Casa Blanca Lodge

Ascension Bay in Mexico's Yucatan

The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Casa Blanca lies in the middle of the vast Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, one of the world's largest protected wild areas that covers 1.5 million acres and completely surrounds Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca.  

This area around Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca is a wild, virtually uninhabited and extraordinarily beautiful.   There are miles of shallow bays, secluded mangrove-rimmed lagoons, white sand beaches, and dense coastal jungle.     It is fun to see, explore and experience this exquisite isolation of southern Ascension Bay.    With the exception of the eight mile sand road between the two lodges, the closest paved road is seventy five miles away, and no way to get there unless you go by sea or air.  

An abundance of wildlife and birds are found here.   It's a treat to see flamingos on the bonefish flats, and if you are a birder, you can find 325 species of birds here in the Reserve, from tiny hummingbirds to the rare six foot Jabiru, the world's largest flighted bird.

The name Sian Ka'an means “The birthplace of the sky” and local Mayans say that their ancestors believed that in the beginning of time, the sky was created in the area surrounding Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca.    There is evidence of many Mayan temples here, including two temples that have been excavated close to Playa Blanca that are believed to have been built around 600-900 A.D.    You can easily visit and tour these ruins during your week at the lodge.   

Casa Blanca Lodge

This is one of my all time favorite saltwater destinations in terms of the fishing, and definitely one of the finest lodges in all the Caribbean to take your wife or girlfriend.   I've done several hosted trips here over the past fifteen years and have continued to be impressed with the variety and size of the fish, and the lovely pristine beaches and flats of Ascension Bay.   Plus the food is the best of all the saltwater destinations we travel to!

Bobby Settles is the managing partner with a wealthy businessman from Mexico City of Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca Lodges.   Bobby has just done a fantastic job over the years making these lodges comfortable and inviting for their guests.    

Our rooms at Casa Blanca sit on the windward side of the island with a beautiful beach right outside your door.    After a gourmet dinner of fresh seafood, the waves lapping at the beach in the moonlight make it special place to sit and relax, underneath the coconut palms.   Getting to sleep won't be a problem for anyone!

We have found the staff at Casa Blanca is extremely friendly and helpful.   Just ask if there is anything you need and they will do their best to accommodate you.    They will also do laundry for you at a very nominal charge.  

But the real excitement for me is the spectacular fishing that is just minutes away.    I've caught some of the largest bonefish and permit literally minutes from the dock.     Of course there is this huge expanse of Ascension Bay to fish and explore and we'll get to see most of it in a week's time.    

A Grand Slam Introduction to Ascension Bay and Casa Blanca

Lefty Kreh has always told me that Casa Blanca is THE best place in the world to catch a Grand Slam – a bonefish, permit and tarpon on the fly in the same day.    We think he's right.    

We met our guide Augustine at the dock and piled into his Super Skiff.    He had a spot in mind to take us where he had seen lots of “floating” permit the prior week.    A ten-minute ride in the skiff got us to Augustine's bay of permit. It was a stunning sight.    Later even Augustine even admitted that only rarely had he seen so many permit in one spot.   There were acres of permit in front of us, floating and fining on the slack high tide.    Jet black permit dorsal fins and tails as far as the eye could see.     Mixed in with the huge school of floaters were rolling schools of mid-sized tarpon, which occasionally busted into the schools of mahua, sending bait showering in all directions.     Bill and I looked at each other like we had gone to heaven, and then scrambled to jerk the permit rods out of the rod rack in Augustine's Dolphin Super Skiff.

The permit had come more easily than I had expected, on Augustine's beautifully tied translucent shrimp patterns.    Bill had landed a permit that was a good fifteen pounds and mine was just a bit smaller.    Several much larger permit had charged the fly, but as often happens the swifter, smaller fish darted in front of the big boys to gulp down our shrimp and crab patterns.     Not that we were complaining, mind you.    Permit are always tough to catch, so we were like kids in a candy store.  

We spent the rest of the morning trying to knock off one of those really big permit we were seeing, fishing visually to individual fish.   Permit are never easy though, and most of the fish were on alert now that we had played and caught a couple. Finally the huge school of floaters just sank back into Ascension Bay and go wherever permit go until the tide starts moving again.   

Catching a bonefish was going to be a slam-dunk, so we went looking for tarpon after lunch.    Augustine knew right were to find some fifteen to twenty pounders on the ocean side of a long mangrove Key.    I got lucky and had a twenty-pound fish smoke my 2/0 yellow, orange and grizzly tarpon fly on the first good cast by him.     Keeping him out of the mangrove roots required all the beans that my ten weight GLX could muster.   Using twenty pound class tippet helped.

The tarpon cart wheeled out from under the mangroves as I tried my best to bow and give him some slack before the fly pulled out on one of those explosive, rapid fire jumps that baby tarpon are famous for.      Augustine smartly poled us away from the mangroves into deeper water while I laid the wood to the small tarpon.   In a few minutes he put his gloves on and grabbed my tarpon by the lower jaw and lifted it gently into the boat.    I slipped the 2/0 tarpon fly out of the roof of the tarpon's mouth and Augustine slipped the sleek, powerful fish back into the water as gently as he would put his baby son back into his crib.

