Chub Cay differs from most Bahamas fishing destinations in several notable respects. For one, the extent and accessibility of its bonefish flats is hard to beat. For those who fly in, “When you land at the runway and clear customs, walk back behind the customs house for about 50 feet and you’ll be at the edge of 25 miles of bonefish flats,” says Capt. Rick Murphy.

Murphy, a Florida fishing guide, professional tournament angler and host of the popular Sportsman’s Adventures TV show, has a special and uniquely personal familiarity with Chub Cay fishing. He’s been spending time and fishing there every year since he was a youngster, in the 1960s, when his grandfather built a home on the east side of the island. The Murphy family still owns a renovated house there and keeps several boats on hand to fish flats, reefs and blue water.

Chub Cay, one of the Berry Island group northeast of Andros Island and northwest of Nassau, is also different from many popular Bahamas destinations since it remains private — the island is owned by wealthy Texan George Bishop — and in no way crowded with tourists. While there is a runway that serves several Florida- and Bahamas-based air charters, there are no regularly scheduled commercial flights. Other than via chartered or private aircraft, private boats are the only way to the island.

For sport fishermen, the most significant distinction Chub offers is location, location, location. Immediately around most of the island are flats inhabited by extraordinary schools of bonefish — and not all little guys, either. Just to the south of the island, a mere stone’s toss from the Chub Cay Marina, the bottom drops away in deep azure ocean waters.

“A lot of guys will pull out of the marina, and 500 yards off the beach will put out their lines,” Murphy says. The list of game fish includes pretty much everything the warm Atlantic has to offer, including yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi, white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. From Chub, one can troll the 15 or so miles west to The Pocket, the magical spot where the abyssal Tongue of the Ocean abuts the coral shallows of Bahama Bank.

Baitfish naturally collect here along the wall that rises abruptly from hundreds of feet to a few fathoms, and predators naturally follow, making it one of the most productive trolling alleys in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

When to Go

While anglers can find some bluewater pelagics here most of the year, the very best time to on hand is February, March and into April, particularly when a southeast breeze pushes bait right against the bank, Murphy says. He recalls that his grandfather, who built here, “loved Chub so much because no matter what the direction of the wind, some place will always be fishable.”

For bonefish, Murphy says the best time starts in early October as temperatures cool and goes through mid-June. It’s not unusual for bonefish hotspots in the Caribbean to boast great numbers of small fish, but at Chub, flats anglers can have the best of worlds.

“That’s the thing that’s so cool here,” says Murphy. “Our average bonefish probably runs 5 pounds. I’ve caught ‘em to 13 on the fly.” He attributes the large size of Chub bones to so much fertile deeper water around the island.

Murphy also cites the reef action he calls “spectacular” here. “Any area where there are drop-offs, you can catch snapper — muttons, yellowtail, cubera, lanes and others — and several types of groupers, plus African pompano, almacos, amberjack and more.” And barracudas, he adds, love to clobber topwater lures. Murphy says drift-jigging is a great way to catch everything. He favors leadheads of ½ to 1½ ounces tipped with Fishbites soft tails.

Planning a Trip

Where to Go and How to Get There: Private boaters make the 150 or so miles to Chub from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale (or a little under 170 from West Palm Beach), but Murphy points out that only about 50 miles is open-water crossing (including the Gulf Stream). Otherwise, most of the run is over the relatively shallow water of the Great Bahama Bank. The full-service marina’s floating docks can accommodate boats from center consoles to 175-foot yachts.

Private aircraft and chartered flights find arrival at Chub’s 5,000-foot airstrip easy, thanks to a small, regular customs office open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Several charter operations provide service to Chub, including Tropic Air Charters, Makers Air and Island Air Charters (all based in Ft. Lauderdale), plus Bahamas Air Tours.

However one arrives at Chub, he or she will find a variety of accommodations offered by Chub Cay Resort. The clubhouse serves as a boutique hotel with 11 rooms. The cabanas feature eight, single, stand-alone units on Sunset Beach. Villas range from two to five bedrooms with varying layouts and views. In addition, some privately owned homes are available to rent.

What to Expect: While fishing-charter services are limited, three well-known longtime bonefish guides — Razor, David and Joe — can put anglers into countless shots at bones. Bonefish are abundant enough that some anglers rent a golf cart to take them along the shore to points from which they can wade out into good action.

In addition to world-class fishing, Chub offers diving of the same caliber. Murphy cites the amazing wall diving in the clear waters, teeming with fish. But he points out that those who would take advantage of it can only get to it on a private boat with their own gear (rental gear is not available). Murphy says anyone wanting more information on fishing Chub is welcome to contact him via murphyslawsportfishing.com.

The post Chub Cay Bahamas: The Big Bonefish Factory appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

“Where else can you catch bonefish and permit in the morning and run a mile or so away to troll for wahoo?”

The variety of fish and fisheries that the Bahamas offers has kept Capt. Jon Cooper, with Contender Boats in Homestead, Florida, focused on fishing these waters his entire life. There’s no lack of exploration possibilities in the Bahamas, with more than 3,000 islands, cays and islets dotting 180,000 square miles of the Caribbean Sea.

From countless acres of flats and mangrove coasts to lush coral reefs to abyssal blue water, for fishing enthusiasts, it’s all here.

Many islands are familiar to anglers looking for great action — the Abacos (a 120-mile-long chain of over 650 square miles including the famed flats of the Marls), Andros (largest island but least developed — bonefish paradise), and Chub Cay and Bimini for both flats and bluewater fishing. Cooper mentions Great Harbour Cay as a hidden secret for bonefish, particularly with renowned guide Percy Darville. 

Then there are the more distant eastern islands. These include Long Island, Cat Island, the Acklins and Crooked Island, plus San Salvador. It’s a long run to San Sal, in the southeastern fringes of Bahamas waters, but that island has “a special place in my heart” for Cooper. He says the residents are incredibly friendly. You can put your lures out right out of the marina to fish blue water which is known for monster wahoo — some of the biggest in the world — as well yellowfin (at the north end) and marlin. Near islands or distant, large or small, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when fishing the Bahamas.

