No Sancocho 2023

Another successful No Sancocho Sailfish Shootout is in the books! Just like every year, this Sailfish Shootout was even bigger and better than the last.

BIG CONGRATS to Team Palmetto Pescadors on the Finest Kind with Capt Benji, as they took home First Place! Team Pescadors Started off on Day 1 with 15 Sails, plus a Marlin, essentially making them untouchable! On Day 2 they had 9 Sailfish released, and on Day 3 they cemented their top spot with 19 Sails! WOW!

Second Place was awarded to Team Big Dawgs on the Pica Más in its first official tournament at Casa Vieja, with Capt. Nicho. Team Big Dawgs stayed pretty solid the whole tournament with 14 Sailfish on the first day, 10 on the 2nd day, and 17 Sailfish released on the third day with a grand total of 41 Sailfish!

Third Place was awarded to Team ShoNuff, on the Islander (new official name below!..), with Capt. Nico! A team of lodge newcomers, these Miami-based anglers were determined to make it into a top three spot, and succeeded! After dropping down to 4th place on Day 2, Team ShoNuff put in the hustle, and a Marlin release on Day 3 pushed them back into their ultimate Third Place! Congrats gentlemen, can’t wait to have you back again soon.

Our Sancocho King this year was Bryan Rodriguez from Team ShoNuff aboard the Islander with 9 SANCOCHOS! Top Lady Angler was our very own Jefa, Kristen Salazar on Team IWFA (aboard the Makaira) with 11 Sailfish! And the largest dorado was 41″ snagged by Daniel Garcia, on our third-place boat the Islander, making that 3 separate wins for Team ShoNuff!

116 Sailfish and 3 Marlin Sancochos plus matched donations allowed us to raise $8,470! With that, we can put the money towards several schools in Puerto San Jose. We’ll be able to provide roof repairs, buy new desks and other necessities to keep our Chapinitos in safe and well stocked learning environments!

Last but most definitely not least, a very big THANK YOU to our outstanding sponsors who make all of this possible! Thank you so much to: Yeti, AFTCO, Cummins, Casa del Jade, The Billfish Foundation, Costa Sunglasses, & Yamaha!

All in all, quite a successful tournament this year. We look forward to having you back for our TENTH No Sancocho Sailfish Shootout next year: November 6-10, 2024!

Another successful No Sancocho Sailfish Shootout on the books! Just like every year, this Sailfish Shootout was even bigger and better than the last.

BIG CONGRATS to Team Palmetto Pescadors on the Finest Kind with Capt Benji, as they took home First Place! Team Pescadors Started off on Day 1 with 15 Sails, plus a Marlin, essentially making them untouchable! On Day 2 they had 9 Sailfish released, and on Day 3 they cemented their top spot with 19 Sails! WOW!

Second Place was awarded to Team Big Dawgs on the Pica Más in its first official tournament at Casa Vieja, with Capt. Nicho. Team Big Dawgs stayed pretty solid the whole tournament with 14 Sailfish the first day, 10 on the 2nd day, and 17 Sailfish released on the third day with a grand total of 41 Sailfish!

Third Place was awarded to Team ShoNuff, on the Islander (new official name below!..), with Capt. Nico! A team of lodge newcomers, these Miami-based anglers were determined to make it into a top three spot, and succeeded! After dropping down to 4th place on Day 2, Team ShoNuff put in the hustle, and a Marlin release on Day 3 pushed them back into their ultimate Third Place! Congrats gentlemen, can’t wait to have you back again soon.

Our Sancocho King this year was Bryan Rodriguez from Team ShoNuff aboard the Islander with 9 SANCOCHOS! Top Lady Angler was our very own Jefa, Kristen Salazar on Team IWFA (aboard the Makaira) with 11 Sailfish! And the largest dorado was 41″ snagged by Daniel Garcia, on our third place boat the Islander, making that 3 separate wins for Team ShoNuff!

116 Sailfish and 3 Marlin Sancochos plus matched donations allowed us to raise $8,470! With that, we can put the money towards to several schools in Puerto San Jose. We’ll be able to provide roof repairs, buy new desks and other necessities to keep our Chapinitos in safe and well stocked learning environments!

Last but most definitely not least, a very big THANK YOU to our outstanding sponsors who make all of this possible! Thank you so much to: Yeti, AFTCO, Cummins, Casa del Jade, The Billfish Foundation, Costa Sunglasses, & Yamaha!

All in all, quite the successful tournament this year. We look forward to having you back for our TENTH No Sancocho Sailfish Shootout next year: November 6-10, 2024!

RESULTS:
1st—Finest Kind 440pts
2nd—Pica Más 410pts
3rd—Islander (Chilero) 390pts
4th—Makaira 350pts
5th—Release 330pts
6th—Rum Line 270pts
7th—The Hooker 260pts

Christmas Comes Early

Last month, the Casa Vieja family embarked on an exhilarating journey to the renowned IRTRA amusement park in Guatemala, transforming our annual Christmas staff party into an unforgettable adventure. Sometimes referred to as the Guatemalan Disney, IRTRA proved to be a great escape for our hardworking CVL family.