Bill's quest for his tarpon proved to be tougher though.   It seemed like the Mayans had put a curse on us for invading their empire.

The tarpon glided along the edges of the mangrove roots, often disappearing back under the foliage and roots, and not giving Bill much to shoot at.     Several fish did charge the fly and slammed it, but for one reason or another Bill couldn't get a solid hook up.   

I could sense Augustine's frustration level building.    Any great saltwater guide like Augustine wants to complete a Grand Slam, especially his angler has caught both a permit and a tarpon.   We were burning the last of our daylight with no guarantee that we were going to be able to find some bonefish in that last half hour before we had to head for the lodge.    

Reluctantly we told Augustine to forget about the tarpon, and that we were ready to try to find some bones and hopefully complete at least one Grand Slam.   A five-minute run was all it took to find some tailing bonefish on the low falling tide. Catching a bonefish out of the first school we saw was shockingly easy.   It was one of the smaller fish in the school, only a two pounder, but now we had the Grand Slam.   As I removed the tan squimp from the bonefish's mouth, I glanced up and I could see Augustine's smile light up.   After everyone got in a high five, Augustine headed for the lodge, where we lit up the cocktail hour by buying everyone rounds of drinks.

I was sold on Casa Blanca and several other trips there have confirmed that this is one special place!    Not only is the fishing outstanding, but it is just one of those fun lodges, where everyone is so friendly and the staff go out of their way to make sure you are having a great time.   

Activities for non-Anglers

For wives that want to take a break from fishing, there are lots of other activities to do.    With a reef running down this portion of the Yucatan, the snorkeling is spectacular.   If you like bicycling, you can grab a fat tire bike and pedal the sandy roads down to Playa Blanca and beyond. Two different Mayan ruins close to the lodges have been excavated and restored just for the private guests of Playa Blanca and Casa Blanca and these are a treat to visit, especially with one of the lodge personnel giving you a guided tour.    Beach combing is fun, and you can walk for miles to the South.    Just relaxing in the shade of the coconut palms with a good book (and maybe a gin and tonic) isn't all bad.  

The fishing should be easy

One of the reasons we've picked the dates in late November is that we'll be one of the first groups to visit Casa Blanca Lodge in the fall.   They are closed for the months of August and September so we'll be one of the first groups in the fall to fish the flats.   By late November, we'll be well past the hurricane season yet before the cold fronts that develop in December that can affect the fishing.   The temperatures in late November are wonderful too- daytime highs in the high 70's and low 80's.   A very nice break when the weather back home is getting nasty.

Rates, Deposits and Logistics

Rates:

For these “early season” weeks the price is right.    During prime time later in the winter and spring, the rate at Casa Blanca is $4500.00, including the RT chater flight from Cancun.  But for our trip the rate is only $3500.00 which includes our RT air from Cancun to the lodge.     A bargain for sure when you start looking at other first class lodges around the Caribbean, and few –IF ANY, can match the professionalism of this fishing destination.  

What's included:

Round trip air from Cancun to the lodge's own private airstrip

Six full days of guided fishing, two anglers to the skiff

Boat beverages

First-rate accommodations, double occupancy and get this – now they have wireless internet in every room!   

All meals and non-bottled beverages

Besides fishing, you can take advantage of the snorkeling, sea kayaking, bicycling, tours of the Mayan Ruins, birding tours, and use of all other recreational equipment.    

Not included:

Use of phone

Laundry service (but this is available)

Gratuities for the guides   ($40 per day per boat= $125-150 per angler for the week)

Gratuities for the staff   ($90-100 per week per guest)

Air charter surcharges (only for late arrivals, delayed flights, or early departures)

Alcoholic Beverages (Your Bar tab)

Deposit required:

Please send me a 50% deposit of $1750.00. Your final payment will be $1750.00.      Please make your check out to the Yellowstone Angler and send this to me at P.O. Box 629, Livingston, Montana 59047.   I'm sorry but we cannot take credit cards for either deposits or final payments.  

Logistics:

It is important to book your flights in and out of Cancun so that you can get to the lodge before dark on the charter flight.    This means that you must arrive in Cancun no later than 2:00 PM on Nov.24th . The flight to Casa Blanca will be no later than 3 PM so that the charter aircraft  can fly to Casa Blanca and back to Cancun well before dark.    On your return flight on Saturday, Dec. 1st, do not schedule your return flight home from Cancun before 11 AM.    This will give the charter pilots enough time to get you from the lodge to the International Airport.    

Remember- all Americans traveling to Mexico by air must now have a valid passport.    So check your passport, make sure that it is up to date and will be valid for our trip.   

If, upon arriving in Cancun you are missing bags, report this immediately to an airline representative before you leave the baggage claim area.    Then, when your bags are located, they will be forwarded to the lodge ASAP.   

