Puerto Rico doesn’t tend to come to mind for traveling anglers, but it’s one of the world’s best saltwater fisheries, and it’s exceptionally easy to travel if you’re from the United States. No Name Lodge has been putting Puerto Rico at the forefront of destinations for juvenile tarpon.  Yet it isn’t just the tarpon that keeps anglers returning—the variety of fishing options and the chance to pursue additional species make every trip memorable. Here’s my first-hand insight on some of the scenarios you may encounter when fishing in Puerto Rico.

Scenarios Ripe with Tarpon

Mangrove Lagoons

This is where we encountered the highest volume of fish either rolling or slashing through a large amount of bait in the 6-10 ft of water. Their willingness to take a fly fluctuated from occasional lockjaw to other times very eager eats. The lagoon environment offered a great windbreak and the flat, glass water conditions made it easy to fish. The challenges were that the fish could show up from any direction at any time, and in certain times a hooked fish could “spook the pool” in such calm conditions.

Mangrove Tunnels

When the wind is up or visibility is low, these tight-quartered environs can be super fun to explore. For anglers who have bushwacked their way up a tiny blue line in search of brook trout, this will feel familiar. You will duck down often, and you may belly crawl at times. It’s a good idea to pull up some videos of Joe Humphreys and learn the magic of the “bow and arrow” cast. Another idea is to enjoy a walk through the woods, fly rod in hand, and attempt to make casts every 30 steps or so. This will also give you time to cultivate the proper vocabulary for swearing at branches and leaves—you will need it. The payoff of this arboreal fishing is eager and fun-sized baby tarpon that will offer second or even third chances, and the laughter of everyone on the boat when these fish launch out of the water and cartwheel into the mangroves.

Sargassum Grass Mats

Of all the scenarios for fishing in Puerto Rico, this is the one to hope for. We did not find any of these grass mats during our visit, but the lodge tells us that the fish love to congregate under these floating islands of vegetation and feed on the numerous crabs, shrimp, and baitfish that are using the grass as a shelter. At times, casting to the edge of a sargassum mat can be the most reliable way to get a bite. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is very unpredictable, and no one knows just when the winds and waters will assemble and deliver the grass mats.

Shoreline Flats

Poling the mangrove-lined, shallow water flats running along the shoreline also produced fish as they cruised up and down and in and out of the mangroves- a situation that should feel familiar to many anglers who have searched for snook, redfish, or bonefish in a similar fashion. The advantage here is that you can narrow your focus to certain sections of the shoreline as the fish are typically traveling one way or the other, and the light may further dictate your window of visibility. The challenges here can be changing light conditions, combined with shadows, variations in the shoreline, and the underwater structure can make it difficult to see a fish and then track it for a presentation. The shoreline structure can also present a challenge as the fish often relate very closely to overhanging branches and debris making accuracy especially important. Depending on the weather and waves, there is a chance of some unwanted rocking of the boat.

Seawalls, Docks, & Marinas

These will all fish differently, and can mostly be matched up with one or more of the natural (non-man-made) scenarios shown here, but I’ve grouped them together here as there is a uniqueness to fishing these environments. I’ve talked to a few people who, thanks to certain images, have the misconception that Puerto Rico is limited to an “Urban” fishery. There is that option and we fed and jumped some large fish along the seawalls of the West Coast, but we certainly spent much more time far from civilization. Still, depending on conditions and circumstances, these scenarios can be great for a few reasons. New anglers can often find success with concentrated numbers of fish, and those same high numbers of fish combined with the often-sheltered nature of these environments can save the day when weather may limit the options. For the most part, the seawalls will fish much like the shoreline flats, and the docks and marinas will have elements of the mangrove lagoons and tunnels.

Scenarios Perfect for Permit

Poled Ocean Flats

Anglers visiting the Boquerón locations will not likely encounter much opportunity for permit fishing from the skiff. Although there are a few small flats that the guides can access when the conditions allow, these areas are not known to hold as many fish as the wadable reef flats where the fish can easily pop up for a quick meal and then return to the depths. Having said that, if you are not able to wade and would still like to look for a permit, this can be discussed with your guides or the manager and they will work to give you the best possible shot from the boat.

Waded Ocean Flats

On the outside edges of the many small, offshore islands, anglers walk the length of the long, narrow flats, searching each wave trough for tails that would betray a feeding permit underneath the surface. Like most permit fishing, this was a super exciting game of spot and stalk but with the added elements of being on foot and at times in very close range to the fish, along with a steady stream of waves (hint: search the trough and try to get your cast off before the next wave peaks over the tail).  If you enjoy the challenge of permit fishing, this option deserves some of your time. Bring sturdy wading boots for the sharp, coral-based terrain along with a thick skin, unshakable confidence, and your best magic permit patterns.

Contact me, Joe Koziara, to learn more about the fishing in Puerto Rico.

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