Ascension Bay Trip Report // April 2025

Punta Allen, Sian Ka'an, MX

This was my second trip down to Ascension Bay, and as expected, we had a fantastic time. A couple of the guys hadn’t done much flats fishing before, but they still had a blast—and fish were caught by all. Sure, we had a couple of slow days (mostly due to weather), but overall, the guides consistently put us on fish.

Day 0 // Travel Day

After flying into the new Tulum airport, we met our driver, Clemente, and headed out. It was about an hour drive to the start of the Punta Allen road—which, true to its reputation, was rough. We’d heard reports it was bad, and it lived up to the hype. Three bumpy hours later, we somehow didn’t get stuck, but a few of us did get carsick. We finally rolled into the small fishing town of Punta Allen and pulled up to Casa Viejo Chac to kick off our adventure.

It had been a long travel day, but it felt good to finally arrive. We rigged up some rods and hit the sack, ready for the fishing ahead.

Day 1 // First Windy Day

Excitement was high, and we were pumped to get on the water. The forecast called for wind, and sure enough, it was blowing. Most boats stayed close to the north bay and still found some fish, though the water was a bit milky from the churned-up conditions.

We hit the mangroves looking for Tarpon and Snook—great warm-up action, but the wind made things tough.

It was John’s first time fishing for Bonefish, and he got into them nicely—even with the wind. Just goes to show, it pays to keep an open mind!

Day 2 // Santa Rosa

We woke up to beautiful weather. Marcus and I teamed up with our guide, Augustin, and apprentice, Jose. With lighter winds, Augustin was stoked, so we headed across the bay to Santa Rosa.

We ventured deep into the channels and back bays in search of Bonefish. The first spot was a bust, but the second one delivered. Marcus landed a good number of fish, and I waded with Jose in knee-deep water and caught a few as well—a solid morning.

In the afternoon, we switched to hunting Tarpon and Snook. No hook-ups with those, but I did manage a couple of huge snapper, which the guides kept for dinner. Marcus had a few Tarpon chase his fly—nearly as exciting as a hookup!

Day 3 // Baby Permit

Cloudier skies led to some blind casting early on. Ken and I boated some Bones, a Jack, and a baby Permit off a point.

Later, we chased Tarpon and Snook at the mouth of some channels. Ken had six mystery grabs but no landings—no fault of his, just the nature of the game. In a narrow mangrove channel, I caught a baby Tarpon on my first cast. Ken followed up with a few hookups and one landed fish. Tight quarters and sticks everywhere made it a real challenge.

We ended the day chasing Bonefish again—I lost one right at the boat, just short of a pequeño slam. Jeff, one of the other guys, landed his first Tarpon just out front of town—epic!

Day 4 // Big Permit

The weather was perfect. Dale and I teamed up with guide Christian for a full-on Permit hunt. We saw fish, made plenty of good (and bad) casts, and had a few follows. Christian had us in fish nearly all morning—unlike my past experiences chasing Permit.

Then, just before lunch, we were on a great drift when Christian spotted a school feeding. He got the boat into position. Earlier that day, I blew a shot by stripping too fast, so this time I told myself: Long and slow. LONG AND SLOW. One quick recast later—crab fly in position—boom, fish on! A powerful run, some tense moments, and I landed my first solid Permit. On one of Dale’s flies, of course—he could open a shop with what he brings on the boat.

We kept chasing Permit after lunch. No more eats, but we learned a ton. Christian told me: “Cast three feet in front, and four feet past.” That’s a good general rule—unless the boat, current, wind, or fish are doing something different. Use your gut and read the water.

Meanwhile, Marcus landed a couple big Snook back near the mangroves.

Day 5 // No More Permit

Dale and I gave it another full day chasing Permit. We had plenty of shots and fish in sight, but they just weren’t eating. Toward the end of the day, we found a big school in deeper water, feeding near the surface. We tried crab and shrimp patterns with no luck. That’s Permit fishing—so close, yet so far.

Day 6 // Last Day

Another gorgeous day. Ken and I went after rolling Tarpon in the morning—tons of them around, but they weren’t interested. Ken managed to jump one. After lots of fly changes and some frustration, we headed across the bay to fish the mangroves again. At first it seemed redundant, but our guide Alphonso had something else in mind.

After a brief bit of mangrove casting we started hunting for Permit. After a few near misses, Alphonso spotted a giant school. I asked how many fish were in the school—his answer: “All the Permit.” That confirmed what I saw—dozens of fish.

Ken jumped out with the apprentice and made cautious casts well ahead of the school. Finally—hook up! He landed a solid Permit. Then Alphonso and I jumped out to take our shots. I got a few follows but no eat before we had to head back for happy hour. Still, it was awesome to see Ken get his fish.

Top Flies for Ascension Bay

Bonefish

• Christmas Island Special Beadchain
• Mantis Shrimp
• Mink Shrimp

Tarpon and Snook

• Smelling Salt
• Megalops Mullet
• Black Death
• Tarpon Toad 

The guides seemed to like these flies with some weight. We tied some lead eyes on some and the guides liked those. 

Permit

• Fiddler on the Reef Camo
• Rangoon Crab Yellow Eye
• Spawning Shrimp
• Banana Stand

Saltwater Tips 

• Expect some tough days. Don’t get discouraged—just keep fishing.  There will be more days, and sometimes even tough conditions can produce nice fish.

• If sight fishing isn’t working, blind casting near mangroves can still be productive.

• Guides aren’t always chatty. Take a few minutes early on to go over stripping techniques for different species. Each guide may prefer something different.

• Wear socks on the skiff if you're barefoot—great feel, less sunburn, and you can slip boots on if needed.

• If the guides are putting boots on to wade, you probably should too.

• Christmas Island Specials work in more places than just Christmas Island.
  

TFO Axiom II Review -Best Saltwater Rod Under $500

The TFO Axiom II definitely catches Bonefish. I recently picked up the 8-weight and really enjoyed casting it. It’s a fast-action rod that easily delivers accurate 50–60 foot casts. Surprisingly, it also handles shorter shots well—likely due to the right line pairing.

I used both the RIO Flats Pro and the SA Grand Slam—both slightly overlined and a great match for this rod. Features like the ReCoil guides and carbon fiber reel seat make it look and feel premium.

Best saltwater rod under $500, hands down.