Saltwater Action by Joe Doggett February is a good time to be a saltwater angler FROM Texas MANY OUTDOOR TRAILS during February lead to airports. This is because the second month of the year is first-rate for saltwater fishing travel. Angling opportunities aside, this is a good time to "get out of Dodge;" or at least, Texas. February is the throwaway month in our deck of 12. Certainly, legitimate local options do exist (not the least being monster trout in Baffin Bay), but the weather for the majority is chilly and damp and unpredictable, a rude reinforcement of winter. The few good catches by determined specialists represent a very minor percentage of overall angling effort. Most fishermen simply hope to enjoy a pleasant outing. And February is a rotten month in which to achieve that. However, various Mexican venues offer a tropical quick fix for winter. Now - late-winter - is a good time to look to Mexico. Specifically, the accessible ports along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I focus here on Mexico because it is within reach of a long weekend. Bali is not. Neither, for that matter, is Costa Rica. And, worth noting, February is dead-center for the dry season along Mexico's Pacific Coast. The chances of a cloud raining on your picnic - make that palapa - are slim (but never say never outdoors). A short trip to one of the high-profile Mexican ports can be made more attractive by a "package trip." These excursions, sponsored by various airlines and hotels, can be remarkably affordable (even during the high season of winter tourism). The travel sections of the major newspapers across the state often carry ads detailing these packages. Some really are eye-grabbers - several days and nights at a beachfront hotel, plus round-trip air and transfers for several hundred dollars. Most "fun and sun" packages do not specifically include fishing excursions, but reputable charter services can be booked through specialty travel agents, hotels or at the dock. The charter cost is within most travel budgets, especially when three or four anglers share a boat. That's the way to do it; stoke up two or three fishing buddies and plan a billfish trip together. The cost is reduced and the fun is increased. Offshore sport-fishing boats that specialize in billfish (marlin and sailfish, with an off-shot at swordfish) might charter for $250 to $500 per day at the established ports. The price depends on the fleet and the size and the newness of the boat, but regardless, the rates are cheap compared to state-side charters. The billfish are the main event, but other offshore, or "blue water," catches might include yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo. Also a consideration, smaller skiffs or pangas can be chartered for inshore fishing (maybe $100 to $200 per day with boatman). This inshore light-tackle fishing around rocks and sandy beaches is a sleeper. You can troll or cast for a variety of exotic game species, such as pargo snapper, cubera snapper, grouper, Sierra mackerel, jurel (jackfish), roosterfish, corvina (a big speck without spots) and snook. Inshore or offshore, Mexico offers inexpensive and productive late-winter fishing. A long fishing weekend is most attractive for those spontaneous getaways for which February is famous. You know, when that last norther was the final straw: "I'm sick of this. Let's bail next weekend and go someplace where it's warm and sunny and we can catch some fish and maybe drink a few margaritas." You can book a package excursion and blast in and out of Mexico on a Friday-Monday or Friday-Tuesday schedule. Most of the tourist ports are within easy half-day travel from Houston, Dallas or San Antonio, so even the tighter format provides an afternoon and evening to unwind, plus two full days of fishing, and a leisurely departure on the fourth day (most flights depart the Pacific Coast during the afternoon hours). Extend the trip the extra day and you have a valuable cushion. I strongly recommend the third day whenever possible. That third session can be the all-important "weather day." No matter where you travel, the veteran adventurer knows the wisdom of factoring a throwaway day into the package. Things can go wrong. A boat may break down; such things are not unheard of in Mexico (although the big-name fleets usually command reliable boats and skippers). With two days or three, the odds are good that at least one or two billfish will be caught. Most boats at the various ports post annual averages of one to two billfish per day. That's solid batting, but allow time for the average to work for you. One day - you might come back with all your bait. Two days - something probably will happen. Three days - almost certainly a billfish or two will be in air. If things go wonderfully, fabulously right, the three-day format gives an extra full-day session for what might be that trip of a lifetime, one of those "chamber of commerce" outings that can occur as a new concentration of pelagic billfish moves within reach. Or, you can spend two days offshore and one inshore. To repeat, the inshore trolling/casting sessions can be excellent. Here are several easily accessible destinations in Mexico that offer quality February fishing: Cabo San Lucas The "cape" region is rocky and arid. More than that, it is an excellent fishing destination. Look at a map. Cabo is a big point, the tip of Baja that sticks out to intercept currents, bait and fish. Numerous fine hotels and restaurants complement some of the best sport-fishing fleets in Mexico. The winter months of cooler currents are most noted for the seasonal migration of striped marlin. Mazatlan This historic port has long been a favorite fishing site. The winters are dry but the terrain is more lush and tropical than Cabo. Many hotels and a colorful nightlife keep the beach scene busy. The sport-fishing fleets range from good to adequate, and most of the offshore tackle is heavy and basic, but veteran skippers are masters. A new marina built in conjunction with the El Cid Hotel expands the options. Striped marlin are the main event in February. Puerto Vallarta This secluded port tucked inside the "bay of flags" gets high points for scenic ambience. The fishing can be good, especially for sailfish, but a longer run may be required to reach productive ocean currents. Better spots probably are available for serious billfishing, but "PV" is no bad call for a fun weekend. The inshore fishing north of the bay (around Punta de Mita) can be exceptional. Puerto Escondido This small port, situated on a bay known best by vagabond surfers as the "Mexican Pipeline," now hosts quality hotels and outstanding offshore and inshore fishing. Sailfish and tuna and occasional blue marlin highlight run the warmer currents that run year-round off southern Mexico. If the surf is up along the open beach of Escondido, don't let anybody talk you into renting a surfboard or going bodysurfing. Experts only, por favor. Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo A new marina in Ixtapa upgrades this southern Mexico destination. Many fine hotels and restaurants are available in Ixtapa and (more authentic) the old port of "Z-What." Sails, school tuna, and the occasional marlin await, and so do many rocky points and coves and river mouths up and down the coast, all choice venues for plugging and trolling. All of these are winners in winter. Book a trip, kick back and catch some fish. Spring will seem a lot closer. ⌐ Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., L.L.C. All rights reserved.