El Cuyo, Mexico's reputation for being a world class, kiteboarder and kitesurfer destination is growing by the day. Those that come here get to know it for it's amazing and reliably windy conditions. But so much more is here once you scratch the surface.
Certainly, for the ComeKiteWithUs team, we have also fallen in love with the amazing fishing conditions that El Cuyo offers. Whether fishing from the El Cuyo fishing pier, fishing with a friend on a pair of SUP boards (stand-up paddle boards), or chartering a local boat for some larger game fish found a bit further out to sea, the waters of the Yucatan constantly provide a plethora of fish to hook up with.
Certainly, for the ComeKiteWithUs team, we have also fallen in love with the amazing fishing conditions that El Cuyo offers. Whether fishing from the El Cuyo fishing pier, fishing with a friend on a pair of SUP boards (stand-up paddle boards), or chartering a local boat for some larger game fish found a bit further out to sea, the waters of the Yucatan constantly provide a plethora of fish to hook up with.
Almost all fish caught in El Cuyo are typically hooked using live bait, most often sardines, which are collected prior to fishing by throwing a casting net. Lures also work, but close to shore, sardines are where the action is at.
Offshore fishing from a boat provides lots of options for hooking up with other species of fish, which are typically much larger in size than the fish near shore. Live bait, chunks of large sardines, and a variety of lures and jigs are effective fishing methods.
It is not necessary to have a Mexican fishing license to fish from shore or the fishing pier, however according to law all offshore fishing does require a Mexican fishing license. Charters typically provide them for their customers, but in El Cuyo I would suggest simply purchasing the Mexican fishing license online and then print and laminate it before you visit.
Below are drawings and pictures of the prevalent fish species found in and around the waters of El Cuyo, and tips on how and where you should expect to catch them. Click a picture of a fish to read more about that particular species on the International Game Fish Association website.
Offshore fishing from a boat provides lots of options for hooking up with other species of fish, which are typically much larger in size than the fish near shore. Live bait, chunks of large sardines, and a variety of lures and jigs are effective fishing methods.
It is not necessary to have a Mexican fishing license to fish from shore or the fishing pier, however according to law all offshore fishing does require a Mexican fishing license. Charters typically provide them for their customers, but in El Cuyo I would suggest simply purchasing the Mexican fishing license online and then print and laminate it before you visit.
Below are drawings and pictures of the prevalent fish species found in and around the waters of El Cuyo, and tips on how and where you should expect to catch them. Click a picture of a fish to read more about that particular species on the International Game Fish Association website.
 Speckled Sea Trout ( Corvina ) |  Jack Crevalle (Curel) |
Above are two of the most commonly caught fish in El Cuyo when fishing off the pier or from a SUP board.
The Speckled Sea Trout (on the left), Corvina in Spanish, is one of the first fish to arrive with the season as the ocean waters warm up, showing up in schools sometime around late January or early February . It is not uncommon to see a single person catch 5-15 in a single sitting. Early in the season they average around 2 lbs, but by April and May, it is not uncommon to see a 6-8 lb corvina caught. They have excellent firm, white meat for fish tacos.
The Jack Crevalle (on the right), Curel in Spanish, is a voracious eater and a hard fighter when hooked. We aren't huge fans of the darker, fishier meat it has, but the locals love them...so it is easy to make some friends of the pier (muelle) by giving away Jacks after you play them out. Near the shore they range anywhere from 1/4 lb to 10 lbs. Offshore from a boat, massive schools of Curel numbering in hundreds to thousands of fish, filled with nothing but 40+ lb fish are not uncommon.
Moments like those often result in 3 or more fish hooked at once and 20 minute long battles on a fishing pole.
The Speckled Sea Trout (on the left), Corvina in Spanish, is one of the first fish to arrive with the season as the ocean waters warm up, showing up in schools sometime around late January or early February . It is not uncommon to see a single person catch 5-15 in a single sitting. Early in the season they average around 2 lbs, but by April and May, it is not uncommon to see a 6-8 lb corvina caught. They have excellent firm, white meat for fish tacos.
The Jack Crevalle (on the right), Curel in Spanish, is a voracious eater and a hard fighter when hooked. We aren't huge fans of the darker, fishier meat it has, but the locals love them...so it is easy to make some friends of the pier (muelle) by giving away Jacks after you play them out. Near the shore they range anywhere from 1/4 lb to 10 lbs. Offshore from a boat, massive schools of Curel numbering in hundreds to thousands of fish, filled with nothing but 40+ lb fish are not uncommon.
Moments like those often result in 3 or more fish hooked at once and 20 minute long battles on a fishing pole.
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A variety of Snapper, Pargo in Spanish, can be caught in El Cuyo, both close to shore and further out. The general rule is that they get larger in size the further out to sea you go. That being said, smaller pargo, or pargito, are a prized fish, as the flesh is sweeter and resembles the taste of lobster.