Planning a Bahamas Trip

When to Go

The Bahamas offers plenty of fishing opportunities throughout the year. Still, there are peak times for many popular fisheries. If you’re after billfish (marlin — blues and whites), tuna (yellowfin and blackfin) and mahi, try to be there in spring and early summer. For wahoo, winter and early spring are hard to beat. In many areas, summer and fall offer the best action for bonefish and permit, though winter and early spring often produce some of the largest bones.

Reef fishing for grouper and snapper is productive all year, but spring through early fall in particular. Temperatures are always warm and skies tend to be clear most of the time. Winter will be windier. Summer and early fall, while calm and hot, is hurricane season. Odds are against having to deal with that, but still, unplanned evacuations aren’t impossible (and are better than being on hand when a category-5 storm — like Dorian in 2019 — threatens).

Where to Go and How to Get There

Airports at Nassau, Freeport, Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay offer regular air service from the U.S. Bahamasair also offers flights to many smaller airports throughout the islands. Private air-charter service is readily available from several Florida cities. Many private boaters cruise to the islands from ports in Florida and other Southeastern states. The distance across the Gulf Stream from Miami to Bimini is 60 miles. Fully equipped marinas are located throughout the islands. Check here for a wealth of information on customs and entry.

What to Expect

Fishing on Bahamian charters with licensed skippers is the simplest and generally most productive means for day fishing. Anglers fishing from private boats must have a fishing permit (obtained when clearing customs) and be aware of limits, notably 18 pelagic species (tuna, wahoo, mahi, kingfish) per vessel per day and no more than 20 demersal fish (such as snapper and grouper) or 60 pounds in total. All billfish and sharks must be released (except in approved tournaments).

Bahamas Contacts

General information at bahamas.com. Also, myoutislands.com. For those planning to visit on their own hulls, considerable information is available here.

The post The Bahamas Beautiful appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Flats fish chumming is standard practice in Florida, but it’s not practiced much in The Bahamas for bonefish. Traditional poling is the drill, leading to plenty of shots and hookups.

But bonefish can be scarce and wary at times, particularly on pressured flats frequented by DIY fly fishers. Plus, big high tides push them back into the mangroves along shorelines.

I once fished out of Treasure Cay, on Abaco, and we had a good morning of tailing fish until the new moon rising tide put the water and all bones back in the bushes by noontime.

“Wish we could chum them,” my buddy said to me on the skiff ride back. “Why not? Let’s get some conch in town,” I replied. At a local conch salad shack, men were cleaning the shellfish. For a $15 tip we scored 5 pounds of “conch slop,” the entrails and inedible parts that are loaded with scent.

The next day, we put it to the test during high tide as the mangrove shallows flooded. We fanned out about 2 pounds worth, and managed to coax out three small groups bones. They came to the skiff pronto. We landed a fish from each school. Our guide couldn’t stop smiling.

Tips

• Don’t chum when lemon sharks are on the flat. Scent in the water will bring them to the boat. And they will attack your hooked, or your just-released, tired bonefish.
• Bahamas regulations allow for travelers to bring over fresh foods, even meats, so fresh or frozen shrimp would be a backup should conch not be available.

The post Chumming for Bahamas Bonefish appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Charter Capt. Tyler Levesque from Madeira Beach, Fla. was fishing with a crew of anglers on his 31-foot Bertram boat the “Lady A” Dec. 5 off San Salvador in the Bahamas. It’s the famed spot where in Oct. 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the New World.

The anglers were targeting wahoo and headed out that morning in calm seas and beautiful weather.

“We fished all morning with no bites, which is crazy because the fishing had been on fire for wahoo with 5 to 8 strikes per day,” said Levesque via email to Sportfishing. “We went back to land for lunch, and headed out that afternoon during a falling tide, which is when the fish were most active.”

At 4:45 p.m. that day, and nearing to the prime full moon phase, a big fish smashed a “cow bell” lure set up on a far back long line in 430 feet of water.

The wahoo’s first run was incredible, reports Levesque, as angler Drew Johnson grabbed the heavy-duty custom rod with Shimano “Beast Master” reel.

“That first run was awesome as it pulled close to 1,000 feet of line from the reel,” said Levesque, who runs South Atlantic Outfitters in Florida. “Drew was on that fish for 40 minutes before we could get it near the boat.”

But getting the fish into Levesque’s Bertram wasn’t easy.

“The wahoo surfaced and we could see it was a big fish,” said Levesque. “The last 30-feet of leader the fish was hand lined to the boat. Right beside us the wahoo did a last ditch head shake and threw the hook. Just For a millisecond the fish was free, but we hit it fast with a gaff behind the gills, then my mate Tyler Barrett hit it with a second gaff.”

Capt. Levesque saw the chaos trying to boat the wahoo. So he left the Bertram tower, rushed to the stern of the boat, and grabbed the tail of the still-flopping fish.

The group of men pulled the ‘hoo into the boat stern, then into the fish box, as they realized how huge the wahoo was.

“The size of the fish really began to sink in, and cheers rang out with hugs and excitement all around our crew,” said Levesque.

Read Next: Record 101-Pound Wahoo Caught Off Florida’s Panhandle

Back at the marina that afternoon the wahoo officially weighed 111-pounds, 2-ounces, a giant by any measure. But in San Salvador such fish are regularly seen. Currently there are four IGFA world line class records from San Salvador, including two fish weighing over 150 pounds.

The IGFA All-Tackle record for wahoo is a beast of fish, weighing 184-pounds, caught off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in July 2005.

The post Huge 111-Pound Wahoo Caught in Bahamas appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

A devastating Cat 5 hurricane in 2019 followed by a worldwide pandemic steamrolled parts of the Bahamas. Yet despite these dire hardships, this top-notch fishing destination has rebuilt, and many locations are now open to American anglers.

