Recommended
Southern Belize
Fishing Gear and Tackle

The following recommendations are designed to minimize the amount of gear to be packed for a Belize fishing trip in Southern Belize.  Please contact us for additional suggestions if you have lots of space, or will be spending a substantial amount of time fishing in Belize.

Spincasting Fly Fishing

Trolling General "Stuff"

In General:   The primary baitfish for southern Belize are silversides (sprats and fries), crab and some shrimp. Greenish/bluish/blackish on top and silver on sides.

Also, in general, plastic baits should be 3" to 5". Both 1/4 to 1 oz. and 1/16th to 3/4" oz. jigs will work on various fish - bring an assortment of both. Jig colors should be chartreuses, whites, orange, pink/white. Lead weights should be in the 1-3 oz. range.

Krocodile spoons are good (#1-3), as are squid spoons (also #1-3). Bring wire leaders for barracuda and King Mackerel. You'll get the most "bang for the buck" with something like the barrel swivel and barrel snap swivel kits sold by Off-Shore Anglers. The barrel swivel kit is around $21 and the barrel snap swivel kit is around $18. Whatever you do, get a black finish.

Specific Recommendations:  

We recommend the following as the best all around spinning tackle for a 3-6 day Belize fishing trip for species such as Crevalle Jacks, Mangrove Snappers, Mutton Snapper (off the beach and docks during mid-October to late December), Snook and Tarpon:

	Rod:   6-7 foot rod with a 10-20 pound line rating
	Reel:   5500SS Penn (or equivalent)
	Line:   12 - 15# test (for tarpon and snook, 15# and 25# test)
	Lures/Bait: In General: Heddon Excalibur Super Pop-R: 3 1/8" - 1 each bar fish, blue striper, redfish, red head, speckled trout Glass Minnow Kit (43-piece from Cabelas  - NN11-5626 these are soft plastic baits that work particularly well for tarpon) Big Game MirrOlure: 65M (3 1/4") and 85M (5"): 2 of each color: green back, white belly, silver scales; green back, yellow belly, gold scales; green back, white belly, gold scales; blue back, white belly, silver scales; black back, fluorescent orange belly, fluorescent flame, chartreuse sides; green back, white belly, pink scales.  (The 85M 5" lures can also be used for trolling for barracuda and King Mackerel.  Both the 65M and the 85M are excellent multi-purpose lures and are hard to find in Belize, so guides will appreciate them as tips, or you can sell them if you don't want to take them home with you.) Live Bait:  Mangrove Snapper Cut Bait:  Mutton Snapper Traveling Light - good all-around, all-purpose:  Tails and Bodies Kit: 200 piece assortment of jerkbaits, shad bones, grubs, beatles and tubes, plus assortment of heads and hooks (about $30 US from Off-Shore Angler)

Bonefish:

	Rod:   6-7 foot rod with a 6-15 pound line rating
	Reel:  4500SS Penn or equivalent (should hold at least 250 yards of line)
	Line:  6-10# test
	Lures:   Small jigs (1/16-1/8 ounce) - wiggle jigs work well Small hooks (#1s and #2s) baited with plastic jig tails: something like the 42-piece DOA Shrimp Kit  at Offshore Anglers (3")

For species such as King Mackerel, Wahoo, Barracuda, Cubera and Mutton Snapper, and Serra Spanish Mackerel, we recommend the following fishing gear for Belize:

	Rod:   6-7 foot medium/heavy rod with a butt long enough to fit into a fighting belt
	Reel:   6500SS - 9500SS Penn (or equivalent) (9500SS size for Mutton and Cubera Snapper) (reel should hold 300 yards of line)
	Line:   15-30# test
	Lures:   Rattlin' Rapalas (2 3/4" gold/black, back red, hot chartreuse/red, white/red head), pot bellied jigs (assorted colors, 1/2 - 1 1/2 oz) Tarpon poppers 3" MirrOlures 4 1/4" Yo-Zuri Octopus Skirts (blue/pink, pink/blue/black/stripe, black/blue, yellow/black/silver, green/yellow and blue/green) 5" Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows (purple/green, red/white, blue mackerel, green mackerel/gold laser) (See note on the 68M and 85M Big Game MirroLures above)

Snook, Permit, Tarpon

	Rod:   9/10 weight
	Line:   9 foot, 20# leader; 80# shock leader (for tarpon), clear slow-sinking line (also clear intermediate line for tarpon) (we prefer Ultra 3 MonoCore), extra spool weight-forward floating line, 20-30# backing (min. 150 yards for snook, 250 yards for tarpon and permit)
	Flies

Tarpon and Snook (also will work for tuna and barracuda):   Clouser Half and Half:  Size 3/0 and 4/0, bring two each of olive with lots of flash tied on a 3/0 and 4/0 hook and, brown with lots of flash tied on a 3/0 and 4/0 hook Berke's Juvineel:  Size 1/0, bring  2 Cockroach:  Size 3/0, bring two grisly colored Black Death (black and red cockroach):  Size 3/0, bring 2 Bluewater Mullet:  Size 4/0, bring 2 Crystal Poppers:  1 each Pencil Popper (2/0) Maxi Popper (2/0) Mini Popper (1/0) Surf Candy:  Popovic's Deep Candy Bendback, Size 2/0, bring 2 Gummy Minnows:  all colors (Note:  Bring the same flies for juvenile tarpon, but tie them on 1/0 and 2/0 hooks.)

