USA : +1 (512) 535-1751 SA : +27 (60) 894 3401

	USA: +1 (512) 535-1751
	SA Brad +27 (71) 103-0030
	SA Cindy +27 (60) 894 3401

GUATEMALAN BILLFISHING ADVENTURES · EST. 2005

Adventure With Purpose.

Serious Guatemala billfishing.
Prepared properly. Hosted personally.

Since 2005, Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures has brought together serious offshore fishing, experienced people, private hospitality and personal coordination into one seamless Guatemala experience.

EXPLORE THE GBA STORY ↓

OUR STORY / 2005–2025

20 Years of GBA.

Built on Fishing. Remembered for the People.

Decisive, part of the Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures story

DECEMBER 27, 2005

Where It All Began.

On December 27, 2005, Brad and Cindy Philipps, together with GBA's first boat owner, Steve Cothron, began a journey that would become Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures.

Steve's vision and Capt. Brad's billfishing expertise helped establish the foundation for an operation built around exceptional fishing, knowledgeable people and a shared passion for the ocean.

Over the years, anglers from around the world have come to Guatemala in pursuit of sailfish and marlin. Many returned again and again, bringing family and friends and becoming part of the GBA story.

What began as a fishing adventure became a community connected by the water.

2005 GBA Founded

20 Years Celebrated in 2025

40,000+ Billfish Released by Capt. Brad
Career Milestone Reached in 2024

Blue marlin release with the GBA team aboard Decisive

MORE THAN THE NUMBERS

The Fishing Brought Us Together.

There have been extraordinary days offshore, remarkable catches and milestones that have helped shape GBA's reputation.

But the lasting story is found in the people: our crew, our guests, the friendships formed over the years and the families who have shared these experiences across generations.

The people made it last.

Twenty years on, we remain grateful to everyone who has contributed to the journey, from those who helped us begin to the anglers who continue to return.

EXPLORE OUR HISTORY →

Twenty years of stories.
A lifetime of friendships.
And new adventures still ahead.

ADVENTURE WITH PURPOSE.

Guests arriving at the marina for a day aboard Decisive in Guatemala

THE GBA STORY

The fishing creates
the opportunity.

Preparation makes the most of it.

Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures was established in 2005 by Brad and Cindy Philipps around a simple belief: great fishing is only one part of a great fishing trip.

The boat should be ready. The crew should know what comes next. The driver should know the flight. The room should be waiting. Breakfast should work around the fishing — not the other way around.

And when a billfish appears behind the boat, everyone should already be prepared for the opportunity.

That philosophy continues to define GBA today. From Decisive and the offshore crew to Billfish Inn, Casa Philipps and the people coordinating each journey, every part has its own role — but the guest experiences one GBA trip.

Prepared properly.
Delivered consistently.
Made personal.
Built on respect.

THE EXPERTISE BEHIND THE STANDARD

Capt. Brad Philipps

25 seasons in Guatemala.
40,000+ billfish released.
Still watching the spread.

Brad has spent more than two decades in Guatemala learning what happens in the few seconds between raising a billfish and turning that opportunity into a fish.

The spread. The tease. The timing of the cast. Boat position. Communication. Knowing when to wait and when everything needs to happen at once.

That experience matters most when it can be shared. Coaching aboard Decisive is part of the fishing — whether an angler is releasing a first Pacific sailfish or preparing for a shot at blue marlin.

The approach remains the same: prepare first, pay attention and be ready when the opportunity arrives.

Experience matters most
when it becomes useful.

Capt. Brad Philipps coaching an angler aboard Decisive in Guatemala

CAPT. BRAD PHILIPPS Guatemala

Blue marlin action during a fly fishing trip aboard Decisive in Guatemala

GBA STORIES

Brad Philipps 2.0

WORDS BY MARK B. HATTER

A return to Guatemala.
A rebuilt team.
And blue marlin on fly aboard Decisive.

▶️ WATCH THE FILM

THE RETURN

Preparation before opportunity.

When Brad returned to Guatemala, Decisive had spent almost three years out of the water and much of the operation had to be rebuilt.

The boat had to come back. A new crew had to be trained. The systems and rhythm behind the fishing had to be established again.

“Don't come.”

When the bite and weather were wrong for a planned trip, Brad preferred to move it rather than take the charter simply because the dates were booked. The anglers' opportunity mattered more.

THE MOMENT

Then everything happens at once.

When Mark Hatter and his group returned later that year, a Pacific blue marlin appeared behind Decisive.

Teaser. Switch. Fly in position. The crew moving from repetition rather than reaction.

CAAAHST.

A few seconds of opportunity revealed the preparation behind them — the teaser, the cast, the boat handling, the communication and the decisions happening in real time.

Fishing Days

Blue Marlin Raised

Hooked On Fly

Released On Fly

BEYOND GUATEMALA / A NEW CHAPTER BY GBA

St. Helena. 2027.

