took my place in the fighting chair. Guzzling down iced water and scouring the sea through my sunglasses I was generally feeling that life was now just about as good as it gets. Two hours later I was still in the chair still scouring the ocean but not feeling quite as confident. I could tell by the expression on the mate’s face that he had expected us to have a strike by now. Suddenly the skipper shouted and the mate hurriedly grabbed a livebait from the well, hooked it (freeline) on a spare rod and ran to the front of the boat before casting out. He tried three or four more times before starting the engine up again and continuing trolling. Apparently they had seen a sailfish cruising by some distance away from our lures and this tactic often produced a quick response. Another 15mins or so passed and I was just commenting to my father that I couldn’t believe that a fish could even see our baits let alone catch them at the speed we were travelling. To give you an idea of our speed our lures and baits were not actually in the water but bouncing across the surface. Even worse the Muppets were actually in the white water being thrown out from the boats powerful engines. A take seemed unlikely. Suddenly there were excited shouts from above, the skipper and mate were pointing to our left and shouting something in Mexican at us.
“What is it, what can you see?” I asked excitedly.
“Sailfish, behind your left hand bait” shouted the mate and pointed seaward.
Suddenly I spotted it; one of the mullet baits, bouncing some fifty yards behind the boat was being followed. All I could make out was a single point like a sword protruding from the waves and moving at exactly the same speed at the bait. This turned out to be the tail of a good fish but as of yet its sail was not extended but was tucked backwards as the fish maintained its speed. Time seemed to stand still for what seemed an age but was probably just a minute or so. The great fish remained some four feet behind the bait, then suddenly in front of the protruding tail there appeared a huge sail. At the same time the fish seemed to gathered pace and I could make out a huge swirl on the choppy surface. Simultaneously the boat lurched forward as the skipper hit the thrusts on the engine and the huge gold multiplier let out a scream.’Get in the chair! Get in the chair!’ The mate shouted.
I didn’t need telling twice. As I threw myself into the fighting chair the mate passed the rod down from the upper platform with line still screaming off the reel, with my hand just inches from the reel the mate let out a huge groan and the reels drum stopped spinning. It had thrown the bait.
Was I disappointed? Strangely not. Maybe now I am but at the time I was so excited at the whole affair disappointment was the one emotion I didn’t feel. I was still buzzing. We just got the bait back out and continued to fish, only now with renewed enthusiasm. I would have loved to feel the power of that fish, even if I went on to lose it. But the sight of that huge dorsal fin suddenly standing erect before the bait was hit will live with me all my life. 
We didn’t have long to dwell on that experience. Once again the mate was first to see action, two or three swirls in the white water behind the boat had him telling us to get ready for action. Sure enough one of the 30lb class rods immediately behind the boat suddenly sprung into life, I grabbed it and knocked over the drag – yessssss! – I was in! Within seconds another rod was off and the mate grabbed this and handed it to my father. Suddenly we were both playing fish, my father in the chair and me stood up at the back of the boat, hours without anything, then two at once. After a great fight on balanced gear our first ‘real’ game fish was swung aboard. It turned out to be a yellowfin tuna of about 15lb. I have never felt a more muscular fish; it was like holding a lump of concrete, rock solid and boy could they pull! The fish my father was attached to turned out to be another tuna of similar size and this was dispatched along with the first one and placed in ice. 
As I put the rod back in the holder and paid out line the mate quickly hosed down and wiped the deck. This was just one more thing that made this boat trip so different to my usual experiences of charter trips fishing the grounds off Conway or Bridlington. The boat was, and remained, spotless throughout the day. Once we had found the tuna the action was guaranteed, my father in law took his turn next and despite his lack of experience made a good job of landing another tuna of around 13 to14lb. We now experienced a hectic hour or so where our rods would go two or sometimes three at a time. All the fish were falling to the Muppets trailed in the white water behind the boat, so the takes we could hit and play ourselves with the mate landing fish and checking rigs.
In between the tuna I hooked a slightly bigger fish which fought with equal gusto, and according to the mate this turned out to be a ‘yellowtail’. A yellowtail what I’m not sure but it did look very similar to the Jack Crevalle that I have seen caught on Rex Hunts angling programmes which are filmed in Australia and shown regularly on the Discovery Channel. This was probably the biggest fish we landed, probably weighing somewhere around 23 to 25lbs. Most of the tuna we caught we estimated at between 13 and 18lbs with maybe one or two going ‘twenty’.
The day was passing all too fast but before it was time to wind in the rods we landed a total of around 25 tuna, a single yellowtail, several smaller species of mini-tuna and mackerel, not forgetting the single sailfish strike. A catch we were more than happy to settle for.
As we motored back to the marina the skipper broke out the beer and we drank heartily on ice-cold bottles of ‘Corona’ and sat chatting, laughing and generally feeling that things were just about perfect. The mate sat with us, swigging hard on a cold beer and telling us some extraordinary tales of captures from this and other boats from the marina. Apparently we were quite unlucky, the tuna swim in schools of approximately the same size and just last week they were all in the 35-45lb bracket. That would have been good but we couldn’t feel disappointed, we had had a fantastic day. He also told me that tuna to an incredible 600lb had been taken from that area. Now that would have been a fish to see! After the way our modest fish had fought I could only imagine the power that a giant like that would produce. Tales of giant Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado and other exotic species had me totally enthralled throughout the journey back to the marina. Oh, to be able to afford the kind of lifestyle where fishing these productive waters could be a way of life……..we can all dream. 
As we climbed ashore it was handshakes all round and the skipper and mate were more than happy with our ‘tip’ of leaving the day’s catch with them. Even though the waters off Mexico are rich in game fish the mate told us he would keep one for his family and get a good price down at the marked or the local hotels for the fresh tuna meat.
I now had just a few days left of the holiday and that night I drank beer and Tequila with the best of them and bored the pants off anyone who would listen to me as I described every detail of the wonderful day’s fishing I had just experienced.
The following morning found me once again down by the beach and after landing another couple of the most unwelcome ‘frogs’ I spotted a large bow wave cutting through the surf. I quickly attached an 8in Rapala to my 12lb line and cast ahead of the unseen fish. For around twenty minutes or so the fish moved back and forth in front of me, no more than 20yds out. I continued to cast over and over again, running up and down the beach to keep my lure in front of the fish, but had no takes. As the sun came out over the hotel block and bathed the surf my unseen target became visible. I wonder if sharks actually take lures? At around 6 to 8ft long I decided I didn’t want to know, much to the disappointment of the crowd, which had gathered, without my knowing, behind me on the pool balcony.
My fishing in Mexico was now all but over. As I walked back up the beach I was roundly booed and jeered good naturedly by my unwanted crowd as I walked head held high past them all and helped myself to a breakfast of massive proportions………and a beer!
