Area resident enjoys unforgettable day of fishing while on vacation in Belize
Posted Mar 18, 2010 By EMC News
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During the day-long fishing trip, in addition to catching a shark and amberjacks, the group also caught more than 70 snappers. Above, Karlo puts together some fresh ceviche after filleting some snapper and marinating it in lime juice.
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EMC News - The following is a recount by Kemptville resident Ralph Raina, of a day of fishing he experienced while on vacation in Belize in February. Raina noted that the day "was so different, I wanted to share it with readers."
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Kemptville resident Ralph Raina, right, smiles as his friend Karlo Medina holds up an amberjack, which they caught while fishing on Ambergris Caye, an island off the coast of Belize, in February. In the background at the boat's motor is their fishing guide for the day, Choci.
It is February in the small town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Ambergris Caye is an island off the coast of Belize famous for its barrier reef and for superb snorkeling, diving and fishing.
The day started at 6 a.m. when my friend Keith and I met Choci at the dock in front of our hotel, the Spindrift Hotel, which is right on the beach. Choci is known by this name because he has a fishing boat called Chocolate! I'm not sure if anyone knows his real name. As soon as we boarded we headed north to another dock where Choci picked up bags of ice and where another friend of mine came on board, Karlo Medina, the architect for some property I bought a few years ago on the island. Karlo arrived with hot coffee, Johnnycakes, soft drinks and, of course, Belikin beer.
When we were all settled we headed north again to another dock where Choci, without saying a word, got out of the boat and with one cast of his net hauled in about 20 pounds of sardines, which we then realized was going to be our bait. We then set off in the direction of the reef where we went through a passage and ended up in over 300 feet of water with very large swells. After drifting for about one-half hour Keith caught a shark weighing about 20 pounds. It was a lot of work but thrilling when he brought it in.
Well, at least it was thrilling for us but Karlo was busy on his cell phone during all the drama! We found it quite surprising to talk on the phone during a fishing expedition.
After catching the shark we returned through the passage and headed back to Ambergris Caye to an area where a canal has been cut between the town of San Pedro and the northern part of the island. When we arrived at the canal there was a taxi waiting with quite a large package for us. Again, with no comment from anyone, we continued through the cut to the lagoon, which is on the western side of the island. Choci then took us on an extended boat ride through these shallow waters.
In the meantime, he was checking his GPS when suddenly he stopped, dropped anchor and began to bait our hooks with the sardines. Immediately we started to catch snappers. It was only 10 a.m. and we had already caught sardines and a shark, picked up a mysterious package and a load of snappers! Choci began to filet some of the snappers and Karlo announced that we were going to have ceviche for lunch. In the package that the taxi brought were the ingredients that Karlo had called and asked his wife to prepare for us during the time Keith was catching a shark - namely diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro and limes. Karlo diced the filleted snappers and marinated them in lime juice for 40 minutes or so. When all was combined it made the best ceviche I had ever tasted. Karlo also, as a side order, cut up hot peppers very fine which were too fiery for my taste. That was our noon hour meal which we ate ravenously with tortilla chips and washed down with Belikin.
After that, Choci took off again and after motoring for about one-half hour he located his second secret fishing spot. By mid-afternoon we had a total of over 70 snappers and we headed back to our dock. Keith and I were quite tired after such a full day in the sun but then Karlo invited us back to his place for dinner to enjoy the catch of the day!
After a brief rest, we arrived at his home at 7:30 p.m. but Karlo and Choci were nowhere in sight. They were still cleaning fish on the dock! They arrived soon after and Karlo's wife cooked us the best grilled whole snapper I had ever tasted, seasoned to perfection. It hung over my plate on both sides and with all the rice, beans and salad I was hard pressed to finish this wonderful feast.
And so our fishing day came to an end, and what a day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.! It was wonderful and so full of unexpected surprises and certainly a day to write about. So if you want to go fishing in Belize with Choci, you had better be prepared for a busy day. You may even be so lucky as to have a ceviche lunch thrown in! Choci is a very pleasant and experienced guide. If you are interested in experiencing fishing in Belize, you can reach him at 501-602-4779.
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