The Search for Mrs Double G.

The new Decisive vessel, part of GBA's South Atlantic exploration

A NEW OCEAN. ANOTHER DECISIVE.

A Different Challenge.
The Same Purpose.

After 25 seasons fishing Guatemala, Capt. Brad Philipps is preparing for a different challenge in the South Atlantic.

A new vessel carrying the Decisive name marks the beginning of GBA's exploration of the remote marlin fishery around St. Helena.

The objective is not to arrive with a finished formula. It is to spend meaningful time on the water, work with experienced local fishermen and discover what this fishery may hold.

“Mrs Double G could be out there.”

— CAPT. BRAD PHILIPPS

HOUT BAY, SOUTH AFRICA

The Christening of Decisive-St Helena.

Before the South Atlantic exploration begins, a new chapter was celebrated with family and friends in Hout Bay. A second Decisive, a new destination and the start of another GBA adventure.

Christening celebration aboard the new Decisive in Hout Bay

Friends celebrating the christening in Hout Bay

Guests on the bridge and helm of the new Decisive

‹ ›

THE CHRISTENING / HOUT BAY, SOUTH AFRICA / OCTOBER 2026

LOOKING AHEAD / 2027

The Exploration Begins.

An exploratory marlin season is planned from mid-February through May 2027. The intention is to work with small groups, spend approximately six fishing days at a time exploring the fishery and build an understanding of the opportunities in these waters.

Guests fishing with GBA in Guatemala during the 2026/27 season are intended to receive priority consideration for selected introductory St. Helena opportunities, subject to confirmation of the program.

A new ocean.
Another Decisive.
One very big objective.

The St. Helena Decisive is a separate vessel and exploratory operation from the established Guatemala Decisive. Proposed dates and participation remain subject to confirmation.

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF GBA

Cindy Philipps

From the first conversation
to the final departure.

Great fishing may be the reason guests come to Guatemala. How everything works around it is what makes the trip feel easy.

Since Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures was established in 2005, Cindy has been at the centre of that experience — coordinating guests, dates, airport transfers, Billfish Inn, special occasions and the Antigua chapter at Casa Philipps.

For first-time visitors, that means making an unfamiliar destination feel straightforward.

For returning anglers and families, it often means remembering the details before they need to ask.

The fishing day may begin offshore, but the GBA experience begins long before anyone steps aboard Decisive.

Private from door to dock.
Personal from beginning to end.

A warm welcome at Billfish Inn in Guatemala

THE PERSONALside of GBA

THE GBA PHILOSOPHY

Different Waters. One Standard.

The destinations may change, but the values do not. Preparation, experienced people and respect for the fishery remain at the heart of everything we do.

Guatemala

THE ESTABLISHED EXPERIENCE

Where the Story Began.

The Pacific waters of Guatemala remain the heart of GBA. Aboard the original 40-foot Gamefisherman Decisive, our fishing program brings together experienced people, a private coastal base and personally hosted hospitality, with Casa Philipps in Antigua available as an extension.

EXPLORE GUATEMALA →

St. Helena

THE NEW EXPLORATORY CHAPTER

Where the Story Goes Next.

A different ocean, a new challenge and a second vessel bearing the Decisive name. Planned for 2027, the St. Helena chapter is about exploring the potential of a remote South Atlantic marlin fishery, learning from local fishermen and discovering what may be possible.

DISCOVER ST. HELENA →

ONE GBA

Two Decisives.
Two destinations.
One approach.

Since 2005, Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures has been built around thoughtful preparation, skilled crews and the belief that the experience matters as much as the fishing itself.

Whether continuing our established program in Guatemala or preparing to explore new waters in St. Helena, we carry that commitment forward.

Adventure With Purpose.

THE GBA WORLD

Two Oceans. One GBA.

From Guatemala's Pacific coast to the remote waters of St. Helena. Two distinct fisheries and a shared approach to exploration.

PACIFIC OCEAN / ESTABLISHED OPERATION

Guatemala

Marina Pez Vela · Puerto Quetzal Area

Guatemala's Pacific coast is home to GBA's established billfishing experience aboard Decisive-Guatemala. The marina and nearby Puerto Quetzal provide a geographic reference for the offshore fishing operation.

EXPLORE GUATEMALA →

SOUTH ATLANTIC / EXPLORATION

St. Helena

Jamestown Harbour · James Bay

On the northwest coast of St. Helena, Jamestown Harbour opens onto the South Atlantic. It provides a geographic introduction to the island where GBA plans to explore the marlin fishery aboard a second Decisive in 2027.

DISCOVER ST. HELENA →

Maps show the general harbour areas of the two destinations, not confirmed vessel berths or guest meeting points. Guatemala is an established GBA operation; St. Helena is a planned exploratory chapter.