Contact Laura Basque at 4857990 for a day of deep-sea fishing; he was charging $200 for a whole day. If you can’t get him on the phone, take a taxi to the Amigo Miguel Restaurant and ask for him there.

We left the Sea Garden with two other couples around 5 a.m. We climbed aboard our boat and headed out right before sunrise. Just outside the bay we caught our first fish--a small black tuna. Not long after that, a sailfish bit and we reeled him in. He was 5'. Around 1 p.m. we snagged two more sailfish at the same time! What a riot! One was 6' and the other 7'. Later that afternoon, we came into a school of dolphins. They performed beautifully and were very entertaining. What a terrific day it had been! Back at the pier they called us the "Champions for the day"!

We went out early one morning. Remember to negotiate with the captains. Don’t pay more than $300 for a boat. We had three people, went out for 6 hours and had a cooler full of Coronas and water. We enjoyed the sunrise, dolphins jumping next to our boat, and great scenery of Acapulco Bay. We didn’t get any hits until on the way back. My husband let me catch it since it was my first time deep-sea fishing. It took me about 20 minutes to get it in. A lot of work, and if you have carpal tunnel, this is not for you! I ended up catching a 6 ft, 80 lb sailfish. They asked me if I wanted to keep it, and we didn’t, so they donated to the orphanage for the kids to eat. That was the best part of catching it, I thought.

The experience is just out of this world if you don't mind helping out and getting some fish stains on your shorts. The feeling of being on a "fish hunt" (as these native people call their fishing trips) is just like going back to the very roots of survival of the most fit.

Imagine this. You’re on a 20-foot boat with a 35-40 HP motor, about 15 hours worth of gasoline 17 to 19 miles offshore with the most humble fishing tackle provided by your native shipmate (which is why I recommend to take our own tackle), a portable GPS or maybe just a compass, the necessary boat survival equipment enforced by Acapulco state law, surrounded by the most beautiful blue water and hunting some of the most highly prized fish from sunrise to sunset. You are about to learn some of the best fishing techniques that you have ever seen on any fishing trip.

You must remember that these fishermen do not make a living by fishing with tourists; they live off of what they hunt. A good day for them means a catch of approximately six sailfish and two dorado. This translates into about 900 to 1100 pesos (US$90 give or take) once they clean and sell the fish to the best bidder. If you cover his daily earnings plus catch fish, you have a happy shipmate who will not hesitate to take you fishing and even give you a 30-35 pound prize that you can take back to the hotel/resort and have a well-deserved meal cooked by the hotel staff or yourself. You have more than enough fish to bargain with.

This is not to mention if you are willing to take a two- or three-day trip to open sea to hunt sharks, but that my friends is an other story.

My husband went out on his first deep sea fishing trip in Acapulco, Mexico. We arranged this trip through the concierge and travel agency at the Mayan Palace. He just had to be up front in the morning and a taxi picked him up and took him to the location to get on the boat. He had an awesome time and is very anxious to go again!