OBSESSION CHARTERS FALL NEWSLETTER 2014
SAILFISHING OFF ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO ON THE OBSESSION IN 2015
SAILS, TALES & MARGARITAS
If you are thinking of sailfishing in Mexico this winter, its time to make your travel arrangements!! Since the island is becoming a more popular tourist destination, rooms in January & February are filling up earlier each year. My plans are to again run the OBSESSION to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for the light tackle Atlantic sailfish season in winter 2015. This will be the 11th season that I will be bringing the OBSESSION to Mexico, and my 14th season down there.
The waters off the northern Yucatan Peninsula hold the world's greatest seasonal concentration of Atlantic sailfish, and provide some incredible light tackle billfishing. Typically, fishing from early January thru early March is outstanding....The last two years have been slower than normal but we still averaged better than 10 sailfish/day. In 2010, we averaged 19 sailfish/day in January, 24 fish/day in February and 17 fish/day in March. We ended up catching 1048 sailfish. In 2011 we averaged 30 sailfish a day in January & 25 sailfish/day in February.
Whereas along the border and other areas of Mexico, cartels have been a major problem for everyone, on the remote island of Isla Mujeres, there has never been a problem with the cartels or for that matter any major crime. The local populace is extremely friendly and the island's growth has included many expatriated Americans, Canadians & Europeans who have moved to Isla Mujeres and opened up a diverse and eclectic mix of excellent restaurants, boutiques & galleries. My wife has traveled to the island for the last 10 years and navigates its streets day or night with no worries!
AVAILABLE DATES
The OBSESSION will be available for charter from January 8 thru March 10, 2015. You can reserve dates by Email or phone 252-480-0094.
At this time, I still have the following dates available:
THURS JAN 8 - SUN JAN 10
SUN JAN 18
TUES JAN 20 & WED JAN 21
TUES JAN 27 - FRI JAN 30
FRI FEB 6 & SUN FEB 8
THURS FEB 19
MON FEB 23 - SAT FEB 28
SUN MAR 1 - TUES MAR 10 (Full moon is Mar 5, so Mar 3, 4, 5 should be excellent)
BOOKING A CHARTER
The cost of chartering the OBSESSION in 2015 will be $2200/day. A 50% deposit will be needed to secure your fishing dates. If you prefer, you can pay the full amount ahead of time, and not have to deal with it in Mexico. The deposit or full payment can be sent to:
Captain Jeff Ross
3102 S. Ocean View Ct.
Nags Head, NC 27959
If you do not have a full group and are looking to split a day or two with a few others, let me know....in the past I have had some success putting groups together.
The OBSESSION provides all bait and tackle. We use Shimano TLD 20's with 25 lb line on light action stand-up trolling rods. We encourage angler participation and enthusiastically work with everyone interested in hooking their own fish. We use exclusively circle hooks to reduce injury to the sailfish. We will leave the dock at 6:30 AM and return around sunset (5 PM). We provide lunch, including sandwiches, munchies, fruit, yogurt, and drinks including a case each of water, soda and cervezas! All you need bring is polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, rubber soled shoes, hat, camera, and good luck!
The OBSESSION will again be docked at Enrique's Marina, on the island of Isla Mujeres. To get there, you fly into Cancun International Airport. From Cancun airport, you take a half hour cab ride (should be no more than $40) to Puerto Juarez, the port where you take the new ferry to ISLA MUJERES (tell cab driver want to go to "Puerto Juarez.... new ferry to Isla Mujeres"). The ferry ride is 25 minutes, costs $5 and runs every half hour (6AM-11PM). The ferry lets you off a stones throw from my boat. Grab a cab (always at ferry dock) to drop your stuff off at your hotel and you can walk everywhere from there on....to boat, town, restaurants, beaches, ferry, everything within 5-10 minutes.
