Super Grand Slam!
Written by Rob Mukai on Nov. 16, 2019
Tags: Xcalak Saltwater Fly Fishing Permit Grand Slam Bonefish Tarpon Super Grand Slam Snook
We have been having some pretty spectacular days here in Xcalak lately. Low or no wind, and mostly bright blue bird skies, calm seas and tons of fish.
A couple of days ago, guest of the Inn Andy, invited me along for a day of fishing with Capt. Alejandro. The day started out a little tough with cloud cover and a north wind. We fished a couple of normally productive flats in the bay and barely had a single shot on 3 hours and two flats. We decided to try on the ocean side just as the sun started to come out.
We rolled up on a flat and soon saw a really large school of permit tailing, and moving around on the flat. Andy, was first up and after a few good shots, got his first ever permit to the boat. I got up on the bow with my newly designed articulated mantis shrimp. The school was still around and within a couple of casts, I had permit number 20 to the boat. It was definitely the smallest one I have ever caught but hey, it's a permit.
We chased the school until they left the flat but didn't get any more to eat. We then rolled up to the mangroves and Andy threw a flip flop gurgler at a rolling tarpon. He stuck it immediately. My turn up, I end up getting a snook on the flip flop gurgler. After that, the tarpon developed lock jaw so we started moving up the flat.
We see a bunch of bones and Andy sticks one pretty quickly. We officially have a grand slam in the boat. My turn, it takes embarrassingly long to catch a tiny bonefish. They were all over the place but I couldn't seem to get one to eat. But I finally get one to the boat.
We roll up to another spot and my first cast to a rolling tarpon, the flip flop gurgler gets crushed, the fish jumps 4 or 5 times, but then on the next jump spits the hook. After that, the fish don't seem to want the gurgler.
It's getting close to closing time, so I switch to a red death. There had been a small tarpon rolling next to the mangroves that I had thrown the flip flop gurgler to a few times, to no response. When he rolled again, I threw the red death at him and he swiped at it and missed, next strip, swiped and missed, on the third swipe he nailed it, and I finally got it in. I got my first Super Grand Slam.
So for the day, we got a grand slam and a super grand slam on Capt. Alejandro's boat. Woo Hoo. This is the second Grand Slam/Super Slam day I have been involved with, and I have gotten a DIY Grand Slam but not a Super Slam until today. And yes, I was wearing the Dia de los Grand Slams hoodie. You know I was debating whether to make it "dia de grand slam" or "dia de los grand slams". I think making it plural was what got us two grand slams to the boat :)