Flight delays   - If your flight is delayed or you are forced to change your travel plans, please call a Casa Blanca representative ASAP.   Here are the phone numbers:

US Offices:   800-533-7299, or 953-428-5666 Mon-Fri 8-5 central time

(on weekends the recorded message will have the cell phone # of the US Rep on call. )

To speak to the Casa Blanca/Playa Blanca flight coordinator-

From the US:    011-52-1-998-860-0536 (flight Rep cell phone)

From Cancun :     044-998-860-0536

Casa Blanca/Playa Blanca offices in Cancun:

From the US:   011-52-998-888-8496

From Cancun: 888-8496

The best bet is to call the US office as they can easily get in touch with the lodge by phone or fax.    

There is a phone at Casa Blanca that can be used for emergencies.

 Casa Blanca Travel and Outfitting Guide

For those of you going on the trip, I'll send you Casa Blanca's thorough Travel and Outfitting guide that will give you a lot of important information on how to pack, what to bring and suggestions for tackle and lures for the different fish we'll encounter.    

Since we're flying to the lodge in a small plane with limited baggage capacity, it's best to pack light and put your gear in softer luggage.    Large, hard bottomed roller bags won't work well.   Remember that the dress is completely casual at the lodge, so you won't need a lot of clothes. If there is too much baggage to bring in by plane, then they will have to send it by boat from Punta Allen, and this can take up to 6 hours or more.    

Guides and Skiffs

Casa Blanca has the finest overall staff of guides that I've fished with in the Caribbean.    Many of their guides have ten to fifteen years of experience and most speak good English and can communicate very well with the anglers and guests.    Most guides love to fish for a variety of species and are good at it, but some guides definitely specialize in bonefish, permit or tarpon, so let me know if you want to target one or another of these species and I'll try to get you the best fellow for the job.    

These are all hard working guides, and they don't mind fishing long hours, especially when they have enthusiastic anglers.     I know that you'll be impressed with these fellows!   

Dolphin Super Skiffs with poling platforms and leaning posts are used exclusively at Casa Blanca, and all now are fitted with quiet and clean running 50 HP, four stroke Yamahas.    You'll be amazed at how quiet these motors are compared to the old two strokes we used to use.    In addition they are a lot friendlier to the environment with their lower emissions.

Tackle and equipment to bring

Read George's page on tackle, equipment, clothing and flies........

In general, you'll want to bring two different outfits – a #8 line rod for the bonefish and then a #9 or #10 for permit, tarpon, Cudas and other larger fish like sharks.     If you have both   #9 and #10 rods, be sure to bring them. This way you can set up the 9 weight for permit and have the #10 set up for tarpon, Cudas or Sharks.   

Floating lines are just what you'll need for 95% of the fishing we'll be doing.   If you have a slow sink line for your tarpon rod, bring it, as this can be helpful in some of the deeper channels.     

There are some nice flats to wade for bonefish, so you'll want to have a small fanny pack or chest pack to carry your flies and maybe even a bottle of water.     Thinking of wading, you'll want to have good saltwater flats wading shoes like the Patagonia Marlwalkers or the Simms Flats Sneakers.     Wading in tennis shoes won't cut it because of the amount of small shells and sand that will get inside, giving you fits.    You also need some protection from the coral rocks on some flats.

Be sure to bring some long sleeve shirts and long pants with a sun protection factor of at least 30.    If you like to fish in shorts or a short sleeve shirt like I do, be sure to pack along plenty of 30-50 SPF sunscreen.    A good flats hat with a long, wide bill that will give you plenty of shade makes a huge difference in spotting those elusive bonefish.  

We have some Mangrove fishing gloves that give your hands good sun protection, yet allow you to hang onto your rod when big bones are ripping into your backing.       

Don't forget a couple pair of good polarized sunglasses. I like brown lenses for this flats fishing.   Amber is also very good on cloudy days.  

As in the past, we are offering a 10% discount to everyone on the trip for tackle, equipment, and clothing for our trip.        

Don't be afraid to bring your spinning rod for those big Cudas and Jacks!   It's fun to get a little fishing in after dinner, and a great way to do it is to take a spinning rod and fish the ocean side beach and reef, right off our bedrooms.    Big jack crevalle patrol the beach and are especially hard fighters and easy to catch.    There are also many snappers and groupers on this side as well as some bones and even permit.      If you like, you can have your guide take you out to the reef, where you'll be amazed at how many species of fish you can catch on spinning gear.    Out there, you'll find lots of snappers and groupers, which are wonderful table fare but lots of big jacks and monster barracuda.   Tube lures or long, thin Rapalas will crush the Cudas, but remember that you'll need a wire leader. Barracudas are tons of fun, and make explosive runs that will peel line off your reel in a big hurry.   Their jumps can be spectacular.  

If you are after an even larger pull than the Cudas will give you, just have your guide bait up one of the smaller jacks or blue runners you'll catch, toss it out and be patient.   Pretty soon a big Lemon, Blacktail or bull shark will pick it up and then you are going to have a fight you'll remember.

I hope that you can join us on this fun fall Caribbean getaway. If I can answer some of your questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me at:  james@yellowstoneangler.com or simply call me at 406-222-7130.  Also be sure to check out our separate write up below on what to bring. 

Flies, tackle and clothing suggested for Casa Blanca.

Read our November 2007 Casa Blanca Fishing Report