LODGING
The lodgings I recommend are a 10 minute walk to the boat and surround the festive downtown area. Rooms range from $70 - 300/nite, depending upon what you are looking for, but for $70-$150/nite you get a very nice room for two people. Most everything on the island is clean and well kept. Do not wait too long to make your reservations! February & March are peak season for tourism and fishing, the island is small, and the nicer places fill up! My wife Ruth Ann & are will gladly help you make a decision on which lodging best suite your needs. To find information on the island, including places to stay, check out: http://www.isla-mujeres.net/home.htm
The lodgings I recommend can be found online and include:
Cabanas Maria Del Mar Great place for the guys...close to swing bar/Buhos Restaurant, sits in the heart of the North Beach
Hotel Playa Media Luna Beautiful ocean views, first class, small and private, very peaceful; impress your lady (this is mine and my wife's most favorite)
Hotel Villa Kiin Great location, lots of options in rooms, located on a small swimming beach, great for families with small children (another favorite of ours)
Bucaneros Economical, great location in town
NaBalam Beautiful, expensive and private with a excellent beach bar/restaurant, also has a wonderful onsite yoga palapa with classes and retreats; really impress your lady
Hotel Secreto exceptional, first class, extremely private; really, really, impress your lady
Nautibeach Condos Privately owned condos ...good for families, close to boat, great beach
Ixchel Beach Hotel Condos Beautiful, new, privately owned condos located on the famous North Beach, very close to everything, another good options for families with small children (nice pools, outdoor restaurant and an elevator!)
Hotel RocaMar Recently remodeled, wonderful ocean views, very nice and private
I would be happy to provide more details upon request by email or phone (evenings: 252-480-0094).
Check out the fishing reports section of my website for pictures of fishing in Mexico this past season.
We guarantee 110% effort to show you a great time and hopefully catch you a bunch of fish and maybe a fish of a lifetime! My wife Ruth Ann and I are always glad to offer any assistance and/or recommendations for your travel, lodging and dining on the Outer Banks or in Mexico.
Best wishes and tight lines....Cap'n Jeff
OBSESSION T-SHIRTS
I have S, M, L, XL & XXL T-Shirts with front pockets in Bluish, Greenish, Blackish & White Short Sleeve for sale. The original Obsession T-shirts logo are in blue and white, and the Mexico version are in green and black.
If you would like to order shirts, you can do so by email or phone (252-480-0094). Costs are $20/shirt + shipping(approx. $5 for one shirt; $6.50 for two shirts; $7.50 for 3 shirts).
ABOUT THE OBSESSION
The OBSESSION is a 55 foot custom 'Carolina-style' sportfishing boat, the last and largest in a long line of vessels built specifically for charter fishing by Capt. Sheldon Midgette (for Capt. Sheldon Midgette). You will not find a more comfortable, seakindly boat when the ocean gets rough. This is one of the dryest boats ever built, and with a large keel, she is extremely stable when trolling. The OBSESSION was repowered in 2010 with a 1000 hp 3412 Caterpillar. The OBSESSION carries state of the art electronics including radar, color fish finder, and two GPS chart plotters. Its large salon features: heat/air, microwave, stereo, VCR and a refrigerator. Enhancing your fishing comfort, the hugh cockpit has a 130 lb class giant tuna chair, 2 additional fighting chairs, and a large built-in bait box, ice chest and fish box. The OBSESSION has a ladder to the flying bridge to allow customers/guests to join Capt. Jeff on the bridge for a different perspective.
ABOUT CAPTAIN JEFF ROSS
Captain Jeff Ross grew up fishing New England waters, working on 85 ft headboats for big bluefish and school bluefin tuna, and private sportfishing boats for giant bluefin tuna, sharks and marlin. He received a B.A. degree in Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University (1974) and a M.A. degree in Fisheries Biology from the College of William & Mary (1979).
Since moving to the Outer Banks in 1982, and during the time he was a fisheries biologist for the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Captain Jeff worked as a freelance mate on charter boats fishing out of Oregon Inlet. Since 1994 he has owned and operated his own charter boat, first the 48 ft Ocean OBSESSION and currently the 55ft Sheldon Midgette built OBSESSION.
Obsession Sportfishing Charters
Outer Banks - North Carolina
Captain Jeff Ross 3102 S. Ocean View Ct. Nags Head NC 27959
252.480.0094
CaptJeff@mindspring.com
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