 Cubera / Grey Snapper ( Pargo & Pargito ) |  Mangrove Snapper (Pargo) |
 Lane Snapper (Rubia)  Red Snapper ( Pargo Rojo ) |  Mutton Snapper (Pargo Lunar)  Yellowtail Snapper (Canane') |
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Another prized but common species caught in El Cuyo is the Mackerel, called Sierra in Spanish. They range is size from 2-6 lbs near shore. Larger sierra and king mackerel, 6-15+ lbs, can be caught from a boat. The mackerel quite possibly makes the best ceviche. It is also a great table fare for frying, baking, or for the BBQ
 Spanish Mackerel ( Sierra ) |  King Mackerel |
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Catching a Snook, known as Robalo in Spanish, from the pier, shore, or SUP is not unheard of, although it is caught less often than the above mentioned fish. It is highly prized for its meat, and tends to sell for more per kilo than most other fish. Small snook are known as "Robalito" (as shown in the below picture).
 Snook ( Robalo )  2 Snook & 1 Jack (un robalo, un robalito y un jurel) |
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Besides the above mentioned fish, all of which can be caught from shore, the El Cuyo fishing pier, or from a SUP, there are quite a few other fish that are frequently landed. Some are worth eating, while others are just fun to catch but not worth cooking.
 Croaker ( Ronco )  Sand Perch (Mojarra)  Southern Puffer (Sapo)  Spadefish  Sheepshead |  Ladyfish (Sotsim)  Perch ( Potz )  Smoothback Puffer Fish / Blowfish ( Conejo )  Bonito Tuna  Atlantic Triple Tail |
 Two Bonito caught off the pier. Yummy poke! |  Croakers (Ronco) are great fighting fish for their size! |
Triple Tail are elusive and rare, but are considered top table fare.
Mexican Barracuda, or Picuda as the locals call them, make fantastic ceviche and when caught inland there is no worry of ciguatera poisoning. These fish are fantastic fighters and are aggressive biters if you know where to find them. ;) I do... Plan on using metal leaders or losing lots of lures to their extremely sharp teeth.
Mexican Barracuda
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One very common fish caught here is the Bagre, it is a type of catfish. When handling, be extremely careful. They have a spine on either side of the head just behind the gills, as well as a spine at the front of the dorsal fish. Getting poked by the dorsal spine is extremely painful. Trust me, I know! The spine is coated with a toxin that is very similar to a sting ray venom....buyer beware ;)
Some people ask about the edibility of the catfish;
Some people ask about the edibility of the catfish;
- Gafftopsail are pelagic, meaning the migrate in the gulf/ocean, and you can eat them.
- Hardhead catfish however are most likely living fulltime in our marina, eating the fish byproducts thrown overboard as fishermen clean their catch, and as such will be full of hydro-carbons some spilled gas, oil, and cleaning products used on the boat of our marina. When fishing is bad, they get hungry and head out to look for food, which is when you will catch them on the muelle. I would suggest never eating them.
 Gafftopsail Catfish (Bagre) |  Hardhead Catfish (Bagre) |
An interesting fish to catch and land is the Remura. It lives it's life and travels the ocean by sticking itself to the bottom and sides of sharks, manta rays, and turtles. Due to the fact that it does not have a swim bladder of its own, it has to hitch a ride everywhere else it has to swim on the bottom of the ocean. Its dorsal fin has evolved to be placed on the top of it's head and to function as a suction cup. Last year I landed a 30 lb remura off the fishing pier. Be careful, they have been known to poop everywhere when landed as a defense mechanism.
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Offshore fishing from a boat opens up many opportunities for larger game fish that will not be found near the shoreline. Typically the fish, will vary in size but can range from 10 lbs to over 60 lbs.
These species include the following.
These species include the following.
 Atlantic Sea Bass (Mero)  Black Grouper (Negrillo)  Yellowtail Tuna |  Cobia (Esmedregal)  Yellowfin Tuna  Amber Jack |
Sailfish
Below you can get an idea of the size of fish that are taken during Offshore fishing trips.
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Another amazing fishing experience occurs in May and June when mid-Atlantic squid migrate into shallow waters to feed and breed. It is not uncommon to catch 30-50 kilos in a single evening. And let me tell you, there is really no better squid than that served fresh by some of the local concineras and concineros (chefs) in traditional Mexican sauces; such as crema and chipotle crema!
Mid-Atlantic Squid
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One other prized sport fish caught year-round in waters near El Cuyo is the Tarpin known in Spanish as Sábalo. In fact, juvenille tarpin (15-30 lb) call the El Cuyo marina home and can be seen from shore on an almost daily basis, swimming and chasing smaller bait fish.
World class tarpin fishing can be found within a 1 hour drive...and I have yet to see someone charter a tarpin fishing trip and not hook up with several. Talk to Diego Muniz in Rio Lagartos if you want to land the big ones (30-200 lbs depending on the time of year.)
World class tarpin fishing can be found within a 1 hour drive...and I have yet to see someone charter a tarpin fishing trip and not hook up with several. Talk to Diego Muniz in Rio Lagartos if you want to land the big ones (30-200 lbs depending on the time of year.)
30 lb tarpin with Diego Muniz fishing tours.
El Cuyo is the best place for those that love to fish and kite, or to kite and fish!
What are you waiting for? Come kite with us and come fish with us!
What are you waiting for? Come kite with us and come fish with us!