fishing

The very first tour I wanted to book in Punta Cana was the fishing tour. I was so, so excited. Fishing for Mahi Mahi and Marlin in the deep seas outside the Caribbean – how fun!

Unfortunately, the Crazy Gators Fishing Tour (approx. $125USD pp) that we booked through Nexus at the Caribe Club Princess Resort wasn’t quite all I had dreamed of.

Merica and I were picked up late (no surprise – island time) and taken to the port where we had to wait another hour and twenty minutes for the captain of the boat to show up.

Eventually when we got there, the boat wasn’t the one advertised, it was smaller as there were only four of us booked on the tour with two staff.

Back to the fishing. So essentially, the team member baits all the hooks, then casts out all the lines for trawling without a word. You just sit there are watch. No safety instructions either. Eventually one of the lines runs with a fish on the end and a guest is called up to sit down and reel it in. Once the fish is close to the side of the boat the team member hooks it in and puts it straight in the fish bin. Really quite underwhelming.

We did catch four Mahi Mahi and it is super exciting to reel the fish in but when you’re out on the water nearly four hours and 80% of the guests are sea sick, there’s definitely a lot of time to pass.

The tour didn’t last the full amount of time and we were dropped back at shore into thigh high, disgustingly smelly seaweed. No regard for anyone once we had tipped them and they knew we could catch the fish. I literally gagged from the stench.

The only pro’s of this tour are pulling the fish in, the comradery with the other guests and the photos with your fish at the end coming back into port.

With a little more care and some tweaks for the guests to participate in the fishing this tour could be a lot better. I suggest shopping around to see what you can find and booking direct. Nexus did nothing to help us with our complaint of Crazy Gators.

Oh, and I never once saw a life jacket.