Permit:   Bauer's Fur Crab:  Size 4 hook, one each of tan and olive Enrico Puglisi Crab:  Size 4 hook, bring one Palometa Crab:  Size 4 hook if possible (size 2 otherwise), one tan Mangrove Critter:  Size 3 or 4 hook, if possible (the 1/0 is very big and splashes), bring 2 Del's Merkin:  Try to find the legs tied in green and orange (same leg colors as the olive Turneffe Crab), bring 2 McCrab:  Size 4 hook, bring 2 Turneffe Crab:  Size 6, bring 3 olives Del's Merkin:  Size 4 hook, bring 2

Bonefish

	Rod:   7-9 weight
	Line:   7-9 weight floating line (depending on size of rod), 9-12' bonefish leaders, 10-12# tippet
	Flies:   Boggle Head:  Size 6 hook, 2 each of olive and tan Bonefish Bitters:  Size 6 and 8 hooks, bring two each (one of each size) of olive and orange Bone Shrimp:  Size 4 hook, bring 2 Flash Shrimp:  Size 6 hook, bring 2 Squimp:  Size 6 hook, bring 2 Bonefish Clouser:  Size 4 hook, bring 2 each of chartreuse and olive (if you can find or tie in olive)

(Another Note:  Bill Kiene, owner of Kiene's Fly Shop in Sacramento, California, is very familiar with fishing in the Placencia area.  Bill is very good about helping visitors to the area get properly outfitted, so you may want to contact him if you'd like to talk to someone in the States who has fished the area.  Bill's Website is at http://www.kiene.com or you can contact him by email at billkiene@kiene.com. 

We supply all trolling gear.   However, additional lures are always appreciated.  We recommend any large (9") deep-diving lures, and are particularly fond of Mann 30+ Stretch lures - redheads, and any other Manns you can find (if you can find any).

We provide the following for all fishing trips:

All trolling gear, including rods, reels, lures, bait, hooks, and line, but excluding spincasting and fly fishing gear Angler's lunch Live bait (if appropriate) Harnesses and belts (if appropriate) Condiments, dishes, utensils, cups,  napkins, ice and coolers

Boat transportation to and from Placencia Village (max. 2  people per boat for flyfishing and light tackle, max. 4 for trolling) Drinking water Care of all fish Life jackets Cooking utensils and equipment Basic first-aid kit

Belize fishing trip clients should bring the following:

Fly fishing and spinning gear (see above for suggestions) Neoprene wading boots (for the flats) "Broad spectrum" sunscreen containing zinc oxide, minimum SPF 15 rating (total sunblock isn't a bad idea for the first few days on the water)  see our Sun Protection Page Insect Repellent (Deep Woods Off) Hat with a minimum 3" brim (check the hats offered by Watership Trading Company) Prescription and over-the-counter medication (Placencia now has a pharmacy, but still best to bring your own) Camera and film (film is expensive in Belize, bring plenty from home or bring your digital and rechargeable batteries and charger) (an underwater camera can also be fun - the disposables aren't bad, either)

Lightweight long-sleeved shirt and pants (at least 1 pair each - quick-drying nylon is best) Special dietary needs (will be difficult to locate in Placencia) Light-weight rain gear (disposable poncho ok) Towel Alcoholic beverages and sodas (if desired on fishing trips) Snorkeling gear (may be rented in Placencia, but we advise bringing your own for a good fit) Optional change of dry clothing on day trips Alarm Clock (most rooms in Placencia don't have phones or clocks) Dark, light-weight t-shirts

Polarized sunglasses.  Sunglasses should fit tightly to block UVR from the sides and have lenses large enough to cover the entire eye area, including eye lids.  Copper or amber are the best color  if you're only bringing one pair - color is irrelevant in terms of UV ratings.) Note:  Habervision makes good polarized sunglasses, especially their rose/copper lenses, which provide great clarity on the flats.  Belize Fishing Guides Belize Fly Fishing South Belize Fishing Locations Belize City Tide Chart Belize Fish Guide Belize Fishing Calendar Recommended Gear and Tackle Summer Fishing Specials Winter Fishing Specials ****Budget Summer Belize Fishing Specials****

Please note: services and goods in Belize are subject to a 12.5% general sales tax (GST).  Hotels/resorts must charge a 9% hotel tax on accommodations.  By law, all rates quoted for goods and services must include the GST, but quoted hotel room rates need not include the hotel tax.  All of our package rates include both GST and hotel taxes.  As required by law, rates for tours quoted on our Website include the 12.5% GST.  Many hotels and resorts also impose a service charge.  We have included service charges in package rates unless specifically stated otherwise. 

Send emails to mtoy@destinationsbelize.com.  Please Note:  Belize sometimes has significant  phone and Internet service problems.  If you do NOT receive a response to your email within 24 hours, please try resending - and we apologize for the inconvenience.)

Mailing Address:  General Delivery, Stann Creek District, Placencia, Belize

Phone: 

Belize: 
       Land Line:  523-4018 (from outside Belize dial  011-501-523-4018) 
       Cell:  610-4718  (from outside Belize dial  011-501-610-4718)
       Fax:  Use US Fax (see below)
U.S. Fax or Voice Mail Messages:  1-603-386-6632

Last modified: November 06, 2011

©Mary V. Toy, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011