Tourism tanked in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, which peaked in its intensity on Sept. 1, 2019, as many people cancelled travel plans nationwide. But some have already seen a flip side to this coin — the net result could be better fishing than before the storm.

On the Rebound

“There’s been virtually no fishing pressure,” says Sarah Showell, of the Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina. “After we rebuilt post-Dorian and before Covid, there were a few people coming in. They all had full coolers with bigger fish than we’re used to seeing. Big grouper, huge mutton snapper, even the lobsters people were diving for were bigger than usual because they hadn’t been pressured for so long.”

Joanne Feinstein, owner of AbacoBuzz.com, has experienced similar fishing off Elbow Cay and says, “It’s unbelievable how quickly everything came back, and it’s sort of a weird silver lining. First, we had the hurricane, and then Covid, and if anything good can be said, it’s that the fishing and diving are fantastic right now.”

Justin Sands, a fly-fishing guide based out of Marsh Harbor and president of the Abaco Fly Fishing Guide Association, also says that fishing is back into prime form and then some. “The hurricane did impact the mangroves on the west side,” he explains. “But once the debris in the water cleared, fishing was good, and we’ve been working with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust to replant mangroves in some areas. At this point in time, it’s fair to say that fishing is back — the independent guides are up and running, the lodges are up and running, and we’re all ready to go fishing.”

Regional Reports

Dorian hammered Abaco Island as a category-five storm packing sustained 185 mph winds — a tie for the strongest ever recorded — and hit Marsh Harbor with gusts recorded up to 220 mph. Storm surges of 20-plus feet flooded the islands.

The tab for the storm’s damages reportedly hit $3.4 billion (a quarter of the Bahamas GDP), and it left tens of thousands of Bahamas residents homeless in its wake. It then triggered a rebuilding effort that in many areas amounted to starting from scratch.

While Dorian proved catastrophic in some parts of the country, other areas felt fewer effects. Because the hurricane maintained a more or less east-west trajectory while passing through the area, most of the worst damage occurred to the north; the 120-plus-mile buffer between Abaco and islands like Bimini and Andros made a world of difference. In fact, while these islands were at one point under a hurricane watch, they didn’t experience hurricane-force winds (74 mph and higher).

Anglers who run their own boats across to the Bahamas should find ample infrastructure. “We’re very well positioned to regain our momentum,” says Basil Smith, executive director of the Association of Bahamas Marinas. “Boaters can expect to find all the amenities they’re accustomed to.”

In fact, in harder hit areas like Abaco, they can even expect significantly better amenities. Because the destruction was quite comprehensive, the rebuilding was too, and many marinas now have new docks, new electricity systems, new fuel docks, new weigh stations, and in some cases all of the above. “You’ll find the same familiar faces. Our people are still here,” notes Emmanuel Alexiou, owner of Abaco Beach Resort. “But now everything’s even better than it was before.”

For more details on the current storm status of top Bahamas angling destinations, we asked Bahamas authorities in September for some updates. COVID-related travel restrictions change frequently. At this writing, the Bahamian government has introduced new protocols designed to eliminate the need to quarantine. Here is the country’s source for official COVID information.

Abaco

Many areas of Abaco were literally wiped off the map by Dorian. Of the 70-person official death toll, 60 were in Abaco. Marsh Harbor was flattened, with nearly every building destroyed or damaged. Over 89,000 cubic feet of debris was barged off of Man-O-War Cay. Virtually every building on Green Turtle Cay suffered severe water damage and over half of the homes were destroyed. Sixty percent of Grand Bahama Island was submerged, including the airport.

Today, many of the Abaco resorts best known as prime fishing destinations have fully reopened:

• The Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina has made all 42 of its slips operational, and the entire resort from the waterfront villas to the restaurants have been renovated and are ready for travelling anglers.
• Abaco Beach Resort has completely rebuilt its 200-slip marina, enhanced and enlarged its beach area, and all 89 rooms and suites are in prime condition.
• Treasure Cay Marina has fuel service and some slips available, though renovations there aren’t expected to be complete before later in 2021.

Andros

Popular fishing destinations on Andros largely escaped the blow and most had reopened within weeks of the storm’s passing.

Bimini

Bimini also escaped the worst of Dorian, and aside from Covid glitches has been up and running since shortly after the storm passed. Bimini lies just 52 miles from Miami, Out Island Promotions Board executive director Kerry Fountain says, “and the Bahamas covers over 100,000 square miles of ocean with flats, deep sea, and reef fishing. Why you’d want to go beyond us is, well, beyond us.”

Read Next: The Bahamas Fishing Guide

Elbow Cay

Believed to be where Dorian first made landfall, Elbow Cay took a severe beating. “For 10 months it seemed like everyone was just removing debris,” says Feinstein, who is also on the board of the Restore Hopetown Foundation, a charitable organization established immediately after the hurricane hit. “Then it seemed like everyone was on a roof sawing or nailing something. In a way, it looked like a gigantic movie set.

The post Bahamas Update: Post-Storm and Mid-Pandemic Report appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Editor’s note: This trip was made before Hurricane Isaias blew through the Bahamas. Check online resources for updates on damage as well as entry requirements before planning a run to the islands. Visit Bahamas.com, Bahamas.com/storm and @VisitTheBahamas.

In mid-July, I joined a crew of eight with Roswell Marine for Sport Fishing and Boating magazines to spend a week in the Bahamas aboard an Invincible 37 Cat, exploring several of the Out Islands. As nuts as it sounds to write that amid the craziness of COVID-19, restricted travel and everything else, it’s true. And thanks to some good weather and a seaworthy boat, none of us returned to Florida any worse for wear (despite some serious reservations about coming back at all).

