Barracuda Bash Blog: May 2009

Saturday, May 23, 2009

HOW THE HOTEL VISTALMAR HANDLINE BARRACUDA BASH GOT STARTED

THE HOTEL VISTALMAR'S HAND LINE BARRACUDA BASH WAS STARTED 14 YEARS AGO. IT WAS STARTED TO HELP THE LOCAL FISHERMEN OUT BECAUSE THE LOBSTER SEASON WAS BAD AND NOT MANY FISHERMEN REALLY DEALT WITH THE TOURIST THAT PASSED THROUGH ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO OFF THE COAST OF CANCUN.
WE ASKED A LOCAL FISHERMAN TO TAKE US OUT FISHING AND HE AGREED BUT HAD NO POLES TO FISH WITH;WE WERE TOLD THEY DON'T USE POLES, THEY FISH WITH HAND LINES. SO WE SAID SHOW US HOW IT'S DONE AND OFF WE WENT TO FISH.WHAT A DAY THAT WAS! WE NEVER FISHED LIKE THAT BEFORE AND CAUGHT MANY BARRACUDA.
THAT NIGHT ALL WE DID WAS TALK ABOUT WHAT A GREAT WAY TO FISH THAT WAS AND WANTED TO DO MORE. WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO HELP THE LOCAL FISHERMEN OUT, SO WE CAME UP WITH THE YEARLY BARRACUDA BASH. AT FIRST IT WAS CALLED THE BARRACUDA TOURNAMENT BUT ONCE WE FOUND OUT IF WE HAD A TOURNAMENT WE HAD TO PAY A BIG FEE WE CHANGED IT TO A BASH, A BASH HAD NO FEE.
SINCE ALL THE FISHERMEN THAT FISHED STAYED AT THE HOTEL VISTALMAR BACK THEN WE CHANGED THE NAME AGAIN TO THE HOTEL VISTALMAR'S HANDLINE BARRACUDA BASH AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT EVER SINCE.
SINCE WE NEW NOTHING ABOUT HAVING SUCH AN EVENT AND WE WANTED FISHERMEN, WE CAME UP WITH GIVING EACH FISHERMEN AND LOCAL CAPTS. A
T-SHIRT AND SINCE WE REALLY DIDN'T THINK A EIGHT HOUR FISHING BASH WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE BODIES OF THE PEOPLE FISHING ( EIGHT HOURS ON THE WATER TROLLING FOR BARRACUDA IS A VERY LONG TIME), WE CAME UP WITH TWO FOUR HOUR DAYS,THEN WE ADDED DINNER ON NIGHT TWO AND GAVE EVERYONE FISHING ALL THE BEER WATER OR SODA THEY COULD DRINK WHILE FISHING AND AT DINNER.
WE HAD ONE TROPHY GIVEN TO US AND THE WINNER GOT THIER PICTURE TAKEN WITH IT AND IT STAYED AT THE HOTEL VISTALMAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR. AS THE YEARS WENT BY AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE STARTED TO FISH THE BASH (PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT JUST HAPPEN TO BE ON ISLA MUJERES ON VACATION)-- WORD GOT OUT,WE HAD A WEB PAGE MADE AND GOT A SHIRT SPONSOR WHO BROUGHT TEN DOZEN TEE SHIRTS,THE SPONSOR GOT TO PICK THE COLOR. THEN WE GOT SOME GOOD FRIENDS TO BUY FOUR TROPHIES, ONE FOR THE BIGGEST BARRACUDA, ONE FOR THE CAPT OF THE BOAT,AND WE EVEN GAVE TROPHIES TO THE SECOND PLACE FISHERMEN AND CAPT. AND THAT'S THE WAY ITS BEEN EVER SINCE. NO ONE REALLY THOUGHT IT WOULD EVER GO THIS FAR; ALL WE KNEW IS WE WOULD TAKE IT FOR AS LONG AS PEOPLE WANTED TO COME FISH THIS WAY.
WELL, IT'S BEEN 14 YEARS AND WE ARE GETTING STRONGER EACH YEAR,THANKS TO SOME GREAT FRIENDS AND SOME GREAT LOCAL CAPTS. AND THEIR BOATS. WE EVEN HAVE PRIZE MONEY FOR THE BIGGEST BARRACUDA AND FOR THE CAPT. OF THE WINNING BOAT; WITHOUT THE CAPT. THERE WOULD BE NO FISHING.
TO HELP PAY THE BILLS,DINNER,BAIT,SODA,WATER AND OF COURSE BEER WE HAVE A FEW RAFFLES AFTER SUPPER.
THE HOTEL VISTALMARS BARRACUDA BASH HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS MY WIFE AND I HAVE EVER DONE AND HOPE IT WILL GO ON FOREVER.WE WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR MAKING IT SO GREAT AND LIKE I ONCE SAID,SOME DAY WE WILL BE ON WILD WORLD OF SPORTS,SOME DAY.