A Look at Last Year
One year ago this month we broke ground on some of the biggest upgrades in Casa Vieja Lodge history: our brand-new pool, the long-awaited swim-up bar, and two new room blocks (adding 16 incredible new rooms!). What started as a massive pile of dirt and a big vision has officially transformed into your favorite spot to recap the day’s billfish releases with a cold drink in hand.
Looking back at how far we’ve come in just one year is a huge point of pride for our entire team. We set out to create a space that feels like a true home away from home after a long day on the ocean, and seeing you all enjoy it every day makes every bit of hard work worth it.
A massive thank you goes out to our incredible team and everyone who showed up, grabbed a shovel, and who poured their hearts into bringing this vision to life in record time.
For those of you who have already come by to test out the new setup—we love having you! Here’s to dreaming big, building bigger, and making every stay better than the last! And for those who haven’t seen it in person yet…well, consider this your official invitation!
Check out some throwback pictures below, to see how far we’ve come in just 12 months!
Help Our Capt. Jono
At the beginning of the month, Captain Jonathan returned to Venezuela for the first time in six years to visit his mother, brother, and lifelong friends.
Less than 24 hours later, disaster struck.
On what should have been an ordinary Wednesday, about fifteen minutes after Jono and his family left to run errands, the apartment building they had just walked out of collapsed during an absolutely devastating earthquake.
As they drove, they watched buildings crumbling around them. When they returned, his home was gone. His boat had been destroyed. Entire neighborhoods had collapsed.
The days that followed have been even harder. Jonathan has spent countless hours searching through the rubble, hoping to find friends alive. Instead, he has lost far too many people he loved.
Yet, through all of this heartbreak, Jonathan’s focus has never been on what he lost. He keeps saying, “We’ll move forward. I’ll work hard and rebuild.”
That determination is exactly why we’re asking for your help.
All donations are going directly to Jono to help him rebuild his life after this tragedy. The money will be used specifically for temporary housing, replacing essential personal belongings and clothing, immediate living expenses, and helping him begin the long process of recovering after losing his home and nearly everything he owned.
If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to know Jonathan, you know he is the first person to help someone else without hesitation. That’s why we’re asking our community to do the same for him.
Thank you for reading Jonathan’s story, for keeping him and his family in your prayers, and for any support you can give. Every donation and every share brings him one step closer to rebuilding a life upended in mere minutes.
Still Some Summer Left!
Not bad action at all for our July! Though we had fewer guests staying with us this month, we still saw no shortage of billfish out on the water. Asides from the sails and marlins we also saw an impressive tuna haul: 25 in one day for our team aboard The Hooker!
Overall this month we saw 210 sailfish raises, 182 sailfish bites, and 123 sailfish releases! PLUS 2 marlin raises, 2 marlin bites, and 2 marlin releases!
If you’d like to see these incredible numbers for yourself, check out the seriously cool Fishing Counter on our homepage! There you’ll see our total Billfishing Release numbers for 2026, plus the last several years as well!
Below are our fishing highlights (combination of conventional & fly):
- July 3rd, 15th & 16th, Rum Line (40′ Gamefisherman) with Capt. Terry Brennan, had 61 raises, 54 bites, 36 sailfish releases, plus 1 marlin raised, 1 marlin bite & 1 marlin released!
- July 3rd & 4th, The Hooker (48′ G&S) with Capt. Jono Arena, had 55 raises, 51 bites, 33 sailfish releases, & 26 tuna!
- July 4th, Pica Más (48′ Whiticar) with Capt. Chepito, had 9 raises, 9 bites, 8 sailfish releases, & 8 tuna!
- July 13th-15th, Chilero (38′ Warren O’Neal) with Capt. Nico Melendrez had 32 sailfish raises, 20 sailfish bites & 8 sailfish releases!
- July 22nd-25th, Poco Loco (47′ Nickerson) with Capt. Benji Bairez, had 53 raises, 48 bites & 38 sailfish releases, 1 marlin raised, 1 marlin bite, 1 marlin released, plus 3 mahi-mahi!
