Life long dream of fishing in Belize will come true at Christmas! I grew up fishing with an open face spinning reel in Matagorda Bay. This is the equipment I am most comfortable with, but want a recommendation for the latest and greatest rod and reel to take with me to Belize. Something that is versatile and can also handle a heavier test line. Anybody?

Also looking for recommendations for a guide or charter in the Hopkins Bay area. I don't want to just go with the hotel's go-to bookings, and it seems the best guides are tied up with full on food/lodging/fishing businesses. So I guess I'm looking for a good day trip with a good guide, good equipment and good boat.

Of course, I would like to catch tarpon, permit, and bone fish and hope to have a guide who is willing and savvy enough to go in river locked tarpon and other areas that aren't all fished out. I'm sure I will be pushed to fly fish, and that's okay... even though I'm not very good at it. But I don't want to be frowned upon for using a spinning reel!

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I went to Belize on vacation a few years ago and got some amazing fishing in. You're right to be wary of the hotel bookings. The guides charge a big time premium if you go through the hotel or resort. What I ended up doing was just walking down to the local dock and asking for fishing guides. I was directed to the closest bar to the dock and it was literally full of fishing guides and I haggled with all of them for a really good price. Ended up spending only about $150 bucks for the whole day, including lunch and the guide provided bait and tackle. I did this in both Placencia and San Pedro and caught loads of fish. Good luck!

I am in Hopkins now. In fact, we are leaving today. Fished with a guy named Noelee. I do not recommend. The guys around here are really geared up to bottom fish. When I told Noelee I wanted to fish for Tarpon and Bone fish with conventional rods/reels/tackle he said no problem. I was looking for the same thing you are looking for, but struggled to find someone in the area. I brought my own heavy bass rods and a spinning reel. After my first experience with him, I just gave up in frustration. Hopkins is a small town of about 12,000 and a few dozen small resorts. We are at the Hamanasi. I think Noelee is the guy most of the resorts use in the area.