April Was Bonkers at Casa Vieja Lodge
Last month we told you that the fishing at Casa Vieja Lodge was off the chain in March, and that it was critical to book asap if you wanted to get in on it the same time next year. Well, we hate to sound like a broken record, but April was just as good, if not better, and the boats are already filling up for spring of 2025.
What was particularly great about April 2024 is that it started strong and ended strong.
Take, for example, a snapshot from the first week of the month: On April 7th, nine of the lodge’s boats went out and they averaged 47 sailfish raises, with none of them raising fewer than 37. Making it even better, three of the boats raised at least two marlin, and six of them came to the leader.
In fact, it was an exceptional month for both striped marlin and blue marlin, with seven different boats landing multiple marlin in a single day. Six of them accomplished that feat twice.
The days where just about everyone was getting at least 20 or 30 raises continued unabated as the weather remained stable, and then in the last week or so things got crazy. It started on the 22nd, when the Pica Mas raised 58, hooked 53 and landed 41. The next day the Pica Mas did it again with a 52/45/30 showing. That’s 110 sailfish raised over two days. That same day the Hooker went 55/50/42 and the Islander topped them all at 67/65/46. On the 24th, the Islander was again the top dog, with a 73/69/50 line. That means they raised 140 sails over two days.
The really nice thing about the month was that every day a new boat seemed to challenge for the top of the leaderboard. For example, on the 26th it was the Makaira that went 52/51/31 (plus a marlin raised and four mahi landed) and as the month closed the Afinity had back-to-back days of 40 or more raises. In other words, no matter which boat you book you are going to be around them. They work together and that’s a huge part of what makes it an exceptional lodge on the water. Of course, the off the water treatment is exceptional, too. Whether you’re an experienced billfish tournament angler or you’ve never caught anything more than farm pond bluegills, this is a trip that’ll make you feel like a pampered here.
Of course, past results are no guarantee of future success, but the April bite and weather seem to be consistently good and reliable. If you don’t believe me, just check CVL’s historical reports.
Just be sure to book early! Remember, not only is April a well-known producer of huge numbers of sailfish, but it’s also when some families have spring breaks that enable them to travel together. Email Hanna asap if you’d like to get the process started. You don’t want to miss out on the best fishing day of your life because you were indecisive.
