Most fish are released boatside without leaving the water.





We gently raised 3 for pictures




Dave's personal best Tarpon. What a fish!






Dave had the hot hand, and fish bit everything he put in the water. I really enjoyed watching him fish & settled in with my camera. He was geared up perfectly with a 7’ 15-30 rod and an Avet mxl 6:1 reel, and played these fish like a world class pro. He’s too modest to ever say it, so I will. Dave can reel in big critters with the best of them. I became determined to land my first fish using my Islander MR3, which proved extremely challenging as I'm sure you can imagine. I lost fish alot of different ways, broken rods, at the boat,...but the best example is paying out line in freespool on a single action and getting nailed behind the boat by a 100+ Tarpon.....with no drag......F%$#!

Dark falls at 5:30, so we leave a red hot bite at 4:00 for our run to Fidel’s house at the mouth of the Rio Grande. We’re greeted by the Nicaraguan Navy, who check our papers and agree to tie up/watch our boat overnight for a pack of Marlboro’s and beer money. Hey, guys with AK47’s will guard your boat all night for a pack a smokes and a six pack…Killer deal! All really friendly people, who speak plain English with a Cajun/Jamaican accent. We ate well and drank beer with a few locals until late.




It was a long sleepless night with pounding rain and dreams about the locals stories of Jaguars entering the village night to kill the village dogs...in an interesting role reversal

The next morning we returned to the Kurinwas and Evil Lagoon, and found a few here and there, and the bite seemed to be heating up as we had to leave again. We knew we had some good images, so we packed up to run home.
Stopped in Pearl Lagoon to have a refreshment at the riverside bar .

Cruising home through the jungle.


We tried to get outside to fish some rocks & cays in the ocean, but the swells were up, so we explored upriver on the Escondido and Kukra Rivers.
Hey BNelson, I caught the biggest snook of our trip on that whirlybob-tailed-musky lure I grabbed that one day


More Snook and Trevally, Dave caught a big catfish , & conditions were locally unfavorable for Tarpon. We covered great water to fish when the Tarpon move in .





The last couple days were a blur. We won and lost at the casino, checked out the town & market, fished, ate more shrimp than a man has a right to, and had an interesting flight home, all too many stories to tell.

I’m feeling spoiled rotten. The first place I’ve ever been to fish Tarpon is as good as it gets. Hard for a guy like me to say, since I’ve only fished Tarpon once and the fish were unreal. Dave insists Pearl Lagoon and it's surrounding waters are among the best spots in the world...if not the best. For the numbers guys, we jumped 55-60 Tarpon in that afternoon and following morning in Pearl.

I’d like to say thanks to Dave for setting up the trip and being a great travel partner, and thanks to Randy and Rosa Poteet, our hosts.



Contact info is:
http://www.Rumbleinthejungle.net
Randyrosa97@yahoo.com
If you contact them, tell them I sent ya.

It’s noteworthy to point out that there are very few bugs and mosquito’s (the bloodsuckers), and neither Dave or I got sick from eating or drinking anything at Casa Rosa. They treat all their water, and the lodge is very well kept.

That’s why we’ll be back next year.
Salut!