Recommended Belize Fishing Gear and Tackle

Recommended Light Tackle

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 - black finish.

Specific Recommendations:  

We recommend the following as the best all around spinning tackle 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

• Heddon Excalibur Super Pop-R: 3 1/8" - 1 each bar fish, blue striper, redfish, red head, speckled trout
• Glass Minnow Soft Bait Bodies
• 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 (please do not use live or cut bait for tarpon)
• Cut Bait:  Mutton Snapper (please do not use live or cut bait for tarpon)

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

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)

Note:  if you want to troll, 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).

Recommended Fly Fishing

Permit

Rod:  8-weight
Line:   9-weight (color doesn't matter) on a reel that will hold at least 200 yards of backing
Leaders: knotless 9-foot leaders (knotted line will draw strikes from tiny barracuda
Tippet:   12-20 lb. tippet depending on size and weight of fly
Hook sizes:  #6-#2
Flies:

Will Bauer Crab
Del's Merkin
Mantis Shrimp
McCrab
Turneffe Crab
Mangrove Critter

Bonefish

Rod:  8-weight
Line: 11-weight
Leaders:   knotless bonefish leaders (10 ft 012 IGFA 10#; 12 ft 8 lb clear, 3.65 m, 6.6kg; 12 ft, 10# clear, 3.65 m - 4.5 kg)
Hooks:  #4-#6
Flies:

Del's Merkin
Bonefish Clouser
Bonefish Slider
Turneffe Crab
Crazy Charlie
Gotcha
Puffs

Tarpon

Rod:  10 weight
Line:  11-weight (floating, slime intermediate sinking), reel should hold at least 200 yards of backing; 80# shock leaders for large tarpon, 40-60# mono shock tippet for small tarpon (9' 12-15 lb leader for small tarpon)
Hooks:  #6-#2, 3/0
Flies:

Cockroach
Black Death
Orange Butt Tarpon
Clousers (green/yellow)

Snook

Rod:  10 weight
Line: 10 weight, 9' 12-15 lb leader, IGFA 40-60 lb mono shock tippet
Hooks:  #6-#2
Flies:   same as for tarpon

Barracuda

Rod:  10-weight
Line:  11weight with 8 ft 20-40 lb leader and 15-18 lb wire tippet
Hooks:  1/0-3/0
Flies:  anything long and skinny that mimics a needlefish

General Stuff to Bring