Beginning in July, most of the Bahamas opened back up for travel, albeit under tight restrictions. Incoming visitors need to obtain a Traveler Health Visa by submitting a negative COVID-19 test within 10 days of arrival. This can be a challenge, especially for travelers coming from Florida, where COVID tests are in high demand and results can take several days to a week.

Our route in the Bahamas ran from Treasure Cay/Green Turtle Cay to Abacos Harbour Island/Romora Bay Resort & Marina to Eleuthera/Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina to Bimini’s World Bimini Resort & Marina.

Throughout our six days, we packed in a lot and covered a lot of ground – more than 600 miles for the entire crew — while the boat’s roundtrip from Merritt Island, Florida, through the Bahamas and back, was close to 1,000. Thanks to its catamaran design, along with its 1,600 ponies (quad Mercury 400 Verados), the Invincible earned the nickname “The Beast.”

For most of the journey, the seas were sporty, at best, which wasn’t ideal for center console comfort cruising, but that never prevented us from getting where we needed to go — thanks to The Beast. We enjoyed everything the Bahamas has to offer: fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming in unbelievably clear water, relaxing, exploring and eating incredible food. The only disappointment might have been the lack of results in the fishing department.

Truth be told, we had better results spearfishing, but everybody had a blast regardless. Despite all the travel precautions and the extra measures we needed to observe, it felt great to be there. The hardest part of the trip might just have been getting there.

My advice on navigating the COVID restrictions: Consult with your primary-care doctor and call around to various clinics in order to plan ahead. Don’t assume you can just walk into a place, take a test, and have results in the timeframe needed.

We also found some online solutions, like everlywell.com. This route worked for two in our crew who had trouble scheduling tests at clinics near their homes. As far as submitting the application for the Traveler Health Visa, don’t be afraid to submit it more than once, or to call the hotline number provided (be aware of potential international charges should you call from a cell phone. We learned that the hard way.).

While it might seem crazy to take a 37-foot center console over 1,000 miles in a week’s time, especially in the middle of a global pandemic, a trip like this shows that with planning and some flexibility, an awesome experience is possible.

If you’re traveling to Eleuthera by boat, I highly recommend the Romora Bay Resort & Marina and Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina. Located on the acclaimed Harbour Island, on Eleuthera’s northeastern edge, Romora Bay offers a large marina, gorgeous grounds, comfortable lodging, and two incredible restaurants on site.

Down on Powell Point, Cape Eleuthera sits in epic isolation on a peninsula in the southwest corner of the island. It’s much more remote than Romora Bay, but that’s part of the appeal. Epic scuba diving, offshore fishing, snorkeling, spearfishing and more lie within two miles of the marina. Thanks to its location at the tip of the peninsula, the Cape Eleuthera sunsets need to be seen to be believed. Words don’t do them justice.

Be aware that travel restrictions and protocols are changing and adapting as the virus impacts the islands, so be prepared to adjust your itinerary, even at the last minute. As of Monday, Aug. 3, Grand Bahama and Nassau are still closed to travel, while other islands remain open. Stay in touch with your destination resort/marina — they will be up to date on pertinent information regarding travel and incoming visitors as well.

The post Bahamas Crossing Report — Charting a New Course Past COVID-19 appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Long Island might be The Bahamas’ road less traveled, but for those who have stumbled across this island gem that’s one of its most alluring charms. Strikingly beautiful, off the beaten path, and uncluttered, Long Island lies within easy reach of some of the best billfishing in The Bahamas. Add to that untold miles of virtually untouched bonefish flats that see almost no fishing pressure, and this destination quickly joins an angler’s bucket list.

A narrow spit of land— about 80 miles long from north to south, and up to 4 miles wide—Long Island sits on the eastern edge of the Bahama Bank a short run from Crooked Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay—where marlin, monster dolphin and wahoo roam.

Toward the island’s south end, Clarence Town’s harbor and the recently expanded Flying Fish Marina serve as the hub for the offshore fishing crowd. Long known as a reliable fuel stop for traveling sport-fishing boats, the marina now offers a much wider range of services.

The new two-story marina building sits at the end of a small peninsula and currently offers 21 permanent slips behind a protective seawall with plans for further expansion. Also on site: a marine store, fresh fuel, ice, Baitmaster baits and a small assortment of big-game tackle and rigging supplies.

Managed by Wendy and Jason Edler, an accomplished sportfish captain, the marina staff keeps up on all the current fishing action. A short walk away, Rowdy Boys restaurant on the beach serves up locally caught seafood and island cuisine. (Don’t miss the Friday night pig roast.) A little farther down the road and up the hill lies Nana’s Bakery, where you can get fresh island breads and wonderful homemade sandwiches.

According to Edler, the best wahoo fishing occurs October thru mid-March, and nearby Columbus Bank consistently produces ’hoos to 90 pounds. Yellowfin tuna migrate here from March through May, white marlin in April and May, and blue marlin from May through early July.

Only 6 miles from port, Simms Bar, also called The Finger, produces a lot of wahoo and a surprising number of marlin. Anglers bottomfish and deep-drop year-round for the typical Bahamian fare of snappers, groupers and wreckfish.

Long Island’s proximity to so many remote fishing spots keeps serious bluewater fishermen coming back. Pick a direction and you can be on prime fishing grounds in no time. You can make day trips or overnighters to Conception Island, Rum Cay, Crooked Island and the Acklins.

The Diana Bank, an awesome seamount, lies nearby and offers some of the most consistent fishing for pelagic species anywhere in The Bahamas. The upwellings it creates when the current strikes it start the whole circle of life with plankton blooms, bait, small predators and then the tuna and billfish, and it’s only a 28-mile run from the marina.

A favored overnight destination—Samana Cay, about 70 miles ESE—usually produces tuna, and big blue marlin are frequently in residence. Blues to more than 600-pounds have been caught there in recent years. You can always find a leeward anchorage to spend a restful night enjoying your catch of the day and sipping your favorite rum drinks.

