Introduction Continued

A short time ago, I watched a client stare as a school of 150-pound yellowfin tuna raced through a chum slick off our stern. He shook his head and said, “This is just like watching the Discovery Channel.” The truth is, he was right. This is a different world, and we were right in the middle of it. I realized then that this is what draws me to the sea. It’s what I love most about being on the water – the lure of adventure, the gratification of achievement, and the inspiration to seek, to endure, to find, and to ultimately catch.

Fishing has always been a big part of my life. Like many who are born and raised on the Gulf Coast, I’ve always known that these waters are special. I’ve been fortunate to fish in many legendary destinations in other countries, and I’ve had some great trips abroad. But nothing compares to the waters we call home.

After working nearly a decade in the offshore fishing industry, I founded the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company on a single premise: To establish a world-class charter business that would equal the world-class fishery we have on the northern Gulf.
Our carefully selected group of captains has decades of experience in big-game angling. They’re great anglers who have stayed at the top of their game by researching every species and its migratory patterns, and the depths and regions these fish relate to. With state-of-the-art electronic systems, we’ve set up databases that include the precise locations of every contour, wreck, reef, salt dome, and crevasse that often lie miles beneath the surface. We use the finest and fastest sport fishing vessels and travel great distances, if necessary, to track down and catch the incredible fish we know are out there.

The Mexican Gulf Fishing Company is not your typical charter boat operation. Because the vast majority of businesses are based out of one area, they typically bring clients to regions relatively close to their home waters. Our “home waters” are considerably larger than the norm, stretching hundreds of miles, from off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. to Cocodrie, Louisiana. We know no boundaries, and we’ll go wherever the fish are.

Much of the allure of offshore fishing is the diversity of species. Our clients can exclusively target a single species or can go after a variety of species. We get many requests for yellowfin tuna, which I consider a remarkable species. Tuna can be caught year-round in a number of regions and in depths from 150 to 10,000 feet. They can be caught using different methods, including slow-trolling live baits, chumming, and live baits suspended under kites. The baitfish gracefully skips across the surface until is violently engulfed by a monster tuna.

Another one of my favorite ways to fish for tuna is to sight-cast poppers with spinning tackle to feeding schools. The result is one of the most intense strikes you’ll ever see. The water literally explodes, and the reel screams as the tuna make powerful runs. Chumming at the deep-water, semi-submersible rigs 50 to 100 miles out are where many record-breaking tuna have been caught. We also target many of the ancient salt domes, veritable mountains that rise hundreds of feet from the Gulf’s sea floor. One of the most famous is the Midnight Lump, 20 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

As the intense currents strike the base of these “mountains,” the waters shoot upwards in an upwelling effect. Disoriented baitfish tumble in the currents, making them easy prey for big predators lurking nearby.

While there are many methods and philosophies on tuna fishing, I was fortunate to learn from Captain Peace Marvel, who is regarded by many as a master tuna captain. In the 1990s, he was an innovator, taking methods used in other parts of the world and bringing them to the northern Gulf Coast. He innovated new methods in slow trolling live bait, many of which are commonly used today.

Tuna be caught throughout the year, however, the real record-breakers (from 150 to 200 pounds) are seen most frequently from October through March. At the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company, we take great pride in our ability to catch tuna, which can be plentiful. But we’re also conservationists and encourage clients to practice catch and release after they’ve filled the boxes with enough to eat.

Fortunately, with a world-class fishery, we have a myriad of other species to target. On a typical day we might catch tuna, then hunt something else, such wahoo. Wahoo, one of the fastest species in the world, can reach speeds in excess of 50 mph, in just seconds. These world-class sprinters can empty an angler’s spool in a single run. We might later decide to target the most elite creatures of the sea – billfish.

Many of our clients decide to take on the heart-pounding excitement of the many species of reef fish, which include the various species of snapper, grouper, and amberjack. These elusive fish are caught on structure, generally oil rigs, reefs, and wrecks. We occasionally get requests for trophy red snapper. And the real monsters are usually down deep. We use a method called deep-dropping in depths of 400 feet or more. That’s a lot of reeling, so we give clients their choice of manual or electric reels.

I want to thank you all for visiting my website and reading about our world-class fishery. Whether you’re a novice angler, a seasoned tournament professional, or someone in between, I can promise you that we can fulfill every expectation you have. We take pride in not being ordinary. With the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company, you can expect more.

And you have my personal guarantee that we will deliver.

Captain Rimmer Covington

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