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Eleuthera 10/28 to 11/4

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  MartyG 
#1 · (Edited)
Another trip to Eleuthera is in the works and I'm trying to find some new spots to fish.

Has anyone tried Pau Pau Bay in South Palmetto Point? Any recommendations on how to fish the great looking spot near the airport? It looks wicked fishy but I saw almost nothing there except pock marked flats.

Any creeks that are walkable/wadeable?

I'll be in North Palmetto and fishing from the GHB airport to Cape Eleuthera.

Thanks,

Marty
 
#2 ·
Although I did well at Savannah early in the morning (tides worked out) the best action and the biggest bones came from the ocean side for me any time of day on the rising tide.

Virtually any coral head that creates a blockage along a sandy reach had cruisers on the tide.
 
#4 ·
It was 100% sight fishing on the ocean side for me. I've only blind cast for bones once in my life, the first time I fished a huge mud and landed dozens one after the other. I didn't enjoy it at all after a few.

I found the bones harder to see on the oceanside and quite challenging. I did also try a few other spots on the inside I'll try to recall...

Vince Tobia has more experience as do several others, but I enjoyed the trip a lot - would love to have a grilled grouper sandwich and a kalik right now in fact.
 
#5 ·
True enough about sight casting on the ocean side. I do like looking for them in the very skinny water's edge and dropping a fly on them. And also watching them surf inside the waves as they curl down the beach. In between sighting the I'll throw some long casts and see what other fish are cruising around.
 
#6 ·
Pau pau is ok--sometimes there are some bones, sometimes not. There are sometimes sharks, and often a nice cuda or two. One time we caught a couple 3 lb false albies off the beach. Some good shells there. It's scenic.

I just walk the beaches and sight fish--only casting when I see something, whether it be a jack or bonefish.

I like the deep creek area too. Some nice flats there, and some good sized bones.

good luck!!
 
#7 ·
Marty

Just got back from ‘Lutra (9/1/12 thru 9/12/12). This wasn’t a full blown fishing trip – had some chores to do at the house and spent some time doing “island stuff” with the wife – but did get in a few hours fishing most days. Saw plenty of fish and they were much more cooperative than sometimes when they snub your best presentation. This trip the fish would readily take the usual bonefish patterns. Perhaps they have not been pressured as much as of late and are less skittish as a result?

I have fished airport flats a number of times over the years with some great days there and some skunks too, which was the case last week. I like to fish airport flats just as the tide starts in and usually the fish move onto the flats with the water, but not this last trip. Perhaps with the heat, the fish were waiting for more cooler water on the flats before moving in. But if you wait til near high tide, you end up wading a lot of chest deep water to get around the flats (eg: to get across to Pelican Cay). I’ve seen a number of big sharks at airport flats and bunches of big barracuda. I know the bonefish are on the flats to eat crustaceans, the barracuda are there to eat bonefish and the sharks to eat barracuda and I don’t want to participate in the upper levels of this food chain. Seriously, after seeing what a Cuda or Shark can do to a hooked bonefish, I don’t like landing bonefish and having it I my hand while wading in deep water.

Something I did see on airport flats that I have never seen anywhere in Eleuthera before was a school of tarpon on the flats. They (20-25 fish) came up on the flat, made a couple of leisurely laps around then went back the way they came. I could see them coming from way off and changed my Gotcha to a chartreuse and white minnow pattern and was able make five or six presentations right in front of the fish as they were working around the flat but they paid no attention to my fly. I’ve spent a good bit of time on Eleuthera flats and this is the first tarpon I’ve seen up on the flats (I have seen a couple in the harbour at Hatchet Bay). Maybe they are common there and I just haven’t seen them. Any body have information about 'Lutra tarpon they would share? Sure would have liked to hook up one of these guys. I may need to “borrow” a couple of tarpon flys from my buddy who chases those guys and have them in the fly box just in case!

Have a good trip.

John Pool
 
#8 ·
It's cool to see the tarpon! I have only seen tarpon once on Eleuthera in 10 years of visiting the island. That was down by half sound. I thought I saw one in a creek one time, but it was a fleeting view and my imagination may have gotten the better of me.

I have never seen a permit there, though I am sure there area few around.

Anyone else seen any permit?

Glad to hear the bones are being more cooperative. Probably the time of year, but it also seems as if less DIY anglers are going to Eleuthera nowadays.
 
#9 ·
John,

Thanks for the feedback about the airport flats.

And I've had a very close encounter a Shark in Savannah Sound while breaking off a big bone where the flats drop off into the deeper water. It may have been a bull. Had a huge wide fat head and was at least 8 feet. With 100 yards of water between him and the shore it put me on guard the rest of the day.

PM if ou can share some more.

Marty
 
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