The flats-fishing community centers around the Long Island Bonefish Lodge on Deadman’s Cay. The lodge offers accommodations and guided bonefish packages with fishing that rivals any of the more famous islands.

Long Island’s remote location means you will rarely see another angler. As the tide recedes, bonefish gather in the deeper channels that feed water onto the flats.

About eight miles north of Clarence Town on Queens Road, Lloyd’s Restaurant lies across the street from the turn-off for Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest inland blue hole in the world, plunging to more than 650 feet. It hosts the Vertical Blue Free Diving International Competition each July, but it’s worthy of a visit any time of year to take a dip in the crystalline azure waters.

Further north another community clusters around the Stella Maris Airport and includes several restaurants, a secluded hideaway called Tiny’s Hurricane Hole, and the oceanfront Stella Maris Beach Resort.

At the extreme end of the island, Cape Santa Maria Beach—considered one of the 10 most spectacular beaches in the world—features soft white sand that stretches for miles. Amid this tropical beauty lies the ultra-secluded Cape Santa Maria Resort.

If you choose to sightsee on your trip, you’ll find numerous historic churches, some dating back to the 1800s and still in use. Others like St. Mary’s, thought to be the oldest church in The Bahamas dating to 1799, stand in stark ruins, the walls and altar still erect but open to the sky.

To tap Long Island’s greatest information resource, contact Ernest Major, who offers taxi service, guided tours, and boat-provisioning services, and is the island historian. His nickname is “Dat Guy,” and he should be on your speed dial for sightseeing, finding the best restaurants and the prettiest beaches, hooking up with bonefish guides, or getting you to the right places to provision your boat. Call or text him at 242 472-3365.

Long Island is an adventurer’s getaway where there are no crowds, no cruise ships and some of the finest bluewater and flats fishing to be found anywhere in the world. Once you experience it you’ll forever want to return.

Click here to learn more about Long Island!

The post Long Island, Bahamas: The Ultimate Getaway appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

In the 1930s, Bimini hosted the true pioneers of big-game fishing. Legendary anglers Zane Grey, Ernest Hemingway and Michael Lerner cut their teeth catching marlin and tuna in the Gulf Stream little more than a mile off the island’s beaches.

Anglers worldwide read of their adventurous exploits in the newspapers and magazines of the era. The mystique from those legends continues to lure fishermen to Bimini to experience the excellent fishing and the ambiance that inspired many of Hemingway’s later writings.

Bimini’s cluster of three small islands lie only 57 miles from Miami, closer to the United States mainland than any of the other Bahamas. As a fisherman’s playground, Bimini offers seasonal migrations of blue and white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and dolphin, as well as yellowfin, blackfin and bluefins tunas. Bluewater fishing primarily excels from March through early July with the exception of an amazing wahoo run that extends from November through March.

Bonefish prowl the flats between the islands yearround. Those flats have produced numerous line- and tippet-class world records, including the all-tackle record 16 pounder, caught in 1971. Bimini also produced the only grander blue marlin ever recorded in The Bahamas.

Visitors can arrive by plane, landing at the airport on South Bimini, near a small community and a natural-limestone well. On a historic note: explorer Ponce de León once visited that well in the 1500s, hoping it to be the elusive Fountain of Youth.

While a number of carriers fly to the south island, most anglers make the quick run over on private boats or board the Bimini Fast Ferry that departs daily from Fort Lauderdale. When entering the cut between North and South Bimini, fishing boats head to the marinas at the legendary Bimini Big Game Club or the Hilton Resort World.

The main road on North Bimini—Queens Highway—starts in Alice Town. Most who come here walk or rent golf carts; the tiny size of Bimini (only 8.88 square miles) limits cars. Ferries run between the two islands and a daily tram operates on North Bimini.

Walking northward from Alice Town, visitors often stop along the way for the famous cracked conch and cold Kalik beer at Joe’s Conch Stand. Stroll farther and you pass the location of the historic Compleat Angler hotel, where Hemingway allegedly worked on one of his novels in the 1930s. The hotel burned down in 2006.

A little farther north lies the prestigious Bimini Big Game Club, the epicenter of fishing activity on the islands today. It features a full-service marina, a famous restaurant, bar, hotel, dive shop and liquor store.

The Big Game Club also hosts charter operators who target bonefish on the flats or chase marlin, wahoo, dolphin and yellowfin tuna offshore. Bottomfishermen can book trips to pull on the grouper, amberjack and snapper that prowl the reefs and shelves around the main islands and nearby smaller cays.

Great Isaac Cay to the north features a historic 150-foot lighthouse built in London in 1852 and transported to this tiny cay in 1859. The island lies abandoned, its buildings roofless from hurricanes, but an automated light still warns boats away from the rocky reefs of the Northwest Providence Channel. Expect to catch amberjacks and groupers in those very reefs and rocks.

To the south, bordering the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank, lies a chain of small islands includes Turtle and Piquet rocks, Holm, Gun, North Cat, South Cat and Ocean cays. All offer fish-attracting structure for bottomfish, midwater structure for wahoo, and a deep edge scoured by the passing Gulf Stream.

Other Bimini highlights include the Healing Hole, a pond of mineral-rich fresh water that flows up through the surrounding saltwater habitat. The Hole is fabled for its supposed healing powers, dating back hundreds of years to when the Lucayan Indians roamed these islands.

Visit the Bimini Biological Field Station and Shark Lab in Port Royal on South Bimini for tours and instructional talks on the island’s marine life.

Bimini holds a very special place in sportfishing history and is still providing anglers fresh fish tales of their own today.

Click here to learn more about Bimini!

The post Bimini: The Original ‘Island in the Stream’ appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Though generally considered a single island, Andros actually comprises three land masses separated by bights: North Andros, Mangrove Cay and South Andros. At 2,300 square miles, Andros ranks as the largest island in The Bahamas with acreage greater than all other cays combined. This angler’s paradise offers excellent, nearby offshore fishing and what many consider to be the finest shallow-water fishing for bonefish and permit anywhere in the world.

