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Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures • Published November 2025 • Masterclass Series
“We know more about the moon than we know about the habits of billfish.” I said that years ago, half in jest, half in truth. After thousands of days at sea, I still believe it. Mastery isn’t about knowing everything — it’s about being prepared for anything.
On the ocean, you can tell within an hour who’s built for it — and who’s guessing. Some anglers have strong days when the bite’s hot, but they fall apart when it isn’t. The great ones? They don’t rely on luck — they build a game that works in any condition.
In 2000, I carried forward 300 days fished from my formative years — and added 51 more on the Pacific. That year alone: 487 sailfish and 4 blue/black marlin released — every one on precision, not chance. Those early years taught me one truth: consistency beats everything.
Every captain and angler has a weakness:
• The drift they can’t line up. • The spread they can’t balance. • The rhythm they lose when the bite slows.
Your goal? Eliminate all of it. Build a game that no one — and nothing — can expose. When you reach that level, every trip becomes predictable in one way: success.
Don’t wait for calm seas to test your skill. Work your weaknesses when the water’s rough and the fish are scarce. That’s where mastery lives.
Structure matters:
• Review your spread after every trip. • Train your eye to spot tension before it happens. • Rehearse the release — until it’s second nature.
By 2008, I had released over 17,000 billfish. Today, it’s more than 40,000 and counting. That didn’t happen by chasing the perfect day — it happened by removing weak spots, one at a time.
It’s not about catching more fish. It’s about mastering yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on the bridge or on the rod — your success is yours to command. Don’t wait for someone else to teach you how to lead.
Hold yourself accountable. Build your system. Trust your process. Never stop refining. And keep coming.
As featured in Bite Magazine, where this philosophy of preparation, precision and respect for the ocean continues to set the benchmark for modern billfishing.
Step into the legacy. Prime dates update quickly — secure your trip now.
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By Capt. Brad Philipps • August 17, 2020
With your tackle set, double-check that the fly is snugged tightly to the hooks. This keeps them ready for the strike and prevents the fly or hooks from flipping over on the shock tippet during the cast or when tossed in the water. Right-handed anglers typically cast from the port side; left-handers can adapt easily without switching the entire spread.
We place a wooden stopper in the covering-board rod holder with a looped cord to secure the rod butt, tip on the transom, so the rod lies perfectly in wait. The exact casting distance of line is loosely flaked on the aft deck corner, all snags cleared, and outriggers left up so nothing interferes with the backcast.
🎥 Watch: How to rig a swimming Spanish mackerel
Before the captain calls “Cast!”, glance down: make sure the line isn’t looped over the reel handle, the rod butt, or anything else. Hold the rod like a bat, ready to swing; with lighter drags, pinch the line between two fingers so no extra line spills off the reel.
A cut-down, heavy, thin-diameter shooting-head fly line helps turn over big flies and minimizes drag during a billfish’s run. Be acutely aware of apparent wind—it dictates your backcast and forward presentation.
When the moment comes, load the rod with a swift, deliberate backcast and a purposeful pause. Then deliver a forceful forward cast—this isn’t the time for a soft trout presentation. The incoming billfish is fired up from the teaser; make sure it knows your fly is there.
Ideally, the fly should land in the clear lane between the prop wash and the incoming teaser. As the fly splashes down, the teaser is ripped past and yanked from the water in one motion, triggering the eat. With crisp presentation and well-timed teamwork, the fish turns and eats—and it’s a sight you’ll never forget.
Ready to experience Guatemala’s legendary billfishing during our most sought-after window? Check live availability for our founder-hosted adventures aboard Decisive.
Capt. Brad Philipps invites you to be part of the next chapter in our story — the Reinvention & 3-Year Arc of Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures. We’re kicking off the 2025–2026 Legacy Season with blue marlin, sailfish, and those unforgettable flat-calm Guatemalan seas. It’s more than fishing — it’s history in the making. Let’s go chase the dream together.
Copyright 2025 by Alan RamÃrez
USA : +1 (512) 535-1751 | WhatsApp Capt. Brad : +27 (71) 103-0030 | WhatsApp Cindy : +27 (60) 894 3401 Email : info@guatbilladv.com