Self Guided Bonefish Trip
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Anyone have suggestions on a self guided trip in the Bahamas? Looking for simple place to stay and an Island where flats are easy to drive to and fish. Would like to know if anyone has done this. Have some days off in December and want to give it a try.
The easy suggestion would be to say “google it.”
You’d get this: http://diybonefishing.com/
You might even consider buying his book!
(Which, for the record, are pretty dang good places to start, but I suspect not exactly what you’re looking for. )
The fun suggestions would be more along the lines of:
–Study Google Earth religiously for months before your trip. You need to burn this into memory, since you’ll never be able to get a decent map of the island ON the island, and you will leave the packet of maps you printed off at home. This will result in you driving around the island looking for fishy water for days, burning gas at $6 a gallon, and stumbling onto a beautiful flat on the last day of your trip.
–Don’t get a place on the water. You’ll be tempted to fish after one too many rum drinks, and while you might have been practicing your casting at home (off-hand, into the wind, cross-wind, etc.), you probably haven’t been practicing your casting into-the-wind while you’re gob-smacked, and you’ll have to try to find someone to rip a Gotcha (Ha! Gotcha!) out of your scalp with a pair of rusty pliers.
–Don’t get all rum-buggered up and try to ride your rental scooter home. You’ll forget THEY DRIVE ON THE LEFT (!) and you’ll be picking gravel out of your elbows and knees for the next twenty years.
–When Pineapple Air loses your bags (I mean it’s an eight seater for #$&^’s sake, how can they LOSE a bag!), slip the guy behind the counter (the one in the dark sunglasses flashing his gold teeth — Maurice) a $20. He’ll fix it. (Maybe. Or maybe not. Hopefully Maurice will not be the same person that previously tried to remove the Gotcha from your scalp).
–Ignore any packing lists you might encounter or make up. After all, what’s more fun than discovering that you left your reels at home, and having to Tenkara your bonefish (This is how real men fish, anyway. Reels are for sissies…).
–At all costs, make sure you remember a buff. If you get hit with explosive diarrhea after some questionable grouper at Mama Cay’s, you’ll find out just how useful they can be (Leaves on most of the islands are not an option, as they all have thorns, sharp edges, or sap that’ll blister the skin off your…). Besides, if you are buff-less, nobody will think you are serious about your bonefish-spooking.
–Pick touristy islands, you know, the ones with swimsuit models cavorting about and such. The other islands all have flyfishermen on them, who are invariably stinky and not particularly attractive. Even if you don’t catch any bonefish, the scenery will be much better.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
p.s. Did I mention that http://diybonefishing.com/ is a very good place to start?
Dave-
You sound experienced, and like someone that has studied hard at the college of hard knocks.
Actually, I did see that DIY bonefish website and there were some good testimonials. I use google earth often to look for flats and fishy places. But it is hard to tell 2′ deep from 8′ deep water on google earth. Trust me, I learned that one at said college.
Fishing and driving liquored up. Very good advice. Picking stones out of elbows, knees and palm of hands. Ouch. Never had a bad grouper sandwich anywhere in the Bahamas yet, and I have eaten plenty of them.
I will keep you posted. Never caught a bonefish on a fly. Just caught my first striper and albie, now time to get a bone.
George
George, Dave gave you some great tips, but be sure to also check out Oliver White’s podcast when it is released in January. Sounds like you and Jay Malyon need to compare notes.
Zach
Dave and Zach-
Bought the book, read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Actually my girlfriend bought if for me. She’s a Unicorn if you saw the hot crazy matrix video. Not x rated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKWmFWRVLlU
It is an excellent read. Rod Hamilton has a lifetime of experience stumbling over flats in search of Bonefish and has shared very well. A February trip is in the planning. His suggestion is a good one, hire a guide on day one. Get local knowledge and get the skunk off. Then go explore.
Will let you know how it goes, and will check the pod cast.
George
I spent the week of Christmas on a well-known Bahamian DIY locale, and should probably add a couple more suggestions to my previous list. These may or may not prove helpful.