The island’s unique location, with its eastern shoreline bordering a massive submarine canyon and its western boundaries abutting the limitless shallows of the Great Bahama Bank, provides the perfect habitat for chasing pelagic speedsters like marlin and wahoo one day and stalking the ghosts of the flats the next.

Some of the best fishing for pelagic species takes place off North Andros, where the Tongue of the Ocean—a canyon with depths surpassing a mile in places—makes a hard turn to the south in an area called “The Pocket.” According to Skipper Gentry, owner of the charter boat Carolina Gentleman and Gentry Lodge in Morgan’s Bluff, the hunt for gamefish starts within minutes of leaving the dock.

Within a mile of the eastern Andros shoreline, the water depth drops to more than 2,000 feet. Between the beach and the drop lies the famous Andros Barrier Reef, the sixth largest coral reef in the world, stretching more than 140 miles from north to south and popular for diving, snorkeling, sling fishing and bottom fishing for grouper and snapper.

“It’s the flow of deep-blue water pushing through the Northwest Providence Channel that is responsible for the superb offshore fishing we enjoy here,” Gentry says. “We experience seasonal abundance of the various gamefish. The wahoo fishing is spectacular, with great numbers arriving in January and staying through April. They prowl the edges of the reef and are caught within sight of shore.”

Blue and white marlin, dolphin and yellowfin tuna action rallies from March through June, and the summer months bring the best bottom fishing for grouper, snapper and amberjack, with a bonus run of blackfin tuna arriving in July and August, he adds.

Regardless of season, flats fishing stays hot. Bonefish can be found throughout the year. The central and western regions of Andros contain hundreds of square miles of mangroves, salt ponds, cuts, bights, flats and tiny cays that provide the habitat for vast schools of bones.

With such extensive habitat as well as protection from the local guides, who encourage catch and release, bonefish maintain a larger average size than those found in other highly regarded fishing destinations like the Florida Keys or Belize. The average size bonefish on Andros weighs 4 to 6 pounds with many running considerably larger. Many say Andros offers a greater chance of catching a true trophy-size bonefish over 10 pounds compared with anywhere else on the planet. A seasonal migration of permit from April through July provides an additional flats target.

For visiting fly fishermen, Andros represents an ultimate challenge. The many bonefish lodges located throughout the island in addition to independent guides offer a variety of services from pickup at your resort lodging to cottage rentals. Some of the best known lodges include Kamalame Cay, Eva’s Bonefish Lodge, Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros Island Bonefish Club, Bair’s Lodge, Bonefish Bonanza, Mount Pleasant Lodge, Buccaneers and Bones, and Swains Cay Lodge.

Hermon Bain of Hermon’s Bonefish Lodge typifies an Andros bonefish guide. Calling on more than 20 years of experience, he might take you wading somewhere along the immense hard sand flats or pole his skiff through miles of mangroves. He knows all Andros has to offer and how to put his clients in the right place at the right time. Like so many of the brotherhood of guides here, he learned the ways of bonefish from his father and started poling boats even as a child.

Middle and South Bights, famed bonefish grounds, separate sparsely populated South Andros from the more populated and developed northern part of the island. Much of the island falls under protected park land overseen by The Bahamas National Trust. The West Side National Park alone encompasses 1 1/2 million acres of mangroves and flats, where no development is allowed, but fishing is encouraged.

While fishing helps keep Andros on the tourist map, the sightseeing and points of interest found here soon become a prime reason to extend your stay. The island features numerous blue holes, including several found inland like Capt. Bill’s, Cousteau’s and Uncle Charlie’s, all accessible from various points on the island.

King Kong’s Cavern is a huge ocean blue hole near Small Hope Bay, and the Conch Sound blue hole can be reached from the beach. Both consist of labyrinthine cave complexes that spiral out from the mouth.

The people of Red Bays, considered the oldest settlement on Andros, are thought to be direct descendants of the Florida Black Seminoles, who landed here seeking refuge in 1821. Today, the community thrives as a center for all things cultural—with sponge farmers, basket weavers and wood carvers at work and selling their wares.

Private boat owners can make the 130-mile run from South Florida to North Andros with a quick landfall at Bimini to clear Bahamian Customs. However yacht services on Andros remain sparse with the Lighthouse Yacht Club and Marina in Andros Town and Kamalame Cay Resort Marina among the few available.

For fly-in travelers, four airports serve Andros, bringing passengers on either scheduled or chartered flights with specialty airlines. A ferry service also brings visitors from Nassau.

With so much cultural history and natural beauty, in addition to great offshore and inshore fishing, Andros Island ranks as a true angler’s paradise.

Click here to learn more about Andros!

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During its earliest days, ­saltwater fishing seemed as exotic as big-game hunting: expensive, wildly adventurous, maybe even dangerous. But with global development, ­abundant air-travel options, and advances in marine technology, anglers of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages and skill levels can access—and enjoy—once-remote destinations and challenging, sought-after species.

Fishing has become more family-friendly, and just in time to encourage a revival of the sport.

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, leads the drive to recruit women and children to fishing. While focusing primarily on the abundant freshwater resources and opportunities in the United States, RBFF also addresses prospects for coastal saltwater fishing.

In May 2018, the ­organization released its Top Mom-Approved Places to Fish and Boat in the U.S., which included two coastal locations: Grand Isle State Park in Louisiana and Pōka‘ī Bay in Oahu, Hawaii.

To enhance that list, I compiled recommendations from Sport Fishing staffers: Some ­destination ideas emanated from personal experience, others from reputation. All offer not only excellent fishing opportunities, but also options for day trips, kids’ activities, adventurous dining and comfortable accommodations. (The destinations, which include specific lodges as well as general regions, are listed alphabetically. Pricing is included where feasible.)

