 During the week of January 27, 2008 I had the pleasure of using the services of First Class Fishing in Punta Cana for three 4-hour charters-- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Especially nice was the pickup and return to the hotel where I was staying. The driver was always courteous and on time.
When I awoke on Tuesday morning, I knew we would be in for a tough day. The wind was blowing at full force as evidenced by the palm trees bending. Of the five persons on the shared charter, two were seasick before we even cleared the reef. We fished on the Shenika (?) with Capt. Jose but were unable to catch any fish that day due in large part to the tremendous wind and waves. The trolling lines were so bowed from the force of the wind that it was a wonder they did not become fouled. I was encouraged, however, when First Class Fishing's boat Intrepid returned with 3 nice mahi mahi. I knew that Thursday would be better.
On Thursday morning, the wind was blowing, but not as bad as on Tuesday. Again we had a 5 person shared charter on the Shenika. Shortly after clearing the reef, we hooked a yellowfin tuna. After boating it, we continued trolling. Two of the passengers became seasick. Later we hooked a mahi mahi and then mayhem broke out. All the rods had fish on. The mate, Michael, proved very adept at lifting rods over and around other rods and no fish were lost. In addition to bringing the fish into the boat, Michael also was able to rebait and return the bait to the water. We ended up catching 9 mahi mahi weighing from 10 to 25 lbs. Most were about 20 lbs. We were also fortunate to see two whales.
On Saturday afternoon I shared a 4 person charter on the Intrepid. Franklin was the skipper and we had two mates. Again it was windy, but not as bad as Tuesday. Throughout the afternoon I was impressed with the skill of the captain and mates as they went about their duties. We boated four nice mahi mahi which averaged 25 lbs. We saw another whale leap out of the water. We had a chance at a wahoo, but he sliced through the bait just missing the hook.
I had fished the Pacific coast of Mexico before, but this was our first trip to Punta Cana. It will not be our last! I heartily recommend First Class Fishing. Peter responded to our e-mail request for information by telephone within minutes of sending the e-mail. He and Claudel were very courteous and gracious. The boats were very clean and the crews skilled and friendly.
I would definitely recommend that anyone taking a charter use dramamine one hour before departing. Not doing so can make what should be a very enjoyable outing a very memorable one--for the wrong reason!
Another bonus of shared charters is the opportunity to meet people from other countries. I met very nice folks from the USA, Canada, England, Russia, and France.
Being from Saint Louis, MO, I wore my STL Cardinal hat which many Dominicans admired (not because of me but because of Albert Puhols, a native of the Dominican Republic). Claudel, I promise to bring some Cardinal hats when I return! |