While our TSA folks wig out over hooks, their Bahamian counterparts aren’t as worried. Carrying your rods & reels but having all of your flies packed in a checked bag doesn’t help when your bag isn’t on the same flight as you. I would recommend transferring a small box or zip-loc of flies into your carry-on when you transfer to domestic in the Bahamas. I spent an unhappy first evening drinking Kalik, staring at tailing fish, and hoping our bags would show up (they did on the first flight the next morning). I’d rather risk having a dozen flies confiscated than do that again…
I didn’t take enough unweighted flies. Cuda attrition made me remove a lot of bead chain eyes with a Leatherman tool.
Use Google Earth, yes, but don’t forget to also use the historical imagery tool to compare multiple images across time — this can let you distinguish between 6″ deep flats and 4′ deep flats, particularly when you cross-reference to a tide chart. Bare sand can be problematic, but mangroves make a good marker for the high — and if you can find and ID grass flats, you have a marker for the low. Oh, and don’t forget to take a tide chart with you.
Check on kayak or skiff availability before you go. The house we rented this time had a flotilla of several kayaks and three SUPs available. I lugged an inflatable SUP along, and while we used it, it wasn’t necessary.
It’s worth hitting a couple different liquor stores if possible, as you might be surprised at variation in pricing and stock, and might stumble onto some gems.
You may have read about long leaders being necessary for spooky bonefish that have been around the block a couple times. Adding tippet to get the length (like you might do for trout) is going to fail miserably when the wind picks up. I had brought some #60 and #80 hard mono for bite guards, and wound up using it to tie up some long-butt leaders, 12-14′ or so — they worked very well even into heavy wind.
When you get into soft bottom marl and grass flats, look for feeding marks (think of a conical pit the size and shape of a bonefish snout), you’ll know you’re in the right spot. If you find a bunch of these and wait for the tide to drop out, the fish will likely show eventually.
A new pair of polarized glasses got delivered to my house the day <after> we left the US (Thanks, FedEx!). I should have picked up a new pair at a shop before we left– it’s hard enough seeing bonefish without trying to do it through scratched glasses.
On gray, overcast days when you don’t have any contrast and fish aren’t throwing shadows, seeing fish over grass or marl is a royal PIA. This is when a guide is worth his weight in gold. There’s no substitute for experience when trying to spot fish under these conditions. On your own, stick to the light bottom areas, or find good habitat and watch & listen. Not just for obvious fins & tails or bait skittering, not just nervous water, but anything, well, different. If in doubt, stalk or wait for it to get in range and throw at it. Worst case scenario, you’ll lose another fly to a cuda, or put one across the bow of a mullet, or spook a bone. The subtle differences may eventually become more clear.
They sure weren’t easy… but it made success that much sweeter.
By far the worst part of the trip was coming back to 26 F. Blah.
Good luck.
Wow, beautiful pics Dave and great recommendations. You have mirrored the experiences of Rod Hamilton quite closely. He always brings two pair of glasses. He recommends fishing with a Guide on day one to get oriented, local tips, etc. In the book he recommends lots of unweighted flies because you will be closer to the fish and don’t want a big plop, and you will be in skinnier water than on a boat, i.e. less weight required to sink. And like you he talks about leader length in detail but closes with, throw what you can throw. That a properly turned over 9 foot leader is better than a poorly thrown 12 due to getting a strike with slack. Apparently that is a no no.
Regarding Barracuda he keeps flies rigged with a wire bite guard. The guard has a loop on the end. Sees a big cuda brings in his fly, loops bite guard over hook and flings it. Says a good quick down and dirty technique. Not sure if your barracuda strikes were intended or nuisance.
He does not spend much time discussing procurement of liquor in the book, but I appreciate the comments. Its a different story, but I picked up a motorcycle in San Antonio in November some years back. Drove in the rain till night fall and pulled into a motel in Hope Arkansas. I could not go another inch in the dark, cold, rain only to discovered I was in a dry county. Trust me, a mistake I won’t make again.
The destination I am looking at are remote (Auckins, Mayaguana) with air service twice a week. So if a bag does not show that would be very not good. But I get along well with the TSA so don’t expect problems with hooks, gear, etc. Never had a problem before. Normally I fedex my gear to all trips but that will not be an option.
Due to an unexpected pop up ski trip I am planning on bone-fishing the last week in February, seven day trip.
Here are two fun to read articles/blogs on Mayaguana:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/19/travel/winter-in-the-sun-plenty-of-fins-few-footprints.html
http://www.silverbowflyshop.com/blog/big-mayaguana-bonefish
Thanks again Dave, sounds like you had a blast.
George
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