1. Bahamas—Abacos (Elbow Cay)

Family Attraction
Favorites include island hopping, boating, sailing, fishing, shelling, water­sports—such as snorkeling and scuba diving—and beach options. Elbow Cay, which lies just off the main island of Great Abaco at the northern end of the Bahamas, is known as the “Hollywood of the Abacos,” home to Tahiti Beach and the last candy-striped lighthouse in the world. Accessible and ­navigable by private boat or easy to fly to from South Florida cities, the Abacos offer a variety of lodges, upscale resorts and rental homes.

Fishing Information
On the flats—including the famed Marls west of Marsh Harbor—anglers can catch trophy bonefish and permit on fly. Offshore, troll for wahoo, marlin and mahi; on the reefs, anglers bottomfish for groupers and snappers. Best offshore months include April, May and June, though wahoo migrate through in winter and spring. On the flats, target May through October.

Other Activities
Brendal’s Dive Center on Green Turtle Cay, north of Elbow Cay, offers an adventure that includes snorkeling on the reef followed by hand-feeding stingrays and turtles. Afterward, enjoy a picnic on the beach prepared over an open fire, with taste treats including lobster, grouper, chicken, conch salad and coconut bread. Also on Green Turtle, stroll the pastel-colored village of New Plymouth. One island south, Nipper’s Beach Bar and Grill on Great Guana Cay sets the quintessential Caribbean scene on a white-sand beach. Secluded Tahiti Beach, at the southern tip of Elbow Cay, is accessible only on foot, bike or by boat, and optimal for shelling. Ferries and chartered boats transport visitors throughout the island chain. Visit theabaconian​.com/ferry-schedules.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
On Elbow Cay, try Firefly Sunset Resort or Hopetown Inn & Marina. Around the Abacos, investigate Abaco Beach Resort; Treasure Cay Beach, Marina and Golf Resort; and Bluff House Beach Resort and Marina.

Booking/Contacts
Book at least three months in advance for the best options. A typical five-night stay with two days of fishing and airfare varies, but Bahamas sources estimate $3,500 to $4,500 per person.

2. Costa Rica—Crocodile Bay Resort

Family Attraction
Crocodile Bay lies at the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, touted as one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. While providing first-class inshore and offshore fishing, Crocodile Bay also offers more than 30 rainforest expeditions and ocean safaris. All rooms come with air conditioning and surround a tropical garden with a pool, hot tub and swim-up bar. An on-site spa delivers a wide variety of services. Flights from multiple U.S. locations deliver anglers to San Jose—Costa Rica’s capital—in two to three hours. From there, small planes ferry them to Puerto Jimenez (a 45-minute flight). Lodge trucks pick up arriving fisher­men for the remaining five-minute ride.

Fishing Information
Aboard the lodge’s fleet of Strike sport-fishers and center-console Boston Whalers, anglers can fish inshore for roosterfish, pargo (snappers, including seven different species), groupers and jacks. Offshore, target blue, striped and black marlin, Pacific sailfish, wahoo, dorado (mahi) and yellowfin tuna. Try winter months for blue marlin, and summer for striped or black marlin. Tuna, mahi and sailfish can be found throughout the year.

Other Activities
The Osa Peninsula features a quarter of a million species of animals; in the waters of Golfo Dulce swim massive pods of dolphins and humpback whales. Off-site tours include canopy zip-lining, horseback riding, surfing, waterfall ­rappelling, visiting a chocolate farm, panning for gold, cross-country biking, paddleboarding and more.

Booking/Contacts
An all-inclusive five-night package (excluding international flights) with two days of fishing ranges from $3,185 to $5,285 per person, based on double ­occupancy. High (dry) season falls December 16 through April 14. The resort advises anglers to book six months out or more during the high season. Contact Lynn Alban at lynn@lynchcreektravel​.com or visit crocodilebay.com.

3. Florida Keys—Hawk’s Cay Resort

Family Attraction
Hawk’s Cay Resort, on Duck Key between Islamorada and Marathon in the Florida Keys, encompasses 60 acres and features a hotel as well as 250 fully equipped two- and three-bedroom villas for families and groups (some villas offer dockage). On-site, guests will find six restaurants, five pools (including a pirate-ship pool), a spa, and a full-service marina providing scuba, fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking and kiteboarding charters. Anglers fly to Miami (a two-hour drive) or Key West (an hour-and-20-minute drive) and rent a vehicle.

Fishing Information
Anglers can target backcountry species such as tarpon, redfish and snook; nearshore species such as groupers, snappers and king mackerel; and offshore gamefish such as sailfish, tunas and dolphin. Near the resort, kayak anglers can fish bridges and rock piles. While some species, such as tarpon, migrate and become more accessible during peak seasons, others can be found year-round. The marina accommodates vessels up to 110 feet, so anglers can bring their own boats or charter a Hawk’s inshore or offshore guide.

Other Activities
Besides the various outdoor activities already listed, the resort features an on-site educational dolphin experience and a kids camp with hands-on environmental-education programming. Adults and kids of all ages can enjoy any of eight lighted tennis courts, or enroll in tennis clinics or camps. Families also have access to a basketball court, soccer field, putting course and volleyball.

Booking/Contacts
Room rates start at $249 in the low season, September through November ($399 for a villa). Room rates during high season—from Presidents Day through Easter and on all major holidays—start at $349 and $499. A daily resort fee for internet, parking and access to a variety of amenities costs $42. Fishing charters start at $500 for a half-day inshore trip. Call 877-484-9342 or visit hawkscay.com for packages and specials.

4. Maryland—Ocean City

Family Attraction
While temperatures in the South mostly remain warm throughout winter, average highs for Ocean City, Maryland, can dip into the 40s. But from spring through fall, visiting anglers and families find enormous diversity at this mid-Atlantic hotspot, from outstanding white marlin and bigeye tuna fishing each summer to beach-and-boardwalk outings, as well as visits to nearby Assateague Island and its famed wild ponies. Most visitors fly to Baltimore or Philadelphia and drive two to three hours south, along the Delmarva Peninsula to Ocean City, however US Airways serves the proximate Salisbury/Ocean City regional airport.

