February 13, 2015 - Snapper Fishing in Belize

Cynthia and I went on a fishing/snorkeling excursion to an area called Bacalar Chico, located near the northern section of the barrier reef.  Bacalar is from the Mayan b'ak halal, meaning surrounded by reeds.  The northerly wind and choppy water made it a very bumpy one and a half hour boat ride. We traveled across Corozal Bay and then through a narrow canal that was supposedly built by the ancient Mayans. It was very scenic and lined with mangroves. Although the area is inhabited by manatees, we did't see any. The canal marks the border between Belize and Mexico.

One stop was made in the canal to net some baitfish. We made two fishing stops on the reef.  We caught five species of snapper and two species of grunts by casting chunks of cut baitfish on light tackle spinning rods.The snorkeling was very good.  There were very large, brightly colored sponges and coral formations.  The fish population was diverse and plentiful. The captain, Darvin, and his mate took us to a beachside picnic area with tables and hammocks under a grove of palm trees.  There was a shack with a kitchen set-up. They served us Ceviche made with freshly caught conch (Cynthia found two while snorkeling), grilled Snapper, Belkin Beer and Rum Punch.  Yum!

Species Caught: 1. Mutton Snapper, 2. Yellowtail Snapper, 3. Gray Snapper, 4. Schoolmaster Snapper, 5. Bluestriped Grunt, 6. Sailor's Choice

Note: While in Belize we stayed at the Cerros Beach Resort.  Follow this link to read our review:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g291974-d1047650-r346700827-Cerros_Beach_Resort-Cerros_Corozal.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT