So you say you like Bass Fishing.... carefully casting your hand chosen lures to entice a strike from that fabled 10 Pound Lunker! But what if there was a REAL MONSTER waiting to engulf your little bait, CRUSH IT and spit it back in your face?! What if.....
Well the nightmare has come true again! Yes Virginia, there IS a Monster in the River, but it's no "Bass"! This thing would EAT a 10 pound Bass for lunch, and still be looking for dessert! I'm talking about a Real Monster Gamefish..the CUBERA SNAPPER. So let's take a look at the "Tale of the Tape". Your opponent, should you "choose" to step into the ring, weighs in at up to 100 Pounds, with Broad Shoulders, Crushing Jaws, Jurassic Teeth, and a Prehistoric Godzilla Attitude to match!
Before you decide to challenge this beast, I'd like to relate a little "Fish Story".
It was a fine "soft" March morning in beautiful Belize (on the Dangriga River) and I was having the time of my life casting my (favorite) Zara Spook to a bunch of (angry) Spring run Snook. Buddy, this was a Belizean Dream! Incredible top-water action on 10 to 20 pound Snook....almost with every cast. After landing 12 Snook in a little over an hour, I have to admit this Ole Boy was beginning to tire. When right at my feet, a (small) 30 pound Cubera came from the bottom of the river and Exploded on my puny little lure! I guess he'd had enough of watching all this foolishness, and wanted to put a stop to it right then and there! Well, I gotta say, I felt pretty foolish as I watched my line peel away. That fish was heading downstream like a runaway freight train, and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it. I was standing on shore so I couldn't "crank up" and follow. I had to just stand there in silence, "doing the math" while I watched the bottom of my spool come into view. Then as suddenly as it had started...it was over. Before I had to live with the embarrassment of having ALL of my 10 pound line stripped away...the fish was GONE! I'm sure you all know that sickening feeling, when the line just goes slack.
When I reeled my line back in, it was clear what had happened. Every treble hook on that Zara Spook, was completely CRUSHED! I just had to shake my head and laugh. "That son of a"..... well, that's just the way it is with Cubera. Many are hooked but FEW are actually landed. I believe this is the toughest, meanest critter in the water. A real "800 Pound Gorilla" that does what it wants...when it wants!
WE have MANY Cubera (Lutjanus cyanopterus) in Belize, and NOW (Dry Season) is the time to catch them. Because during the "dry" these merciless brutes invade the Rivers and Streams of our lovely little country, reeking havoc on unsuspecting Snook and Tarpon Fishermen. They take a variety of Baits and Lures, but to fish for them (specifically) the best way is to troll BIG deep running lures through some of their favorite "holes" in the Belize and Sibun Rivers. Average size? Caught...around 15 to 20 pounds. Hooked....God only knows! Snappers up to 100 Pounds have been caught in the Belize River!! A Stiff Rod and 80lb Mono or Braid is a minimum. And should you wish to try that whole "Top Water Thing"; the Back-country Lagoons and Creeks are FULL of (Baby) 5 to 20 pound Cubera who would just LOVE to take you on!
If you would like to know more about Cubera (or any) Fishing in Belize, see our fishing website www.spearfishbelize.com, or email info@spearfishbelize.com. Tight Lines!
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