After an early departure from Casa Vieja, 3 hours later, we arrived at Xocomil. A waterpark that competes against any of the best stateside. For many of our staff this was a first-time visit, for one it was his first time out of Puerto San Jose, and oh boy was it worth it! Later that night, we had a great dinner in “Hawaii” and everyone stayed at the park hotel so we could continue the next morning.

On day 2 we visited Xetulul. A mechanic rollercoaster park and it was full of an electric mix of laughter and unforgettable experiences.

The Casa Vieja team’s journey to IRTRA amusement park stands as a testament to our bond as a CVL family. This annual escapade not only marked an exceptional celebration but also fostered a spirit of togetherness that will resonate within our team for years to come.

Congratulations to….

Thank you so much to all of our entrants in our Name That Boat contest! We had over 130 entries and a LOT of good suggestions.

Ultimately, the winner we decided on is… *DRUM ROLL*

CHILERO!

Submitted by Chase Cornell (@capt_chaser) via Instagram, thank you so much Chase for your submission!

CHILERO is a local Chapin term, it’s used as a way of saying something is “very cool,” or “awesome.” e.g. “Wow look at that boat, que chilero!”

Who’s excited to fish on the newly named Chilero with Capt. Nico?! She’s a 1971 Warren O’Neal, completely refitted in 2021. She has been consistently putting up impressive billfish numbers and this is only the start. With Sea deck floors, comfortable mezzanine seating, and a wide hull, this feels like you are fishing on a much larger boat. Plus, she’s the only one in this size category to have an AC cabin! When you’re fishing on the Chilero, everyone is a winner!

The Real, Reel

Available Fishing Dates:

These are the available fishing dates, so any days of fishing during these dates will work. Your group will arrive the day before and depart the day after your fishing dates. Click the dates to book or call the Miami office (305) 854-4665.

Keeping Up with the Lodge:

Good news for all groups who were booked aboard the Afinity: You have automatically been upgraded to our newest boat, the Chilero (formerly the Islander), with Capt. Nico at the helm! (Same Capt. + AC cabin!) *All groups booked before Aug 2023
Our Availability calendar is online SEE HERE. Check to see if your dates are available and secure them by calling the Miami Office.
2024 Solo Anglers: June 5-9, 2024 & November 20-24 2024, click HERE for more info.
Our Trophy Husbands (Father’s Day) Tournament is Back! Join us June 13-17 (with fishing June 14-16) Click HERE for more info!
Join us once again for No Sancocho 2024 November 6-10 (with fishing November 7-9), click HERE for more info!
Check out our updated Fleet Page HERE! We’re always updating and elevating our vessels.

Fishing Report

November saw some great and consistent action! We held our ninth annual No Sancocho Sailfish Shootout, so you know the competition pushed fishing numbers as high as they could!

If you like Mahi Mahi, we were all but trying to scare them away from the lures this month. With numbers as big as 20-25 per day! We were a little slower and unpredictable on tuna this month, with some boats catching up to 4 a day while others saw none.

There were some exceptional Billfish numbers this month as well, with one boat seeing 43 raises and 39 bites, with 22 releases in a day! The fishing legacy at Casa Vieja Lodge continued to hold strong this month, November was nothing short of consistently tight lines, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings.

Below are a few fishing highlights (combination of conventional & fly):

November 2^nd-15^th, the Islander (38′ Warren O’Neal) with Capt. Nico Melendrez had 178 raises, 159 bites, 94 sailfish releases plus 3 marlin raises, 2 marlin bites, 1 marlin release, and 52 mahi-mahi!
November 2^nd-11^th, the Finest Kind (40′ Whiticar)with Capt. Benji Bairez, had 167 raises, 146 bites, 93 sailfish releases plus 5 marlin raises, 2 marlin bites, & 2 marlin releases, with 2 tuna, and 75 mahi-mahi!
November 2^nd-15^th, the Release (37′ Merritt) with Capt. Sammy Baires, had 157 raises, 139 bites, 83 sailfish releases, 3 marlin raises, 1 marlin bite, and 1 Marlin released, plus 3 tuna, and 116 mahi-mahi!
November 2^nd-15^th, the Makaira (37′ Rybovich) with Capt. Jeffrey Garcia, had 174 raises, 148 bites, 97 sailfish releases plus 1 tuna, and 80 mahi-mahi.
November 4^th-11^th, the Rum Line (40′ Gamefisherman) with Capt. Terry Brennan, had 63 raises, 48 bites, 34 sailfish releases plus 2 marlin raises, 2 marlin bites, 1 tuna, and 10 mahi-mahi.
November 5^th-11^th, Pica Más (48′ Whiticar)with Capt. Nicho Alvarenga, had 148 raises, 137 bites, 91 sailfish releases, plus 27 mahi-mahi.
November 7^th-15^th,The Hooker (48′ G&S) with Capt. David Salazar had 52 raises, 50 bites, 40 sailfish releases, 2 marlin raises, 1 marlin bite and 1 marlin released, plus 12 tuna, and 19 mahi-mahi!

Thankful for November Fishing 🙏