Fishing Information
Each August, Ocean City hosts the White Marlin Open, when boats of all sizes run to the offshore canyons to troll primarily for whites and bigeye tuna. Other popular catches include mahi, blue marlin and sharks. Anglers can also fish from the surf or from smaller inshore charter vessels on the Assawoman and Sinepuxent bays, targeting striped bass and flounder.

Other Activities
Iconic shops, including Dolle’s Candyland with its saltwater taffy, line the city’s 3-mile-long boardwalk, which dates back to 1902. The town also offers putt-putt golf, 18-hole golf courses, Ocean Downs Casino, go-cart racing, waterslides, ghost tours, watersports, bicycle rentals, and the ­country’s oldest continuously ­operating merry-go-round. Other local summer specialties include Maryland’s renowned steamed blue crabs.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Three Ocean City hotels offer extra amenities for families. Francis Scott Key Family Resort features on-site putt-putt golf and an indoor swimming pool. Castle in the Sand, on the ocean, provides free kids’ activities, a beach volleyball court, and a game room. The Carousel Hotel boasts an indoor ice rink, movies on the beach, indoor and outdoor pools, and family photo night.

Booking/Contacts
For peak-season summer visits, book six months to a year out; during shoulder seasons, a week to a month should suffice. Lodging costs vary widely, but during summer, expect to pay $350 to $500 per night for ocean-access hotels. Offshore fishing charters range from $1,500 to $2,500 per day and up to $5,000 for overnight trips. Two-hour bay charters range from $15 to $18 for kids and $25 to $30 for adults. Visit the following websites for more information: ococean​.com, visitmaryland.org and fishandhuntmaryland.org.

5. Mexico—Los Cabos

Family Attraction
Los Cabos technically includes both Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja California ­peninsula—gateway to the Pacific Ocean—and the East Cape region on the Sea of Cortez, one of the most biologically rich bodies of water on the planet. Fishing options range from roosterfish and snappers to blue and striped marlin, tunas and mahi (dorado). Other activities include golf, scuba diving, surfing, ATV rides, whale-watching and turtle-release programs. One airport serves both regions: The Los Cabos International Airport is a short, affordable flight from many U.S. hubs.

Fishing Information
Cruise the East Cape beaches on ATVs or run the coast in small pangas for roosterfish, snappers and dorado. Just offshore, the summer in the Sea of Cortez means good numbers of blue and striped marlin, sailfish, tunas and dorado. The Puerto Los Cabos Marina in San Jose del Cabo provides quick access to the famed Gordo Banks, which produces huge yellowfin tuna, blue and black marlin, as well as wahoo. Cabo San Lucas hosts one of the largest fleets of sport-fishing boats in the world. Striped marlin are king in Cabo, with blue and black marlin frequenting the area, along with large tuna and dorado. (World-class tournaments, including the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament and Charter Boat Classic fall in October and November.)

Other Activities
Los Cabos hosts a rising culinary scene, and many resorts and restaurants offer cooking classes. Arts, sports and cultural events run year-round. Outdoor adventures include those mentioned above as well as hiking, biking, bungee jumping, ultralight hang gliding, sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and even camel rides on the beach. Many families opt for whale-watching: Every year, female humpbacks migrate to the Sea of Cortez to conceive and nurse newborn calves.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Many of the region’s top resorts—including but not limited to Solaz, Grand Velas Los Cabos, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, and the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas and Spa—offer family amenities such as kids and teens clubs, spas and golf courses. Travelers should book at least a month or two in advance. High season runs from December through April.

Booking/Contacts
A wide range of pricing is available at the many resorts, condos and hotels (visitloscabos.travel). For charter information, visit piscessportfishing.com, picantesportfishing.com and redrumcabo.com.

Tour operators can be reached through ­cabo-adventures​.com/en, caboexpeditions​.com.mx and wildcanyon​.com​.mx.

6. North Carolina—Crystal Coast

Family Attraction
The Crystal Coast of North Carolina comprises 85 miles of shoreline and sounds along the southern end of the Outer Banks. From Emerald Isle to Harker’s Island and the Down East area, this region includes 11 separate communities. Each has its own vibe and experiences, including inshore and offshore fishing, of course, as well as paddle sports, culinary tours, shelling, wild horse and dolphin viewing, beach yoga, eco‑tours, and sightseeing cruises. Visitors usually fly to New Bern, about a 40-minute drive north of the Crystal Coast.

Fishing Information
As in many coastal marshlands, inshore fishing on the Crystal Coast excels with redfish and trout the prime players, joined by flounder, black drum, bluefish, cobia, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and even striped bass. The prime season for redfish and trout stretches from May through November. (Action slows from January through April, with marginal expectations for stripers and bluefish.) Offshore, anglers target blue and white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, and bluefin, blackfin and yellowfin tuna. Giant bluefin tuna migrate through this region in December and January, chasing baitfish fairly close to shore. Peak season for king mackerel is September through December, and summer is time for dolphin and marlin species. Charters of all sizes and shapes, including party boats, work out of the region’s ports.

Read Next: Shark Fishing With Kids

Other Activities
Some of the top family opportunities along this coast include visits to Fort Macon, a restored Civil War-era fort with a coastal education center in Atlantic Beach; outings to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores; boat rides to see the wild horses on the Shackleford Banks; and forays to the Cape Lookout “Diamond Lady” lighthouse.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Options range from campgrounds and bed-and-breakfast properties to resorts to condo or home rentals. The Peppertree Atlantic Beach Resort features condo-style units with full kitchens and porches. It offers mini golf, tennis, volleyball and other activities. The Fisherman’s Inn, on the Atlantic Beach causeway, offers lodging with dock slips.

Booking/Contacts
Visit crystalcoastnc.org.

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