THE FIRST NICARAGUAN GUAPOTE

WE STARTED OUT A BIT LATE, MY BROTHER IN-LAW AND I, AFTER HAULING ALL THE WOMEN TO A SMALL HOTEL RESTURANT ON ONE OF THE SMALL ISLETAS. WE GOT GOING ACTUALLY CLOSE TO 11:00 AM; THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 80’S WE HAD A SLIGHT BREEZE BUT NOT TOO BAD ACTUALLY. THE FISH WERE THERE, AND THEY HAD BEEN BANGING OUR BAITS EARLY IN THE START. I CAUGHT 1 SABOLETE AROUND 16” AND MISSED A HALF DOZEN ALL AS I WAS PULLING THEM INTO THE BOAT. WE WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH THE LITTLE STRAIGHTS IN AND OUT OF THE ISLANDS. I WAS USING A WHIT ROOSTER TAIL AND A COUPLE OF OTHER CRANK BAITS, BUT THEY WERE ON THE ROOSTER TAILS.

AS THE MORNING WENT INTO THE AFTERNOON, I BEGAN TROLLING THE AREAS AROUND THE HOTEL AND THAT IS WHERE ON A 5” CRANKBAIT I CAUGHT MY FIRST GUAPOTE SINCE I LEFT EL SALVADOR. IT WAS A REWARDING EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE IT RESTORED MY FAITH THAT THERE ARE GUAPOTES IN THAT LAKE. HE WAS NOT VERY BIG, BUT IT WAS A NICE FIGHTING FISH. CARLOS CAUGHT A SMALL SABOLETE TOO, ON A SMALLER CRANKBAIT. THE THING A FISHERMAN HATES WORSE THAN BEING NAGGED BY HIS WIFE, IS BEING SKUNKED. HE MANAGED TO ESCAPE THAT.

I HADN’T BEEN OUT IN A WHILE, BECAUSE I HAVE HAD MY BOAT BEING REPAIRED AND THAT WORKED WELL ALSO. SO, ALTHOUGH I DIDN’T EXACTLY SET THE WORLD ON FIRE WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF FISH IT, WAS A PRETTY PRODUCTIVE DAY ALL IN ALL.

IT AMAZES ME EVERYTIME I GO OUT IN THE LAKE AND THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL OUTWEIGHS HOW BAD IN GENERAL LIVING IN NICARAGUA IS. IN THE WEEKS TO COME, I AM HOPING TO DO SOME REAL TRAVELING DOWN THE LAKE TOWARDS COSTA RICA. TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE SIZE OF THIS LAKE, I READ TODAY THAT IT IS 3100 SQUARE MILES. IT IS 102 MILE LONG. THE BIGGEST DANGER IS THE ROCKS. I ALSO FOUND THAT NOT ONLY FRESH WATER SHARKS LIVE IN THE LAKE, BUT FRESH WATER SWORDFISH AS WELL. SO I HOPE TO HAVE SOME GREAT ADVENTURE STORIES AND PICTURE TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE DOWN THE ROAD.

FOR NOW I’M GONE FISHN’