Taking it back a couple generations. We never met our grandfather but legend has it he was one hell of a fisherman. This photo is of our grandfather winning the largest catch in the annual Tarpon fishing tournament in Ciudad del Carmen. Tarpon is one of toughest fish to reel in, sometimes taking 5 plus hours. A true monster, growing up to 8 feet long and weighing up to 280 pounds with scales the size of your palm. The story goes he just used a hook, line, and gloves. No fishing rod! Maybe I was being a gullible kid but the image of my grandfather pulling in this fish with his bare hands has stuck in my head. The Biosphere Reserve of Los Petenes just north of Campeche lines the coast with fertile mangroves that is still home to the most prolific juvenile tarpon fisheries in the world!