I asked a local mate named Javier how Isla Mujeres, which translates to "the island of women," got its name. He put down the ballyhoo he was rigging and told me that local legend left behind two  stories.
 
The first Spaniards to visit the small island off Cancún, Mexico, found rows of petite statues depicting the female form scattered about the area beaches; thus, the name, Javier said. The second explanation is that when those same settlers arrived, they found only women in the village because all the men were out fishing.    After spending a week this past May targeting the local sailfish population, I tend to believe the second version.

When to Go
In the late 1990s, Capt. Anthony Mendillo, who operates Keen M International Sport Fishing in Isla Mujeres, and a few other local captains discovered a huge population of sailfish showing up during the winter months. They soon began posting high-double-digit days from January through March.
 
"The winter bite really only began to catch on the last five or six years," Mendillo says. "We had heard rumors of sailfish in the winter. We found 'em — we caught 72 our first day."
 
Most of the wintertime action takes place 40 to 50 miles northwest of Isla. As always, weather factors into the success. The same cold fronts that can plague anglers in south Florida and the Bahamas can shut down the bite off Isla, but when winds blow in from the northwest, the bite goes off in a big way.
 
"We bring 200 baits for each trip, and there are days that we run out," Mendillo says. And these baits aren't getting washed out; they're getting chomped!
 
During these peak periods, it's not uncommon to hear of boats releasing 60-plus fish in a single day.

A Gentlemen's Game
Thanks to the forward thinking of men like Mendillo's father-in-law, Enrique Lima, Hank Manley and Stewart Cambell, certain rules apply when fishing these waters. Lima built the first dock in Isla Mujeres and quickly got to know the traveling fishermen as they showed up in their sportfishing boats, looking for action. To keep the angling scene from turning into anarchy, Lima and Manley decided to draft the Code of Conduct that all anglers — visitors and locals — must abide by.
 
Such tactics as casting live baits, drifting, using spinning rods and backing into large bait balls and feeding fish became strict no-nos in these parts. Traditional sailfishing methods are the only type allowed: trolling with dead ballyhoo on conventional tackle.
 
Visiting boats must sign an agreement at the dock that they understand the rules and will abide by them. If you break the rules, you'll find yourself alienated in a very small community.
 
"All the things that make sailfishing a snap are not allowed here," Mendillo says. "It may seem strange at first, but it levels the playing field and makes you a better fisherman in the long run."
 
The Code of Conduct doesn't hurt the fishing any. In fact, having fished up and down the East Coast, I can say that I wish more areas took a lesson from the men who put Isla on the map. The code keeps the fishing civilized, and the googan factor goes way down.

Variety, the Spice of Life
Just like everywhere else in the world, the timing of the bite in Isla can vary from year to year. "Our season started on January 20 this year, which is way early. We caught and released 54 on our first day," Mendillo says.
 
By mid-April, the sailfish action tapers down to around 20 bites a day, but the white marlin begin to appear and a few blues get tossed into the mix as well. The cold fronts start to recede, and the fish push in closer to shore. With calmer waters and an afternoon bite, the spring fishing in Isla ideally suits the fair-weather, laid-back angler: Most boats don't even leave the dock till 9 a.m.
 
"If we didn't have the 100-bite days in February, 15 to 25 bites a day would be considered great, and they are!" Mendillo says. "With most folks, that's all they can take."
 
While in Isla, I also fished one day with Capt. Tim Hyde on the Good Grief, a brand-new 52-foot Paul Spencer. Hyde, who first fished here in 1978, keeps coming back. The dwindling sailfish numbers in mid- to late April don't bother him; he prefers a mixed bag anyway, he says.
 
We left the dock at 7 a.m. and headed to an edge about 71¼2 miles southeast of Cancún, known to hold marlin. We worked a few deep edges on our way north and raised three white marlin, catching one. We even hooked a small blue that jumped twice before spitting the hook. That afternoon we worked our way inside of the 180-foot break looking for some sails. Sure enough, Hyde found the fish; we managed to raise eight and catch six. I sure wasn't feeling any grief aboard the Good Grief — heck, we ended the day just a few cranks short of a grand slam.
 The next morning I met Mendillo on the Lilly M, his 36-foot custom express, to ride along with repeat customer Robert Purcell, his son and Purcell's father-in-law — three generations of anglers. Once again, we began to the south and found a white marlin to start things off. We rode the current northward plugging away at the sails; however, the sails were actively feeding on small baitfish, making it difficult to get them to take a trolled ballyhoo. We ended the day with 17 sailfish bites, an average score for early May.
 
The highlight for me came when Mendillo spotted four sailfish and a white marlin aggressively balling bait. I clamored up the tower to get a better view and hopefully a few photos. The predators, lit up like the scoreboard at the Super Bowl, gracefully worked the bait and effortlessly took turns slashing through the pod. Mendillo made several passes, cutting the boat hard to drop the baits into position. Finally we got the white marlin to take: The fish took to the air, dancing on its tail like a belligerent ballerina.
 
Like most anglers who've experienced this bite, you can bet I'll be back next year.

 How to Get There

Getting to the Cancún/Isla Mujeres area is easy. If you want to run your own vessel, head west from Key West for the roughly 330-mile crossing. With the cruising speeds of today's sportfishing vessels, most crews make the trip in about 12 hours, depending on conditions.
 
For anglers looking to fish these grounds but who don't want to run across the Gulf, look no farther than Keen M International Sport Fishing. Capt. Anthony Mendillo and his wife, Kin, go the extra mile to make sure each client is happy and comfortable. The crew will accommodate all your needs whether you want to fly-fish or grab a few grouper for dinner on the way back to shore. Visit www.islamujeressportfishing.com, e-mail fishkinm@cancun.com.mx, or call 011-52-998-877-0759.
 
To get to Isla, simply book one of the many flights offered to Cancún, Mexico. Once in Cancún, take a shuttle ($12) or taxi ($40) to Puerto Juarez, and jump on the ferry to Isla ($3.50 each way). I recommend staying at the Playa la Media Luna Hotel in Isla. The hotel offers scenic vistas of a private beach, and personal hammocks swing from each room. It's a quick walk from the hotel to the village center and charter dock as well. If you're lucky, you can hop a ride with Mendillo on his way to work. He lives on the second floor, and his wife owns the hotel. Visit www.playamedialuna.com or call 800-223-5695 from the U.S. for reservations.